From color variation and dimming to new applications and beyond, innovative improvements on LED lighting management systems appear every day. Some of the most important of these advancements include developments in energy efficiency and output. With continuous increases in efficiency comes lengthier lifespans of LED products, keeping these lighting fixtures and LED drivers functioning in the homes and businesses of consumers for far longer than ever before.
LED lighting products are progressively more reliable, easily becoming a go-to solution for cost-effective, efficient residential and commercial lighting. Advancements have not yet solved all issues with LED lighting—such as those regarding thermal management heat dissipation—but implementing a few simple changes can turn headaches into solutions.
One of the largest changes to LED lighting systems is their increased capacity to create large amounts of energy without overheating. Most LED lights produce upwards of 350 milliwatts of energy, equating to approximately 70 percent heat output and 30 percent light output. The high temperatures resulting from heat output lower LED efficiency and make the products less dependable, thus creating a great need for thermal management and heat dissipation solutions.
With the transparent resin that encapsulates LEDs as a poor thermal conductor, and the back side of an LED chip generating heat from electrical energy not transformed into useful light, among other concerns, it is necessary to lower the overall operating temperature of LED lighting management systems. In order to create a more optimal “low junction” temperature, heat removal can be accomplished through passive thermal design. This includes:
The regulation of heat is referred to as thermal management. Thermal management represents a significant achievement in terms of the efficiency of LED lighting management systems and can be accomplished in myriad ways. Combinations of heat dissipation tactics allow for thermal management of not only the LED light bulb itself, but also that of other critical LED components of the lighting fixtures as a whole. This improves overall efficiency and the lifespan of LED lighting management systems.
The relative “newness” of LED technology means that design flaws, manufacturing defects and the eventual end-of-life phase of LED components have all been scrutinized to overcome and improve the lifespan of LED lighting management systems. Though progress has been made, the electrolytic capacitors of LED drivers—among other components—continue to provide lifespan challenges. There are effective solutions to help consumers overcome this and other challenges, including evolutions in efficient design of components and systems to improve functionality, monitoring manufacturing methods to keep defects at a minimum, and providing thermal conduction paths and heat sinks in appropriate locations to aid in cooling and heat dispersal. Ensuring capacitors are situated so as to avoid surrounding components’ heat by radiation, keeping other heat-generating components away from the underside of the capacitor, and using a convection cooling or fan in the power supply all aid in thermal regulation and heat dissipation, decreasing wear and tear.
While all of these solutions improve functionality and the overall lifespan of LED fixtures and lighting management systems, they are not enough to address the overall reliability of LED drivers. Continued improvements are being made, and an innovative new product from GRE Alpha is helping to bridge that gap.
GRE Alpha has developed a new, ultra-reliable, 300 watt LED driver—the XSP 300—a new generation product that will be unveiled at the Hong Kong Lighting Fair held from October 27 through October 30, 2016. Heralded as the world’s most rugged 300 watt LED driver, the XSP 300 features patented thermal-core technology and temperature-sensitive components for an 80C full load. This advanced thermal core technology, paired with applied advanced electronics, means that GRE Alpha’s XSP 300 has been able to overcome previously unsolved high thermal stress issues. It is idea for installation in signage, architectural and high power LED applications.
GRE Alpha is committed to innovation and to delivering high-quality, leading-edge LED lighting solutions. For more information about products, or to speak with a GRE Alpha product expert, visit the Enquiries page and fill out the Enquiry Form. Sign up for the GRE Alpha newsletter to stay up-to-date on new products like the XSP 300 and for early access to other GRE Alpha news.
Filed in: Company News