LED F.A.Q

What is an LED and what L.E.D stand for?

L.E.D stands for Light Emitting Diodes. An LED is a semiconductor diode that emits color lights. The color of the light emitted by the LED depends on the substance the semiconductor is made of. Semiconductor materials may include Aluminum gallium arsenide (Red), Gallium nitride (Green), Silicon (Blue) and even Diamonds (Ultraviolet).

What are some of the advantages of using LEDs?

There are far too many advantages to using LEDs. The life of an LED can be up to 25 times longer lasting than traditional light bulbs. Compared to incandescent bulbs, LEDs produces more "light" or brightness per watt which means it is more energy efficient. The "bulb", called diode, of the LED also does not turn a yellowish color after extensive use. LEDs also are much sturdier than traditional light bulb, it is actually very hard to damage or break an LED. LEDs also do not contain mercury, a poisonous element found in traditional incandescent light bulbs.

What makes an LED fail?

Failure of an LED usually comes from extreme and extensive use of the LED in which the output level and efficiency starts to decrease. Also if the LED is exposed to high temperature it may result in thermal runaway which will cause a 'short' to the LED. Although rare, electrostatic discharge may also cause damage to the LED which is why LEDs are handled in an electrostatic protection bag.

Introduce of LED Applications

LED Floodlight

The LED floodlight – our revolutionary LED Floodlight available in white and RGBW up to 6,000 lumens.

LED Street lights

Our LED Street Lights are available in outputs of 30 watt (12 V dc for solar applications), 60 watt and 90 watt. These LED Street Lights have evolved from the development of high powered LEDs, material technology and our patented reflector design.

Exterior LED lighting

Our exterior LED lighting, utilises LED technology, LEDs offer new opportunities to provide innovative and more durable lighting results for exterior lighting applications.

LED lighting

Contact us for more information on LED lighting. Light emitting diodes are special diodes that emit light when connected to a circuit, LED lights use up to 90% less energy than standard light sources, contain no mercury and due to their high life expectancy there is less disposable waste.

Exterior lighting

In exterior applications LED lights, when switched on, have a very fast response time making them especially suited for emergency lighting.

LED strip lighting

LED strip lighting is available as a point light source or a continuous line of light. A flexible LED strip is also available.

LED ground lighting

Lumaguide is a durable strip lighting solution for feature lighting, landscape enhancement and pedestrian guidance. Available in a continuous lighting effect. The use of LEDs in a fully encapsulated enclosure makes this product highly suited to areas with high maintenance implications. IP68 rated drive over.

LED uplighters

The stud uplighter is a high quality product using the award winning Luxeon high flux LEDs.

The housing is cast aluminium with a stainless steel round or square bezel. This luminaire can be ground or wall recessed. The low lens temperature makes it ideal for public areas. Available in a range of sizes. IP68 rated – drive over.

LED vandal resistant bollard

Amongst the LED lighting bollard range is the Fortitude vandal resistant bollard. Constructed of thick zinc metal sprayed steel that provides a robust outer shell with excellent corrosion resistance. LEDs are more resistant to vibration than conventional lamps making them an ideal light source for this application. The LEDs are located within the body assembly, providing further protection to the light source.

LED solar lighting

Based on the Fortitude vandal resistant bollard, advanced leds have now developed a solar powered bollard.

Solar powered lighting

advanced leds can offer solar powered lighting for security/amenity lighting car park/ticket machine illumination in areas where mains power is not available or cost effective. Benefits include no running costs, no lamp changes, easy installation and maintenance etc.

LED sign lights

Internally and externally illuminated LED sign lights meeting Class 1 regulations.

Sign lights

Our sign lights come complete with design and supply service. Our LED internally illuminated sign is currently being tested to Department of Trade standards with a government authority. This sign light is made to a thickness of only 20mm and has very uniform illuminense.

Landscape lighting

Landscape lighting has always been a problem — either lots of conventional lamps (creating a maintenance issue) or fibre optics — too expensive. Now LEDs can offer a cost effective solution to create stunning landscapes with low energy systems that have a life expectancy of 100,000 hours.

Architectural lighting

As with all architectural design, lighting design is based on the creativity of the designer and the correct response to the projects needs. With our knowledge and experience in working only with LED lighting, our experienced staff will assist you in creating the lighting to meet your requirements. "With out light, colour, form and texture cease to exist".

LED traffic products

This range includes, high flux LED bollards, LED bolisha beacon, and a keep left bollard – a low energy product at just 14.2 watts. A retro fit LED conversion module is also available.

Colour change lighting

advanced leds are now able to offer full colour change on many products – please enquire.

LED bespoke lighting

We offer a bespoke service for unique applications. Current projects include, emergency lighting, stand lighting, bar lighting and building illumination.

T8tube LED Lighting

T8tube LED Lighting were set up solely to work with LEDs and has the expertise to manufacture and patent luminaries to meet your requirements.

Short Description of LED's Benefits

Benefits of LEDs

Long life

The long life of LED (Light Emitting Diodes) lighting means that lamp changing and lamp failures are a thing of the past. LED lighting life is up to 100,000 hours. In a typical UK night time burning situation, this equates to approximately 25 years.

Reliability

LEDs, as electronic devices, offer superb reliability over conventional lamps.

Maintenance free operation

No routine maintenance is required to ensure continued performance, so reducing costs and avoiding the possibility of missed maintenance.

Energy efficient

With advanced leds luminaire design, energy efficient operation is ensured.

Environmental benefits

Lamp disposal problems are eliminated due to the long life of LED lights, and no resources are used in routine maintenance.

New lighting possibilities

New luminaire designs are made possible by the small size of LEDs and eliminating the need to allow for maintenance required for conventional lamps.

Why LED Lighting is Green?

How many times have you changed a burned out light bulb in your lifetime? Fifty times? One hundred times? What did you do with all the old bulbs? If you’re like most people, you simply tossed them into the trash can and forgot about them.

Well…those ordinary light bulbs, the ones you’ve been tossing into the trash every month for years, contain highly toxic gases.And while those light bulbs sit in a landfill, they’re joined by millions more broken, discarded bulbs, and the mercury inside all of them slowly leaches into and poisons the soil.

Although you have certainly been warned about the ill effects of things like global warming and ozone depletion, perhaps you’ve never heard of the negative impact of mercury in our soil. Maybe no one ever told you. But, now that you know… you should do something about it. At T8tube, we already are.

Unlike many of the big lighting companies who promise that they will do things in the future to help the environment, at T8tube, we already do those things, and then some. For example, RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) legislation has mandated that electronics sold in the EU must significantly reduce hazardous substances by the middle of 2006. Many companies are scrambling to try and meet that directive, but at T8tube, we have already met and exceeded it. You see, unlike many of our competitors, we don’t develop or offer any lighting options that contain damaging, polluting and hazardous chemicals. We are dedicated to sustainability and only develop environmentally-friendly lighting options that preserve our earth such as our revolutionary LED floodlight - the world’s first drop-in replacement for conventional incandescent floodlights.

Our LED lights are environmentally safe, do not contain any mercury or other toxic substances and are 100% recyclable. Plus, they last years longer than incandescent bulbs so there’s a lot less waste. Our innovative LED lights are also safe, energy efficient and economical – using just a fraction of the electricity needed to power a conventional bulb - which saves you money on utility bills and reduces pollution.

LED's Benefits and Advantages

LED is heralded as the future of lighting and will replace the incandescent light. The U.S. Department of Energy is working with the lighting industry to reduce the electricity used
for lighting by 50% by converting to LED light sources.

• LEDs are capable of emitting HI CRI whites or colors of any wavelength at the source
  
• LEDs are durable solid-state technology


• LEDs have an extremely long life span when compared to other light sources – in many cases they last twenty times longer


• LEDs consume less energy than incandescent and other existing light sources.

While LED lighting in general is far superior to incandescent, enLux has advanced LED Solid State Lighting to an entirely new level. enLux invented the world’s first drop-in replacement R30 LED/SSL floodlight for high quality general illumination. enLux is the first lighting company to use Chip-on-Board (COB) technology in a commercial RAGB LED light engine which mixes red, amber, green and blue LED to create superior white and pure saturated color light, coupled with proprietary patented thermal management creating a bright LED light that is cool to the touch.

Solid-State Lighting: RAGB - Superior Illumination

Solid-state lighting technology is now emerging as a cost-competitive, energy-efficient alternative to conventional electrical lighting. The LED solid-state lighting technologies typically generates white light from blue phosphor whiteous LEDs (considered as replacement for incandescent and fluorescent lights). The enLux RAGB multi-chip LED lamps, offer many advantages over the blue phosphor LED lamps such as chromaticity control, better light uality, excellent color rendering, visual performance and higher efficiency.

RAGB (RGB+Amber) produces high output balanced white light and affords the flexibility of providing specific color temperature with high color uniformity and visual performance (high CRI).

LED light engine is based solely (from chip to finish luminaries) on its patented, proprietary RAGB and RGB chip-on-board technology, which differs greatly from the typical industry application of blue phosphorus LED technology. Blue phosphorus is not new technology;
in fact, it is similar to fluorescent electric light, which uses UV rays energized with phosphorus to make visible light. The wavelengths necessary to create white fluorescent light are very chaotic, and while generally accepted, fluorescent is not considered to be a preferred light source. While more efficient than fluorescent, commonly used blue phosphorus LED typically use blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) combined with energized yellow phosphorus, to produce a white
light.

Similar to HD television and digital photograhpy technology, RAGB technology mixes red, amber, green and blue LEDs to create superior white and pure saturated color light.

With its RAGB core SSL technology considers its performance the hybrid of LED lighting.

LED Comparison

LED - everything a light should be Bright, Safe, Saves Energy!

Incandescent floodlights: Outdated technology Pollutes environment Extremely inefficient			LED Floodlights: New solid state technology 100% recyclable Energy efficient
Hot			Cool to the Touch
Breaks				Does Not Break
Wastes Energy			Saves Energy
Lasts 2,000 Hours				Last 50,000 Hours
Pollutes the Environment			100% Recyclable

We floodlights a drop-in replacement for conventional incandescent floodlights.
Efficient, Long Lasting, Environmentally Friendly

A Little of LEDs

Why Use LEDs...?

Normal lights have served us greatly for generations. But we must remember that they still rely on an incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes to produce their light. Technology first invented by Thomas Edison and Nikolai Tesla, way back in the nineteenth century. Technology has taken some giant leaps forward since that time and now miniature Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are set to become the standard source of illumination for the 21st Century.


What's so great about LEDs?

All LEDs today contains
solid-state technology similar to those found in microprocessors. These solid-state devices have no moving parts, no fragile glass environments, no mercury, no toxic gasses, and no filament. There is nothing to break, shatter, leak, or contaminate. Unlike typical conventional light sources, LEDs are not subject to sudden failure or burnout.


Advantages of using LEDs:

- Longer lasting than ordinary lights - over 11 years life span with only 30% degradation (70% lumen maintenance) from initial luminous output.

- Reduced Maintenance Costs - Last 10 times longer (over 11yrs life span) than a normal light source, there is no need to replace the light source, reducing ongoing maintenance costs.

- Energy efficient - LED uses less energy to produce, there light sources are more efficient
than incandescent and most halogen light sources. White Leds today can deliver more than 20 lumens per Watt, and are predicted to achieve greater than 50 lumens per Watt by 2005.

- Design Flexibility - LEDs are typically much smaller than conventional light sources,
allowing for dramatically different lighting designs capitalizing on the unobtrusiveness of the source.

- Vivid Saturated Colours - Light Emitting Diodes require no filters to create coloured light, resulting in deeper saturated colours without wasted light.

- Directed Light for Increased System Efficiency - The light emitted from an LED is
directional. Typical conventional sources such as incandescent, halogen, or fluorescent lights are omni directional, emitting light in all directions.

- Dynamic Colour Control, White-Point Tunable - LEDs can offer intense deep reds, greens, and blues for dynamic colour changing applications. The endless choices of colour are available for almost any application.

- Fully Dimmable Without Colour Variation - LEDs are fully dimmable with straightforward driver topologies. For example, Luxeon power light sources can be dimmed by over 1000 times without sacrificing any characteristic of the light.

- Instant On, Full Colour, 100% Light - LEDs have turn on times measured in microseconds. The Instant-On feature of LEDs provides additional reaction time in safety critical applications.

- No Mercury Lead in the Light Source - Unlike most fluorescent sources, LEDs
contains no Mercury Lead. Eliminating Mercury from your lighting system will enable specifiers to meet new and future increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

- No Heat or UV in the Light Beam - The leading and most efficient LED products only
generate light in the range that a person can see. There are no ultraviolet rays or infrared radiation contained in the light beams of these products, this provides a cool beam with a light source that is safe to touch.


LEDs Applications

Indicator, Auto Sensor, Entertainment Lighting, Architectural Lighting, City Beautification, Landscape Lighting, Medical Lighting, Portable Lighting, Interior Lighting, Traffic Lights, Automobile Lightings, Outdoor Signboards.

Lighting Terms

Accent Lighting
Localized and directional lighting used to highlight, focus attention or dramatize a room or outdoor space. As part of a decorating scheme, it is used to spotlight paintings, houseplants and other possessions, or to highlight the texture of a wall, drapery or outside landscaping. Accent lighting requires at least three times as much light on the focal point as the general lighting around it.

Alternating Current (AC)
Flow of electricity which cycles or alternates direction many times per second. The number of cycles is referred to as frequency. Most common frequency used in this country is 60 Hertz (cycles per second).

Amperes / amps
The unit of measurement of electrical current.

Architectural Lighting
This broad term generally refers to built-in fixtures, such as downlighting, valance lighting or a luminous ceiling. Some people also include functional lighting, such as track or simple fluorescent, which has an architectural appearance.

Average Rated Life
The number of hours required for half of a large group of lamps to fail or burn out. The actual life of any lamp or small group of lamps will typically be different from the average rated life.

Ballast
Electrical or electronic component required for fluorescent (and HID) lamps. Ballasts provide enough voltage to start the lamp and then limit the current for continuing operation.

Base
The end of the lamp that inserts into a lamp socket. The end or ends of a lamp that makes electrical and mounting connections.

Brushed
FinishSatin or lightly textured finish, usually on metal, produced by brushing with a wire wheel or buffing with a fine abrasive.

Built-In Lighting
Built-in lighting generally refers to lighting equipment mounted into coves and cornices, behind valences, or integrated into furniture and bookcases.

Bulb
The everyday term for an incandescent lamp. Also refers to the outer glass envelope of the lamp.

Cable
Multiple wires arranged in a common covering of insulating plastic or other materials, used as an electrical conductor.

Circuit
Wiring path for electricity, including conductors, load and circuit protection.

Circuit Breaker
Resettable safety device to prevent current flow or prevent excess current flow.

Clip
Piece that is used to clip a cord or cable to a surface.

Color
TemperatureThe appearance of white light in terms of warmth or coolness.

Cove
LightingLight built into a cove, a shelf or ledge at the upper part of a wall, to illuminate the ceiling. Typically fluorescent, cold cathode or low voltage strip.

Damp
LocationUL listing for fixtures used in a moist unexposed area, such as a bathroom or porch area.

Deck Lights
Deck lights typically mount to the outside of a home or to the railing of a wooden deck. Since they are located near where people sit, good shielding and proper mounting height are important to reduce glare.

Die Casting
Casting in a reusable mould (the die). Die-casting are generally precisely manufactured parts requiring a high initial investment in the die.

Diffuser
Light control device that spreads light by scattering it. Opal glass and plastic, etched glass, fabric and paper shades act as diffusers.

Dimmer
Control that varies the output of the light source by reducing the voltage or current to the lamp.

Direct Lighting
Lighting that casts all, or at least 90%, of its light downward. The term can also refer to the distribution of light or the fixtures that produce this type of lighting. With intense beams, direct lighting is very dramatic, rendering forms and textures well. Typical fixtures include recessed lights, track lights, some pendant lights and task lights.

Extended Life
LampIncandescent lamp with 2500+ hours of rated average life and reduced output; uses a stronger filament.

Filament
The tightly coiled tungsten wire of an incandescent lamp; glows to produce light when electricity flows through it.

Fill
GasIn incandescent lamps, usually argon or krypton with trace nitrogen. In fluorescent lamps may be argon. Halogen is used in halogen incandescent lamps.

Fluorescent Lamps
Lamps which operate by creating an electric arc inside a gas-filled tube. The colour of the light is determined by the type of phosphor coating used in the lamp.

Footcandles
Unit of illuminance (light falling on a surface). One lumen falling on one square foot equals one-foot candle. Also, a measurement of the amount of light reaching a subject.

G Lamp
Globe-shaped incandescent, generally for exposed use.

General Lighting
Also known as ambient lighting, general lighting provides an area with overall, non-specific illumination. General lighting radiates a comfortable level of brightness, enabling one to see and walk about safely. It can be accomplished with chandeliers, ceiling or wall-mounted fixtures, recessed or track lighting or with outdoor fixtures. A basic form of lighting that replaces sunlight, general lighting is fundamental to lighting a home.

Glare
Bright lighting that causes discomfort and impairs good visibility. Possible causes may be light sources that are too bright for the application, or fixtures that may not conceal bulbs sufficiently, among many others.

Grazing Light
Directional light at an acute angle, which emphasized texture. The sources of grazing light must be close to the surface. See also Wall Grazing.

Grounding
Connecting electrical components to earth for safety.

Halogen Lamp
Incandescent lamp with halogen gas fill and a quartz glass capsule. The quartz capsule requires a separate glass shield or enclosure. Due to the halogen cycle, halogen lamps operate at higher internal temperatures, producing more lumens per watt and brighter light than ordinary incandescent; lamp life is also extended. Halogen lamps include A, MB, T, PAR and MR types.
Heat RatingsLike recessed downlights, surface mounted fixtures must pass heat tests to assure they do not affect combustible ceiling materials. This limits the maximum wattage in these fixtures, and sometimes necessitates the installation of high-temperature wiring. Always follow the labelled lamping; never use higher wattages or different lamps.

Incandescence
Light produced by heating material so it glows. Incandescent filament lamps, candle flames and glowing coals are all examples.

Incandescent Lamp
Produces light with a wire filament, which create light as it is heated by electric current.

Indirect Lighting
Lighting that directs all or most light upward for ambient or general illumination; comfortable illumination with few shadows.Typical fixtures include uplight cans, fluorescent lighting aimed up, track lights aimed up and torchieres.

Jack
Plug-in stem used in low voltage fixtures.

Junction Box
Enclosure that protects spliced wires and supports surface fixtures, such as wall fixtures or ceiling fans. Also called an outlet box.

Kelvin
Scientific unit of temperature. Colour temperature is measured on the Kelvin scale.

Kilowatt Hour
KWH.
A unit of measurement for electrical energy. One kilowatt hour equals 1000 watts of energy used for one hour.

Lamp Holder
Socket on a cable, which holds the lamp in place and connects it to the electrical source.
LampingEquipping a fixture with a lamp.

LED
Light Emitting Diode.
A small, solid state device used to indicate dimmer or control status; also used in signs and control units.

Lighting Controls
Devices which give you flexibility, decorative effects and multiple uses from your lighting sources. Today's sophisticated dimming systems enable you to lower the light level to conserve energy and increase bulb life; vary the mood of a room; alter light source intensity; create lighting scene in each room. Types of controls include integrated dimming systems, touch dimmers, slide dimmers and rotary dimmers.

Light Distribution
Pattern of light produced by a fixture, or created in a room.

Light Sources
The performance of any light fixture depends on the light source, or bulb, that's used. Different sources produce different effects.

Low Voltage Fixtures
Task, linear or accent lighting products for low voltage lamps. A transformer is required for these fixtures and may by integrated, local or remote.

Low Voltage Lamps
Incandescent lamps that operate at 6, 12 or 24 volts. Low voltage lamps require a step-down transformer to reduce the voltage from the normal household 120 volts.

Low Voltage Lighting System
A type of lighting that operates on 12-volt or 24-volt current rather than the standard 120 volts. Power is supplied by a transformer, which is itself connected to 120-volt power.

Lumens
The amount of light that a bulb produces. Unit of output; technically "Luminous flux."
Motion DetectorControl that uses passive infrared or ultrasonic detection to sense whether someone is present or not, and to turn a light on or off appropriately. Commonly used in outdoor flood or spot fixtures. "Automatic On" sensors turn lights on when presence; "Manual On" sensors require you to press a switch. Both types turn lights off automatically when they no longer sense a presence.

MR Lamp
Multi-facet reflector lamp, of which the most popular is MR16. MR lamps surround a halogen capsule with a computer-designed glass, or metal reflector with many surfaces or facets. These compact lamps require a glass cover, either integral or with the fixture.

National Electrical Code
Sets out standards for wiring and electrical devices. The NEC requirements are widely followed by local jurisdictions.

NEMA
National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Includes lamp, electrical device and larger fixture manufacturers. NEMA develops consensus ratings and designations for various products.

Nominal Watts
The power rating of lamps, as published by lamp manufacturers.

Outdoor Lighting
Any hard wired, low-voltage or solar powered lighting system that is used in an exterior space. Outdoor lighting can enhance the beauty of your home, making it safer and more secure. Outdoor lighting typically is an investment that pays off in the value it adds to a home.

Outlet Box
Also Junction Box.
Enclosure that protects spliced wires and supports surface fixtures.

Over Voltage
Incandescent lamps experience shortened lamp life when operated above their rated voltage.

Photocell
Light-sensitive device used to operate fixtures according to available daylight. They are used in solar lighting and to turn outdoor or security lights on and off at dusk and dawn.

Power Feed
The connection point that brings electricity to track and other lighting systems. Power feed may be at the end, floating or at a wiring intersection.

Quartz Lamp
Or quartz halogen. Term derives from the quartz glass that encloses the filament and halogen gas. Quartz glass can withstand the high pressure of the halogen lamp, but it transmits more UV radiation than ordinary hard glass. Touching the quartz glass with bare hands leaves an oily residue that greatly reduces lamp life.

Rated Lamp Life
The point in hours where 50% of a lamp type initially started will still be functioning.

Reflector
A piece of material with a reflective surface that directs light in a desired direction. Reflectors are frequently specular, but may also be glossy, diffuse or matte.

Relamping
A project where the existing lighting fixtures in a home or office setting are cleaned and new lamps installed.

RemoteElectronic control mounted separately from the master or individual dimmer, permitting operation from multiple locations. Full-function remotes set the dimming level, as well as switching on/off.

Retrofit
Upgrading a fixture, room or building by installing new lighting fixtures, parts or equipment.

Romex
A cable comprised of flexible plastic sheathing inside of which are two or more insulated wires for carrying electricity.

Satin Finish
Slightly textured or brushed surface having a fine grain that reflects light with some diffusion.

Scallops
The arch or scallop-shaped pattern from a light fixture.

Silhouetting
Accent lighting technique that creates a dramatic outline by back lighting. Also used in landscape lighting.

Soffit
In architecture, the underside of an overhead component, such as an arch, cornice, beam or balcony. Often used to describe an area of the ceiling that drops below the primary surface.

Solid State
Electronics that use semi-conductor chips and circuitry.

Specialty Lighting
A broad term referring to everything from line and low voltage strip lights to special display or controlled lighting as seen in retail and commercial applications.

Specular Finish
Highly polished and mirror-like. Semi-specular finish is generally bright, but without a well-defined mirror image.

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel resists corrosion and has a rich, deep lustre. It is particularly used in bathroom and kitchen settings for a clean, contemporary look.

Stamping
Inexpensive way to form sheet metal by hitting it with a die.

Step Lights
Step Lights are recessed into walls and stairs so they illuminate the treads of stairs or pathways. An eye shield is often used to block direct view of the light source.

Switch Leg
Wiring that connects the switch or dimmer output to the fixture or load being controlled.

T-Lamp
Tubular Lamp; may be incandescent, halogen or fluorescent.

Task Lighting
Lighting directed to a specific area or surface that provides illumination for visual tasks, such as reading, sewing or cooking. It can be provided by recessed and track lighting, portable lighting or pendant lamps. Task lighting should be free of distracting glare and should be bright enough to prevent eyestrain.

Timer
Device that turns lights on and off at pre-programmed times.

Toggle
Lever used for control as in the common toggle switch or toggle dimmer.

Torchiere
Indirect floor lamp that sends all, or most, of its light upward.

Transformer
A device used to raise (step up) or lower (step down) the electric voltage. For example, many halogen ceiling fixtures require a transformer to function properly. Step down transformers reduce household voltage (120 volts) to low voltage used in accent and landscape lighting. Larger transformers reduce high voltage used for efficient power distribution to safe and flexible household voltage. Input voltage is on the primary tap; output voltage on the secondary tap.

Trim
Sometimes the edge or visible part of a recessed downlight; as in "white trim". Sometimes the finishing section of the recessed fixture; as in "housing and trim."

Troffer
Recessed fluorescent fixture for use in a suspended ceiling; derived from the words "trough" and "coffer."

Tungsten-Halogen LampA gas filled tungsten incandescent lamp containing a certain amount of halogens that intensifies the light source. More commonly referred to as "Halogen" lighting.

Undercabinet Fixtures
Fixtures which are placed under a cabinet or room recess to provide task and accent lighting. Under kitchen cabinets they can light a countertop with task lighting. In a display cabinet they can be used to illuminate a prized collection. They include slim, energy-efficient fluorescents, miniature track lighting and strips of low-voltage mini-lights.

UL
Underwriters Laboratory.
Commonly referred to as "UL". An independent organization whose responsibilities include rigorous testing of electrical products. When products pass these tests, they can be labelled and advertised as "UL Listed". UL tests for product safety only.

Ultraviolet Light (UV)
Light that is shorter in wavelength and higher in frequency than visible violet light.

Valance Lighting
A fixture installed behind a horizontal shielding over a window or along a wall. Light is distributed up and down, usually from a fluorescent source.

VoltUnit of electrical force or pressure. Household voltage in the UK, nominally 240V, varies between 220V and 250V. Household voltage in the United States, nominally 120 volts, varies between 110 and 125 volts.

Voltage Drop
Difference in voltage along a circuit. Voltage drop becomes a problem with low voltage wiring and small cable, reducing the intensity of the lights at the far end of the cable.

Watt
A unit of electrical power.

Wattage
The amount of electricity consumed by a bulb.

Wire Nut
Also called a solderless connector. Small plastic device that can be fastened over the bare, joined ends of several wires to protect and insulate the connection.

Xenon
A heavy, colourless, and relatively inert gaseous element that occurs in air as about one part in 20 million by volume and is used especially in thyratrons and specialized flashtubes.

Provided by http://t8tube.spaces.live.com

LED Summary

A Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into light. LED lighting has been around since the 1960s, but is just now beginning to appear in the residential market for space lighting. At first white LEDs were only possible by "rainbow" groups of three LEDs -- red, green, and blue -- by controlling the current to each to yield an overall white light.

This changed in 1993 when Nichia created a blue indium gallium chip with a phosphor coating that is used to create the wave shift necessary to emit white light from a single diode. This process is much less expensive for the amount of light generated.

Each diode is about 1/4 inch in diameter and uses about ten milliamps to operate at about a tenth of a watt. LEDs are small in size, but can be grouped together for higher intensity applications. LED fixtures require a driver which is analogous to the ballast in fluorescent fixtures. The drivers are typically built into the fixture (like fluorescent ballasts) or they are a plug transformer for portable (plug-in) fixtures. The plug-in transformers allow the fixture to run on standard 120 volt alternating current (AC), with a modest (about 15 to 20 percent) power loss.

The efficacy of a typical residential application LED is approximately 20 lumens per watt (LPW), though efficacies of up to 100 LPW have been created in laboratory settings. Incandescent bulbs have an efficacy of about 15 LPW and ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescents are about 60 LPW, depending on the wattage and lamp type. Some manufacturers claim efficacies much higher than 20 LPW; make sure to examine system efficacy, which accounts for the power use of all components. In December 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy studied the efficacy of four luminaries. All four fell short of the manufacturers’ claims; the study implies that manufacturers are relying on measurements of how much light an isolated LED produces, rather than how much light an LED luminaire actually delivers.

LEDs are better at placing light in a single direction than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Because of their directional output, they have unique design features that can be exploited by clever designs. LED strip lights can be installed under counters, in hallways, and in staircases; concentrated arrays can be used for room lighting. Waterproof, outdoor fixtures are also available. Some manufacturers consider applications such as gardens, walkways, and decorative fixtures outside garage doors to be the most cost-efficient.

LED lights are more rugged and damage-resistant than compact fluorescents and incandescent bulbs. LED lights don't flicker. They are very heat sensitive; excessive heat or inappropriate applications dramatically reduce both light output and lifetime. Uses include:

• Task and reading lamps


• Linear strip lighting (under kitchen cabinets)


• Recessed lighting/ceiling cans


• Porch/outdoor/landscaping lighting


• Art lighting
  


• Night lights
  


• Stair and walkway lighting
  


• Pendants and overhead
  


• Retrofit bulbs for lamps

Definitions and Terms

Term	Definition	Units	How to interpret
Color Temperature	Color of light	Kelvin (K)	Sunlight at sunrise is 1800K 100W Incandescent light bulb is 2850K Overcast Sky is 6500K
Color Rendering Index (CRI)	Light’s effect on color	Scale of 0 to 100 with sunlight at 100	The higher the number, the more “true” the color will look in that light
Brightness	The intensity of the light.	Lumens	The higher the lumens, the brighter the light
Power	Amount of electrical energy consumed	Watts	Lower the watts, the lower the energy consumed
Efficacy	The efficiency of the bulb to convert electricity into light	Lumens per Watt	More efficient bulbs provide more light using less energy

LED Lighting Guide

What is LED Lighting?

LED Lighting are lights which use light emitting diodes (LED's) which are extremely energy efficient and long lasting. LED lights create less heat than traditional lights, which means they last for longer and it means your air conditioner doesn't have to work as hard. LED lights are a relatively new technology and can help you save up to 90% on your lighting cost.

Why is Everyone Talking About LED Lighting?

Lighting contributes about 30% to the average households energy bills, so it makes up an important part of the electricity you are paying for. Most lighting today is inefficient and is costing you money and emitting vast amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

In Australia lighting represents about 12% of carbon emissions from househoulds and about 25% from businesses. LED lights are a great energy efficient alternative and they can save you money and help reduce your impact on the environment.

What Types Of LED Lights Are There?

LED lighting comes in a variety of types, shapes and sizes to meet your lighting needs. Energy efficient and long lasting, LED lights are a great eco alternative to traditional globes and downlights. For more information please click on the links below:

##LED T8 Tube Replacement
Fluorescent tube replacement utilizing clean, safe, and long lasting LED technology. These tubes fit into a T8 Fluorescent fixture. NO BALLAST REQUIRED, JUST DISCONNECT OR REMOVE EXISTING BALLAST direct operation.

##LED Downlights

LED Lighting is the most efficient lighting to replace halogen downlights. We have Australia's leading range of LED Downlights. LED Downlights last up to 50 times longer than a halogen and use only about 10% of the energy. LED Downlights are suitable to replace most low voltage lighting halogens.

##LED Globes

There are LED replacements for traditional globes including incandescent lighting. You simply replace your old lighting with energy efficient LED globes and save energy and money. We have a range of LED globes to replace incandescent and spot lighting.

##LED Strip Lighting

LED Strip Lighting is a extremely efficient and suitable for almost every room. The LED Strip Lighting is both aesthetic and functional, perfect to create that comfortable atmosphere. You'll save energy and money by installing long life LED strip lighting as it has an extremely low power consumption - less than 18 watt per 6 meter length.

What are White LEDs?

LEDs are diodes, which is a semiconductor device that will conduct electricity in only one direction. The device is fabricated from layers of silicon and seeded with atoms of phosphorus, germanium, arsenic or other rare-earth elements. The layers of the device are called the die and the junction between the materials is where the light is generated. The electricity enters from one side of the die and exits out the other. As the current passes through the LED device, the materials that makes up the junction react and light is emitted. Different materials and designs have different colored lights and intensities. LEDs are now bright enough to be considered for applications that traditionally use incandescent bulbs.

Technical advances have dramatically improved the reliability and the performance of the LEDs since they were invented in the 1960’s. The lifetime for the new generation of LEDs is around 100,000 hours of use, or 30 to 40 years of normal operation. Because they are a semiconductor device, they are also very rugged and are not subject to fail when dropped or vibrated, as do incandescent and fluorescent lights.

The original LEDs only emitted light of one frequency or color of light. These were blues, greens, yellows, oranges or reds and they were unsuited for domestic lighting. Recent innovations in materials, doping and die structure have developed high brightness LEDs that emit light in all visible frequencies to produce white light.

The high efficiency LEDs made by Luxeon can be used in a variety of applications. The most appropriate solution is dependent on the overall budget, needs and type of installation. Different light sources will be used in different applications based on the needs of the people.

What is LED?

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it. The light is not particularly bright, but in most LEDs it is monochromatic, occurring at a single wavelength. The output from an LED can range from red (at a wavelength of approximately 700 nanometers) to blue-violet (about 400 nanometers). Some LEDs emit infrared (IR) energy (830 nanometers or longer); such a device is known as an infrared-emitting diode (IRED).

An LED or IRED consists of two elements of processed material called P-type semiconductors and N-type semiconductors. These two elements are placed in direct contact, forming a region called the P-N junction. In this respect, the LED or IRED resembles most other diode types, but there are important differences. The LED or IRED has a transparent package, allowing visible or IR energy to pass through. Also, the LED or IRED has a large PN-junction area whose shape is tailored to the application.

Benefits of LEDs and IREDs, compared with incandescent and fluorescent illuminating devices, include:

Low power requirement: Most types can be operated with battery power supplies.

High efficiency: Most of the power supplied to an LED or IRED is converted into radiation in the desired form, with minimal heat production.

Long life: When properly installed, an LED or IRED can function for decades.

Typical applications include:

Indicator lights: These can be two-state (i.e., on/off), bar-graph, or alphabetic-numeric readouts.

LCD panel backlighting: Specialized white LEDs are used in flat-panel computer displays.

Fiber optic data transmission: Ease of modulation allows wide communications bandwidth with minimal noise, resulting in high speed and accuracy.

Remote control: Most home-entertainment "remotes" use IREDs to transmit data to the main unit.

optoisolator: Stages in an electronic system can be connected together without unwanted interaction.

Lighting: engergy saving lighting source.