Streetlighting:
1: HPS. It's what I think of when I hear streetlighting.
2: a. MV, clear. It's nice. Always a treat to still see some of these burning in the wild.
b. MV, coated. It's still good, just not as good as clear MV.
3: LPS. Very poor color rendering. It sure is efficient, though!
4: MH. Contains mercury and explodes at end of life. Bad combination.
5: Fluorescent. Not really suited for this application.
6: Incandescent. It looks nice, but it's very inefficient. Also burns out quickly, meaning the fixtures often contain burned out lamps.
7: L*D. AUGHHHHH!!! MY EYES! The fixture design is AWFUL! I feel like all the light is focused into a single spot on my pupil!
Parking lot, any area that is outdoors and not a street:
1: HPS
2: Fluorescent
3: MV
4: LPS
5: MH
6: Incandescent
7: L*D
Commercial space (indoors):
1: Fluorescent
2: MH
3: LED (usually the fixtures for indoor use aren't that bad)
4: Incandescent
Other types are not suited for that application.
Residential space:
1: Fluorescent (CFL, PL, linear, circline, etc.)
2: Incandescent
3: LED
I have never seen a carbon arc lamp in use, but I have seen the light from a welder. I assume that would be about the same.
