Many new lighting options can be provided through advances in high-performance lighting technology. Smaller lamps are being used to meet the lighting industries importance of efficiency. The T12 lamp started this trend of constantly decreasing the size of new fluorescent products.

The newest series of lamps are the T5 lamps, which are either standard or high-output. Originally developed in Europe, the T5 lamp moved to North America in 1996. The T5 luminaries did not quickly take off in the market, mostly because of its price difference from the T8 systems. Then the T5 HO lamp, which is the high-output version, was introduced to America in 1998.

T5 lamps come in sizes of 2-5 feet in length. The 4-ft T5 lamp is actually 45.8 in. long. The T5 lamp has a generally lighter output compared to the T8 lamp system. The T5 is offered in temperatures of 3,000°K, 3,500°K, and 4,100°K. The T5 lamps have a color-rendering index (CRI) of 85 or 82, compared to the T8 with a CRI of 75 or 85.

The T5 and T5 HO are the same size, but have different outputs. The T5 has an output of 2,900 lumens, which is close to the T8 output, while the T5 HO has up to 5,000 lumens, almost twice the output. With the T5 HO lamps, designers can use fewer lamps on projects, and saving money because of less maintenance. Because of a .625-in. bulb diameter, and a mini bi-pin base, the T5 lamp can be used in lower profile areas. The high output and thinness of the lamps lets them be available for indirect and shallower lighting.

Many fixture designs have been made for the T5 lamp, altering its dimensions and helping to distribute the light output more effectively. With T8 or T12 fixtures, an effective distribution is made only from suspending the lights over 2 feet from the ceiling. This would be too low for many office buildings where ceilings are not high. However, using the T5 lamp, suspension from the ceiling can be as small as 15 inches, leaving plenty of room.

All of the T5 products are different for many reasons. They are the first linear lamps to use just electronic ballasts. One T5 ballast can power one or two T5 lamps of any wattage, because they all run at the same current. All of the different wattages have the same brightness, creating the same brightness with any length of the product.

With power ratings of 24, 39, 54, and 80, the T5 HO lamp easily beats the T8 or T12 system with over double the output. Every T5 HO lamp requires its own ballast, but they are 10-15% less efficacious then normal T5 models. T5 HO ballasts also have many features such as a dimming function, or operating multiple F54 lamps.

The T5 system also provides its peak output at 35°C, next to the T8 or T12’s peak output at 25°C. This makes the T5 system a better choice in an output over temperature ratio, and a better choice to use for effective lighting in small, and low circulated spaces.

Because of the lamp’s small size and high power, temperature can rise as the lamp dies because of less cathode emission material. This rise in temperature can cause the bulb wall to crack. The T5 ballasts have an “end-of-life circuitry”, which stops the bulb from cracking by shutting off the lamp when there is a rise in voltage.

The T5 lamp also has a lower mercury content because of a coating that stops absorption of mercury. Only 3 mg of mercury are then needed for the lamp, instead of the 15 mg that would be needed without the coating. The lower mercury absorption also keeps the lights output as strong as its initial output, throughout its life.

The T5 and T5 HO lamps are increasing in use in both offices and industrial areas. The T5 HO system is now available to be used in any area with a ceiling higher than 15 ft, including gymnasiums and warehouses. The T5 offers over 50% more energy saving then a 400W metal halide system.