CALCULATING THE LIFE OF LED LIGHTING
Calculating the Life of LED Lighting
Manufacturers of LED lights and lighting systems typically represent that LED’s have a useful life of at least 50,000 hours, and in many cases up to 100,000 hours. That upper limit translates into more than ten years of continuous operation which, if accurate, suggests that LED lights are an economical and efficient lighting choice. The good news is that in many cases, that upper limit is accurate and that LED lighting can save substantial amounts of money in comparison to incandescent or other forms of lighting. Like those other forms of lighting, the durability of an LED light may be affected by harsh environments and usage factors. Calculating the real life of an LED light requires consideration of all of these factors.
Calculating the Life of LED Lighting
An LED light will begin to degrade and it will appear less bright after extended exposure to temperature extremes, humidity, solar radiation, and multiple on-off cycles. LED’s are controlled by complex electronics that are integrated into the fixtures and bulbs themselves. When those electronics are exposed to repeated on-off cycling or multiple high/low temperature extremes, for example, they can begin to develop internal problems that affect their ability to generate the power needed to create bright illumination. Thus, if you are installing an LED system in an area that exposes the system to these extremes, you should reduce your estimate of the life of the LED lights accordingly. Alternately, you may be able to extend the life of your system by adding environmental shields or heat sinks that reduce thermal stress on the LED fixtures.
All light sources, including LED lights, will dim naturally over time even without exposure to harsh extremes. The lighting industry rates all lights according to their “lumen maintenance”, which is a measure of the relative amount of light generated by the fixture at the end of its life in relation to the beginning of its life. A fixture with an “L90” rating, for example, has a 90% light retention rating and loses only 10% of its brightness over its lifespan. LED lights with higher lumen maintenance ratings (e.g. L80 and above) will be more expensive initially, but will retain more of their luminosity over time. A site owner or operator can assume that the LED lights he installs at his location will have a longer life if they have a higher lumen maintenance rating.
The Quality of the LED Lifespan
LED lights may be preferred for indoor applications, including retail, school, and office locations, because of the color versatility of LED’s. Newer forms of LED lights can be color-tuned to optimize the environment in which they are installed. As with luminosity, however, the color spectrum from LED lights can become more limited over their useful lifespans. Retail lighting applications, in particular, are often tuned to generate the most flattering and inviting light that gives the best appearance to the retailer’s products. If color tuning is important in a lighting application, the site’s owners or operators should factor in a shorter lifespan for their LED applications.
No single calculation of an LED’s estimated lifespan can provide an answer that is applicable for every conceivable application. If you are planning to use LED’s in a new project or to retrofit LED lighting into an existing location, talk to our professional lighting consultants to determine an estimated lifespan that is specific to that project or location.
The LED lighting professionals at ZOKIN LED have extensive experience in providing these calculations and estimates. Please see our website, or call us at +86 138 2870 7813 to discuss your project with our lighting specialists.