How We Use Photometric Plans
Photometric plans are a part of many services we do at Resource Lighting + Controls. Specifiers and designers work to ensure the lighting on every project meets the intended goals and photometrics takes the guesswork out of that process. We spoke with Jeremy Day, Director of Sales Engineering for Lumenpulse Lighting, about common questions we get from owners regarding photometrics.
Interview with Jeremy Day of Lumenpulse Lighting
Jeremy, can you expect the same results indicated on your photometric plan if you swap out the fixture for an “equal”?
“First, all our products get tested by a 3rd party lab to create the IES file, the true digital representation of the actual light output. So, everyone can feel very confident in the photometric calculations being based on actual data. We also take great care in our optic packages and options on our products. We often develop custom optic solutions to give us the best possible delivered light. Other lights that use off the shelf optic packages may struggle to match our performance.”
What should bidders, contractors, distributors and others involved in the lighting process know that’s often overlooked in photometric plans?
“I think the biggest mistake that I see is when a customer focuses too much on a single number like lumens. They see a photometric plan, like the results and think that any light with similar lumens will give the same result. Unfortunately, lumens are just one small piece of the puzzle. The understanding of the optic system of the light is equally or more important. This is where accurate IES files and photometric software can really put two seemingly equal products to the test.”
Are there benefits of photometrics that many people might not know about?
“An easy benefit to mention is uniformity of light coverage. Yes, you can validate how bright a surface will be, but just as important is the question of how even that light will fall across an entire surface. You don’t want hot spots and darks spots (usually). The software can help evaluate the evenness of the entire effect.”
What are the most common projects you see that require photometrics?
“We tend to do a lot of photometrics for color changing flooding, grazing, and wall washing. I think that these are more specialty applications and customers come to us looking for a proof of concept and validation that their ideas are going to work. There can be a lot of trial and error in those applications to balance the required light levels, with mounting restrictions with budget concerns, so it seems that a lot of people are happy to leave it up to us as the experts.”
Even with project where photometrics that ensure a building is well lit, do you always recommend lighting controls?
“Yes, we recommend controls as much as possible. For the color changing jobs, its absolutely required, but even for simple white light, controls can really add a nice polish to an already good install. Being able to finely set levels and automate on and off with holidays, special events, etc. is a nice touch that often doesn’t add very much to the overall cost of a project.”
You can see many examples of our lighting manufacturers products around the Hampton Roads area. One recently completed project is at Christopher Newport Univeristy. Specifications consultant, Kevin Bremer assisted the University with photometrics and products to update their the signage that you see when you enter the cample.
Raymond Seeger, University Electrical Supervisor let us know the response of the team to the completed project, “We feel it looks great. The photometric study helped with design and final decision making, along with getting final approval from higher ups to fund the project. Kevin is great to work with, responsive, and we are happy with the service we get from Resource Lighting and Controls for our LED upgrades on campus. We plan on using Resource Lighting in the future.”
Testimonial on Photometric Plans Delivered by Our Specifications Consultants
You can see many examples of our lighting manufacturer’s products around the Hampton Roads area. One recently completed project is at Christopher Newport University. Specifications consultant, Kevin Bremer, assisted the University with photometrics and products to update the sign that you see when you enter the campus.
Raymond Seeger, University Electrical Supervisor, let us know the response of the team to the completed project.
“We feel it looks great. The photometric study helped with design and final decision making, along with getting final approval from higher up to fund the project. Kevin is great to work with, responsive, and we are happy with the service we get from Resource Lighting for our LED upgrades on campus, and plan on using Resource Lighting in the future.”
Do you need a Photometric Plan for Your Project? Contact Us.