Luminous efficiency of LED luminaires

Once upon a time, when choosing a light bulb, its power was the decisive factor. However, today's market offers us many light sources, including LEDs, so we should also pay attention to other parameters, such as: luminous flux or luminous efficiency. How to choose the right lighting then?

Luminous efficiency

The luminous efficiency is determined by two factors - flux and luminous power. The first parameter is defined by the unit lumens (lm), the greater its value the brighter the light. However, a power counted in watts (W) is required to generate the light beam. Depending on the quality of the light source, we can produce a specific amount of light, i.e. the luminous flux, from a certain amount of energy. The ratio of lumen to watt gives us the luminous efficacy (lm/W). The higher this parameter is, the the lamp is more effective, and thus consumes less electricity and is environmentally friendly.

Useful Lumen

Incandescent lamps consume a lot of energy, but 90% of it is converted into heat instead of light. The same problem is with the amount of visible light. The bulbs shine in all directions, so some of the light is wasted and some is absorbed by the material. Therefore, we must take into account the useful lumens, taking into account all losses resulting from the optical and power systems. This problem does not apply to LEDs, their beam angle is directed, and all the light they emit goes to the room.

Luminous efficacy of conventional incandescent lamps versus LED technology

The luminous efficiency of LEDs can be as high as 300 lm/W, which is over 18 times more than traditional light bulbs (16.6 lm/IN). Although leds are a more expensive light source, they are worth choosing due to their high energy efficiency and long life. Such an investment will pay for itself quickly. LED lighting can also generate many shades of light, from white through neutral to warm. Thanks to this, we can create a space, increase its functionality and coziness.