Luminaire Design Criteria for HID Light Sources

Great progress has been made in the efficiencies of light sources used in outdoor and industrial lighting during the past decade. Today's high intensity discharge (HID) lamps provide up to 140 lm/W compared to approximately 17 lm/W for the filament lamp. Each of the different HID light sources-mercury, metal halide, and high-pressure sodium-require different ballasting techniques. To obtain maximum efficiency and proper operation of the HID lamps, close attention should be given to the selection of the proper ballast. Luminaire design has kept pace with the progress made in light sources and today there is a wide variety of integrally ballasted HID luminaires suitable for practically any outdoor or indoor industrial or commercial application.