Glossary – Universal Lighting Canada

Glossary

A to G

Term	Definition
Accent Lighting	Lighting that is focused on a specific area, object, etc. It can be a picture light, track lighting mounted to highlight a certain area, or other.
Ambient Lighting	The general lighting in a specific room or setting. It is the main source of illumination. This can be achieved with a single light source, or a variety of fixtures such as ceiling fixtures, wall sconces, lamps, cove lighting, etc. Natural light from a window is also considered ambient lighting.
Backplate	The decorative plate behind a wall sconce that covers the electrical items such as driver, and junction box.
Beam Spread	A measure of the spread of light (the width of the beam) from a light source. As the light moves away from the source, it spreads wider and becomes less intense.
Blade Span	The width/diameter of a fan. If the fan has an odd number of blades, it is the distance from the centre of the fan to the edge of the blade multiplied by 2. For a fan with an even number of blades it is the measurement from end to end of two opposing blades.
Canopy	The decorative plate that connects the hanging fixture to the ceiling, and covers the electrical items, such as the driver and junction box.
CCT Correlated Colour Temperature	technology that allows one to change the colour temperature of a given light source within the range provided by the manufacturer. Sometimes it is to be chosen at the time of installation or can be changed after the fact.
CRI (Color Rendering Index)	A measure of how light sources render colors compared with sunlight. The higher (to 100) the CRI, the better the color rendering, given the color temperature of the lamp.
Cubic Feet Per Minute CFM	Also referred to as airflow, how much air a fan moves. The higher the CFM the more powerful the fan will be. For larger rooms a high CFM is recommended. The best range for residential purposes is between 3000 – 7000 CFM.
Delivered Lumens	It is the measure of actual light output projected towards the horizontal or vertical plane. It calculates the light loss that exists, so it will always be lower than total lumens. It is the real performance of the light module and best indicator of brightness.
Diffuser	A cover or shade, often made of a variety of materials like acrylic, glass, fabric, etc. that encompasses the lighting diode or bulbs of a fixture that softens or scatters the light. It is often used to eliminate hot spots and glare.
Dimmer	The way to control light levels from a specific fixture or set of fixtures. Can be integrated into the switches of your space, and/or sometimes can be done on a smartphone app. Dimming is dependent on the fixture selected. For integrated LED fixtures, ELV or TRIARC dimming is usually suggested. Each supplier can provide a list of suggested and tested dimmers that work best with each fixture.
Directional lighting	Sometimes referred to as accent lighting, it is light that falls in a specific direction, often to highlight a specific object or area.
Driver	device that is used to regulate and supply the optimal current and voltage to an LED light. It is supplied within the canopy or backplate of the fixture by the manufacturer.

H to N

Term	Definition
Hard Wire	A Method of luminaire installation using a junction box and controlled from a wall switch.
Housing	Enclosure for recessed sockets and trim above the ceiling.
Integrated LED	Lights that are built into the fixture itself. This allows for exciting new shapes and possibilities for lighting fixtures, as well as higher lumen output for less wattage usage and a much longer lifetime usage. This means though, that is not a physical bulb, so it does not fit a standard socket. These fixtures might require a specific kind of dimmer, such as ELV or TRIARC. They often come with a longer warranty as well./td>
Kelvin	The unit of measure for colour temperature on the colour spectrum, and is represented by the letter K. Most fixtures used for residential and commercial purposes range between 2700K – 5000K. The lower the number, the more yellow and warmer it will be, the higher it gets the whiter and cooler it will be all the way up to blue on the scale.
LED	Stands for Light Emitting Diode. It is a lighting device that emits light when an electric current flows through the semiconductor device/microchip. LED’s can be physical bulbs or integrated into fixtures.
Light Absorption	Refers to a measure of the amount of light absorbed by an object, instead of being reflected. Dark colored and matte surfaces are the least likely to reflect light.
Light Bulb/bulbs	The physical, changeable/replaceable part of the fixture that provides light. Bulbs differ in size, shape, finish, wattage, lumens, colour temperature/kelvin. Bulbs can be incandescent, halogen or LED. However, most physical bulbs are LED nowadays. It is recommended to use frosted bulbs when they are enclosed in a frosted piece of glass or in a shade. When the bulbs are visible, they can really add to the decorative aspect of the fixture.
Light layering	Using all forms of lighting (ambient, accent, task) in a space to bring it to life, create a balanced atmosphere, and to provide the best illumination for all your needs.
Line-Voltage	The 110-120-volt household current, generally standard in North America.
Low-Voltage Lighting	System that uses less than 50-volt current (commonly 12-volt), instead of 110-120-volt, the standard household current. A transformer is used to convert the electrical power to the appropriate voltage.
Lumens	The measure of “perceived power” of light, or the light output. The higher the lumen output, the brighter the light.

O to U

Term	Definition
Pancake Box	A smaller electrical box that can be installed surface mounted on the ceiling or wall. This can be used to “change the location” of the light fixture without moving junction boxes. Conduit will run between the original junction box and the pancake box to allow for electricity to pass through. This is a great option for condos with concrete ceilings.
Plug-in	Method of luminaire installation using a wall outlet and standard plug, it does not require a junction box and can often be portable lamps, or surface mounted sconces/fixtures. It will have a switch on the fixture or along the plug line.
Rods/stems	The metal rods/stems that connect the fixture to the canopy. Every supplier will offer a selection of sizes with the fixture, it is up to the end user to select the best sizes of the combination of rods for their space.
Swag	Hanging a fixture using chain or wire/cord off centre from the box by installing the canopy where the junction box is and looping the wire or chain where needed, and using a hook installed in the ceiling to hold the fixture in its new place.
Task Lighting	Lighting designed to perform a specific task such as a reading light, under-cabinet lighting, etc. The light is directed exactly where it is needed to perform said task.
Total Lumens	The total amount of light that is emitted from the LED module. However, this does not consider any light loss that might happen through diffusers, or distribution of light through internal positioning. It does not have a bearing on the real performance light module.
Transformer	A device used to convert electrical power to a different voltage.
Watt/wattage	The amount of energy that is used to power the fixture or bulb, it is a unit of electrical power. It is different than lumens as it measures energy used and not light output. Usually the higher the wattage, the higher the output. With the use of LED, it is important to compare wattage and lumen output. You can get much more light output with a lot less energy usage with LED bulbs. So, while the wattage use is much less than incandescent bulbs, the lumen output can be the same, or much higher.