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LEDsand False Claims


Peter Hunt, joint Chief Executive at the LIA, discusses the importance of transparency with regards to the information provided alongside LED light sources.


There is little doubt that our future will largely be lit by LEDs until something else comes along so it is important that end-users have confidence in this emerging technology in order that we manage a smooth transition. What is becoming increasingly clear is that there are a large number of new players who have seen the potential for growth in this market and would like a slice of the action. What is also clear is that many of them do not know the first thing about lighting.


Many of these new products appearing on the market are making claims well beyond their true performance, and in some cases beyond what is even possible to achieve. On the other hand, reputable manufacturers have spent considerable sums on R&D and testing to ensure their products do what they say on the tin.


It is still true that by and large you get what you pay for, and if a 50W equivalent GU10 lamp offering 120 lm/w at £3.99 looks too good to be true, then it most certainly is. The problem is twofold: on one hand reputable


manufacturers offering quality product at a 68


market price are finding it difficult to compete with products making the same claims at much lower prices and secondly, the consumers who are tempted by the cheaper offers will undoubtedly gain a poor impression of LEDs when they find the light output is poor, colour inappropriate and lifetimes measured in weeks or months rather than years. Market surveillance is the answer, but there is a limited budget for such work, so the Lighting Industry Association has tied up with the National Measurement Office (the body responsible for market surveillance of ErP, RoHS etc in the UK) to tackle the problem. Starting in January 2013, the NMO will select 50 LED lamps of various types that they believe are worthy of inspection. The LIA, through their accredited test laboratory, will fund the testing of 20 sets of each and, when the results are ready, the NMO will carry out any appropriate actions. Importers knowingly placing product on the market that fail to match up to their claims should beware.


Contact


The Lighting Industry Association T: +44 (0) 207 793 3020 www.thelia.org.uk


www.a1lightingmagazine.com


A1


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