The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have issued three new reference documents regarding various performance aspects of fluorescent lamps. The first two documents, from the IES, address new testing standards for fluorescent lamps. They are: IES Approved Method for Life Testing of Single-Based Fluorescent Lamps (LM-65-14) and IES Approved Method for Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Single-Based Fluorescent Lamps (LM-66-14). Both of these documents were written by the IES subcommittee on Photometry of Light Sources, which is part of the IES Testing Procedures Committee whose task it is to create “consistency and uniformity in testing fluorescent lamps among various laboratories.”
LM-65-14 specifically “addresses life testing of compact fluorescent lamps operated on auxiliary devices designed and certified to meet lamp industry standards and tolerance,” while LM-66-14 examines “the methods for obtaining uniform and reproducible measurements of the electrical and photometric characteristics of single-based compact fluorescent, for both electrode and electrodeless lamps, under standard conditions in alternating current, both line and high frequency, circuits.”
LM-65-14 and LM-66-14 are available for purchase–in print or as pdf downloads–online from the IES store.
The third reference document, prepared by NEMA, titled American National Standard for Electric Lamps—Specifications for the Chromaticity of Fluorescent Lamps (ANSI C78.376-2014) revises a previously published paper from 2001. The update addresses the specifications for the chromaticity of fluorescent lamps “…and partially harmonizes this ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard with the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) chromaticity color point objectives and chromaticity tolerance in IEC 60081 Annex D.”
ANSI C78.376-2014 outlines the performance tolerances for the chromaticity of fluorescent lamps at their normal 100 hour rating point. Color temperatures evaluated include: 2700K, 3000K warm-white, 3500K white, 4000K/4100K cool-white, 5000K, and 6500K daylight. The standard was created to ensure color consistency of similar lamps no matter the industry lighting manufacturer. The guide may be purchased via the NEMA website.
