LEDs — quality and regulations matter

LED technology has improved rapidly in recent years and several excellent products are available in the Australian marketplace. However, tests conducted by the Australian Government on LED products indicate a wide variation in product efficiency, quality and illumination.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), with their many advantages — including energy efficiency, longevity, durability and controllability — are now playing a prominent role in most forms of lighting. The large majority of new lighting installations in commercial, industrial and residential buildings are now LEDs.  

LEDs are also taking over the public lighting market, particularly street lighting, and they are even appearing in more esoteric applications such as indoor commercial horticulture in and around our cities. They have truly revolutionised illumination and are the most significant technological development in lighting in the past 100 years. 

While the technology has improved significantly in the past few years, the market is rife with poor-quality products. Some lower quality LEDs may provide insufficient light, flicker when dimmed, change colour through life or fail prematurely. And that’s not all — many products do not comply with the Australian lighting regulations. 

Non-conformity with regulations is a major concern for the Lighting Council Australia, lighting suppliers and the entire industry. Non-conformity with electrical safety regulations can result in electric shock and fire. Non-conformity with electromagnetic compatibility regulations can result in serious interference issues with television reception and even compromise emergency service communications in and around buildings.

This article will outline the regulatory requirements for LEDs in Australia for three main areas — electrical safety, EMC and energy efficiency. It will also provide guidance on how to determine whether LED products conform to regulatory requirements. The article will also touch on quality issues and provide some guidance on how to avoid the problems mentioned above.

Electrical safety

Suppliers of in-scope electrical equipment — ie, low-voltage equipment rated at >50 VAC RMS and <1000 VAC RMS — should be registered on a national database established by the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC). This includes LED luminaires. 

As part of the registration process, ‘responsible suppliers’ make a declaration that the equipment they sell meets relevant standards and is electrically safe. Any member of the public may access the database to determine if the supplier is registered — see https://equipment.erac.gov.au/Registration/.

Many LED downlights used in residential developments have LED drivers that are external to the luminaire, and these are considered high-risk items by Australia’s electrical safety regulators. Suppliers are required to hold a Certificate of Approval and mark the driver with the Regulatory Compliance Mark (see below) and/or a NSW approval number. The ERAC national database lists Certificates of Approval. Users may check whether LED drivers and any other high-risk items, such as a portable luminaires, decorative luminaires, inspection luminaires, fluorescent ballasts, starters and bayonet cap or Edison screw lamp holders, are registered. If there is any doubt, ask the supplier for a copy of the Certificate of Approval for the device.

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)

All LED lamps and luminaires must comply with Australia’s EMC Framework. Compliance is established by test reports. In addition, all suppliers must be registered on the national database referred to above, hold a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity and mark the product with the Regulatory Compliance Mark.

Product marking

The Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) is an important mark placed by the supplier stating that the product is compliant to all appropriate requirements from Australia’s electrical safety and electromagnetic compatibility regulators. The RCM has been made mandatory since 1 March 2013 and should be visibly placed on the product. For EMC compliance only, products placed on the market before 1 March 2013 can carry the C-Tick mark until 28 February 2016.

Some suppliers will point to the CE mark on their product and claim that it demonstrates regulatory compliance. However, it is important to note that the CE mark has no legal status in Australia. Only the RCMs (and, for older products, the C-Tick mark) have legal status.

Regulatory Compliance Mark. Look for this mark on products placed on the market from 1 March 2013.

 

    

C-Tick Mark. Look for this mark on products placed on the market before 1 March 2013 (not to be used after 28 February 2016).

Energy efficiency

There were no regulations for energy efficiency of LEDs at the time of publication. The Australian Government, in conjunction with state, territory and New Zealand energy-efficiency regulators, has issued a lengthy document containing policy options for LEDs. Some of these options include:

• Introduce minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) to remove the lower performing lamps;
• MEPS to include a range of performance parameters that address important quality and performance issues found in market testing to ensure that LED lighting provides an effective as well as efficient lighting alternative;
• MEPS to include a preferred range of rated luminous flux values to be used on lamp packaging, along with a requirement for lm/W to be included on packaging in order to assist consumers in selecting replacement lamps;
• Suppliers to be required to include efficacy and performance information on LED product packaging and/or the LED product to enable customers to choose a suitable and efficient model;
• MEPS to apply to LED luminaires.

The Department of Industry and Science is currently consulting with industry and other stakeholders before providing a clearer direction on future energy-efficiency regulation.

Quality issues and false claims

As mentioned earlier, LED products in the Australian marketplace are beset by quality problems. Many are also subject to false performance claims. 

Lighting Council Australia has developed a basic guide intended to assist commercial users make informed decisions when buying or specifying LEDs. ‘A Guide to Choosing LED Products and Suppliers’ (available at www.lightingcouncil.com.au) provides information on both mandatory compliance and key voluntary aspects, such as product performance. 

Assessment of performance is somewhat more subjective than mandatory compliance. In assessing performance, some users may decide brand alone is sufficient, or they may compare the supplier’s claims on the product specification sheet or brochure to an increasingly stringent array of available information. The most common method for assessing LED performance is the LM-79, LM-80 and TM-21 methods developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. 

To understand LED performance, it is essential to understand total input power, luminous flux, luminous efficacy, lumen maintenance, correlated colour temperature and colour rendering index.

Total input power (measured in watts)

The energy consumption of an LED is the total input power of a luminaire. It is a measurement of all power consumed by the LED, the driver and any internal electronics. It is also known as light circuit power (LCP). To determine energy consumption, refer to the LM-79 report. 

Total luminous flux, or light output of a luminaire (measured in lumens)

Not to be confused with the light output of the LED chip or light engine, which invariably is greater than the light output of the luminaire. Refer to the LM-79 report.

Luminous efficacy (measured in lm/W) 

Efficacy is a measure of how efficiently a luminaire uses power to produce usable visible light, expressed as lumens per watt (lm/W). The higher the lm/W, the more efficient the luminaire. However, light distribution is also very important in deciding the correct luminaire for an application. For commercial installations in particular, it is best to work with a lighting designer to ensure the product purchased meets the requirements of the space for which it is intended. To determine luminous efficacy, refer to the LM-79 report.

Lumen maintenance

The light output of all light sources depreciates with use. Lumen maintenance is the term used when measuring this decay. For LEDs, the lumen maintenance (L70) value is a prediction of the number of hours an LED light source will operate before its light output falls below the point at which the decay is easily noticed; the value is 70% of initial light output. It corresponds to the practical end of life for the LED chip. The L70 value should not be confused with luminaire life. Luminaire life is determined by the weakest component — perhaps the power supply or failure of waterproofing. Luminaire life may be considerably shorter than the L70 value. Users can verify the lumen maintenance claim by requesting a copy of the TM-21 report.

Correlated colour temperature (CCT)  

Colour temperature describes the colour appearance of light and is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Colour temperatures recommended for different interior lighting applications are shown in AS/NZS 1680.1 — 3000K is considered a ‘warm’ colour; 4000K is ‘neutral’ or ‘cool white’; 5000K is a ‘cold’ or daylight colour. The LM-79 test report will show the colour temperature.

Colour rendering index (CRI)

CRI is a measure of the colour appearance of objects. A CRI of 80 or higher is used in most indoor applications. The LM-79 test report will show the CRI.

SSL Quality Scheme label

Lighting Council Australia has a voluntary Solid State Lighting Quality Scheme which validates the supplier’s performance claims in the following critical areas: energy efficiency; light output; colour temperature; colour rendering index; and dimmability. Certification of product under Lighting Council Australia’s Solid State Lighting Quality Scheme will provide increased confidence, as will registration on a state government rebate scheme.

For more information on the label, please visit www.lightingcouncil.com.au.