1.

5 Lighting Measurements
Photon is a quantum of light
❑ Photons interact like fields (waves), but can only be
detected in discreet pieces (particles)
❑ Photons have no mass, but they have energy

𝒎𝒄𝟐
𝑬= 𝑬 = 𝒉𝒇
𝒗𝟐
𝟏− 𝟐
𝒄 energy
frequency
Photon is a quantum of light
• We see light when a photon hits eye’s retina and
generates electrical signal for the brain

• Energy of photons determines colour

• Amount of photons determines brightness

• Spectrum of the light beam is it’s composition of different

energy photons
Electromagnetic spectrum
is more than just visible light
Radiometry vs. photometry
• Radiometry deals with measurements of
electromagnetic radiation.
• All about photons and fields. Has nothing to do
with vision.
• Radiant flux, radiance, irradiance, etc.

• Photometry deals with measurements of

light as perceived by humans.
• Spectral sensitivity of human eye is the
cornerstone of photometry!
• Luminous flux, luminance, illuminance, etc.
History of photometry
❑ Optical photometry did not exist as such
before 19th century*.

❑ One of the first attempts to produce a

measure of a light:

❑ One candlepower is a light produced by a

pure spermaceti candle weighing one sixth of
a pound and burning at a rate of 120 grains
per hour.

❑ Also other units were used, e.g. based on oil

burning lamps.

* To not be confused with astronomical photometry, which was practiced

long before
Measuring light using candle ?
How can you measure using a candle?

❑ With the original photometric instrument –

human eye!

❑ Visually compare the brightness of an object

illuminated by a standard source and a test
source.

❑ Problems:
• Every eye is slightly different
• Eyes can quickly adapt to lighting
• Hard to compare brightness of saturated colours
Physical photometry:
Luminosity function or the V(λ) curve

❑ The average spectral

sensitivity of human
visual perception of
brightness as defined by
CIE (Commission
Internationale de
l'Éclairage).
❑ We use instruments that
“imitate” a human eye by
applying V(λ) spectral
weighting.
Photon sensors are called
Detetectors
❑ When the photon hits a semiconductor material, an
electron ”jump” out of its orbit. We detect these
electrons as electrical current.

❑ Different semiconductor materials are

sensitive to different energy photons.

❑ For photometry, silicon detectors

are used universally.
Two ways to do it:
1. Spectral measurement

❑ Divide the incoming light to its spectral components,

and measure each point separately.
❑ Calculate photometric value by integrating with a
V(λ) weighting.
Two ways to do it:
2. Filtered measurement

❑ Put an optical filter in front of the detector, so that

the sensitivity of the system closely matches V(λ).
❑ Obtain photometric value directly from the detector.
Pros and cons

❑ Spectral
Filtered
• Perfect V(λ) weighting
• Gives more information • Simple, cheap
• Complicated, expensive • More sensitive

• Slower • Faster
• Errors caused by
imperfect filter are hard
to correct
Lighting measurements

❑ Laboratory Field
Luminous flux [lm]
Illuminance [lx]
Spectrum
Colour temperature [K] Luminance [cd/m²]
Colour rendering index, Glare
Ra Spectrum
Irradiance [W/m²]
Colour temperature [K]
Lamp life
Luminous intensity
distribution
Efficiency [%] /
Luminous efficacy
[lm/W]
Luminous flux
❑ Integrating sphere has a diffusive
coating inside, it distributes the light
very uniformly over its inner surface.
Source is placed inside, and when a
detector is attached to a wall of the
sphere, it sees an average “integrated”
reading, even if the light source is very
directional.
Luminous intensity distribution
❑ Goniophotometer rotates the detector around
the source or vice versa , measuring every
position on a sphere.
Luminous intensity distribution
Optimal luminous intensity
distribution curve
❑ Avoid glare
❑ Enough light also in the
surroundings of the road

Luminous flux : 3400 lm

Power : 45,0 W

Pole height 5 m,
distance between poles 30 m
Em = 8,2 lx
Emin = 2,4 lx
Illuminance:
How much light arrives at a surface

❑ To make sure the light is collected from all angles a

diffuser is typically used.

❑ Diffuser collects light uniformly from a 180 degree angle.

Light collected by the diffuser can be guided with a fiber
to a spectroradiometer, or measured directly with a
filtered detector (lux-meter).

❑ Typical uses:
• Determine exposure time for a camera
• Measure if lighting is adequate e.g. on a table surface
• Calibrate lux meter by measuring a known lamp at a certain
distance
Illuminance meter (luxmeter)

Display
cord
Meaurement
range selection

Display lock

Sensor
How luxmeters work

❑ A combination of a
photocell and a current I Im I1 I2 I3
meter

Rm

R1

R2

R3
❑ The photocell is made
of silicon or selenium
Im
❑ The cell transform light
energy into electrical
current A

❑ Variable resistance can

be used to set the
measurement range
Cosine error and correction
E0
❑ A luxmeter should
follow the cosine law

E=E0 cos 
E = E0 E = E0 cos
❑ Due to the properties
of the photocell a 50

Cosineerror [% ]
diffuser is needed to 40
Without correction
correct the error from 30
angle of incidence
20
❑ Without correction the
10
cosine error can be as With correction
0
much as 20…50% 0 15 30 45 60 75 90
Angle of incidence of light [ o]
Measurement grid-Indoors

❑ Each side of
square/rectangle is no
more than 50% of the
distance between light
source and working
plane
❑ Illuminance is
measured
approximately at the
centre of each
square/rectangle
❑ Measurement points
are not located
symmetrical to the light
source
Luminance
How bright is the surface

❑ Normally focusing optics are used to measure

luminance. Measurement is taken either from a
defined spot or as an image.

❑ Any camera is practically a luminance meter.

❑ In laboratory applications the field of view can be

defined by apertures instead of focusing elements.

❑ Typical uses:
• To measure display brightness
• Measuring light reflected from a surface (lighting
quality)
• To calibrate various luminance sources
Point luminance meters

2 500 eur 10 000 eur 40 000 eur

Luminance camera

❑ Based on CCD-cell
❑ Luminance is measured
from thousands of
pixels at time
❑ Can be used to
evaluate and analyse
luminance distribution
or difference
❑ Measurement range
0,001…106 cd/m2
Imaging luminance photometers
Luminances and illuminances from an
office room

Luminaires 3500-4000 cd/m2

White table 150 to 250 cd/m2
Partition walls 35-45 cd/m2
Glare index UGR 20

Average illuminance on
working area 570 lx
Vertical illuminance on
monitor 360 lx
Vertical illuminance on
partition walls 300 lx
Spectral measurements

❑ Colour temperature
❑ Colour coordinates 6.00E-04

❑ Colour rendering 5.00E-04

Spectral power density

index
4.00E-04

3.00E-04

❑ Mesopic luminances 2.00E-04

❑ Spectral changes of 1.00E-04

light sources 0.00E+00

400 450 500 550 600 650 700
Wavelength (nm)
Spectrometers

❑ Spectrometers can be
used to measure e.g.
the spectral
transmittance of a filter
❑ Spectroradiometer
measures the radiosity
as a function of
wavelength 6.00E-04

❑ Spectroscope is used to 5.00E-04

Spectral power density

examine the spectral 4.00E-04

distribution through 3.00E-04

ocular or lens 2.00E-04

1.00E-04

0.00E+00
400 450 500 550 600 650 700
Wavelength (nm)
Lamp life test
❑ With lamp life test
establishes how long
lamps last
❑ Lamp life can be
defined in several
ways, e.g. 50 % dead
lamps, or light output
loss to some value
❑ Luminous flux loss or
changes in spectrum as
function of time
❑ Burning cycle of 2 h 45
min on, 15 min off
Calibration
❑ Only comparison measurements are possible
without calibration
❑ The time between calibrations depends on the
type of the instrument, how much is used, and
measurement application. Many instruments
need to be calibrated every 1-2 years
❑ Some are calibrated every time they are used
Things to be considered in lamp
measurements

❑ Incandescent lamp: luminous flux is strongly

dependent on supply voltage
❑ Fluorescent lamp: burning position and ambient
temperature
❑ Discharge lamps; burning position
❑ With LEDs measurements should be done in
thermal equilibrium. With big luminaires the
warming time can be up to two hours
Dimming of LED luminaire
Supply voltage dimmed