DOE Announced Analysis Report Of LED Lamp Life And Reliability

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a analytical report on the solid-state lighting product life and reliability. In the report made ​​clear that the current industry standard there is no perfect way to define evaluation system life of LED lamps.

Up to now, LED industry in the development of testing and evaluation criteria aspects on LED components and systems, has come a very long period of time.

However, as the DOE report said, the LED industry is currently no way to provide a very feasible way to assess the life expectancy of the LED lamp. Although lumen maintenance testing and planning standards have improved, but the drive life and system-level color maintenance is still difficult to quantify.

DOE's new report aims to define the existing standards and planning standards, and analysts pointed out that the existing definition LED lighting performance deficiencies. According to the report, the mainly problem is: Existing methods take lumen attenuation as the sole elimination mechanism of LED lamp, there is no standardized assessment methods to resolve the components in addition to light sources.

IES LM-80 standard defines a test method of white LED components. LM-80 details the lumen attenuation standard, the component colors maintenance and color drift. IES TM-21 standards are still as LM-80 test required 6,000 hours, plus new method of planning life. In addition, IESLM-84 standard will define lumen lamps or lighting level and color maintenance measurement methods. At the same time regulation based on LM - 84 data planning methods of lamps and lanterns life. Thereafter, IES may also add lighting planning approach for TM-28.

The report does not provide a comprehensive lifetime or reliability of measurement and planning solutions. According to the report, with the LED and SSL technology matures, the problem will gradually disappear.

DOE also declare that as the product life expectancy from 30 years to 10-15 years, industry conditions will likely improve. This is because the trend of improving lighting cycles is getting shorter. However, the lighting shortened life expectancy will produce more waste materials, affecting sustainability.

Topics are not covered in the report include the use of mixed color LED or reliance on blue light LED phosphor technology non-contact life and reliability of the lighting effects. Current industry standards such as LM-80 only defines the fluorescence conversion type white LED testing methods. However, other system architectures in some applications are become increasingly popular.