Know how to differentiate apples from oranges..Check list of parameters that will help you to choose the right LED lighting products

Lighting is an important aspect of any place and design. It has the power to completely transform a space. It can accentuate parts of the room to show off, make a space feel larger (or smaller) and help create a perfect ambient atmosphere.

A lot of time and effort go into selecting the perfect lights that are right for the space. One need to make sure that chosen lights with an actual functional purpose and with the right amount of illumination shining off them has all the boxes ticked.

Lumens Per Watt (LPW)

A lumen is a measure of how much visible light is emitted by a source. Lumens per watt (lm/W) refers to the energy efficiency of lighting: how much visible light you get for a given amount of electricity. LED lighting products can produce more lumens using lesser watts depending on its type and design.This means that one must check for lumens per watt instead of just the wattage when buying LED lighting products that offer a range of benefits including energy efficiency, longevity and greater design flexibility. The higher the LPW, the better, especially when energy efficiency is the main criterion influencing your buying decision.

Lumen Maintenance (LM)

It is widely understood that measuring Lumen Maintenance (LM) is critically important for determining the life of LED lighting products. Beyond the LED, other components at the LED lighting-system level also can impact the long-term lumen maintenance. These components include, but are not limited to, LED lamps, engines, luminaries, drivers, thermal-management devices and optical components. Over time, these components may experience some change or degradation. Therefore, it may be necessary to check the lumen-maintenance tests reports tested in laboratories of repute for the LED lighting-system to determine the quality and efficiency of the product.

Rated Life - L & B Values

Every LED lighting product has defined life span depending upon the quality of the components and technology used to construct the product and expected lifetime is widely expressed in terms of its. “L” and “B” values. . L value defines the percentage of lumen comparing with the initial lumen. B value means the failure data at the L data. ... For example ,L80B10 at 50,000 hours means at 50,000hours, the LED lamp keeping 80% lumen from initial lumen and only 10% light failed to reach 80% lumen. So L/B value indicate the real lifetime at a certain hours. So it is very important check the threshold limits of L&B values of the LED Lighting products for its efficiency.

SDCM - Macadam Ellipse

SDCM is an acronym which stands for Standard Deviation Color Matching which determines the light color of LED lights in similar color temperature. SDCM has the same meaning as a “MacAdam ellipse”. Most LEDs are binned at the 4-7 step level, in other words you certainly can see color differences in LEDs that are ostensibly the same color. The lower the number of SDCM, the smaller the color shift. The requirements for most indoor environments are usually around MacAdam 2-3 SDCM. For most exterior applications, a rating of MacAdam 5 SDCM is perfectly acceptable

Ingress Protection (IP) rating

Ingress protection ratings or IP ratings, refer to the level of protection offered by an electrical enclosure, against solids and liquids. In an environment where dust or water could damage electronic components, a sealed enclosure is used to prevent such ingress and safe house the electronics.

It is very important that one takes note of the IP rating required for the electrical/electronic product to be used in the project to get the benefit by going through these different IP ratings carefully as per the application.

All the above parameters are few of key points that determine the cost a good lighting product and must be carefully evaluated when comparing products irrespective of the brand or the country of manufacture.

It is very important to understand the fact QUALITY DOES NOT COME CHEAP