Glossary of decorative street light terms

Short definitions, written for buyers, not for textbooks.

Anchor bolt

A threaded steel rod cast into the foundation that holds the pole's base plate.

Base plate

The flat steel plate welded to the bottom of the shaft, bolted onto the foundation.

Bollard

A short post, usually under 1.2 m, with a built-in light for paths and gardens.

Bracket or arm

The part that projects from the shaft to hold the luminaire.

CCT (correlated colour temperature)

The warmth or coolness of white light in kelvin. 3000 K is warm, 4000 K is neutral, 6500 K is cool.

CRI

Colour rendering index. Higher values show colours more naturally.

Crown or finial

The ornamental top of a decorative pole, often carrying the motif.

Die-cast aluminium

Aluminium formed in a mould. Commonly used for crowns and base covers because it holds fine detail.

GI (galvanised iron)

Steel coated in zinc to prevent rust. For poles, hot-dip galvanising is standard.

Hot-dip galvanising

Dipping fabricated steel into molten zinc. IS 4759 is the Indian standard.

IK rating

Impact protection of an enclosure. Higher numbers resist harder knocks.

IP rating

Ingress protection against dust and water. IP65 is dust-tight and jet-proof; IP66 handles stronger jets.

Lux

A unit of light falling on a surface. It is measured on the ground, not at the lamp.

LiFePO4

Lithium iron phosphate, a stable battery chemistry used in solar street lights.

Luminaire

The complete light fitting: housing, LED module, optics and driver.

Mounting height

The height of the luminaire above the ground.

MPPT controller

A solar charge controller that extracts maximum power from the panel.

MS (mild steel)

Low-carbon structural steel, usually IS 2062, used for taller or heavily loaded poles.

Powder coating

A baked polymer finish applied over galvanising or bare steel for colour and extra protection.

Uniformity ratio

How even the light is on the road. A higher ratio of minimum to average lux means fewer dark spots.

Wind zone

A region of India with a given basic wind speed under IS 875 Part 3.