EE 365-ELECTRICAL SERVICES

DESIGN

D. Kwegyir (PhD)
Department of Electrical & Electronic
Engineering
College of Engineering

2025

1
Unit 1: Nature of Light and
Laws of Illumination

2
 Learning Objectives

Discuss the nature of light (natural and

artificial)
Define the technical terms associated with
light:
o a point source,
o solid angle,
o mean spherical candle power,
o luminous flux,
o luminous intensity,
o illuminance,
o luminance efficacy.
www.knust.edu.gh
 1.1: Nature of
Light
Light may be considered as electromagnetic
waves of certain frequencies which can be
detected by the human eye and converted into
sensory perceptions, so that we see.

It is a form of energy which is radiated by bodies

whose temperatures are higher.

The radiant energy is necessarily a wave

motion which is propagated in a medium in a
manner like that of an electromagnetic wave.

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.1: Nature of
Light
The velocity of propagation of light in a medium
is 3×108m/s which is constant, but the
wavelength is different .

At 𝐶,the wavelengths of light ranges from

0.4×10−6m to 0.75×10−6m at frequency of

The colour of light is determined by the

wavelength of its electromagnetic wave

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.1: Nature of Light

White light contains all the colours of the

spectrum.

We see an object to be of a given

colour because it reflects that
colour component of the light source
and absorbs the other colours.

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.1: Nature of Light
Table 1: Wavelengths of the colours in a visible
light
No. Wavelength ( Colour
1 4000 Violet
2 4750 Blue
3 5500 Green
4 6000 Yellow
5 7000 Red

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.2: Sensitivity of the Eye
The wavelength which can produce the
sensation of sight lies between 4000 Ao 1.0

and 7000 Ao.

0.8

The sensitivity of the eye to lights 0.6

sensitivity
of different wavelengths varies

Relative
from person to person and 0.4

according to age. 0.2

The eye is most sensitive for a 4000 5500 7000

wavelength of 5500 Ao which Fig.1: Variation of relative sensitivity

corresponds to the wavelength of with wavelength
yellow green.
www.knust.edu.gh
 1.3: Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Point source: A point source of light is a
source which can, with sufficient accuracy, be
described as a point where the source of light is
concentrated. The nearest approach is the star
seen from the earth.

Plane angle: it is the area which is enclosed

by two lines.

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.3: Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light

Solid Angle: The angle

subtended at a point in
space by an area. It is
the volume which is
enclosed by numerous
lines lying on the
surface and meeting at a
point. Fig. 2

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.3: Definitions of Common Terms
Associated
with Light
Since total surface area of a sphere of a radius

𝐴 = 4𝜋𝑅2
R is

The total solid angle subtended by points in

view of the above equation is;

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.3: Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Luminous Flux – It is defined as the energy in
the form of light waves radiated per second
from a luminous body.

It is therefore the total light power radiated

in all direction by a light source.

The unit of luminous flux (Ф) is lumens ().

www.knust.edu.gh
 1.3: Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Luminous Intensity – It is the luminous flux
emitted per unit of solid angle of a luminous
body in a certain direction.

It therefore the energy in the form of light

waves radiated per second per unit of
solid angle in each direction from a luminous
body.

www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Luminous Intensity –
Consider a point source of
light O.

Let be luminous flux crossing

any section of a narrow cone
of solid angle steradians.

The apex of the cone so Fig. 3: Point Source of light

emerging luminous flux
formed is at the source.
www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Luminous Intensity -Then the
luminous intensity in the
direction of the cone is the ratio
of the flux to the solid angle

or may be defined as the flux

emitted by a source per unit
solid angle.
Fig. 3: Point Source of light
(candela) emerging luminous flux

www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
Lumen (lm) measures the
total quantity of visible light
emitted by a source per unit
of time.

It is defined in terms of
candela (cd) as;

Fig. 3: Point Source of light

emerging luminous flux

www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
For a point source
emitting uniformly in all
directions (isotopically),
the total luminous flux in
lumens is:

Candela is the luminous flux Fig. 3: Point Source of light

emerging luminous flux
per unit solid angle emitted in
a particular direction. www.knust.edu.gh
Definitions of Common Terms Associated
with Light
Illuminance or Illumination- When a light falls on a
surface it is illuminated. The illuminance may be defined
as the luminous flux received per unit area.

If the incident flux on a small area is , then illuminance is

Recall, solid angle

www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms
Associated with Light
where R is the distance between the area
and the point where the solid angle is
formed. The physical process for which
illuminance is defined is known illumination.

For ordinary calculation of illumination, the

equation may be replaced by the average
illuminations, i.e.
(lux)
www.knust.edu.gh
 Definitions of Common Terms Associated
withItLight
Luminance (Brightness): is the luminous intensity per
m2 of the illuminated area. It is also defined as luminous
intensity per unit projected area of a surface in a direction
perpendicular to the source.

The luminance L at a point on a surface is given as where

reflective coefficient

It should be noted that, the luminance effect on different

surfaces are different due to the different effect of luminous
flux

www.knust.edu.gh
Definitions of Common Terms Associated
with Light
Mean Spherical Candle Power (M.S.C.P): It is the
mean or average of the luminous intensity (C.P) in all
directions in all planes.

Mean Horizontal Candle Power (M.H.C.P): It is the

mean or average of the luminous intensity (C.P) in all
directions on a horizontal plane which passes through
the source.

www.knust.edu.gh
Definitions of Common Terms Associated
with Light
Mean Hemispherical Candle (M.H.S.C.P): It
is the mean or average of the candle power
(C.P) in all directions within a hemisphere on a
horizontal plane which passes through the
source.

www.knust.edu.gh
Definitions of Common Terms Associated with
Light
Luminous efficacy (efficiency): luminous flux
which is generated in relation to the electrical power
which is expended in generating it.

Consider an incandescent lamp as a luminous body.

The whole of the electrical power supplied to the

lamp is not changed into luminous flux; some of the
power is lost by heat conduction, heat
convection and absorption.

www.knust.edu.gh
Definitions of Common Terms Associated
with Light
Of the radiant flux only, a fraction is in the form
of light waves which lies in between the visual
range of wavelength i.e., between 4000Ao and
7000 Ao

www.knust.edu.gh
 Common Luminous Flux of Tungsten and
Fluorescent Lamps
Tungsten Lamp Fluorescent

Power Input Luminous Efficacy Power Input Luminous Length in Efficacy

in watts Flux in Lu- In Lumens in watts Flux in Lu- cm. In Lumens

mens per Watts mens per Watts

10 80 8.0 4 75 15.25 18.75

40 460 11.5 8 325 30.50 40.63

60 840 14.0 20 950 16.24 47.50

100 1630 16.3 30 1500 91.50 50.00

200 3660 18.3 40 2300 122.00 57.50

500 9250 19.9 100 4400 183.00 44.00

www.knust.edu.gh
 Unit 1: Example 1
A general-purpose incandescent lamp rated 100W
which generates a luminous flux of 230 lumens has a
luminous efficacy of
Solution

www.knust.edu.gh
Unit 1: Example 2 Unit 1: Example 3
A lamp having a mean When a 250 V lamp
spherical candle power takes a current of 0.8
of 800 is suspended at a amperes it produces a
height of 20 meters. total flux of 3250
Calculate lumens. Calculate
a) the total flux of the a) MSCP of the lamp
light b) the efficacy of the
b) the illumination just lamp.
below the lamp

www.knust.edu.gh
 Laws OF Illumination-Inverse Square Law
Consider a point source of light S as shown in Fig.1.

Let within a solid angle ω, three parallel surfaces of

areas A1 ,A2 and A3 be placed at a distance d , 2d and
3d from a source one by one as shown in Fig.1 . Let
I be the intensity of illumination of the source in that
direction.
A 3

A 2
A 1

S Fig. 1
d 2 d
3 d

www.knust.edu.gh
Laws OF Illumination-Inverse Square Law

The total flux on the areas A1 ,A2 and A3 is the same and is
given by . For area A1, F1 = Iω (lumens)

But solid angle for area A1 is In view of the above equation,

can be written as
(1)

Also, for area , the solid angle, and therefore

(2)

www.knust.edu.gh
Laws OF Illumination-Inverse Square Law

Similarly, illumination on , . Thus, illumination of areas

A1, A2 and A3 are in the ratio of

(3)

Hence the illumination of a surface is inversely

proportional to the square of the distance of the
surface from the source of light. This assumes that the
light source is a point source.

www.knust.edu.gh
Laws OF Illumination- Lambert’s Cosine Law
It states that “the illumination
of a surface is directly
proportional to the cosine of
the angle between the
normal to the surface and the
direction of incident light’’.

In inverse square law, it was

presumed that the surface
was normal to the light flux Fig. 2
but in practice this is not always
possible.
www.knust.edu.gh
Laws OF Illumination- Lambert’s Cosine Law

The illumination for such case is

given by Lambert’s cosine law.
Let, F be the total light flux
falling on the area. Thus, in fig 2
the angle between normal to the
surface and the line of flux is
zero.
Fig. 2
Intensity of illumination
(4)

www.knust.edu.gh
Laws OF Illumination-Lambert’s Cosine Law

Consider a surface inclined to

the flux in such a way that the
normal to the surface makes an
angle .

Then, by the Lambert’s cosine

law the illumination becomes
(5) Fig. 3

www.knust.edu.gh
 Laws OF Illumination- Lambert’s Cosine Law

Consider a point “P” on a plane

surface and the distance between
the source of light (S) and the
point “P” is “r” meters.

The source (S) is located at

height of “h” meters from the
surface and its luminous
intensity is “I” candle power.
Fig. 4

www.knust.edu.gh
 Laws OF Illumination-Lambert’s Cosine Law
Then, by the cosine law, the
illumination at point “P” becomes
(6)

where and
(7)

Therefore, the illumination at point “P”

is
(8)

This is also known as Cos3 θ law Fig. 4

www.knust.edu.gh
Unit 1: Example 4 Unit 1:Example
5
A lamp of 500 candle A piece of paper lies on
power is placed in the a table 2 m away from a
centre of a room 20m point directly below a
x 10m x 5m . Calculate bulb of 100 cd and is 4
the illumination in m above the table.
each corner of the Calculate the
floor and a point in the illumination on the
middle of a 10m wall center of the paper in
at height 2m from the lux. (4.47 lux)
floor .
(1.361 lux, 4.38 lux)

www.knust.edu.gh
Unit 1: Example Unit 1: Example
6 unshaded
A medium 7 source has an
A point light
lamp hangs 8 m directly intensity of 1000 candela, and
above a table. To what the light falls perpendicularly
distance should it be on a surface. Calculate the
lowered to increase the illuminance on the surface if
illumination to 4.45 its distance from the surface
times its former value? is:
(3.79m) a) Two meters,
b) Four meters and
c) Six meters
(250 lux, 62.5 lux, 27.8
lux)

www.knust.edu.gh
 Unit 1:
Assignment 1
A walkway is illuminated by three SON 250W lamps
each having a luminous intensity of 4750 candela in all
directions below the horizontal. Each lamp is installed
at a height of 6m and the distance between them is 16
meters. Calculate the illuminance contributed by each
lamp
a) Directly underneath, 8 meters from the base,
16 meters from the base and 32 meters from
the base.
b) The total illuminance at : i. the base of each
lamp post ii. midway between the base of each
lamp post
c) Sketch an illuminance profile on a straight line
joining the base of each lamp post.
www.knust.edu.gh
The End

www.knust.edu.gh