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• GE trademark for its biaxial family of high-efficiency and long-life compact fluorescent lamps. A straight tube is bent back in the middle, constituting a biaxial tube.

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• Rated life of a lamp.

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• The ability of the lamp lumens to be varied while maintaining reliability.

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• A ballast that uses semi-conductor components to increase the frequency of fluorescent lamp operation. Fluorescent system efficiency is increased due to high frequency lamp operation.

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• Industry standard for a fluorescent lamp that is five eighths (one inch) in diameter.

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• See Average Rated Life

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• See Color Temperature

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• A high-intensity discharge light source in which the light is produced by the radiation from mercury, plus halides of metals such as sodium, scandium, indium, and dysprosium.  Some lamp types may also utilize phosphor coatings.

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• A specially designed metal halide lamp that uses a ballast with ignitor for starting.

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• Color rendering is the ability of a light source to produce color in objects.  The CRI is expressed on a scale from 0 - 100, where 100 is best in producing vibrant color.

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• The angle over which the intensity of the beam drops to 50% of its peak intensity.  Measured in degrees.

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• A high efficiency lamp utilizing an electric discharge through low pressure mercury vapor to produce ultraviolet (UV) energy.  The UV excites phosphor materials applied as a thin layer on the inside of a glass tube which makes up the structure of the lamp.  The phosphors transform the UV to visible light.

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• The number of hours a group of lamps will burn before it is economically and aesthetically advisable to group relamp (typically 60% to 75% of rated life).

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• Fixtures which have a lens that protects the bulb from the elements.

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• See "Compact Fluorescent"

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• A device used with an electric-discharge lamp to obtain the necessary circuit conditions (voltage, current, and waveform) for starting and operating; all fluorescent and HID light sources require a ballast for proper operation

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• The distance between the center of the filament, or arc tube, and a reference plane - usually the bottom of the lamp base. Refer to the following chart for reference plane locations.
• Base type - L.C.L Reference Plane Location
• All screw bases (except Mini-Can) - Bottom of base contact
• Mini-Can - Where diameter of ceramic base insulator is .531 inches
• 3-Contact Medium - Bottom of base contact
• Mogul Medium Prefocus - Top of base fins
• Mogul Prefocus - Top of base fins
• Medium BiPost -  Base end of bulb (Glass lamps)
  Bottom of ceramic base (Quartz lamps)
• Mogul BiPost - Shoulder of posts (Glass lamps)
  Bottom of ceramic base (Quartz lamps)
• 2-Pin Prefocus - Bottom of ceramic base
• S.C. or D.C. Bayonet Candelabra - Top of base pins
• Medium Bayonet - Top of base pins
• S.C. or D.C. Prefocus - Plane of locating bases on prefocus collar
• Medium 2-Pin - Bottom of metal base shell

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• A mechanism that regulates the flow of light in a fixture.

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• Halogen Infrared Lamps (HIR) trap wasted invisible infrared emissions and redirect them to produce more visible light. They are 40% more efficient than standard halogens, while providing the same amount of light output, beam control and compactness.

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• An average rating, in hours, indicating when 50% of a group of lamps have failed when operated at nominal lamp voltage and current.  Manufacturers use 3 hours per start for fluorescent lamps and 10 hours per start for HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps when performing lamp life testing procedures.  Every lamp has a unique mortality curve that depicts its average rated life.

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• A high wattage bulb that is designed to be used with an 800 miliampere ballast.

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• A bulb that reproduces the full color spectrum of natural outdoor light.

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• The end-to-end measurement of a lamp expressed in inches or millimeters.

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• A popular term referring to a light source emitting near ultraviolet light and a minimum amount of visible light

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• A variation of halogen bulbs that contains krypton gas in the glass envelope. Krypton bulbs are most commonly available in a chandelier shape. They last longer than normal halogen bulbs and provide a light that is white and crisp. Krypton bulbs are low wattage and are fully dimmable.

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• Reference to the color tone or appearance of light produced by a lamp for a specific color temperature.  The bluish white appearance of this lamp is similar to natural daylight.  It makes rooms seem very cool and often gives a store or office a blue-white radiance.  It is often used over white goods.

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• Light that is directed to areas where it is not needed, and thereby interferes with some visual act

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• A simple, standard ballast where the "Core" is made of steel and the "Coil" consists of copper or aluminum wire which is wound around the core. The "Core & Coil" assembly is charged with a nonconductor to provide electrical insulation and assist in heat dissipation.

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• HPS lamps are high intensity discharge light sources which produce light by an electrical discharge through sodium vapor operating at relatively high pressures and temperatures.

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• Efficiency of a light source expressed in lumens per watt (LPW or lm/W)

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• Originally, a term used to describe the "whiteness" of incandescent lamp light.  Color temperature is directly related to the physical temperature of the filament in incandescent lamps, so the Kelvin (K) (absolute) temperature scale is used to describe it.  Although it may not seem sensible, a higher color temperature (K) describes a visually cooler, bluer light source.  More recently, the term "chromaticity" has been used in place of color temperature.

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• Pertains to the type of lighting in an industrial situation where the ceiling is 25 feet or higher

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• The Organization that develops voluntary guidelines and product performance standards for the electrical and other industries.

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• A lamp starting method in which lamp filaments are heated while open circuit voltage (OCV) is applied to facilitate lamp ignition.

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• A measure of electrical current commonly referred to as "amps." In incandescent lamps, the current is related to voltage and power as follows: Watts (power) = Volts x Amps (current).

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• A completely sealed quartz or ceramic tube where the electrical discharge (arc) occurs and generates light.

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• A style of bulb base which uses keyways instead of threads to connect the bulb to the fixture base. The bulb is locked in place by pushing it down and turning it clockwise.

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• A unit of electrical power consumed over a period of time.  1000 watts used for one hour equals one kilowatt-hour.

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• A fluorescent lamp that operates from a 1500 miliampere ballast.

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• Reference to the color tone or appearance of light produced by a lamp for a specific color temperature.  Cool White is the least expensive and most widely used fluorescent lamp color in lighting today.  Its name comes from the cool, airy atmosphere it creates wherever it is used.  Modern, efficient and business-like, it is popular in stores, classrooms, offices, corridors, and factories.

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• A lamp that provides both high intensity and good color rendition.  Typically a compact halogen operating at 12 volts and requiring the use of a transformer

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• A lamp containing a filled arc tube in which the active element becomes vaporized ( a gaseous state) and is discharged into the arc stream to produce light.

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• A 3-letter code assigned by the American National Standards Institute that provides a system of assuring mechanical and electrical interchangeability among similarly coded lamps from various manufacturers.

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• A variation of halogen bulbs that contains xenon gas in the glass envelope. The xenon gas increases the bulbs average rated life, allows the bulb to operate at a cooler temperature and produces a whiter light. Like halogen bulbs, xenon bulbs are dimmable when the right dimmer is used. Halogen bulbs can be replaced with comparable xenon bulbs as long as they have the same wattage rating, voltage rating, base type and glass envelope size. Unlike halogen bulbs, xenon bulbs can be handled with bare hands without affecting the average rated life of the lamp.

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•  A reflector that projects light forward while deflecting heat backwards toward the socket, the light beam itself is cool.

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• A unit of measure used to describe the amount of light a lamp emits.

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• A lamp in which light is produced by using a thin filament wire heated by an electric current passing through it.

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• A sound generated by the vibration of laminations in the electromagnetic field that transforms the current for discharge lamp use.

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• Tungsten wire positioned inside a bulb which generates light when heated.

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• Any base with two metal pins for electrical contact.

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• The lumen output provided by a lamp at a given point or percentage of its life.

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• The position in which a lamp is designed to operate for maximum performance and safety.  These include
• BD - Base Down (bulb is vertically positioned with the metal base at the bottom, glass up)
• BU - Base Up (bulb is vertically positioned with the metal base at the top, glass hanging down)
• HBD - Horizontal +15º to Base Down
• H45 - Horizontal to -45º only
• VBU - Vertical Base Up ±15º
• VBD - Vertical Base Down ±15º
• HBU - Base Up +/- 90º (bulb can be operated in a base up or horizontal position)
• HOR - Horizontal Burn (bulb is positioned with the metal base parallel to the ground)
• H75 - Horizontal +/- 75º (bulb should not be operated within 15º of vertical)
• U - Universal Burn (burn can be operated in any position)

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• The angular dimension of the cone of light from reflectorized lamps (such as R and PAR types) encompassing the central part of the beam out to the angle where the intensity is 50% of maximum.

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• A large screw base that is approximately 1.5" in diameter.

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• Base: The end of the lamp that fits into the socket. 
• Socket: The receptacle connected to the electrical supply.

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• A measure of work done by an electrical system over a given period of time, often expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

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• BD - Base Down (bulb is vertically positioned with the metal base at the bottom, glass up)
• BU - Base Up (bulb is vertically positioned with the metal base at the top, glass hanging down)
• HBD - Horizontal +15º to Base Down
• H45 - Horizontal to -45º only
• VBU - Vertical Base Up ±15º
• VBD - Vertical Base Down ±15º
• HBU - Base Up +/- 90º (bulb can be operated in a base up or horizontal position)
• HOR - Horizontal Burn (bulb is positioned with the metal base parallel to the ground)
• H75 - Horizontal +/- 75º (bulb should not be operated within 15º of vertical)
• U - Universal Burn (burn can be operated in any position)

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• A term used for discharge lamps, where no hot filament is involved, to indicate that the light appears "as if" the discharge lamp is operating at a  given color temperature.  CCT generally measures the "warmth" or "coolness" of light source appearance using the Kelvin (K) temperature scale.

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• A special plastic shielding on the outside of tubular fluorescent lamps that effectively contains shattered glass particles if the lamp is broken. Such protection is mandated in many industries and locations, e.g. food packaging.

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• Energy Star® was introduced by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products that reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  The EPA partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy in 1996 to promote the Energy Star® label.

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• A ballast that is able to function on more than one voltage.

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• The general term applied to families of smaller diameter fluorescent lamps some of which have built-in ballasts and medium screw bases for easy replacement of incandescent lamps.

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• A device in the electrical current used for varying the light output of the lamps, extending the life of the lamp.

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• A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp (or lamps), together with the parts designed to distribute the light, position and protect lamps, and connect them to the power supply.

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