Today’s health-conscious world requires that you carefully read labels before buying groceries. If you have ever accidentally ripped a sweater, you should make sure you read the labels before you put them in the washer. Have you ever checked the label on light bulbs before buying?
“The labels on light bulb cartons are mandated by the Federal Trade Commission, and like food labels, they are designed with the consumer in mind,”Terry McGowan is the director of engineering technology at The. American Lighting Association (ALA).
Labels for light bulbs answer the question: What level of performance can you expect when you buy a light bulb and install it into your light fixture? Bulb labels focus on more than just brightness and energy costs. They also describe the light’s appearance in terms such as “warm”Oder “cool”Kelvins, too.
Kelvins Count
Two components make up the color you see when you use light bulbs.
“The first component,” says McGowan, “is what you see when you look at the bulb itself — that’s the overall tint or tone of the light. You might look at the bulb and say that it looks ‘cool’ or ‘warm.’ That color characteristic is called ‘chromaticity,’ and for bulbs used for residential lighting, chromaticity is expressed in Kelvins, such as a bulb of 2700 Kelvins, or 2700K.
“Color rendering is the second component.” says McGowan, “Because it involves more human judgment about the visual world, which is subtler than chromaticity. Color rendering is expressed using the Color Rendering Index, (CRI), and describes how natural or lifelike objects and people appear.
The CRI of standard incandescent bulbs has a 100. Natural daylight and standard incandescent bulbs have this number. All other light sources are compared to them. A bulb with a CRI rating of 80 or 90 means that it will not be able to render the colors of objects and people the same way as natural daylight.
New bulb technology, specifically LED bulbs, makes it possible to get bulbs in many brightness levels and colors.
An ALA retailer will help you choose the right lightbulb to create the best ambience and color for your home. To find your closest ALA-member store, go online to americanlightingassoc.com.
