What has an extremely long life span (up to 100,000 hours), is cost-effective, provides a fast ROI, and is compatible with innovative lighting controls? The answer is induction lighting. Typically overshadowed by LED technology, induction lamps are fluorescent lights without electrodes or filaments—the metal electrical contacts used to conduct electricity from a fixture to the light-emitting gas inside a bulb.
Induction technology isn’t new—it was demonstrated in the late 1890s—but many lighting manufacturers reintroduced induction lighting in the early 1990s. Here’s how it works from a more scientific perspective: rings with magnetic coils create an electromagnetic field using high frequency generated by an electronic ballast. This field goes around a glass tube and the closed loop formed by the discharge path is induced by the coils, causing acceleration of free electrons that collide with mercury atoms and excite the electrons. As the electrons reach a lower, more stable level, they give off energy in the form of invisible UV light. The UV light strikes the phosphorous lining in the tube, creating a reaction that changes the UV light to a harmless, white visible light.
From a business perspective, here are some reasons why induction lighting is worth a closer look:
- Long life span—an induction lamp lasting 100,000 hours translates to 11 years of continuous (24×7) operation
- Energy savings—induction lamps can save 40 percent more energy over fluorescent lamps
- Better color rendition
- Virtually maintenance-free operation
- Instant start and restrike operation
- Low temperature operation
- Compatible with many innovative lighting controls, such as dimmers
Induction lighting typically offers ROI within 2 years. Reductions in fixed operating costs, energy bills, and maintenance costs, as well as utility rebates, EPACT tax credits, and stimulus or government grants (if applicable) help to offset the cost of the retrofit with the savings of the upgrade. In addition to being energy efficient, induction lighting also offers superior color rendering, improved visual acuity, and volumetric lighting. For example, to the human eye, an 85 watt induction lamp appears as bright, or brighter, than a sodium vapor or metal halide lamp of twice the wattage. Induction lamps also appear to be brighter in reduced light levels, allowing you to reduce kilowatt usage while simultaneously improving the lighting. This combination of reduced kilowatts, carbon emissions, and mercury make induction lighting an ecologically favorable upgrade to any facility.
Induction lamps are ideal for applications including hard-to-reach locations, such as in street lights and tunnels, high ceilings that require continuous operation, such as in hotel lobbies, and cold environments, such as supermarket freezers.
To provide the ideal induction lighting system for any business, Monterey Lighting partners with Fulham and Amko Solara, two industry-leading induction lighting manufacturers. To learn more about Fulham induction lighting products and services, read the brochure or visit www.fulham.com. For more information about Amko Solara induction lighting, visithttps://www.amko.com.tw/solara/index.html.
