Paul Mitchell
National Sales & Education
March, 2014
Comparison of QL Induction versus LED
Light Control / Performance
QL Induction
LED
Little/no control or directionality
Very directional light source with high levels
of control
Output is generally IES type V only
All IES distribution types available, and can
be combined in one fixture
Very difficult to achieve avg/min uniformity
Exceptional uniformity can be achieved,
superior to that available from HID
System Life
QL Induction
LED
100,000 hrs to B50 (50% failures)
100,000+ hrs to L70 (30% lumen
depreciation with zero failures)
L70: 60,000 hrs with 10% failures
L70: 100,000+ hrs with no failures
Replacement / Upgrade Cost
QL Induction
LED
All 3 components are generally replaced
at the end of life
LED’s, circuit boards, & drivers can be at the
be replaced or upgraded, independent of
one another
Dimming
QL Induction
LED
Dimmable to 50%
Full 0-10v dimming is generally standard
Glare
QL Induction
LED
Tends to produce a high level of glare
because of the lamp’s shape and location
Tends to produce less glare because the
light source is flatter and can be located in
the roof of the fixture
Available CCTs
QL Induction
LED
3000, 4000 or 5000K
2700-7000K
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Wattage / Voltage
QL Induction
LED
Very limited voltages available
No voltage limitations
3 wattages provide lumen output equal
only to low wattage HID
Significantly higher lumen output available
RoHS Compliance
QL Induction
LED
Not compliant. Contains mercury
Compliant. No lead, mercury or other heavy
metals
Luminous Efficacy
QL Induction
LED
65 - 73 Lm/W
Commercially available to 130 Lm/W
254 Lm/W already achieved in R&D
Future Development
QL Induction
LED
Mature technology that has offered the
three wattages for about 20 years
Very young and rapidly improving, same
both in diode and driver technology
Philips, one of the pioneers of induction
technology, fully divested itself in 2011
Ability to upgrade components in the
future in order to increase energy
savings, efficacy and performance
Example using a B750SRLED acorn
QL Induction
Total System Watts:
Downward Delivered Lumens:
Wasted uplight (in Lumens):
85
2262 (37.7%)
3052 (50.9%)
LED
92
4737 (95.8%)
210 (4.2%)
Closing Argument – New Construction
When designing and budgeting a new site, do not compare only the unit cost of LED versus induction
fixtures, but rather the overall cost based on the total number of fixtures required to meet your prescribed
light levels. Because of the superior performance and uniformity available with LED, your project is likely
to require fewer fixtures. This can translate into significantly reduced costs because of the need for
fewer new poles, less trenching, less pipe & wire, etc.
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