Specular retrofit reflectors for fluorescent troffers

The author explores the performance characteristics and economics of several reflectors designed for use in prismatic lensed troffers and their effects on the performance of the lighting systems into which they are incorporated. It appears that, in general, there are three instances in which reflectors may be indicated in four-lamp lensed troffers: when the visual appearance of a delamped fixture is unacceptable; when the reflective surfaces of the existing fixture have deteriorated to an unacceptable level due to lack of maintenance; or when the original fixture has an unusually low efficiency, as is typically the case with narrow fixtures, which can be greatly improved by a redesigned reflector. A comparison of silver and aluminum semirigid reflectors indicates a marginal improvement in performance with silver products, but it is doubtful that the improvement justifies the higher cost of the latter. Performance characteristics of adhesive film reflectors are dependent on the fixture configuration; however, it appears that they will be most effective in shallow fixtures. For the cases analyzed, reflectors may provide an expensive alternative to proper lighting system maintenance.<>