LED technology: advantages and uses in lighting

LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lighting technologies continue to benefit from a large diffusion on the national and international market, as eco-compatible alternatives to traditional lighting technologies. This recognition of value - on an ecological, economic and functional level - among producers and consumers, means that the LED lighting market is growing rapidly, according to estimates and forecasts by technicians.

Advantages and areas of use of LED lighting

As mentioned, among the most significant fields of application of LED technology are those of private lighting, public and industrial lighting, as well as the automotive sector. The advantages of its use concern fundamental aspects such as energy saving, the reduction of maintenance costs linked to the useful life of the product, the quality of the luminous flux, in full compliance with the RoHS II community directive. Specifically we can include the following strong points of LED lighting:

Energy saving. For the same flux emitted, the LED source absorbs a smaller amount of energy than traditional lighting devices. Thanks to the wide collimation possibilities, the luminous efficiency of LED devices is high with reduced consumption and a notable reduction in CO2 emissions. It is estimated that for the same amount of lighting, LED technology achieves greater energy savings than 50% compared to traditional technologies.

Dimming. Adjusting the luminous flux is one of the options allowed by LED technology, keeping the color temperature and light free from any visible alteration, but with the possibility of partializing consumption according to needs.

Environmental Protection. LED technology operates in full compliance with regulation 2011/65/EC (also known today as RoHS II – Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) which replaced regulation 2002/95/EC. This is because - unlike some older lighting technologies - there are no toxic or environmentally harmful materials present in LEDs, a factor which positively influences the disposal of exhausted light sources. Furthermore, these sources do not emit any UV and IR rays.

Useful life and maintenance. If powered with an adequate current and appropriately cooled by a correct dissipation system, LED technologies ensure a useful life in the order of tens of thousands of hours. The significantly longer lifespan of traditional lighting technologies - for example incandescent and fluorescent lamps - means that the frequency of replacement is very reduced, thus reducing the maintenance costs of the equipment.

Properties of light. The light emitted by the LED source has a high color rendering, fundamental for the perceptive activity of color by the human eye. Focal point in the choice of LED technologies for road lighting and in the automotive sector, LED "white light" allows you to achieve effective and safe lighting with lower energy consumption.

Notes on the operation of the devices

As mentioned, proper thermal management of LED fixtures is key to their durability; it is therefore necessary to provide a cooling/dissipation system that allows the technology to withstand high temperatures. Furthermore, to optimize LED technologies - and guarantee their effectiveness in terms of operation and energy saving - the excellent quality and design of the surrounding electronics are essential. The characteristics of the electronic components - in terms of dimensions and functionality - must be suitable for the design of the LED product, in order to ensure correct management of the air flow, therefore better lighting performance, stability and, as mentioned, useful life and effective energy and economic savings.

Sicom Testing offers a complete service for certification of lighting components.