DEKRA LED Mark confirms LED performance
Getting LED lighting right
LEDs are valuable light sources which can deliver high efficiency, long life, cost reduction and exciting design opportunities for a
range of lighting applications. However, the market cannot easily distinguish between average and high-quality LED lamps and
luminaires. The DEKRA LED Performance Mark and KEMA-KEUR confirm that your products are high-quality. We test whether the
output and colour are stable, the energy efficiency and the service life are as specified and the product is electrically safe. This is a
sure-fire way for customers to be reassured about manufacturers’ claims.
LED lighting can fulfil the promises of energy efficiency and
provide a long service life, thus benefiting the environment and
reducing costs. So what the market needs is lamps and luminaires
that are designed and manufactured to high standards and
independently tested.
At DEKRA we responded to market demand with our LED
Performance Mark. This quality mark is issued after extensive
product testing and a factory audit. It gives manufacturers of LED
lamps and luminaires an opportunity to demonstrate the quality
of their products to customers and thus confirm the claims of the
manufacturer.
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark was developed at the
suggestion of the lighting industry. Leading manufacturers of
LED lighting will benefit from the ability to differentiate their
high-quality products in the marketplace.
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark certification procedure
covers retrofit lamps (for the professional and consumer markets)
as well as new luminaires, currently largely made for the
commercial and public lighting markets.
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark and KEMA-KEUR
certification covers:
Energy efficiency
Lifetime confirmed
Stable light performance
Safety (KEMA-KEUR)
EMC
Energy efficient
Improved energy efficiency is one of the key drivers behind the
introduction of LED lighting. In principle, LEDs can easily surpass
discharge lamps in terms of lumens per watt. However, in practice
the efficacy of LED lighting has sometimes been disappointing.
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark demonstrates that your
products meet the highest requirements, helping your customers
to cut costs, while benefitting the environment.
Lifetime confirmed
LED lighting can have a service life of tens of thousands of hours.
Clearly this is too long to test fully in the laboratory. This is why
an accelerated lifetime test is performed on a number of products
to obtain information about long-term performance. The main
goal here is to verify lifetime claims; these tests are tailored to the
lifetime the manufacturer claims.
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark therefore gives your
customers confidence that they will not be surprised by excessive
loss of output over the life of the unit or by high failure rates. Both
of these issues affected the performance and economy of some
early LED lighting systems and there are still low-grade systems
entering the market which suffer from them. Your customers can
be sure that their lighting will deliver the required performance
over extended periods of time.
Stable light performance
LED lamps and luminaires can be supplied with a range of light
colours, from warm white through to cool white, depending
on the application. However, some units have poor colour
performance in several areas. So DEKRA LED Performance Mark
certification includes measuring the initial colour temperature
and colour rendition index. At DEKRA we also check whether
the colour remains stable over time and whether there are
objectionable colour differences between units. This not only
ensures that performance requirements are met, but also helps to
enhance acceptance by the general public.
KEMA-KEUR safety
The DEKRA LED Performance Mark testing procedure includes
testing to all relevant international electrical safety standards. If
DEKRA
PO Box 5185
6802 ED Arnhem
The Netherlands
Phone +31.88.96.83022
Fax +31.88.96.83100
products.global@dekra.com
www.dekra-certification.com
Subject to change
a product passes the tests, it also receives the renowned KEMAKEUR mark as well as the DEKRA LED Performance Mark. The
combined certainty provided by these two marks demonstrates to
your customers that you take quality and safety seriously and that
they can rely on your products to perform well.
EMC
As products must comply with the EMC Directive, this is also a
part of the DEKRA LED Performance Mark. DEKRA establishes
wether your LED-product complies with the requirements
and issues an EMC test certificate along with the DEKRA LED
Performance Mark certificate.
Assessment
The initial assessment includes testing the lamps or luminaires
at one of our laboratories around the world. We also assess the
manufacturer’s production plant, quality management system
and test procedures. This is followed by annual assessments
with a narrower scope. These assessments ensure that the mark
continues to confirm the best in LED lighting, now and in the
future (the mark includes the year in which it was awarded).
After three years the product must be subjected to a full reassessment. A unique feature of the DEKRA LED Performance
Mark is that products are monitored after they have been placed
on the market to confirm that they are identical to the product
that was originally tested.
Testing expertise
At DEKRA we have decades of expertise in testing a wide range of
products. Our DEKRA Lighting Technology Assessment Centre
has laboratories in China, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands.
Having your products tested by DEKRA confirms that they are
reliable and of the highest quality. Our experts are members of
international standards committees and can therefore advise you
on the latest developments in testing and certification.
DEKRA Certification Group is a full-service certification
organisation with a history going back over eighty-five years. Our
subsidiaries and global associates have expertise in management
systems, product testing, electrical safety, medical device
certification and explosion & process safety.