How to find the right LED lighting product
Unlike other lighting technologies,
solid state (LED) lighting as an emerging technology in the general
lighting industry is just at its beginning - a kind of new frontier. As
the industry continues to evolve and mature, LED lighting brings with it
a bright future. But, until the future arrives, we live in the Wild
West where there are few rules, few standards, and little enforcement
within the industry. Many luminaire manufacturers have emerged with LED
lighting products trying to stake a claim. Some are dedicated to
furthering LED lighting´s future while many are just trying to cash-in.
Until law and order becomes the norm, consumers are left with the
difficult challenge of trying to determine which products are best
suited for their applications.
To complicate matters, choosing the
right LED lighting product is akin to buying an automobile which comes
in all shapes and sizes and performs differently in various
environments. Like the automobile, LED lighting is a complex system with
many options and features that are chosen to fit differing
applications. There is no "one size fits all" product. Consumers have
many criteria to consider when selecting the right LED system.
The question that often arises is,
"how do I make a true comparison between multiple products?" Here are
some suggestions on how to compare LED lighting products:
"GET THE FACTS"
Every application is unique. Be sure
to get the right documentation that fits the requirements of your
application. Here are some of the typical documents a product will have.
Your application may only need some of these or it may need them all.
Specification sheets or datasheets are
provided by the luminaire manufacturer and should detail all the
pertinent technical details about the product.
Photometry provides information about a product´s light output. Request photometry tested to IESNA LM-79 from manufacturers.
Lumen
depreciation tested to IESNA LM-80 provides information about the life
of the LEDs used in a manufacturer´s product up to 6000 hours. Testing
for 6000 hours takes over eight months. Expect more manufacturers to
have this data as the industry grows. In the works is IESNA TM-21 that
will extrapolate LM-80 data beyond 6000 hours.
Lighting Facts, a
voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),
provides consumers a short list of product performance data.
Energy
Star another voluntary program sponsored by the U.S. Department Agency
and the U.S. Environmental Agency focuses on setting a minimum standard
for energy efficiency.
"APPLES AND ORANGES"
When comparing products using
specification sheets, be sure you understand the terms the manufacturer
is using to describe their product´s performance. Also, understand the
testing conditions under which that product´s performance data was
collected. There are many ways to measure performance and just as many
ways to describe it.
"DON´T BE COLOR BLIND"
Correlated color temperature (CCT)
describes the color of the light coming from the LED. When comparing
lighting products one to another, be sure to look at the same color
temperature. Terms such as "warm white", "cool white", "day white" are
somewhat subjective and may differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Instead, look for color temperature in terms of Kelvin (K), which is a
more absolute way of describing CCT. This is important because LEDs with
different CCTs will perform differently and may not provide a true
"apples to apples" comparison. For example, a 2700K (warm white) LED is
typically less energy efficient than a 5000K (bright white) LED.
"EVERY PENNY COUNTS"
When compared to existing
technologies, LED lighting promises much longer product life. If product
cost is a concern, it becomes important then to consider the total cost
of ownership. This takes into account product´s performance,
maintenance costs, and energy savings through the life of the product.
"SEEING IS BELIEVING"
Evaluate different products by
performing a field evaluation within your space or a similar sample
space. Consult a lighting design expert to determine how much product to
sample and the best way to go about conducting a field evaluation.
Also, look for case studies and completed installations available for
visiting.
"BE IN THE KNOW"
As mentioned before, LED lighting
products are complex systems. The key to truly understanding and
comparing LED lighting products rests in education. Hontech-wins is
dedicated to assisting consumers in that education.