TM-21 seeks methods for lumen-maintenance prediction (MAGAZINE)

When lighting designers, specifiers, builders, and contractors evaluate or implement LED lighting products, just as with any other lighting technology, they want to know how long those LED lighting products will last. More specifically, they need to know how long it will take, in terms of hours or years, until the light output of these products is reduced to a level where they need to be replaced. Practically, the users want to know how to predict LED lighting lumen maintenance.

Without an existing industry standard, energy-savings programs in the US, such as Energy Star and the DesignLights Consortium (DLC), have established thresholds based on a simple mathematical model to make predictions, which are then used to qualify new products that are submitted for certification. The programs also have predetermined set periods of time (number of hours) over which test data for new products is collected. However, the duration of the test is relatively short in comparison to the manufacturers’ claimed life of LEDs.

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This article was published in the February 2011 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.