When you're assessing LED floodlights it's tempting to look at lumen output, but you really should be looking at Center Beam Candle Power (CBCP), in this post we're going to discuss how to understand LED projector (floodlight) performance in a way that makes sense.Â
Lumen Output Doesn't Equal Performance
Lumen output is the measure of how much light a source generates. Source lumens is the measure of the raw amount of light the LEDs are creating, while delivered lumens measures the functional light the fixture provides after the light passes through whatever lensing and shielding material makes up the fixture.
When we're talking about light bulbs, decorative lighting, or linear slot style fixtures, delivered lumens are a good metric because the light isn't really being directed: it is emanating from the source. So, understanding how much light it is delivering is a fine measure to understand performance.
Why Floodlight Performance is Different
When it comes to flood lighting, there's a major difference—optics. Performance optics take all of a fixture's lumens and channel them to a specific field rather than letting the light simply emanate. The better the optics, the fewer the lumens needed to deliver the desired performance. Essentially, the fixture's design makes better use of the light and focuses it at the target.
So, what metric should be used? Center Beam Candlepower (CBCP).
If you're not familiar with CBCP, it is a measure of directional light. One candela is roughly equivalent to one candle's worth of light in one direction. This is a good way to compare how much light you're going to get at a target when using an exterior flood light - whether you're lighting a driveway or the facade of a building.
Why Floodlight Performance is Different
When it comes to flood lighting, there's a major difference—optics. Performance optics take all of a fixture's lumens and channel them to a specific field rather than letting the light simply emanate. The better the optics, the fewer the lumens needed to deliver the desired performance. Essentially, the fixture's design makes better use of the light and focuses it at the target.
So, what metric should be used? Center Beam Candlepower (CBCP).
If you're not familiar with CBCP, it is a measure of directional light. One candela is roughly equivalent to one candle's worth of light in one direction. This is a good way to compare how much light you're going to get at a target when using an exterior flood light - whether you're lighting a driveway or the facade of a building.
But what does that mean?
The simple graphic below from Insight gives you a sense of what all that horsepower can do. Whether you're trying to pinpoint an area of focus, throw light up a facade, or gently illuminate pathways, it's really about understanding how the projector pushes light to the target. When it comes to lighting a pathway, we can estimate the number of foot-candles a fixture will cast on the ground. When we're lighting a facade, foot-candles are less relevant as we're studying the relative brightness of the facade against the surrounding area.
TLDR; For Lighting Designers:
The Prospot 13 Entry gives you a 100-watt performance flood with a 3-degree beam up to 80-degree beam in a 13" body; this was previously only available in the PS17.
One Last Note About RGBW VS White Light
There's something to understand about white light versus RGBW when it comes to this kind of lighting. When it comes to white light, peak candela is straightforward. But when you introduce color changing, CBCP can vary depending on the hue you're using. Mixed colors tend to be brighter than saturated ones because mixed colors use multiple LEDs, and saturated ones don't.
Insight has corrected this issue with the development of its patented Quad Perfect technology. This tech balances the light output across every saturated color and all of the combinations of mixed colors so that you get consistent CBCP across the color spectrum.
Ready to Learn More about The Prospot Family? Book a Visit.
Understanding the power of the Prospot is best done in person. Ready to see what the all-new Prospot 13 can do? Use our Contact Us page to book a visit. We'll demonstrate how the PS13 works, how great it looks in Quad Perfect RGBW, and how to specify it for your next exterior project.
