Carcadian
Hard Numbers
Kelvin – the natural light spectrum is measured in Kelvins. Outdoor daylight runs between about 2000 and 7000 Kelvins (yellow/Orange – blue/white). It’s also referred to as “color temperature”. For lighting purposes, think of it as spectral color and forget the term “temperature”.
CRI – the Color Rendering index measures how accurately the colors rendered by indoor light are to those same colors rendered by natural outdoor sunlight. This is measured on a scale of 1 – 100,
100 being color rended in full sunlight. Generally, an acceptable CRI for effective indoor Circadian lighting should run at 90 or above.
Lumens – the intensity of light over a given area.
Germicidal
Hard Numbers
Wavelength given in Nanometers – 250 nanometers to 280 nanometers marks marks the overall effective germicidal spectral range of UV-C. UV light below 250 nm produces Ozone as an unwanted byproduct and light above 280 nm lacks the germicidal punch necessary to quickly eliminate pathogens.
UV-C operating at 265 nm is the optimal number for rapid and full elimination of pathogenic micro- organisms. UV-C LEDs are the only commercially manufactured lights that are capable of working in the range of 260-275 nm. Low pressure Mercury vapor bulbs work only at 254 nm and represent an obsolescing technology that requires constant bulb replacement. UV-C LEDs are Mercury free, shatter proof and long lasting.