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When choosing an LED driver, it is important to understand the level of safety standard compliance to create the safest possible LED lighting management system. Products are marked with designations for a reason, assuring consumers of product status as safe items, noting components requiring additional safety measures, and registering whether the energy output is safe to human touch. The designations that consumers will want to understand and look for include:

• UL Listed
• UL Recognized Component
• UL Class 1
• UL Class 2

UL Listing and UL Recognized Designations

UL is a global independent safety science company with more than 120 years of expertise innovating safety solutions. The company advises, audits, certifies, educates, inspects, tests, validates and verifies to maintain safety standards and compliance in manufacturing. When UL has tested representative samples of a product and determined that it meets UL’s published, nationally-recognized Standards of Safety requirements, the product is given a UL Listed designation. The designation UL pertains to the United States, and cUL is the Canadian designation.

While a UL listing designates that a product has been tested by UL, meets nationally recognized safety standards, and has been found free from reasonably foreseeable risk of fire, electric shock and related hazards, another similar-looking designation means something slightly different. UL Recognized Component Marks verify that a product has been tested, but that it is a part or component of a larger product. Components can be used to complete or add to end products and systems, but additional installation precautions may be necessary to ensure safe use. It is important to understand how UL Recognized items work to implement the items safely.

 

Class 1 and Class 2 : Why They Matter

When an LED driver is listed as UL Class 2, it complies with UL standard UL1310 indicating that energy output of the device is safe to touch with no major safety protection required. A UL Class 2 listed item will not carry a risk of fire or electric shock at the LED and luminaire level, operating below 60 volts in dry applications, 30 volts in wet applications, 5 amps, and 100 watts. This safe output restricts the number of LEDs the Class 2 driver can run, but will be safe for use without additional safety measures in place.

UL Class 1 drivers, on the other hand, possess output ranges that exceed UL Class 2 guidelines. Class 1 drivers have high-voltage output which requires safety protection within the LED lighting fixture. Class 1 drivers can run a higher number of LEDs than a Class 2 driver, making it more efficient in terms of energy output, but as such requires putting additional safety measures in place.

 

UL Listed Easy-Install LED Lighting Offerings

GRE Alpha’s Easy-Install XLD Series is the industry’s only integrated UL listed Class II solution on the market. Boasting universal AC input, integral wiring compartments for reduced installation costs, constant current and constant voltage dual mode operation for flexibility and optimal performance, the XLD Series offers up to 92 percent efficiency and heavy duty design for harsh environments. Other features include user-adjustable output voltage and current, 1-10V dimming options with SLD SmartDim series dimming modules, active power factor correction at PF>0.9, up to four combinable output channels, built-in protection (SCP, OTP, OVP, OCP), IP 65 standalone enclosure, and UL/CUL listed Class 1 and 2, CE, FCC Title 47 CFR 15 Class B, CQU certifications.

 

Always Innovating in the LED Industry

GRE Alpha is committed to innovation and to delivering high-quality, leading edge LED lighting solutions. For more information about LED drivers, dimming modules and accessories, 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 and for early access to other GRE Alpha news.

Filed in: Industry