There is a new tool out to help choose quality LED lighting products, the Lighting Facts Label. Similar to a nutrition label, the Lighting Facts Label provides a summary of performance data for LED lighting products. Lighting manufacturers who take the SSL (Solid State Lighting) Quality Advocates pledge agree to use the label to disclose performance results in key areas – lumens, efficacy, watts, correlated color temperature (CCT) and color rendering index (CRI) – as measured by the new industry standard for testing photometric performance, IES LM-79-2008. There is a list of 160 LED products that qualify to use the Lighting Facts label available at the DOE website.

Jason
Estimator

LED’s are on the cutting edge of Green Technologies. It seems that every manufacturer of lamps has a new line of LED lamps (light bulbs) and LED Luminaries (light fixtures). The marketing of these products is geared toward the fact that these lamps use a fraction of the power that even fluorescent lamps use, and the lamp life is extraordinary. However, these technologies are still fairly new, and standards are still being worked on. Before you go out and spend a small fortune to replace all or your existing lamps with an LED equivalent, you need to educate yourself about the issues that you can face.

Although the LED itself has an incredible life expectancy, the drivers that power them may not last as long, especially if they are going to be used outside in the extreme heat of Phoenix. It is very important to employ the services of a designer that is aware of not only the advantages, but also the disadvantages of LED’s. Harmon Electric and Harmon Solar have recently partnered with a company who is very knowledgeable about LED’s and is very willing to do a site visit and discuss ALL of the options available in LED technology, and whether or not LED is the way to go, or if there is another option that will be better.

Jason
Estimator