Home » Difference between cheap and good LED panels
There are a couple of important points of LED luminaires which create a satisfied customer. The first one is the lumen maintenance factor. This is basically the retention of the luminous flux at a specific time compared to a new lamp. It describes the aging of the lamp or the reduction of light intensity over time. A LED light source with a lumen maintenance of 80% at 50,000 hours (L80B20) means that the light source will provide that amount of light for the mentioned hours. However, the light source is just one of the many components of which a luminaire consists. The quality of the light depends on the cooperation of all the components.
A crucial factor is the quality of the materials used, which affects both the prestation’s and aesthetics of the product. Definitely as it will also determines how the product will perform over time.
A good example is a standard 60*60cm LED panel, which can be found in nearly every grid ceiling. The market for these panels is growing fast thanks to substantial energy and maintenance cost savings and the growing e-commerce supply of cheap LED panels, which seem to look good.
LED chips and driver
However, the difference of these panels is clearly visible when looking at the details of the product. Obviously, To be able to provide the cheap panel, manufacturers need to cut down on the manufacturing costs. Which is why the essential components such as the LED chips and driver are of low quality, resulting in a much lower lifespan and lumen output from then promised by the manufacturer. They also consume more energy consumption then mentioned and a have colour difference per panel. The latter can only be seen after installing the products, where one panel provides a different tint of lighting then the one next to it for example. Moreover, the provided light will also flicker a lot. Research has shown that this contributes to fatigue of the people exposed to this type of lighting.
LED panel diffuser plate
The LED panel diffuser plate is essential for the light output. The quality of such plate can give a good indication on the overall quality of the product. The plates in cheaper LED panels are mostly made from Polystyrene (PS), which often starts to turn yellow within 8 months. It reduces the quality of the light output massively. This diffuser will also cause people being blinded when looking up to the luminaire. It will also create many reflections on for example computers, whiteboards or any other shiny object.
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