LRC Industry Group Reports LED Recommendations

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff February 28, 2005

The Alliance for Solid-State Illumination Systems and Technologies (ASSIST), organized by the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, has published ASSIST recommends: LED Life for General Lighting .

The publication presents the industry group’s definition for the life of LED products for lighting, based on light output depreciation and appropriate light levels for various lighting applications. ASSIST recommends 70% lumen maintenance (a 30% reduction in light output over time) as the useful life for general lighting applications, and 50% lumen maintenance for decorative lighting applications. The term “useful life” indicates when an LED’s light output decreases to the point where it is unacceptable for the lighting application.

ASSIST recommends also provides methods for measuring and extrapolating data to estimate the life, in hours, of an LED component and an LED-based system, as well as methods for how companies should record and present LED life data for their products.

The information in the recommendation document is based on LED life tests conducted at LRC, related literature and input from LED manufacturers and the traditional lighting community.

Visit LRC’s web site for a free downloadable copy.