Ballast | Device used with discharge lamps for stabilising the current in the discharge. May be electronic (more efficient) or passive (iron-core). Load tables indicate total wattage used by the luminaire, including both lamp and ballast. See photo below. |
Bulk / batch / gross replacement | A scheduled replacement of a section of lights, which is change of components for most of that type of light in a given area (typically PE cells and/or lamps). |
Category V lighting | Lighting designed principally for vehicular traffic, eg traffic routes, as described in AS/NZS 1158.1.1:2005 |
Category P lighting | Lighting designed principally for local roads to provide a safe and comfortable visual environment for pedestrian movement at night, as described in AS/NZS 1158.3.1:2005 |
CFL | Compact fluorescent lamp |
CO2e | Carbon dioxide equivalent units, relating to the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases. If methane, for example has a global warming potential 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide, a tonne of methane is measured as 21 tonnes of CO2e. |
Colour rendering | A term used to describe the accuracy with which colours are represented when illuminated by particular light sources. |
Colour temperature | The colour temperature of a light source refers to the apparent whiteness of the light produced. Higher colour temperatures are referred to as cooler (more blue) sources, while lower colour temperatures are referred to as warmer (more yellow) sources. |
CRI | Colour rendering index. A measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce colours of various objects compared with that of a natural light source. |
DB | Distribution business or distributor: Companies that distribute electricity at high and low voltages (240V-66kV) over distribution networks (“poles and wires”) in their region, including the provision of public lighting unless otherwise negotiated with public lighting customers. |
Diffuser | See visor. |
Direct light | Light that is incident on a point or area having taken a direct path from a source of light, such as a luminaire.
Discharge lamp A lamp in which the light is produced, directly or indirectly, by an electric discharge through a gas, a metal vapour, or a mixture of several gases and vapours. For example, mercury vapour or high pressure sodium. |
Efficacy | The ratio of the luminous flux emitted by a lamp to the electric power it consumes, ie how energy efficient a lamp is. |
Fluorescent lamp | Discharge lamp of the low pressure mercury type in which most of the light is emitted by a layer of fluorescent material excited by the ultraviolet radiation of the discharge. |
GHG | Greenhouse gas(es), such as carbon dioxide or methane. |
Glare | Light causing discomfort or reduction in visibility. |
Halogen lamp | A gas filled lamp containing a tungsten filament and a small proportion of halogens. |
HID | High intensity discharge lamps (i.e. mercury vapour, HPS and metal halide), which operate by an electrical discharge into a closed glass or silica tube containing small quantities of metals that then vaporize and glow. The arc tube, as it is known, is enclosed in an outer glass envelope forming the lamp. |
HIR | Halogen infrared is a bulb used for heating, sometimes called Quartz Halogen. |
HPS | High Pressure Sodium lamps. |
Illuminance | The amount of light on a surface, measured by lux. |
Lamp | The part of a luminaire which emits light (ie the actual light globe) and which may require associated control equipment to operate. See photo below. |
Lantern | See luminaire. |
LED | Light Emitting Diode lamp |
Load table | Records the measured energy consumption (or load) of each type of approved light. Used to calculate energy consumption for bills (rather than direct metering), as most streetlights and traffic lights are on an unmetered electricity supply. Only some states have load tables. |
LPS | Low pressure sodium lamps |
Lumen (lm) | The amount of light emitted from a light source. |
Luminance | The amount of light reflected from a surface, measured as candela (cd) per square metre. |
Luminaire | A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps together with the housing designed to distribute the light, position and protect the lamps and connect the lamps to the power supply. The term lantern can also refer to a luminaire. |
Luminous intensity | The amount of light emitted in a specified direction, measured as candela (cd). This can be used to compare glare between different light types. |
Lux | The measure for illuminance,. 1 lux = 1 lumen (lm) / m2. |
MEPS | Minimum Energy Performance Standards: a regulatory tool used to increase the average efficiency of a product class, in this case public lighting. MEPS regulations remove from sale the least energy efficient models on the market. MEPS programs are made mandatory in Australia by state government legislation and regulations, which give force to the relevant Australian Standards. |
MV | Mercury vapour lamps |
MH | Metal halide lamps |
Mt | Megatonne, as in 1 Mt CO2e |
OMR Charge | Operation, Maintenance and Replacement Charge: A charge set by distribution businesses for public lighting services provided to customers (i.e. councils or roads authorities). The charge covers the cost of operating, maintaining and replacing the standard public lighting assets that are owned by a distribution business. |
PE cell | Photoelectric cell: A device normally incorporated in a luminaire that automatically switches it on at dusk and off at dawn in response to light levels. See picture below. |
Public lighting | Any infrastructure that provides lighting for public areas including streetlights, traffic lights, park lights and car park lighting. |
Reflected/ indirect light | Light that is incident on a point or area that has been reflected by at least one surface since emanating from a light source. |
Reflector | A surface (often metal) to reflect upward light from a globe downwards to increase light in the required locations (i.e. on the ground). A reflector can sometimes just be a white painted surface inside the luminaire. See picture below. |
SLUoS | Street Lighting Use of System tariff, a charge set by the South Australia distribution business to customers for the cost of operating, maintaining and replacing standard public lighting assets. |
Spot replacement | Replacement or repair of a particular luminaire following damage or the end of their economic life. As opposed to Bulk replacement. |
Starter | Device for starting a discharge lamp (in particular a fluorescent lamp) |
T5 | T5 linear fluorescent lamp, a 16mm diameter fluorescent tube |
Upward waste light | Light from a luminaire above horizontal (1-4% excellent, 4-10% good, 30-50% poor), a type of light pollution. |
Visor | Designed to spread the light from the globe/lamp to the desired area and to protect the lamp and other internal luminaire components. Otherwise known as diffuser. See the picture below. |
Wh | Watthour: 1 watt of energy operating for 1 hour. kWh is kilowatt hour or 1000 watt hours, mWh is megawatt hours or 1,000 kWhs, gWh is giga watt hours or 1,000 MWhs, and tWh is terawatt hours or1,000 GWhs. |
