Basic knowledge for LED lighting
The electric parameters for LED lighting.
Input voltage
To make LED lighting work stably, we should give an input voltage. Normally it is AC85-265, some famous driver brand like Meanwell driver, the input voltage is wider at AC85-305, this mean the driver can be used in all countries of the world.
Input frequency.
To make LED lighting work normally, give a frequency to it, it is 50 or 60HZ world wide.
Power of LED lighting
This mean the hole lamp power, include LED driver, and LED chips power.
Power factor
Useful power divided by total power, this is the power factory. Normally higher power factory, the useful power is higher, and more power are saved. Meanwell LED lighting driver power factory, PFC is always 0.97-0.98. Less power is loosed.
Usually the LED light driver will have 8%-10% loose on the power.
LED lamp efficiency
LED driver output power divided by hole lamp power, higher efficiency, more energy will be saved. Normally it is around 90-92%
Total harmonic distortion -THD
If the output signal is more than input signal, the extra signal percentage is THD.
In China, the THD standard is less than 15%, but our outdoor lighting is around 8%.
Basic knowledge for lighting.
Luminous flux, LM.
If we add all the lights up for one lamp, that emit in a specific time, or we say, to add up all lights that emit per second, this is called luminous flux, LM.
Illuminance
In a specific area, how much light it is lighted. The unit is LUX or LX.
Color temperature, CCT.
The color of the light we can see is called color temperature.
For outdoor LED lighting, like LED street light, the color temperature is always 5000-5500K, this is very comfortable white, if make it 6000k, it is miserable white, make people uncomfortable.
Color renting index, CRI
All objects have its own color, when different CCT light source light up one object, it reflect different color, higher CRI, the ability to present object’s natural color is higher. In different working condition, the required CRI will be totally different.
Luminous efficiency
If you want to know how much your LED lamp can save you electricity bill, this is very important.
Luminous efficiency means the lamp’s ability to turn electricity power into light. Higher luminous efficiency, the less lamp we will require. The unit is LM/W.
Average illumination
Take several spot and measure their illuminance, their average value is the average illumination.
Light distribution curve
This indicate how the lighting of LED lamp distribute in all directions.