Types of lighting according to the intensity of light used.

Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to provide some aesthetic or practical effect and can be devided in to two parts as natural day lighting and artificial lighting. In the building we receive daylighting through doors,windows, ventilators and skylights and it is the main source of light during daytime in buildings which saves the energy cost. In the night and some time in the day time we require artificial lighting which represents a major component of energy consumption. Artificial lighting source in the past are candles or oil lamps which are now replaced by electric lights. Indoor lighting is a form of fixture in the building.
                         Lighting fixtures used in the building are of different variety, styles and used for various functions. The most important functions of lighting fixtures are as to hold the light source,  provide light and to avoid visual glare. Some lighting fixtures are plain and while others are decorative. The material of lighting fixtures should be according to safety code which can tolerate the excess heat.An important property of light fixtures is to produce desired effect and  light emanating from the fixture  usually measured in lumen per watt. A fixture using light sources can also have its efficiency quoted as the percentage of light passed from the "bulb" to the surroundings.

 
Types

Basic type of  lighting is classified according to the intensity of light depending largely on the distribution of the light produced by the fixture are as under.

1. GENERAL LIGHTING:-

                             General lighting supplies an over all illumination in the area and sometimes it is known as ambient light fills in between the two and is intended for general illumination of an area. Inside the building it may  be a basic lamp on a table or floor, or a fixture on the ceiling. For outdoors, general lighting for road, parking, gardenand park etc may be as low as 10-20 lux. The pedestrians and motorists  will need little light for the movement in the area.

2. TASK LIGHTING:-

        Task lighting is mainly functional and is usually the most concentrated, It supplies required illumination for specific tasks such as reading , painting or inspection of materials. It directs strong local illumination without high general illumination as required for activities carried out in a particular area .For example, we want task lighting levels up to 1500 lux for reading and production. and require even higher levels  for some inspection tasks or surgical procedures.

3. ACCENT LIGHTING;-

It decorates the area by highlighting the particular objects or features in the area; it is mainly decorative and highlight pictures, plants, or some other elements of interior design or landscaping or any other objects as desired. It is an auxiliary to the general lighting and provides added, dramatic dimensions to the scheme.