Tagged with 'led strip'

Basic LED principles:

An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor light source that emits light when current flows through it. Light is energy in the form of photons that emit when electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes. 

The higher the current flow, the brighter the LED becomes. However, the circuit is not perfect and some of the current is converted to heat instead of light. When the current reaches a certain value, the heat generated is so high that the semiconductor is permanently damaged. In most LED data sheets, this important limit is specified as "Absolute Maximum Current".

Even if the LED operates below the maximum current, the heat will slowly damage the LED, causing its luminous flux (light output) to gradually decrease. The time when the LED luminous flux is only 70% of the initial value is commonly referred to as "LED life".

For LEDs to have a very long life of 50,000h or more, a current level well below the absolute maximum current is required, which is referred to as the "typical" or "recommended" current. 

According to the standard EN 12464 Light and lighting - Lighting of workplaces -Indoor work places, the light level recommended for office work is the range 500 - 1000 lux - depending on activity. For precision and detailed works the light level may even approach 1500 - 2000 lux. For ambient lighting the minimum illuminance is 50 ulx for walls and 30 lux for ceilings.

Recommended light levels for different types of work spaces are indicated below:

Read more about recommended lighting levels for the home in our blog article.