Do Your Homework
It is important to select the appropriate LED lighting systems and vendors. A little research can go a long way. Considerations should include the following:
- Understand the fixture manufacturer’s claims regarding its LEDs. The manufacturer selection process for LED lights is no different than any other major purchase. How good is the manufacturer? Whose LEDs do they use? Where and how do they do business? You should also understand the performance characteristics of their products, up-front equipment costs, and ongoing energy and maintenance costs. Don’t forget to factor in the after-sale support, as well.
- Evaluate the quality of the LEDs. Get a test fixture before you commit to an order. See the light with your own eyes, and use the data from your benchmarking tests to compare the light output and efficiency. Good LED lighting is nearly indistinguishable from traditional lighting.
- Evaluate the performance of the LED lighting fixture. Again, you can refer to your benchmarking data. Supplement that with the manufacturer’s photometric reports, its claims about color rendering and energy usage, and Illuminating Engineering Society files.
- Verify the manufacturer’s claims for light and energy performance. Photometric testing is done by independent labs and, when requested from the manufacturer, can provide a good apples-to-apples comparison among fixtures.
- Review the installation requirements for LED lighting fixtures. Using the resources of your licensed electrician, review the National Electric Code requirements for installation of light fixtures. Ensure your new fixtures are compliant and assess your installation location. For example, if you are installing LED fixtures in a drop ceiling, ensure the lighting is properly supported and configured.
- The International Engineering Society has created LM-79 and LM-80 standards for evaluating LED fixtures and components, respectively. These standards have been adopted by DOE as part of the Energy Star-qualification criteria for solid-state lighting.
Benefits
The two most commonly used fixtures in commercial applications tend to be troffers and downlights. There are excellent LED options for these applications on the market. For example, replacing a single 6-inch incandescent downlight with a comparable LED fixture can achieve up to 85 percent energy savings.
Unlike a filament bulb, which just stops working, an aging LED will continue to light, getting dimmer as it ages.
Because LEDs’ life spans are around 50,000 hours, you won’t have to stock light bulbs in your maintenance closet and your staff likely won’t be called out to replace or repair lights for many years. LED life span is determined at the point when the LED reaches 70 percent of its original lumen output. Unlike a filament bulb, which just stops working, an aging LED will continue to light, getting dimmer as it ages.
Managing an LED lighting retrofit doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little bit of due diligence up front, you too can LED!