Understand compatibility, performance, and dimming issues in LED lighting

Consider all the factors
Carefully consider the following six issues to effectively align customer expectations with LED dimming system performance. If you have questions, or are unsure how to proceed, look for a manufacturer who can help walk you through the selection process, such as the LED Control Center of Excellence offered by Lutron Electronics.
. 1 What is the application type - retrofit or new construction?
New construction enables you to use either LED panel lighting Manufacturer and offers a wide variety of control options. Retrofit applications are often limited to LED lamps, and the control options will be limited as well. Defining the application will determine how to think about the other factors in an LED-based lighting and control system.
. 2 What type of LED product are you using - an LED lamp or LED fixture?
LED lamps have Edison-base sockets and are meant to replace standard incandescent or screw-in CFL bulbs. The bases of these lamps have integral drivers that determine whether they are dimmable, and if so, the dimming performance (Fig. 2). LED fixtures can vary from cove lights to downlights and usually have an external driver. Some fixture manufacturers offer different driver options (Fig. 3) on the same fixture to support different control technologies or applications (such as dimmable vs. non-dimmable). You may even be able to specify an optimal drive from another manufacturer that includes the desired feature set.
In the case of luminaires, you may be able to choose a driver that meets your project requirements.
Fig. 3
Check with the driver or fixture manufacturer to be confident that you are choosing the right product - drivers are available that can dim LEDs from 100% to 1% light, offering smooth continuous dimming for both constant-current and constant-voltage sources The. long-life benefits of LEDs will be reduced if the driver is not designed for an equally long life.
3. What is the dimming range?
Not all LEDs are created equal. Select the fixture or lamp that offers the dimming range suitable for your application. A product that dims to 20% measured light (45% perceived light as documented in the IESNA handbook) wouldn't make sense in a media room, but may be an appropriate energy-saving solution for an office. If an LED fixture or lamp specification sheet does not state the dimming range, you should contact the manufacturer for that important piece of information.
The dimming range of a product, either a lamp or a fixture, is based solely on the driver. Choosing the right dimming control will allow you to reduce flicker and may affect your ability to achieve the desired dimming range, but the dimmability, low- end light level, and performance of the product are determined by the driver.
4. What is the dimming performance?
Lighting designers typically focus primarily on light quality and color, but various performance anomalies such as flicker, pop-on, or drop-out may occur with some LEDs. Are these acceptable for your application?
The public's experience with incandescent / halogen dimming is that it is smooth and continuous, with no abrupt change in light level as the light source is dimmed. There is an expectation that the dimming performance will be free of flicker, pop-on, and drop -out. A good driver should account for these performance factors and still provide flicker-free, smooth, and continuous dimming of the LED source.
In summary, the driver determines the achievable dimming range and the best possible performance of the lamp or fixture. The control determines whether or not the best possible performance is realized in the application.
5. How many fixtures / lamps can be connected to one dimmer?
Applying LED loads to incandescent dimmers may not only lead to poor performance, but can also reduce control life. It is important to know how an LED load may affect the reliability of the dimmer. Indeed, overloading the dimmer is a common problem with LED system operation. All dimmers are rated for a maximum load (in volts, amps, and / or watts) that must not be exceeded. It is not as simple as dividing the 600W dimmer rating by the 15W LED lamp you have selected to determine that 40 lamps can be used on a circuit.
Each 15W LED lamp may only draw 10W continuously, but may have a startup inrush current or repetitive current during every half-cycle that makes it appear much worse (Figs. 4 and 5). For example, a 15W LED lamp may appear to the dimmer as a 100W incandescent load from the perspective of inrush current, so if you use more than 90W in aggregate of that LED product, the dimmer may be stressed, shortening its lifetime.
Inrush current can temporarily result in an LED lamp drawing more than its rated current, possibly damaging a dimmer if too many lamps are connected on one circuit.
Fig. 4
Similarly, some LED drivers may not perform well if they are required to control a very minimal load. It is easy to meet the 25-40W minimum load requirement with incandescent bulbs, but with LEDs, four or more bulbs may be needed on a dimmer in order to meet the required minimum load. And, since LED loads have different electrical characteristics than their incandescent predecessors, even meeting the minimum wattage load may not ensure proper dimmer operation.
6. On what type of control does the LED product operate?
There are many types of controls and control systems from high voltage (traditional phase control or reverse phase control) to low voltage (0-10V, DMX, DALI) and even some new entries with embedded wireless connectivity in the lamp / fixture. Which one will work best for both your application and the LEDs?
While there have been a variety of control technologies available for years, the proliferation of LED panel lighting Manufacturer has caused many applications to move away from the typical control choices used for standard incandescent loads. Additionally, the inherent controllability of LEDs makes it likely more applications will incorporate controls. Therefore, becoming educated on the types of control technologies available, such as 0-10V, forward or reverse phase, EcoSystem, or others, will be necessary to ensure the proper pairing of the controls with fixtures that support that technology.
High peak current in LED lamps that occurs on each half-cycle of the AC line voltage can also damage dimmers.
Fig. 5
A holistic approach to LED control can help meet and exceed customer expectations. The LEDs control arena is no longer the Wild West of the lighting control industry. Technologies are improving, control options are expanding, literature and general knowledge is increasing, and LEDs can now be effectively used in virtually any type of commercial application. By choosing the right manufacturer and considering key issues, it will be easier than ever to provide customers with an LED lighting and control system that meets energy-saving, performance, and aesthetic expectations.

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