LIghtingFacts - Quality Moves the Market

El verdulero de mi cuadra puso leds RGB en los cajones de frutas y un amigo que se dedicó toda la vida a importar lencería me llamó la semana pasada para ofrecerme tiras de led superpotentes a muy buen precio. 

Ni hablemos de que en la calle ya no se puede andar sin lentes de sol porque los letreros luminosos de leds que colocaron en todos los estacionamientos de Buenos Aires hacen que uno sienta que todavía sigue en Pacha o Ink.

Lo anterior es un claro reflejo de la poca y mala información y estándares que hay respecto a la iluminación con leds, así como la locura de leds que contagió a quienes saben identificar las vacas lecheras y que supieron encontrar en tantos arquitectos y diseñadores las ubres donde colocar las maquinas de vacío. 

Obviamente esta situación decantará de a poco y quienes sabemos y trabajamos en iluminación profesional de calidad volveremos a ser referentes en este tema tan de moda.

Creo que  la siguiente información es de mucho interés y pienso que a mediano plazo será el camino que todos debamos recorrer  para poder asegurar la calidad de los productos y proyectos en los que trabajemos. 

Lightingfacts es un ente americano que desde hace varios años está trabajando para lograr ciertos estándares de calidad en los productos de leds para iluminación que se venden en USA.

Adjunto información de referencia extraida de la pagina www.lightingfacts.com

Today's marketplace features an increasing number of LED products, from desk lamps to outdoor lighting. Independent testing conducted by DOE¹ reveals that some of these products do not deliver on their performance claims. Concerns include low light output, lifetimes that are shorter than reported, and poor or inconsistent color quality. Such shortcomings could discourage consumers from accepting SSL lighting, much as problems in the quality of CFLs slowed early market acceptance of these products.

Lighting Facts was jointly developed by DOE and the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance (NGLIA) as a foundation for successful commercialization of solid-state lighting. This technology has the potential to cut U.S. lighting energy use by one-fourth. The program showcases LED luminaire manufacturers who commit to testing products and reporting performance results according to industry standards. It also gives lighting buyers, designers, and energy efficiency programs the essential information to evaluate and select products for their projects and for promotion to clients and consumers.

Accuracy in LED Product Information

For the solid-state lighting (SSL) market to grow, consumers must have confidence that the products they buy are well designed and perform to their expectations. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Lighting Facts is a voluntary pledge program to assure that LED lighting products are represented accurately in the market. Participants pledge to use the Lighting Facts label to document the performance of products they manufacture, sell, distribute, or promote. ²

Similar to a nutrition label, the Lighting Facts label provides a quick summary of product performance data. By introducing transparency to the lighting supply chain, the label guards against exaggerated claims and helps ensure a satisfactory experience for lighting buyers. Luminaire manufacturers who take the pledge agree to use the label to disclose performance results in five areas—lumens, efficacy, watts, correlated color temperature (CCT), and color rendering index (CRI)—as measured by the industry standard for testing photometric performance, IES LM-79-2008. Additional metrics related to reliability, product consistency, construction, and other parameters may be considered in future editions of the label.

Anatomy of the Lighting Facts ^®Label

Light Output/Lumens Measures light output. The higher the number, the more light is emitted. Reported as "Total Integrated Flux (Lumens)" on LM-79 test report. Watts Measures energy required to light the product. The lower the wattage, the less energy used. Reported as "Input Power (Watts)" on LM-79 test report. Lumens per Watt/Efficacy Measures efficiency. The higher the number, the more efficient the product. Reported as "Efficacy" on LM-79 test report. IESNA LM-79-2008 Industry standardized test procedure that measures performance qualities of LED luminaires and integral lamps. Allows for a true comparison of luminaires regardless of the light source.

Model Number Unique manufacturer's model number for the product. Type Specific type of solid-state lighting fixture. Brand The brand under which each product is available. Color Rendering Index (CRI) Measures color accuracy. Color rendition is the effect of the lamp's light spectrum on the color appearance of objects. Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) Measures light color. "Cool" colors have higher Kelvin temperatures (3600–5500 K). "Warm" colors have lower color temperatures (2700–3500 K).