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When a light fixture is activated, it produces light which must leave the lamp, then the
fixture, then reach the workplane where it is needed. Along the way, a number of operating
and environmental conditions interfere with the transmission of light, resulting in wasted
lumens. The lighting designer must provide a system that will take into account these
conditions so that despite them the lighting system will provide proper quantity of light over
time.
These conditions are captured as metrics called the light loss factors. Metrics are used to
perform how something behaves. Light loss factors are captured as percentages or decimals
(example: 0.95), which are then multiplied to result in a final Light Loss Factor in lighting
calculations. There are two types of light loss factors, non-recoverable and recoverable.
Ballast Factor
Lamps and ballasts experience losses when operating together as a system. The percentage
of a lamp's initial rated lumens produced by a given ballast is called the Ballast Factor.
Optical Factor
The amount of space lamps take up serves as an obstruction to light leaving the fixture that is
reflected internally. Since lamps absorb mass, they absorb some of this light output. The
result is what is called the Optical Factor. T12 lamps have an Optical Factor of 1. Removing
lamps, or installing thinner-diameter T10 or T8 lamps, can result in a higher Optical Factor.
Lamp Burnouts
When a lamp expires, it becomes a "burnout." Lighting designers usually assume that the
burnout will be replaced immediately. However, if it is known that a percentage of the lamps
are burnouts at any given time, then a light loss factor must be reckoned with. For example,
if 5% of the lamps are burnouts at any given time, then this light loss factor would be 0.95.
Remember that 100% rated life is defined when 50% of the lamps in a large sample of lamps
have failed.
Table. Typical LLD factors for several lamp types. Note that additional phosphor coatings to
improve CRI in fluorescent lamps improves lumen maintenance.
Adding It All UP
Once all light loss factors are determined, multiply one against the next (A x B x C …) until a
final Light Loss Factor (LLF) results that can be used in lighting design calculations.
Additional References:
Lumen Maintenance and Light Loss Factors - U.S. Department of Energy
LED Lumen Maintenance and Light Loss Factors - U.S. Department of Energy