A
specular reflector's mirrored surface can oxidize in air, and often has up to 20 to 30 percent loss from the reflective surface.
"The more
specular reflector you have wrapping around the source, the more all that light is actually under your control and you can put it where it needs to go," explains LTI Optics's Jongewaard.
The narrow
specular reflector behind the lamp, works in conjunction with the lenticular lens to provide a consistent linear image.
* The
specular reflector shall be guaranteed, in writing, not to discolor, fade, blister, peel, flake, de-laminate, crack, ship, or develop any type of surface deterioration that might reduce source image reflectance due to fluorescent lamp ultra-violet emissions or heat (up to 100|degrees~C) for at least ten years.
Wal-lyter provides an integral non-iridescent
specular reflector system to control the light output of a biax-type lamp, illuminating a vertical surface from ceiling to floor.
In this case,
specular reflectors or louvers should not be used because they reflect the bright image of the lamp into the eyes of the occupant.
Specular reflectors close to the source mobile will create multi-path components with short time delays and angles or power levels similar to those of the line-of-sight component.
Reading lamps with compact fluorescent bulbs and
specular reflectors provide good-quality reading and working light and even add an air of studiousness to the environment.
Replacing the T-12 lamps with efficient T-8 lamps -- and reducing the number needed by using
specular reflectors -- slashed energy consumption by as much as 40 percent.
The out-dated prismatic lens was replaced with a glare-free, custom-designed 24-cell, 3-inch deep parabolic louver, significantly enhancing user comfort; the original 40-watt cool white lamps were replaced with 34-watt tri-phosphor fluorescent lamps, thereby improving color rendering;
specular reflectors were installed inside the fixtures to reflect light from the lamps down and out, thus avoiding wasted "trapped" light; and standard magnetic ballasts were replaced with more energy-efficient electronic ballasts.
However, for wavelengths in the few hundreds of angstroms, such
specular reflectors do exist.