skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Measured Off-Grid LED Lighting System Performance

Abstract

This report is a product of our ongoing effort to support the development of high-quality yet affordable products for off-grid lighting in the developing world that have good potential to succeed in the market. The effort includes work to develop low-cost testing procedures, to identify useful performance metrics, and to facilitate the development of industry standards and product rating protocols. We conducted laboratory testing of nine distinct product lines. In some cases we also tested multiple generations of a single product line and/or operating modes for a product. The resultsare summarized in Table 1. We found that power consumption and light output varied by nearly a factor of 12, with efficacy varying by a factor of more than six. Of particular note, overall luminous efficacy varied from 8.2 to 53.1 lumens per watt. Color quality indices variedmaterially, especially for correlated color temperature. Maximum illuminance, beamcandlepower, and luminance varied by 8x, 32x, and 61x respectively, suggesting considerable differences among products in terms of service levels and visual comfort. Glare varied by1.4x, and was above acceptable thresholds in most cases. Optical losses play a role in overall performance, varying by a factor of 3.2 and ranging as high as 24percent. These findingsmore » collectively indicate considerable potential for improved product design.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
Environmental Energy Technologies Division
OSTI Identifier:
962705
Report Number(s):
LBNL-2025E
TRN: US200917%%90
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
32; COLOR; DESIGN; ILLUMINANCE; LIGHTING SYSTEMS; MARKET; METRICS; PERFORMANCE; TESTING; Off-grid lighting, development, energy, carbon

Citation Formats

Granderson, Jessica, Galvin, James, Bolotov, Dmitriy, Clear, Robert, Jacobson, Arne, and Mills, Evan. Measured Off-Grid LED Lighting System Performance. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.2172/962705.
Granderson, Jessica, Galvin, James, Bolotov, Dmitriy, Clear, Robert, Jacobson, Arne, & Mills, Evan. Measured Off-Grid LED Lighting System Performance. United States. doi:10.2172/962705.
Granderson, Jessica, Galvin, James, Bolotov, Dmitriy, Clear, Robert, Jacobson, Arne, and Mills, Evan. Thu . "Measured Off-Grid LED Lighting System Performance". United States. doi:10.2172/962705. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/962705.
@article{osti_962705,
title = {Measured Off-Grid LED Lighting System Performance},
author = {Granderson, Jessica and Galvin, James and Bolotov, Dmitriy and Clear, Robert and Jacobson, Arne and Mills, Evan},
abstractNote = {This report is a product of our ongoing effort to support the development of high-quality yet affordable products for off-grid lighting in the developing world that have good potential to succeed in the market. The effort includes work to develop low-cost testing procedures, to identify useful performance metrics, and to facilitate the development of industry standards and product rating protocols. We conducted laboratory testing of nine distinct product lines. In some cases we also tested multiple generations of a single product line and/or operating modes for a product. The resultsare summarized in Table 1. We found that power consumption and light output varied by nearly a factor of 12, with efficacy varying by a factor of more than six. Of particular note, overall luminous efficacy varied from 8.2 to 53.1 lumens per watt. Color quality indices variedmaterially, especially for correlated color temperature. Maximum illuminance, beamcandlepower, and luminance varied by 8x, 32x, and 61x respectively, suggesting considerable differences among products in terms of service levels and visual comfort. Glare varied by1.4x, and was above acceptable thresholds in most cases. Optical losses play a role in overall performance, varying by a factor of 3.2 and ranging as high as 24percent. These findings collectively indicate considerable potential for improved product design.},
doi = {10.2172/962705},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Dec 18 00:00:00 EST 2008},
month = {Thu Dec 18 00:00:00 EST 2008}
}

Technical Report:

Save / Share:
  • Low cost rechargeable flashlights that use LED technology are increasingly available in African markets. While LED technology holds promise to provide affordable, high quality lighting services, the widespread dissemination of low quality products may make it difficult to realize this potential. This study includes performance results for three brands of commonly available LED flashlights that were purchased in Kenya in 2009. The performance of the flashlights was evaluated by testing five units for each of the three brands. The tests included measurements of battery capacity, time required to charge the battery, maximum illuminance at one meter, operation time and lux-hoursmore » from a fully charged battery, light distribution, and color rendering. All flashlights tested performed well below the manufacturers? rated specifications; the measured battery capacity was 30-50percent lower than the rated capacity and the time required to fully charge the battery was 6-25percent greater than the rated time requirement. Our analysis further shows that within each brand there is considerable variability in each performance indicator. The five samples within a single brand varied from each other by as much as 22percent for battery capacity measurements, 3.6percent for the number of hours required for a full charge, 23percent for maximum initial lux, 38percent for run time, 11percent for light distribution and by as much as 200percent for color rendering. Results obtained are useful for creating a framework for quality assurance of off-grid LED products and will be valuable for informing consumers, distributors and product manufacturers about product performance.« less
  • Efforts to promote rechargeable electric lighting as a replacement for fuel-based light sources in developing countries are typically predicated on the notion that lighting service levels can be maintained or improved while reducing the costs and environmental impacts of existing practices. However, the extremely low incomes of those who depend on fuel-based lighting create a need to balance the hypothetically possible or desirable levels of light with those that are sufficient and affordable. In a pilot study of four night vendors in Kenya, we document a field technique we developed to simultaneously measure the effectiveness of lighting service provided bymore » a lighting system and conduct a survey of lighting service demand by end-users. We took gridded illuminance measurements across each vendor's working and selling area, with users indicating the sufficiency of light at each point. User light sources included a mix of kerosene-fueled hurricane lanterns, pressure lamps, and LED lanterns.We observed illuminance levels ranging from just above zero to 150 lux. The LED systems markedly improved the lighting service levels over those provided by kerosene-fueled hurricane lanterns. Users reported that the minimum acceptable threshold was about 2 lux. The results also indicated that the LED lamps in use by the subjects did not always provide sufficient illumination over the desired retail areas. Our sample size is much too small, however, to reach any conclusions about requirements in the broader population. Given the small number of subjects and very specific type of user, our results should be regarded as indicative rather than conclusive. We recommend replicating the method at larger scales and across a variety of user types and contexts. Policymakers should revisit the subject of recommended illuminance levels regularly as LED technology advances and the price/service balance point evolves.« less
  • Documentation of the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Area lighting LED trial demonstration continues to provide a better understanding of LED technology performance in a high ambient temperature and high solar radiation environment. Measured data at the project site showed illuminances changing more rapidly than anticipated. As previously predicted, the causes for these observed changes are mostly if not completely explained by dirt accumulation. The laboratory measurements showed not only the effect of dirt on lumen output, but also on the distribution of light exiting the luminaire.
  • Final report on the GATEWAY Program field evaluation of the LED lighting installation at Philadelphia International Airport.
  • This report documents a trial installation of LED apron lighting that replaced the existing high-pressure sodium luminaires at Philadelphia International Airport. Such high-mast applications remain challenging for LED technology, and the lessons learned from this project may help facility managers and LED product manufacturers better meet those challenges.