5 considerations when choosing LEDs

Posted by kbanks on Feb 16, 2012 in LED lighting | Comments Off

As LED technology continues to evolve, it is becoming even more important to understand and effectively evaluate these lighting products.

Our friends at LD+A recently outlined five important considerations when choosing LEDs for interior applications:

• Sustained illumination performance. Determine the maintained illumination performance needed by the application and timeframe. Then, review product performance data, such as photometric data and lumen maintenance values. Luminaires that fail to meet your needs should not be considered for your project.

• Sustained economic performance. The initial cost of the product is only one factor to consider; managing risk and limiting the potential for future expenses is also important. Credible performance data regarding the reliability of the driver or color quality are just a few ways to gain insight on expected performance over time.

• Color quality specifications and metrics. Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Rendering Index (CRI) are vital when considering proper lighting schemes and applications. In the future, broader conversations in these areas will lead to more discriminating color quality specifications.

• Optimizing installation and power flexibility. It’s important to consider total installation and long-term maintenance costs versus the cost of the luminaire itself. New methods of installation are cropping up, and we will need to evaluate the alternatives fairly.

• Dimming capabilities. While many LED manufacturers offer dimming functionality as a standard product feature, it’s important to understand your specific dimming needs. Controls compatibility requirements and range of dimming needed are a few factors that should be considered.

Electrical specifiers: what other considerations – or clarifications – would you add to this list?