Opinion piece: Andrea Barausse is the founder and managing director of Durban-based lighting company Energywise Systems. In 2023, he was elected as the technical chair of IESSA – the Illumination Engineering Society of South Africa.
In the lighting industry, the battle between nominal and effective lumens has become an all-too-common discussion. Nominal lumens are often favoured because they look better on paper, but are they truly reflective of what you will get in real-world scenarios and what you are purchasing?
Let us consider an analogy that involves something every green-blooded Springbok-supporting South African (and I would wager every non-Springbok-supporting South African for that matter too) can wrap their head around: Pouring a beer.
Imagine two scenarios:
Nominal: You quickly pour a cold beer into a hot glass. This results in spillage, poor temperature regulation, excessive foam, and, most importantly to us all, less beer in the glass to enjoy. That is not the ideal situation to be in
Effective: You slowly pour a cold beer into a custom-made, chilled glass. This results in minimal spillage, consistent temperature, a smooth taste, a perfect head and, crucially, you get to savour as close to every drop from the bottle or tin.
The choice is clear, right? Effective lumens are akin to that perfectly poured beer – they offer consistent performance and value for your investment. When it comes to lighting, you want your LED and driver to stay cool, the lumens you paid for to be the lumens that you receive, minimal light spillage, and a long-lasting product that give you satisfaction.
Do not get caught out by the larger numbers offered by nominal lumens. They are not what you are buying, and certainly not what you are getting when you flick your light switch on in your home or office. While nominal lumens may look attractive, it is the effective lumens that truly matter in delivering the performance and longevity you expect from your lighting fixtures.
