LED lamp life calculations and quality assurances explained

Posted on May 17, 2013 by lampcompany

There is some confusion within the Lighting industry and many of our clients with regards to the life times and performance of certain Manufacturer’s LED lamps. Here is a short explanation that I hope you will find useful.

In Europe an LED’s life is measured once the lamp reaches 70% of its initial light output. This is called L70. Other Countries, like Japan, insist the measurement is L90 in other words 90% of its lumen output. For an example take the Megaman 6w dimmable range of GU10 LED lamps. At L90 the life is 25000 hours whilst at L70 the life is 50000 hours.

Many imported LED lamps are given spurious life times with no reference to the L70 or L90 ratings and this is clearly for a reason. The life times are at best a guestimate. Unlike filament lamps you cannot accelerated life test an LED lamp, you can only offer actual testing. 30000 hours is a shade under 4 years continuous use so, given the rapid pace of LED chip development the lamps are basically obsolete within a few months so this length of testing is just not feasible hence the “guestimate”.

Poor colour renderings, SMD multi-chip lamps, flickering, non-dimming compatability and odd beam angles make shopping for the product online a lottery. Here at The Lamp Company, if you want to see a picture of one of the LED products working please let us know and we will send you over the details by email. We are fully independent and only distribute items we feel meet the clients need.

There is plenty of confusion for the consumer as many are price driven. With LED technology you do get what you pay for. Our energy saving calculator is an honest calculation of any energy saving lamps performance whether it’s LED, CFLi or Halogen E/S. You can use it on every LED lamp and energy saving lamp we list.

Finally another statement passed down from my Father is also very apt when buying cheap LED lamps – “If it’s too good to be true it probably is!”

I hope you find this article of interest but should you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact our Sales Office.

Ian Fursland
Managing Director
The Lamp Company Ltd

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LED Nature Trail installation offers calm and tranquillity in Great Ormond Street Hospital

Posted on May 15, 2013 by lampcompany

Image courtesy of The Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity Blog

The new Morgan Stanley Clinical Building, the first part of the Mittal Children’s Medical Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital has been specially designed to make a stay as stress-free as possible for patients and families. The redevelopment has taken into consideration the increasingly recognised view that art and design, through the relaxed and calm environments it can create, plays an important role in healing. Artworks have been specially commissioned throughout and include The Wayfinding Project, an LED Nature Trail installation and The Choral Forest display.    

Understanding that going into surgery can be a traumatic time, the hospital has fitted the Nature Trail installation, designed to distract and engage, along otherwise nondescript theatre corridors. Created by the Jason Bruges Studio in the UK, the installation is made up of 70 panels with bespoke graphic wallpaper and 72,000 motion sensitive LEDs. The LEDs interact with passers-by, illuminating to reveal running horses, hidden deer, soaring birds, playful frogs and scurrying hedgehogs within the woodland scenes. Lights are fixed at various heights along the trail to ensure it is accessible by all children aged 0-18 in the hospital. For doctors, patients and families the trail offers a unique tranquillity and the positive impact it has already had means it will be extended in the coming years.

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Philips engineer ‘world’s most energy efficient’ LED

Posted on April 30, 2013 by lampcompany

Image courtesy of the BBC

Lighting Company Philips has revealed a prototype LED tube it claims is the most energy efficient in the world. The tube which is due on the market in 2015 will initially be used in office and industrial applications which account for over half of all lighting worldwide.

According to Philips the tube will be able to offer the same level of light as an equivalent fluorescent tube but at half the electrical consumption, resulting in substantial reductions in energy cost. Comparatively, the prototype tube produces 200 lumens per watt whereas an equivalent strip bulb produces 100 lumens per watt. To put this in perspective, a traditional bulb only operates at around 15 lumens per watt; this is because incandescent bulbs produce a lot of heat as a wasteful by-product of the light production process.     

Although Philips are yet to announce the cost of the product, they have indicated that the price will not be out of line with the LED tubes already available on the market.

Chief Executive of light source and electronics at Philips, Rene van Schooten described the tube as ‘a major breakthrough in LED lighting.’ He went on to say this ‘will further drive the transformation of the lighting industry. It’s exciting to imagine the massive energy and cost savings it will bring to our planet and customers.’

In America, office and industrial lighting consumes approximately 200 terawatt hours of electricity every year. If the LED tubes were used Philips estimates a saving of £7.8 billion and 60 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide could be achieved.

The Energy Saving Trust, a charity who offer advice on carbon reduction have been cautiously optimistic about the new product. Technical Development Manager, James Russill, said ‘the typical performance of LEDs we have trialled and tested before has typically been in the range of 50 to 70 lumens per watt which is significantly better than traditional lighting – so if this new Philips product can perform as claimed then it represents a huge leap forward in performance.’

He went on to say ‘it is also good that this product is aimed at office environments, where lighting is often left on for 24 hours per day – the potential for reducing electricity demand is therefore very high.’

Like The Energy Saving Trust and many around the world, here at The Lamp Company we eagerly await the launch of the new product and hope it can live up to the expectations! If you require any advice on energy saving lighting please contact us by phone on 01462 490066, fax 01462 491166, email lamps@lampco.co.uk or visit www.easy-lightbulbs.com and we will be happy to assist.

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Fire hazard LED bulbs recalled

Posted on March 20, 2013 by lampcompany

Image courtesy of CPSC

The Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday recalled over half a million LED light bulbs after they were deemed a fire risk as a result of over-heating. The move comes after 8 people reported smoke or fire caused by the bulbs and a further 68 cases of product failure which included melted fixtures, damage to light sockets, burnt floor and circuit damage were reported.  

The bulbs recalled are Par20, G25 and A19 in form, all 120 volt and 6 or 8 watt LEDs equivalent to 40 or 50 watt incandescents. All of the bulbs were made in China though some final assembly was carried out in Mexico or Florida during 2010 and 2011. The brands effected are Definity, EcoSmart, Westinghouse and Sylvania and it is believed the products have been sold and distributed by various retailers and supply outlets.   

The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises all customers to remove the bulbs from their fittings as soon as possible and contact the Lighting Science Group Corporation for replacement bulbs.

This serves as a reminder that there really is no substitute for good quality lighting and here at The Lamp Company we stock a full range of LED products from all the major manufacturers including Philips, Megaman, Bell and many more. Should you require any advice relating to LED or any lighting issue, please call 01462 490066, fax 01462 491166, visit www.easy-lightbulbs.com or email sales@lampco.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

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The Lamp Company improves lighting quality at Simplyhealth

Posted on March 18, 2013 by lampcompany

During a networking meeting a concern was raised about the quality of office lighting. We were advised that although other suppliers had looked into the issue it was as yet unresolved.  Not completely understanding all the elements involved we were asked to investigate and present our findings demonstrating the issues and options for improvement.

We attended the Letchworth offices and undertook a lighting survey, taking readings of the light levels. We asked staff questions and their opinions about the lighting of which, we identified their concerns. The main issue related to the feedback of the outputs and colour rendering. We then spoke with the Manager Lisa Hall and gave a brief visual demonstration of the different types of colour rendering and how they can affect the view and feel.

We then proceeded with a trial to exchange lamps at each end of the office space, one end with ‘warm white‘ lamps and the other with ‘daylight’ lamps keeping the centre section as it was. Immediate feedback suggested the warm white colour was being favoured and felt very relaxed. However, within hours the surrounding area appeared too warm and reading became uncomfortable therefore we replaced the lamps to the original standard white colour. Meanwhile, at the other end of the office, the daylight lamps were being well received  with comments such as “a clean look, more natural and detailed appearance”.

Shortly afterwards Simplyhealth asked us to undertake a complete lamp replacement using the daylight lamps that were trialled. Technically we did not increase or reduce consumption but by changing the lamp colour, the feedback of increased output and an overall improved office environment.

Lisa Hall has commented that “working with the team at the Lamp Company was made easy and the results for our team have been exceptional. Getting the lighting right has proved challenging so to have now found a resolution that supports our team is brilliant”’.

Here at the Lamp Company we have a wealth of knowledge and experience giving sound advice even demonstrating sometimes you do not need to go to great expense of replacing everything. Our service in this case offered the client a full package to include evaluation, demonstration, proof and installation of the new lamps in all the offices as an entire package.

Should you have any issues or concerns with your lighting, then please feel free to contact the Lamp Company who will be happy to advise and guide you as to the best solutions available. Call on 01462 490066, fax 01462 491166, email sales@lampco.co.uk or visit www.easy-lightbulbs.com.

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