Lighting guides, tools & buying advice.
Work out light levels, choose fixture sizes and compare project costs. Find a practical guide or calculator for the job in front of you.
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LED vs Traditional Lighting
Compare five lighting technologies by input power, light output, color rendering, rated life, and estimated ownership cost.
Open guide Reference guideLight Level Reference
Compare planning light levels for offices, homes, industrial spaces, and outdoor areas. Learn how to use lux, foot-candles, and maintained illuminance.
Open guide Reference guideLighting Calculations: Formulas and Worked Examples
Use the lumen method for an initial fixture count, the inverse square law for point illuminance, and spacing data to review a layout. The examples show how utilization and maintenance assumptions affect the result.
Open guide Reference guideLighting Design Guide
Plan ambient, task, and accent lighting. Review room light levels, fixture counts, glare, color quality, and maintenance with worked examples.
Open guide Reference guideLighting Glossary
Definitions for reading fixture specifications and lighting reports, from lumens and lux to glare, controls, and maintenance factors.
Open guide Reference guideLighting Styles Guide
Compare mid-century, art deco, traditional, transitional, and industrial lighting by shape, material, shade, and room proportions.
Open guide CalculatorChandelier Size Guide & Calculator
Estimate chandelier diameter, body height and hanging clearance from room and table dimensions. Compare a worked example and practical sizing limitations.
Open calculator CalculatorIndustrial Lighting ROI Calculator
Estimate industrial LED retrofit electricity savings and purchase-cost payback with an adjustable yearly schedule. Compare kWh, costs and project assumptions.
Open calculator CalculatorLED Beam Angle Calculator
Calculate LED beam diameter and coverage area from angle and distance, or find the angle for a target width. Includes formulas, examples and a beam diagram.
Open calculator CalculatorLED Color Temperature Selector
Compare warm, neutral and cool white LED light for your room and use. Review Kelvin ranges, sample colors and why CCT differs from brightness and color rendering.
Open calculator CalculatorLED Dimming Compatibility Guide
Compare LED lamp and control types to identify possible dimming options. Check driver requirements, phase-cut versus 0–10V, and the limits of savings estimates.
Open calculator CalculatorLED Lifespan Calculator
Convert rated LED hours into years for your weekly schedule. Compare temperature scenarios and replacement costs, with L70 definitions and model assumptions.
Open calculator CalculatorLED Lighting ROI Calculator
Compare current and LED lighting costs. Calculate annual electricity savings and purchase-cost payback using watts, daily hours, tariff and fixture price.
Open calculator CalculatorLow Voltage Transformer Calculator
Size a 12V or 24V lighting supply and estimate copper-cable voltage drop from fixture watts, wire length and AWG. See formulas and loading assumptions.
Open calculator CalculatorRecessed Lighting Layout Calculator
Estimate recessed light count and spacing from room dimensions and fixture lumens. View a layout diagram, worked example and the limits of the lumen method.
Open calculator CalculatorSolar Street Light Sizing Calculator
Estimate LED watts, solar panel watts and battery Wh for street lighting. Review operating hours, local sun hours, autonomy and the model’s efficiency factors.
Open calculator CalculatorSolar vs Grid Street Light TCO Calculator
Compare estimated 5- and 10-year costs for solar and grid-powered street lights, including equipment, installation, electricity, and maintenance.
Open calculator ArticleASHRAE 90.1 Lighting: Check Power and Control Requirements
Review the adopted ASHRAE 90.1 edition, lighting power method, controls, exceptions, and documentation for a commercial lighting project.
Open guide ArticleBuilding Automation and Lighting: An EPBD Procurement Checklist
Check building-automation applicability, lighting-control functions, integration, commissioning, and documentation before procuring a retrofit.
Open guide ArticleBulk LED Orders: A Specification and Delivery Checklist
Keep bulk lighting orders consistent with approved samples, component records, product documents, delivery milestones, and acceptance checks.
Open guide ArticleCalifornia Lighting Projects: Title 24 Specification Checks
Check the applicable California code edition, space categories, lighting power, controls, product requirements, and acceptance testing.
Open guide ArticleCommercial Lighting Controls: Sensor Selection and Savings
Choose occupancy and daylight controls for the actual room. Check sensor coverage, settings, commissioning, and the assumptions behind energy savings.
Open guide ArticleConnected Lighting Security: Questions for EU Procurement
Review connected-lighting product scope, security updates, support periods, vulnerability handling, and evidence for applicable EU requirements.
Open guide ArticleCRI vs Lumens: A Practical LED Specification Guide
Understand brightness, color rendering, R9, efficacy, and the measurements to request when comparing LED fixtures.
Open guide ArticleDALI-2 Certification: What to Check Before Ordering
Check DALI-2 product listings, driver functions, controller compatibility, and commissioning requirements before ordering a lighting control system.
Open guide ArticleDALI+ Lighting Control: Questions for a Wireless Retrofit
Compare DALI+ with wired DALI for a retrofit. Check network support, device certification, commissioning, and the practical limits of the proposed system.
Open guide ArticleDigital Product Passports: Preparing Lighting Product Data
Prepare traceable lighting product records and distinguish Digital Product Passport requirements from EPREL, existing declarations, and future product-specific rules.
Open guide ArticleDimmable LED Bulbs: Match the Lamp, Driver and Control
Choose dimmable LEDs by tested compatibility, minimum light level, startup behavior, load limits, and the controls used in the installation.
Open guide ArticleEmergency LED Lighting: System Selection and Testing
Specify emergency lighting from the building’s egress requirements, battery duration, test method, product documents, and maintenance plan.
Open guide ArticleEPBD Lighting Retrofits: Prepare the Building Brief
Prepare a lighting retrofit around the building’s applicable national rules, control functions, serviceability, product records, and commissioning needs.
Open guide ArticleEU Lighting Energy Labels and EPREL: A Buyer’s Checklist
Check energy-label scope, EPREL model records, product performance, and supplier evidence for lighting sold in the EU.
Open guide ArticleEU Lighting Procurement: Separate Building and Product Requirements
Distinguish building-energy requirements from product ecodesign, labelling, documentation, and traceability when sourcing lighting for the EU.
Open guide ArticleHow Many Lumens Do I Need? Room Lighting Estimates
Estimate room lighting from area and a task light-level target. Account for utilization, maintenance, fixture output, and separate task lighting.
Open guide ArticleKitchen Island Lighting: Pendant Count, Spacing and Height
Plan island pendants from countertop dimensions, shade size, hanging height, sightlines, and the task light needed on the work surface.
Open guide ArticleLED Buying Guide: What to Put on the Fixture Schedule
Compare LED fixtures for retail, offices, workshops, outdoor areas, and warehouses using measured output, distribution, controls, and service requirements.
Open guide ArticleLED Driver Selection: Electrical Ratings, Dimming and Service
Match an LED driver to the light source and installation. Check voltage, current, power quality, dimming, thermal limits, and replacement access.
Open guide ArticleLED Efficacy: Compare Measured Lumens per Watt
Read LED efficacy specifications, distinguish source and fixture output, and compare performance against project and market requirements.
Open guide ArticleLED Heat: Operating Temperature, Enclosures and Service Life
Understand where LED heat goes, how to read thermal ratings, and what to check for enclosed, outdoor, and high-output lighting.
Open guide ArticleLED Import Costs: Classification, Origin and Landed Price
Build a lighting import-cost estimate from product classification, origin, current duties, freight, brokerage, and documentation.
Open guide ArticleLED Photobiological Safety: Reading the Test Report
Review photobiological-safety reports by product, standard, operating condition, measurement distance, and intended use.
Open guide ArticleLighting Control Protocols: DALI, D4i, Matter and KNX
Compare lighting control options by wiring, device functions, integration, commissioning, and maintenance requirements.
Open guide ArticleLighting Energy Calculations and RoHS: Keep the Evidence Separate
Distinguish building lighting-energy calculations from RoHS product documentation when preparing a lighting tender or import order.
Open guide ArticleLighting Order Lead Times: Plan from Approval to Delivery
Break lighting lead time into sample approval, components, production, testing, freight, customs, and delivery so project schedules use comparable dates.
Open guide ArticleLighting Rebates: Check Product Listings Before Ordering
Verify exact lighting models, qualification status, utility rebate rules, and approval timing before including incentives in a project budget.
Open guide ArticleLumens to Watts: Compare Light Output and Energy Use
Convert lumens and watts using product efficacy. Compare replacement lamps, fixture losses, color quality, and annual energy costs.
Open guide ArticleMatter for Commercial Lighting: Check the System Before Buying
Review Matter device support, network requirements, offline behavior, and controller limits before choosing connected lighting for a commercial project.
Open guide ArticleOffice Lighting Specifications: Using EN 12464-1
Prepare an office-lighting brief covering task illuminance, glare, uniformity, color quality, daylight, and the evidence needed to review a layout.
Open guide ArticleOutdoor LED Lighting: Exposure, Optics and Controls
Specify outdoor fixtures by water and corrosion exposure, light distribution, mounting, sensor behavior, wiring, and maintenance access.
Open guide ArticlePendant Light Height: Tables, Islands, Foyers and Stairs
Set pendant height from the surface below, user sightlines, shade design, suspension range, and required clearance.
Open guide ArticlePlanning a Lighting Retrofit During Building Renovation
Coordinate lighting surveys, national building requirements, controls, maintenance access, and project costs during renovation.
Open guide ArticleRetail Lighting Design: Displays, Color and Glare
Plan store lighting around merchandise, customer sightlines, fitting rooms, color rendering, contrast, and control zones.
Open guide ArticleSolar Street Light Installation: Survey, Layout and Commissioning
Prepare a solar lighting installation with a site survey, photometric layout, structural design, panel orientation, wiring checks, and commissioning records.
Open guide ArticleSolar Street Lights: Compare the Complete System
Compare solar street lights by lighting layout, seasonal energy balance, usable battery capacity, panel sizing, controls, maintenance, and total cost.
Open guide ArticleTunable White Lighting: A Specification Guide
Specify tunable-white fixtures by output, color quality, dimming behavior, controls, and measured light at the occupant’s position.
Open guide ArticleTypes of Light Bulbs: Bases, Output and Compatibility
Compare LED, incandescent, halogen, and CFL lamps by light output, actual watts, base, enclosure suitability, dimming, and replacement cost.
Open guide ArticleU.S. and Canadian LED Imports: Compare the Landed Cost
Compare U.S. and Canadian lighting import costs using product classification, origin, current measures, freight, and order terms.
Open guide ArticleU.S. LED Imports: Customs and Safety Documents to Check
Prepare LED import documents, verify model-specific safety listings, and confirm tariff classification and entry requirements with your customs broker.
Open guide ArticleUFO vs Linear High-Bay Lighting: Compare the Distribution
Choose high-bay fixtures from rack layout, mounting height, photometry, glare, controls, and installed cost rather than housing shape alone.
Open guide ArticleWarehouse LED Retrofit: Calculate Costs and Check the Layout
Build a warehouse retrofit estimate from measured load, operating hours, tariff, installation costs, controls, and the required lighting performance.
Open guide ArticleWhy an LED Flashes: Checks for Lamps, Dimmers and Drivers
Identify when LED flashing occurs, check dimmer compatibility and indicator meanings, and prepare useful information for an electrician or supplier.
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Start with the question you need to answer.
Choose a design guide, check a formula or look up a lighting term.
Design the room
Layers, room targets, glare, colour quality and the checks to make before installation.
Open design guide ↗ Check the mathsUnderstand the numbers
Follow lumen method examples, inverse square law, spacing logic and unit conversions.
Open calculation guide ↗ Set a targetReference light levels
Compare starting lux and foot-candle ranges for commercial, industrial, residential and outdoor tasks.
View reference table ↗ Shape the lookChoose a style
Compare fixture shapes, finishes, colour temperature and proportions before browsing products.
Explore styles ↗Three guides for planning a project.
Start with the room, then check running costs and component compatibility.
Lighting Design Guide
Plan ambient, task and accent light around how the room will be used.
Warehouse LED retrofit ROI
Estimate energy savings and payback, then check light distribution before replacing fixtures.
LED driver selection
Check voltage, current, dimming and thermal conditions before approving the driver.
Estimate light, spacing and running costs.
Free tools for a first pass. Save the inputs and confirm the result against the fixture data sheet and project requirements.
Buying, installation & troubleshooting.
Selected articles for comparing suppliers, planning an installation and diagnosing common problems.
U.S. and Canadian LED imports: compare the landed cost
Frame product classification, origin, current charges and the questions to send suppliers.
Read the guide ↗ EfficiencyLED efficacy standards and the evidence behind them
Separate fixture efficacy claims from the test conditions and documentation that support them.
Read the guide ↗ SolarSolar street light buying guide
Compare panel, battery, optics, autonomy and service questions before requesting a quote.
Read the guide ↗ ControlsSmart lighting protocols for commercial projects
Map the control interface to the driver, wiring, commissioning and future maintenance plan.
Read the guide ↗ Residential designKitchen island lighting layout
Use shade size, centre spacing, task light and sightlines together when planning the island.
Read the guide ↗ Heat & safetyWhy LED lights flash and what to check
Work through the lamp, driver, dimmer, wiring and thermal causes before replacing parts.
Read the guide ↗