Our friends at the
Tennessee-based EdisonReport recently wrote an on-line article on a recent
publication of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Dimming LEDs with Phase-Cut
Dimmers: The Specifier's Process for Maximizing Success.
This particular Solid-State
Lighting GATEWEAY Demonstration Project was created in response to issues
raised by the industry about dimming by energy efficiency organizations and
specifiers-namely poor performance with existing dimming control systems.
The DOE report noted that while
progress has been made in the dimming capabilities of LED luminaires with
carefully matched dimming systems, challenges remain with compatibility and
performance of LED replacement lamps and dedicated LED luminaires on existing
phase-cut dimming systems, which dominate the installed base of dimmers. The
new report reviews how phase-cut dimmers work, how LEDs differ from the
incandescent lamps these dimmers were originally designed to control, and how
those differences can lead to complications when attempting to dim LEDs. Such
complications are often due to incompatibility between the LED source and the
dimmer, rather than to any shortcomings in the LED source itself.
EdisonReport noted the
report provides both general guidance and step-by-step procedures for designing
phase-controlled LED dimming on both new and existing projects, as well as
real-world examples of how to use those procedures. The general guidance aims
to reduce the chance of experiencing compatibility-related problems and, if
possible, ensure good dimming performance.
Specifiers should also
consider alternatives to phase-control dimming for LED sources, such as digital
addressable lighting interface (DALI) or even wireless approaches. While they,
too, have their pluses and minuses and typically cost more, separating the
control signal from the AC mains voltage may result in higher levels of
performance, more predictability, and fewer headaches.
DOE's SSL Technology
Demonstration GATEWAY program features high-performance SSL products for
general illumination in a variety of exterior and interior applications. The products are installed at demonstration host
sites, where their performance can be evaluated. Performance measures include
energy consumption, light output/distribution, and
installation/interface/control issues. Qualitative performance is investigated
via feedback surveys of the relevant user communities.
To learn more about the lighting controls products that GET,LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to
discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-Made in America!!!