The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA LSD 56 Compatibility of Forward Phase Control Dimmers and Dimmable Self-Ballasted Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Frequently Asked Questions Regarding CFLs and Dimming, available for free download. This publication provides design guidance in the area of lamp/dimmer compatibility to the manufacturers of dimmable self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamps […]
Lighting Controls Association Updates Dimming Course
The Lighting Controls Association is pleased to announce that it has updated EE103: Dimming Control, a popular offering in the Association’s Education Express series of online distance education courses about lighting controls. The course, authored by Craig DiLouie, principal of ZING Communications, Inc. and LCA’s Education Director, provides an in-depth discussion of dimming technology and […]
Controlling Plasma Lighting: A Short Conversation With Randy Reid Of LUXIM
Plasma lighting is a new generation of efficient lighting suitable for high-intensity applications such as parking lot, high-bay warehouse, streetlights, billboard and garage applications. The basic technology consists of a driver that emits radio waves to create an electric field around the source, which converts its contents into a plasma state that generates intense white light. The result is a light source about the size of a tic-tac that produces up to 23,000 initial lumens.
Craig DiLouie of the Lighting Controls Association recently talked to Randy Reid, VP marketing for Luxim, about the control aspects of this interesting and novel lighting technology. Click the below link to see the interview.
Lighting Controls Association Updates Education Express Course on Fluorescent Dimming
The Lighting Controls Association is pleased to announce that it has updated EE103: Fluorescent Dimming, a popular offering in the Association’s Education Express series of online distance education courses about lighting controls. The new course, authored by Craig DiLouie, principal of ZING Communications, Inc. and LCA’s Education Director, is divided into two sections: Dimming Control, and Fluorescent Dimming Ballasts. The first section, Dimming Control, provides an in-depth introduction to dimming, including popular dimming strategies, methods, controls, human perception and response, and how different light sources behave while dimmed. The second section, Fluorescent Dimming Ballasts, covers technology and application issues such as dimming methods and lamp-ballast interactions.
Study Points to Productivity Benefits of Adjustable Lighting Control
“If you boost the lighting at certain times of day, you’ll get a better performance from workers,” remarks Dr Martine Knoop, a senior lighting specialist at Philips Lighting, commenting on the study that took place at Bartenbach Lichtlabor in Austria. The scientists found in 2007 that if offices used more adjustable lighting, the employees working within them would work more productively.
NEMA Publishes Two Solid State Lighting Standards
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published two new solid state lighting standards: 1) NEMA SSL 1-2010 Electronic Drivers for LED Devices, Arrays, or Systems, and 2) NEMA SSL 6-2010 Solid State Lighting for Incandescent Replacement—Dimming.
With these publications, NEMA establishes harmonized requirements and expectations for solid state lighting (SSL). Both are directed toward designers, manufacturers, and users of SSL products.
NEMA Guidelines on the Application of Dimming to High-Intensity Discharge Lamps
This document provides general information and considerations involved in the design and application of dimming circuitry employed with specific ballasts and lamps in the HID family. Click here to download it free from the NEMA website.
Lutron’s Basics of Dimming
On its website, Lutron offers an informative short guide to dimming. Check it out here.
GE Publishes Guide to Linear Fluorescent Lamp Dimming
GE has published an informative guide to linear fluorescent lamp dimming, available here.
Integrated LED Replacement Lamps and Existing Dimmers: Compatibility Issues
At first glance, LED technology appears to be very friendly with dimming control, with dimmable integrated LED lamps available. However, the given integrated lamp must be rated as compatible with the given line-voltage dimmer. This whitepaper describes current LED dimming issues and offers application guidance to avoid unwanted performance.