Category Archives: Light Bulb General Information

This category contains general information about current and future light bulbs including discussion on market trends. It provides consumer information and thoughts regarding the selection and practical use of the different light bulbs.

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design, Technologies

IP Ratings Explained

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IP Ratings Explained111The IP ratings (an abbreviation for International Protection ratings) is a two-numbered representation for protection against solids and water. The first digit represents the protection rating against certain solid foreign objects (such as dust) while the second digit is the actual protection against water.

Understanding IP rating for lights

The IP rating (Ingress Protection) is an internationally recognized method utilized to describe and measure the level of protection of electrical appliances against water and other technical components. It’s always advisable to choose the right IP rating for your exterior lights plus ceiling fans so as to prevent hazardous accidents.

For enclosures, the emblematic “waterproof” IP ratings include IP67, IP66 & IP65 enclosures.  The table below explains the meaning of each of these ratings and how they’re arrived at.

IP Ratings Explained1

IP Rating The actual Protection offered Description of the offered protection Test Method
IP65 Enclosures These ones can protect against any water jets Water entry is projected by a nozzle (which is 6.3 mm long) against enclosures from all directions and must not have any harmful effect. Test duration: The test takes about 15 minutesWater volume: It requires about 12.5 liters of water per minutePressure: The test requires a pressure of 30 kPa at a 3m-distance
IP66 Enclosures This one can offer protection against water jets Water is projected in dominant jets (i.e. a 12.5 mmNozzle) against enclosures from all directions and shouldn’t have any harmful effects. Test duration: It requires about 3 minutesWater volume: The test requires 100 liters of water per minutePressure: The test must be done at a pressure of 100 kPa and at a 3m
IP67 Enclosures These ratings can protect against an Immersion of up to 1 m It protects entrance of large volume water and when the enclosure in question is immersed in water(but under pre-defined under pre-defined pressure and time conditions) Test duration is 30 minutes The immersion should be at a depth of more than 1 m measured from the  bottom of the device and more than 15 cm measured from the top of the device

 

IK Rating: What is it?

IK ratings denote the European standard EN — the equivalent of IEC 62262 (2002) standards. This represents an international numeric classification concerning degrees of protection by enclosures for all electrical appliances against external mechanical forces/impacts.

IP rating in electrical appliances

The IP Code is an International Protection Marking that interprets the IP code as an Ingress Protection Marking. It also classifies & rates it as the level protection against intrusion, dust, unintentional contact, as well as water.

IP ratings brief history

IP Ratings Explained1111111IP ratings were first developed by the International Electro-technical Commission. They are mostly used in Europe & Asia, but find some adherents in parts of North America.  Since they’re international standards, testing and certification is done by the TUV and not UL.  Note: IP ratings were developed to address harsh environments and not ultraviolet rays (UV) protection. Thus, engineers should incorporate additional materials that offer UV protection.

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design

Architectural Lighting for Buildings

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Architectural Lighting 1Light defines space. And architecture lighting is an art that entails the masterly, correct, as well as magnificent consolidation of masses in form of light. The human eye is attracted by light. Simple design additions can enhance the effectiveness of any building, turning it into a happier, healthier, & productive environment.

Architectural Lighting & Daylight

The largest impact on lighting & design is derived from the buildings’ architectural orientation and massing. Other key players include ceiling height plus the section profiles, which influence the availability of daylight in any building. Naturally, a south facing orientation, slender floor plates, raised ceilings, in addition to open divisions tend to allow more usable light into a building, thus correspondingly reducing the amount of electric lighting used. That’s why you should bring lighting designers onto any architectural project team early enough to bring an impact on the massing decisions.

Illuminating the Actual Building Architecture

Architectural Lighting2Architectural lighting is meant to illuminate your room’s actual architecture, including walls and ceilings. It’s meant to create a balanced, indirect, lighting environment that enlivens a room’s architecture. Exciting interiors, such as brick /stone veneers can go a long way in enhancing your home’s architectural lighting features.

Architectural Lighting: The Importance

Lighting can help inject more value into any architectural building. It plays a key role in the overall architecture of any building. Whether you light your building and structure naturally or artificially, you should endeavor to do it right—-since lighting allows people to see and appreciate your buildings’ beauty.

Lighting also brings an emotional value of architecture to any building. From those occupying the building to the visitors, the right architectural lighting will let your building sparkle with class and elegance. Whether yours is daytime or artificial lighting, the right design can draw attention to your textures, space, and colors, helping your lighting scheme achieve its purpose.

Think Aesthetics, Function, and Efficiency

To achieve a successful lighting-architecture balance, it’s vital to take into consideration:

  • Aesthetics
  • Function
  • Efficiency

Aesthetics

With aesthetics, designers tend to focus on the impact of emotional balance (i.e. the lighting- architecture balance). It helps people feel different when they’re in and out of the building. Ideal for retail locations; this exterior lighting aspect will help draw attention and create an everlasting impact.

Function

Function is another vital aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked. As much as you’ll want the light to look in a certain way, you should also ensure that it serves the purpose – to help people see. Illuminate spaces to guarantee the safety of the occupants who navigate through the building.

Efficiency

SONY DSCEfficiency is another key aspect architectures and interior designers should seriously consider. Create a breathtaking light layout that’s incredibly energy-efficient. And the easiest way to go about this is by installing the LEDs as opposed to fluorescent lighting—since LEDs are far much more energy efficient than other lighting sources.

The Three Elemental Types of Light

Invest in these three “elemental types of light”. They are the heartbeat of any modern lighting design.

  1. Focal glow – Also known as task lighting, focal glow points out vital elements and help draw attention to spaces. They are directive in nature, creating brighter centers. Bonus, they can effectively highlight the important element.
  2. Ambient luminescence – Also referred to as general/ambient lighting, ambient luminescence is the background lighting, which illuminates the entire space. Mostly, it should be uniform. Moreover, it shouldn’t cast shadows.
  3. Play of brilliants – Play of brilliant (accent lighting) is a dynamic & colorful architectural lighting that aims at stimulating people as well as their emotions. It excites peoples’ optic nerves, which helps stimulate their body and spirit. This awakens the curiosity and sharpens the wit.
Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design

Buyers Guide on LED Bulbs

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LED Bulbs 1LEDs bulbs, an abbreviation of light-emitting diodes bulbs, are kinds of light sources that exhibit a high level of efficiency.  They are different from other conventional types of bulbs like incandescent & halogen lamps. Their lifespan is superior and they consume less energy and emit little amount heat.

LED bulbs: How long do they last?

A high-quality LED bulb can last for at least 20,000 hours, and serve you for around 50,000 hours. For comparison purposes, incandescent bulbs and CFLs have a lifespan of 1,000 hours 9,000 hours respectively. With consistent daily use—8 hours a day—a good quality LED bulb could serve you for about 17 years!

LED bulbs: The Advantages over CFLs

  • Durable: LED bulbs are more durable, lasting about 5- 10 years.
  • Efficiency: LED bulbs are highly energy efficient. They consume half of the electricity that conventional bulbs use.
  • Environment: LED bulbs are Eco-Friendly. They don’t use mercury like the CFLs.
  • Heat dissipation: The heat dissipation of LED bulbs is lower than the conventional ones. Their bulb filament is fairly cool and there is no heat around the bulb

Top 9 Factors to Consider

LED Bulbs2Lighting is an important aspect of any home. So, doing it right will uplift your home. However, before purchasing LED bulbs, you should consider vital factors, including:

1. Fitting

Fitting is an important aspect of LED bulbs. Thus, you should always select the bulb that has the right fitting. For instance, if you’re replacing an old bulb, take it to the store. However, if it’s impossible to take it with you, have the fitting reference number and share it with the store technicians.

2. Cost

Don’t be scared by the upfront (initial) cost of LED bulbs. In the long run, LEDs could save you big.

3. Note Color Rendering Index

The CRI is used to indicate the accuracy of colors under the LED bulb’s light. The CRI, which ranges from 0-100, is high during the day (i.e.  100). Recommended CRI for interior lighting is 80. To compare LED bulbs, observe the CRI of different bulbs with similar Kelvin temperature.

4. Brightness

LED Bulbs ReadingWhen purchasing LED bulbs, ensure you understand your brightness needs. Therefore, purchase one that quenches your brightness thirst.

5. LED Lamp Voltage

LED bulbs come in different voltage ratings. The voltage ratings vary from 6V- 240V. For searchlights, low voltage LED bulbs are preferred. However, 120-240 V LED bulbs are ideal for normal room lighting.

6. Shape & Direction of Light

The shape of your LED light bulb determines the style of the room plus its holder. So, depending on your style, you can either choose Omnidirectional, Flood reflector, or even Flame tip LED bulbs.

Finding the right LED bulb shape is part of your room’s aesthetics. So, get the right brand with the right characteristics. For instance, a golf LED bulb will spread its light in 360-degrees, making it ideal in golf courts.

7. Quality matters

Ensure that the quality of the LED bulb you buy is superior. You’ll not want to buy something and after a few days, it’s spoilt.

8. Think lumens, not watts

Don’t purchase your bulb by the number of watts. With the new technologies focusing on energy-efficiency, LED bulbs can now emit the same light amount for less power.

The Bottom-line: Lighting Your Home

LED Bulbs garden 5Most living rooms require general, ambient LED lighting complemented by unique task-explicit accent lighting.

Thus, getting ambient lighting for your room will radiate an entirely comfortable amount of brightness. Always ensure that all your rooms are supplied with a central ambient LED lighting source.

Additionally, install a task LED lighting system that is easily switched on & off –depending on your preferences & needs. For instance, bulbs for reading & sewing should have an elaborate control system. Moreover, don’t forget to include an explicit on and off switch or bulbs that give extra light over your kitchen benches as well as bathroom mirrors.

Accent lighting, when done right, are powerful at emphasizing paintings, gardens or house plants, and even collectibles.

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design, The Environment

Lighting Building Exteriors

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Lighting Design 1You have pulled out numerous stops–just to make that house, building, backyard and its surrounding of yours look superb. So, why let all your labored work go in vain when, with a glide of a switch plus some strategically positioned landscape exterior lights, you can confidently roll back the dimness and let the display do the talking?

When done right, exterior lightings can turn your environment into a bliss. They help highlight any home’s architectural features—something which will obviously draw attention to the backyard.

Whether you are looking for architectural or even security outdoor lighting, the right systems will definitely provide that visual oomph in addition to a safety boost to your home or business building.

Security Is a Key Factor

There are so many reasons that can prompt you to light your outdoor area. The most obvious one being safety and security. The lighting requirements for a parking lot is dependent on traffic. However, this shouldn’t worry you because recommended illumination levels can be obtained from the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Carefully observe its suggestions to avoid possible insecurity issues.

Safety: Safety means staying safe from tripping over an obstacle or walking into a tree and the required light levels for this are actually very low. One can see quite well in the moonlight and that’s just about 0.02 foot-candles.

Security: On the other hand, security refers to protection from people and threats. To achieve a considerable sense of security for your property, you’ll need to boost outdoor artificial lighting. If you are in the garage or parking area, you need to know if someone is plotting to mug you. You also need facial recognition to choose between fight and flight. And picking such visual cues requires an illumination level of 3 foot-candles. A safe outdoor is very important to any home, building or organization, so be keen to provide sufficient lighting in the exteriors.

 The Power of Aesthetics

Lighting Design 2The other reason for enhancing your outdoor lighting is aesthetics. Remember, lighting is an important feature of attracting renters to your property. So, it should be taken seriously. You want to ensure that your building looks open and inviting, just like a community beacon.

Exterior Spaces Require Attention

Illuminating outdoor spaces entails paying special attention to light fixture position, intensity, and color in addition to duration. When properly combined, these factors will surely realize the right lighting design that is capable of achieving safety, efficiency in terms of energy consumption, and cost reduction.

Exterior Lighting: The Golden Advice

Exterior lighting is effective at giving dimension to any building plus the surrounding landscape. However, they are not all about flooding your surfaces with light. You should highlight small. This means highlighting a few structural parts with a vivid spotlight. Showering the walls with twinkles of light can create a dramatic effect, giving the exterior a different appearance at dusk. However, when designing your exterior lighting fixtures, consider the texture, brick & stone color and steelwork.

Exterior Lighting – The Power of Going Architectural

Rather than simply lighting your exterior space with ordinary bulbs, use architectural lighting to brighten it up and add some elegance. But, take caution not to create glare or light pollution. Also, consider other users (for instance those inside) since badly placed lighting can cause glare-related problems to other building users.

Façade lighting: Making Non-engineering Decisions

Façade lighting Façade lighting 3Façade lighting is not about numbers. Of course, engineers will compute the vertical luminance, luminance plus uniformity values for your building—however, that isn’t the prime goal.

You need to make numerous non-engineering decisions. For instance, determine if you are intending to let the building blend in /stand out. Are you after a subtle or “in the face” effect? Which colors do you want?

Making your building look “wow” is down to your aesthetic judgment. In case you are unsure about your decisions, consult an exterior lighting designer, an architect, or planner about your target effect. Remember, it’s always better to highlight certain parts of the building as opposed to flooding the entire façade with uniformed light.

 

Light Bulb General Information, Technologies

Color Characteristics of LEDs

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LED color 4There’s an array of different LEDs that are available in the lighting market today. The diverse LED characteristics comprise of light color or radiation wavelength and light intensity among other features.

These color characteristics are as a result of an assortment of factors during the manufacturing process. Factors such as semiconductor make-up, fabrication technology used, and encapsulation are also important in determining the LED color appearances.

Understanding LED colors

Color is a fundamental feature of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Initially, there were a limited number of colors available for these fixtures. You could only find red LEDs.

However, as technology advanced, there have been significant improvements in LED materials and colors.

Color Characteristics of LEDs: Color Temperature

One important aspect of color appearance is color temperature, which exemplifies how cool/bluish or how warm/yellowish technically white light appears. CCT Correlated Color Temperature (abbreviated as CCT), is actually a metric correlating the source of light appearance to a pre-heated theoretic dark/black body appearance. As a black-hued body gets hotter, it becomes red, orange, white, and ultimately blue. The CCT value of a light source, provided in Kelvin (K), represents the temperature at which a hot black body closely matches the light source color under investigation. It symbolizes the color of emitted light and not that of illuminated objects.

What is Color Rendering Index (CRI)?

Metrics Color representation has numerous distinct forms, including reference based systems, gamut based systems, and systems which are built upon sophisticated color appearance models.

CRI refers to a measure of fidelity (that’s how ‘true’ a certain light source is when related to a reference source), but it doesn’t address the issue of color appeal and discrimination.

Chromaticity and LED Colors

LED colors1Chromaticity refers to an objective interpretation of the quality of color irrespective of its luminance. It consists of two distinct parameters, often described as colorfulness (s) and hue (h). For a specified CCT, a light source with a positive Duv value has a chromaticity which falls above the locus of the blackbody (appearing slightly greenish), while a source featuring a negative Duv value has a chromaticity which falls below the locus the blackbody (appearing slightly pinkish).

The Influence of LED voltage drops

The LED voltage drop often lies between 2 and 4 volts. The actual voltage that occurs across the two terminals is highly dependent on the type of LED/materials used and influences the color of LED in question.

As expected, the voltage curve of an LED broadly resembles that of a forward diode characteristic. But once the diode is switched on, the voltage becomes relatively flat for various forward current levels.

LED Characteristics: The Summary

The following table gives a summarized insight concerning LED color characteristics.

Wavelength Range In NM Color Of the LED Voltage(V) at 20MA The Type of Material
Below 400 UV(Ultraviolent) 3.1 to 4.4 AIN, AlGaN, AlGalnP
400 to 450 Violet 2.8 to 4.0 GaP,AlGalnP
450 to 500 Blue 2.5 to 3.7 lnGaN
500 to 570 Green 1.9 to 4.0 GaP, AlGalnP
570 to 590 Yellow 2.1 to 2.2 GaAsP, AlGalnP
590 to 610 Orange or Amber 2.0 to 2.1 GaAsP, AlGalnP
610 to 760 Red 1.6 to 2.0 AlGaAs, GaAsP, AlGalnP

 

Below 760 Infrared Below 1.9 GaAs, AlGaAs

 

Besides LED color, the following are other major LED specifications:

  • Light intensity value( denoted as Iv)
  • Current vs. voltage specification
  • Reverse voltage
  • Angle of view

LED Specifications for Operational Life

LED colors2LED’s light intensity doesn’t diminish with time. What this implies is that LEDs have a specific operational life. This specification helps determine the application of different kinds of LEDs. LED specifications are determined by the following formulas.

L70% = The time taken for a 70 percent illumination (this is also known as lumen maintenance)

L50% = The time taken for a 50 percent illumination (also known as lumen maintenance)

Note: According to LED standards, your LEDs shouldn’t exhibit any major shift in chromaticity.

These figures’ rationale is that 70 percent lumen maintenance is equated to a 30 percent light output reduction. This’s an approximate threshold figure required to detect to gradual light output reductions.

Light Bulb General Information, Technologies, The Environment

A Guide to LUX Levels

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LUX 1Light Level, also referred to as Illuminance, represents the amount of light that is measured on a surface (which is plane). Or, it can be described as the total luminous flux incident that strikes on a plane surface. It is measured per unit area and is commonly known as LUX.

Understanding LUX

LUX, also called DIALux is increasingly becoming popular in the modern world. You can now plan in DIALux with great luminaires from the world’s most renowned manufacturers and enjoy ultimate freedom in the lighting design process.

Benefits of LUX

Featuring professional light planning, LUX is extremely simple and effective. It utilizes the latest luminaire data and state-of-the-art software that’s always available for free. The colored light scenes with light emitting diodes (LED) are energy efficient and guarantee excellent illumination for all your buildings including outdoor spaces.

Recommended LUX Levels

The level of lighting in the outdoor is approximated to be 10,000 lux, albeit on a normal, clear day. However, for a building, especially in the areas that are closer to windows, the LUX levels may possibly be reduced to 1,000 lux. On the other hand, the middle area may register a 25 – 50 lux. Consequently, you may need additional lighting equipment to compensate for these low levels. For precision & detailed works, the level of light may range between 1500 to 2000 lux.

LUX 2In homes- The recommended illumination levels for homes is often 150 lux. The living and dining rooms may work pretty well with about 25 to 50 lux.

Supermarkets- Working spaces like supermarkets and mechanical rooms require light levels of about 750 lux.

In offices- The normal workstation requires 500 LUX while the ADP area and conference rooms require 500 LUX and 300LUX respectively. The auditorium requires 150-200 LUX while the training room and internal corridors should be supplied with 500 LUX and 200 LUX respectively.

The table below represents the light levels for different workspaces.

 

Activity

Illumination

(Lux, lumen/m2)

Public areas featuring dark surroundings

recommended

20-50

Warehouses, theaters, homes, archives

150

Simple orientation meant for short visits

50-100

Working areas involving occasional visual tasks

100-150

Easy classes

250

Showrooms, normal office work, a study library, PC works

500

Detailed drawing and mechanical work, operation theaters

1,000

Supermarkets, office landscapes

750

Performance of prolonged & exacting visual tasks

5000-10000

Performance of extremely special visual activities of very low contrast & small size

10000-20000

 

Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Illumination

The effectiveness of illumination is usually affected by several factors, including light quantity & quality, contrast, amount of flicker, shadows, and intensity of glare. To optimize illumination in security, emergency, and safety situations, consider adjusting each factor differently. Lighting standards also play an important role in the design, installation, durability, and efficient distribution of illumination.

Measuring and stimulating Light Level – Illuminance

Illuminance is measured in foot candles (ftcd, fc, fcd) or lux (in the metric SI system). A foot candle is actually one lumen of light density per square foot; one lux is one lumen per square meter.

•        1 lux = 1 lumen / sq. meter = 0.0001 phot = 0.0929 foot candle (ftcd, fcd)

•        1 phot = 1 lumen / sq. centimeter = 10000 lumens / sq. meter = 10000 lux

•        1 foot candle (ftcd, fcd) = 1 lumen / sq. ft. = 10.752 lux

Calculating Illumination

Illumination is calculated using the formula = Ll Cu LLF / Al (1). In this formula, I denotes illumination (measured in lux, i.e. lumen per m2), Ll represents lumens/ lamp (i.e. lumen), Cu is the coefficient of utilization, while LLF is light loss factor and Al is the area/ lamp (measured in m2).

Light Planning: The Steps

Light planning is a five-step process. The actual process involves:

  • Planning objective analysis
  • Planning conditions analyses
  • Overall planning
  • Detailed planning
  • Documentation

Understanding Glare

Glare can be categorized into two groups: discomfort and disability glare. The level of discomfort glare can be measured by determining the glare index in accordance to the UGR method. This is often graded on a scale, which ranges between 13 and 28 where the greater the glare index the greater the degree of glare. The smallest variation in the glare index designating a significant difference is three.

Reflections from reflective glare or materials can usually be avoided by adopting the following strategies:

·         Choosing convenient luminaire positioning

·         Using materials for all reflective surfaces

·         Selecting fixture with effective screening and low luminous intensity

·         Picking out luminaires with a bigger surface area

·         Choosing light colors for your ceilings and walls

Balance is key

LUX3A well-balanced luminance is essential to boost visual clarity, effectiveness of the ocular functions of the eye, and contrast sensitivity. You should always avoid high luminance which can cause glare, intense luminance contrasts that may cause visual tiredness, and low luminance contrasts, which trigger a staid atmosphere that doesn’t stimulate.

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design

New Ideas on Lighting Design

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Lighting Design 1Modern lighting design is all about incorporating ambiance, task as well as accent lighting. Ambient will provide your home with overall illumination while the task lighting will be responsible for directing light to specific work zones. On the other hand, accent lighting will help highlight explicit objects.

However, within these basic requirements exists tons of new lighting ideas. So, whether you are looking for something fun, or want something a little bit subdued, there’re virtually endless new lighting ideas for each and every home/room.

Go for A Robust Assortment

Do a clever mix of different lighting types and strategically place them at different locations in your room if you want to create a proper, layered, and robust lighting scheme.

What About Two-in-One

Use two dissimilar types of overhead (also called ambient) lighting. This adds elegance to your living room. For instance, include pot lights (which help provide the bulk of light and spread it across the entire ceiling) and a suspended transitional fixture to emphasize your living room’s seating area.

Multiple Fixtures Can Be Incredible

When it comes to a large living room, it’s always better to go for pot lights– a single overhead fixture might be insufficient. However, if you aren’t into recessed lighting, you can hang multiple fixtures all through the room. But keep it simple and go for fixtures featuring clean silhouettes. Suspend them on a grid, and not to any random spot.

Ceiling Accent Brings Class

Lighting Design 3Think outside of the box and light around the edge of your ceiling to achieve your dream accent light plus create a unique detail. This will accentuate the unique architectural niceties of your ceiling and breathe some aura of elegance to your living room.

Consider an Nice Arc

Don’t have ceiling lights? Well, don’t worry! There is a solution. Just design a central source of light featuring an arc-like floor lamp

Sculptural Sconces

Make a statement by embracing exceptional sconces. But ensure your up-to-date sconces are adjustable, permitting you to adjust the size, and the direction of the light. They provide an exclusive and sculptural element that is capable of setting a contemporary tone for your living space.

Built-In Accent Will Just Kill It

Include an accent lighting fixture into your built-in shelving to highlight special objects as well as accessories. This will immediately draw eyes to your lit-up shelves, creating a bright and exquisite focal wall.

Visual Balance

Visual balance can be tricky. However, it’s very simple. Get a table and floor lamps. Then place them on either side. This will help your guests (who are sited at either side) to receive light equally.

Consider Mix & Match

Lighting Design 4Who said that you must match your lighting sources? Make a bold statement by going the mix and match way. For instance, you can add chandeliers and sconces (which are very classy) to table lamps (which are considered modern). Moreover, you can mix old and new ones to give your living room a sense of character plus personality.

Other ideas

Consider hanging a statement fixture, highlighting the architectural details, think beyond your living room, and trust your instincts.

 

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design, Technologies

LED Drivers : All You Need To Know

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An LED driver refers to an electrical device that regulates the power supply to a string or LED. It responds to the changing needs of the LED device by providing a consistent amount of power as its electrical properties vary with temperature.
IP67 driver
With outputs that are compatible with the electrical features of the LED, a LED driver may offer dimming through pulse width modulation circuits and may include several channels for separate control of various LEDs/LED arrays. Without the right drivers, LED fixtures may become extremely hot and unstable, thus causing poor performance or even permanent failure.

LED Drivers: The Different Types

There are many different types of LED drivers categorized by the output voltage, output current, maximum switching frequency, form of packaging, and supply voltage.

Each channel’s output can range between 250 µA and 50 A, with common chips carrying an output current of 20, 25, and 100 mA per channel. The commonly available voltage sizes are 2.3 to 5.5 V and 3 to 5.5 V. However, you can readily find LED drivers bearing a supply voltage of up to 630 V.

  1. Constant Voltage

Constant voltage LED drivers can be obtained in numerous manufacturing standards and are designed to meet high specifications for quality and efficiency.

  1. Dimmable LED Drivers

By dimming your LED lights, you get the freedom to enjoy different scenes. You can create a romantic atmosphere in the dining room, or establish a spectacular viewing experience for your guests during office presentations. You need a dependable LED driver that meets all electrical requirements if you want to dim your LED lighting system.

Dimmable LED Drivers: Understanding LED Driver Dimmer Controls

LED drivers with dimming capability offer the flexibility of dimming the lights from 0-100% while maintaining color and temperature. Remember, dimming an LED light can also reduce the operating temperature of your fixture, ultimately boosting LED efficacy as well as lamp life.

In the olden days, LEDs and dimmers weren’t always so expedient. But as technology advanced, powerful dimming controls entered the market to add more definition to their performance. To effectively control your LED light intensities, you’ll need to fix a dimmer that’s compatible with the LED driver you intend to use.

3.0-10V Dimming Drivers

LED technology is virtually taking the market by storm. Complimenting a 0-10V dimmer with an already power-efficient LED lighting is not only efficient but also effective. A LED lighting high-quality dimmer (powered by ERP LED driver) can help users save big on costs associated with energy consumption. Moreover, they assume a superior control capability when compared to other lighting applications.

LED Drivers: Their Applications

LED drivers can be used as:

  • Industrial, outdoor, residential, and commercial lighting
  • Automotive interior, tail lights, and portable flashlight
  • Signage and LED backlighting
  • Garden and elevator lighting

LED drivers: How to Select the Right LED Driver

When you’re searching for reliable LED drivers, you should take into consideration several attributes, including Output Voltage, Supply Voltage (-0.3 to 20 V, 2.7 to 5.5 V, and 3 to 5.5), as well as Maximum Switching Frequency ( between 200 Hz and 200GHz). You’ll be able to get the right chip that’s suitable for use as a high-power LED driver, dimmable LED driver, constant current LED driver, RGB driver or 24v LED driver on an integrated circuit or any other circuits that might require such driver chips.

Light Bulb General Information, Technologies

The benefits of LED tubes over fluorescent tubes

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Incandescent Vs. LEDFor years, lighting up commercial spaces and residential homes was a no-brainer. It involved a lot of planning. Most folks simply stuck with linear fluorescent lights (abbreviated as LFLs) — and for some good reasons. First, they offer quality light output; they are efficient and have a fantastic lifespan. In fact, the T8 lamps used about 40 percent less energy as compared to their older counterparts T12 lamps, which are now phased-out. Now, comes a new player in the commercial lighting area, which has great promises of offering better efficiency: the linearT8 LED tube.

The big question

 So the question is; does the T8 LED tubes have what it takes to swap out your tried-and-true linear fluorescent lights (LFLs)? To help you make an informed decision, this article is going to walk you through the benefits of T8 LEDs:

 Mercury Free – The absence of mercury-free is a big plus. Unlike fluorescents, light-emitting diodes contain no mercury, making them some of the safest lighting systems for the environment in the market today.

 Dimmable – Most LED lighting systems possess full dimming capabilities, while fluorescents are very expensive when it comes to dimming them and perform so poorly.

 Directional Lighting – With LEDs, you can achieve directional light (i.e. they can illuminate exactly where you need them to). But fluorescents are characterized by multi-directional lighting. This means that some light is likely to get lost in the fixture as well as other unnecessary places.

Works fine with controls – Most fluorescent lighting systems tend to burn out quicker even when integrated with common occupancy sensors as well as other controls. On the contrary, LED lighting systems work perfectly with all control systems, thanks to the fact that their life is not dependent on turning them on or off.

 Superior efficiency – The newest LED Tubes are about 30 percent more efficient their LFLs counterparts.

 Quality light ­- Today’s LED lighting systems can output light in an assortment of color temperatures that are similar to fluorescent but do not experience any flickering issue that is common with most fluorescents.

Lifespan – On average, the life of a LED lighting system is 50,000 hours, while that of LFL is about 30,000 hours.

I Vs. LED Shatterproof (potentially) – Most LED tubes have been designed with a shatterproof coating. However, with linear fluorescent, one had to either order a specific shatterproof fluorescent lamp or utilize a tube guard which can be very costly.

The only issue with LEDs is the initial upfront cost. However, with rebates, several tax incentives, as well as huge energy saving capabilities, you are likely to see a high ROI faster than you would expect.

The golden advice

It is vital that you first crunch the numbers (that applies to your particular situation) to determine whether that initial expense really makes sense as far as your business is concerned. You should conduct a thorough cost/benefit analysis and consider all factors when choosing between LFL and LED. Also, do your research.  Ask the experts. But, one thing for sure is that LEDs are better than LFLs.

Light Bulb General Information, Lighting Design

A Guide to LED Emergency Lighting

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E1LED Emergency lighting is usually meant for emergency situations where the primary power supply gets disconnected and every normal illumination fails. This could result from a power cut or a fire outbreak. It’s essential that LED emergency lighting automatically operates fully and provides sufficient illumination to enable all occupants to leave the premises safely.

So, if you are considering LED emergency lighting system, here is all you should know:

LED Emergency Lighting: The basics

Most buildings nowadays incorporate sophisticated LED emergency lighting fixtures installed during construction; the design of equipment being chosen by the architect as per the current local authority requirements as well as Building Regulations. Emergency LED lighting is often sub-divided into standby lighting and emergency escape lighting.

Cost matters

Generally, the decision to utilize a self-contained LED Emergency Lighting system or a central battery will probably be determined by cost. If an installation is durable and has low maintenance requirements, then central batteries, though quite expensive, might be ideal for larger projects. Typically, costs and luminaries are major issues of concern, especially on smaller jobs, and it’s this criterion that makes the self-contained systems more popular.

LED emergency lighting driver temperature

Ensure that your LED emergency lighting has been subjected to aging plus electronic load tests. This helps to ascertain whether the LED emergency lighting panels can withstand excessive temperatures. This guarantees performance, safety, and stability.

Emergency escape lighting

Emergency escape lighting refers to that part of the emergency lighting system, which supplies illumination for the safety of persons vacating a location or attempting to end a potentially hazardous process beforehand.

Standby lighting

Standby lighting is often provided to allow normal activities to continue substantially without being changed.

Consultation and design

The first thing to do when installing LED Emergency Lighting escape illumination is consultation and design. Both the fire risk assessor and the designer should meet and make comprehensive decisions on where the system is required and chalk up a plan illustrating the type of power supply, the locations to be covered, facilities, duration, and mode of operation.

The next step…..

Having decided on the type of LED emergency lighting system you’d like to install, then go ahead and choose specific positions for the lighting signs and units within specific premises. This will then help you choose the right equipment. Remember, emergency LED lighting signs should be carefully sited in order to create clear exit routes that lead to the ultimate exits from the building. Where the exit isn’t identifiable, a visible sign should be utilized instead of a lighting unit. Special concern should be paid to directional changes, individual stairways, floor level changes, corridor intersections, plant rooms, and toilet areas. Access to firefighting equipment as well as fire alarm call stations should be properly illuminated.

Mode of operation

Mode of operation is a vital factor to consider when choosing LED Emergency lighting systems. Thus, you should take into considerations principle factors like maintained or non-maintained. The use of the premises in question determines whether to go for a maintained or non- maintained LED Emergency Lighting system.

LED Emergency Lighting Advantages

• Installation is extremely fast and affordable
• Low hardware material costs
• Standard wiring material might be used
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Burn-through will automatically fulfill the need for luminaries to be lit
• No unique sub-circuit monitoring requirements
• Increased integrity and efficiency

LED Emergency Lighting: Disadvantages

• Testing requires isolation
• With varying environmental conditions throughout the system, the batteries might be severely affected by high or low ambient temperatures
• Battery life is often limited to four years, depending on the application

Bottom line

E2LED Emergency Lighting systems have become very popular these days- thanks to their low energy consumption, efficiency, and flexibility. However, before you rush into getting your LED Emergency Lighting system, it is vital to understand the basics (what they are and how to choose the best). The above guide will help you in getting the best.