When it comes time to selecting the right light globes for your home, there are several performance parameters that you generally need to consider, including:
- Voltage – if you use too low a voltage, the lamp will be dim and yellow in colour; too high and it will be brighter but not last as long as it should. Excessive or insufficient voltage, particularly with halogen globes, will often lead to lamp failure.
- Wattage – the wattage is the amount of power the bulb needs to operate. Different types of globes consume different amounts of power to create the same amount of light.
- Brightness – depending on the application, brightness is possibly the most important factor to get right.
- Colour – light can come in different colours, with the two most popular being white and yellow. Light colour is also affected by the colour of your walls and furnishings.
- Lifetime – the lifespan of your light bulbs is directly related to usage, and the type of globes you choose.
These basic technical considerations affect the light output from electric globes. In terms of your broader lighting design, however, there are many more performance considerations you will need to take into account - some of which are listed below.
Luminous efficacy
Luminous efficacy determines how much light you get for the power you use - and there are huge differences between globe types.
Globe age and lumen depreciation
Find out how different types of globes deteriorate over time, and what effect that has on the quality of they light they produce.
Light globes and colour temperatures
Different globes give off different colours and 'temperatures' of light, which can affect the look and feel of your home.
Warm-up times
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in particular may require a certain amount of time to reach their full brightness.