Which LED PANEL to choose?

ED panels - replacements of typical fluorescent luminaires used in commercial and non-commercial spaces. There are various types of LED panels on the market. So what should be guided by the choice and what to pay special attention to?

   Still many people suggest the lowest price without paying attention to the offered quality of light in relation to the energy consumed or the manner of its propagation. And it has a great impact on our eyes, reading colors, well-being and work efficiency. We also do not pay attention to the guarantee or the components from which they are made. All these features are important and we should pay special attention to them when choosing. We present you with the most important factors to pay attention to before buying a GOOD panel.

 One of the most important parameters

thanks to which you can save more on electricity, is light efficiency. It is a physical quantity determining the ratio of the luminous flux emitted by the fitting to the energy consumed. Most often, the producers give these two parameters separately, because they have low light efficiency in their luminaires and want to hide this fact. The best-LED panels on the market achieve luminous efficacy of not less than 100 lm / W, and those with the highest shelf 120-125 lm / W. The choice of such panels allows for a smaller amount of their use in order to achieve the same light effect as with cheaper panels with lower efficiency. Consequently, we receive smaller electricity bills and we save from the very beginning of their use. Example: In a room with certain dimensions, to get the same light effect, we can use (for simplicity, assume that each panel consumes 40W of energy) 6 panels with a capacity of 80lm / W or four panels with a capacity of 120lm / W. In both cases, the total number of lumens will be 19,200, but when using panels with higher efficiency, the same effect is obtained with energy consumption 1/3 less than low-efficiency panels. The purchase of the cheaper six pieces of panels will be similar to purchasing four high-performance panels, but we consume 33 percent less energy from the very beginning of use. Examples of panels with high light efficiency in our store: In both cases, the total number of lumens will be 19,200, but when using panels with higher efficiency, the same effect is obtained with energy consumption 1/3 less than low-efficiency panels. The purchase of the cheaper six pieces of panels will be similar to purchasing four high-performance panels, but we consume 33 percent less energy from the very beginning of use. Examples of panels with high light efficiency in our store: In both cases, the total number of lumens will be 19,200, but when using panels with higher efficiency, the same effect is obtained with energy consumption 1/3 less than low-efficiency panels. The purchase of the cheaper six pieces of panels will be similar to purchasing four high-performance panels, but we consume 33 percent less energy from the very beginning of use. Examples of panels with high light efficiency in our store:

Another important, if not the most important, parameter

(although many people do not pay attention to him) is the glare factor. UGR, because this parameter is conventionally determined, which is the smaller the better. Few manufacturers on the market give this type of parameter, because it is mostly quite high. The production of a panel with the lowest UGR coefficient requires the use of special and expensive materials, which means that many manufacturers who want to have the product at the lowest price on the market do not use them. It is assumed that UGR above 20 causes discomfort. A man working in such lighting is tired more quickly, is irritated, less efficient, etc. The panels manage to obtain the value of this coefficient at the level of UGR <19 (this is a dazzle between causing discomfort and acceptable) or UGR <16 (dazzling acceptable). Of course, obtaining a UGR parameter below 19 in a specific room can be obtained by using ordinary panels properly arranging them. However, this is time-consuming and possible only when the work stations are properly aligned with the ceiling fixtures. It requires many compromises not necessarily consistent with the assumptions or problematic when replacing the luminaires in rooms already arranged. The DIALUX program is used for this purpose, but in order to make a project, it is necessary to have photometric files for frames that we want to use, and not every producer has them and makes them available. The use of led panels with a UGR <19 ratio greatly improves the comfort of work and does not require the creation of specialized projects. When using UGR luminaires smaller than 19 or 16 in projects, it is possible to achieve an ideal UGR <

Examples of panels with UGR <19:

LED PANEL 60x60 40W VIERKANT UGR <19

LED PANEL 60x60 36W BRAVO PREMIUM UGR <19

LED PANEL 60x60 44W ALGINE UGR <16

The illustration shows how high-quality BRAVO Premium LED panels with a low UGR coefficient are built.

  Each manufacturer defines the warranty period, failure-free working time of his device expressed in years, months or hours. The use of good quality components for the production of a panel, tape or LED strips and a power supply, for which manufacturers provide a 5-7 year warranty is insufficient. In the case of panels shining the entire plane, the biggest problem is the light diffusing material emitted by the diodes. Yellow after a certain period of use, depending on the conditions under which it works and the processing it has undergone during production and changes the color of light. The most commonly used material for the production of LGP (light guide plate from the English light diffusion plate) is polystyrene (PS), which turns yellow in 18-36 months, depending on the conditions in which it is used, no matter what treatment it was subjected to. The most durable material used in panels and resistant to yellowing is PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), also known as plexiglass or acrylic glass. Depending on how the light diffusion layer is obtained (screen printing or laser), the material will turn yellow within 24-36 months or not at all. The use of PMMA in the production of panel material with laser processing as LGP and the highest quality LED and power supply allows manufacturers to provide a minimum five-year warranty. Below we present a picture showing the yellowing of materials used in the production of the panel, subjected to strong UV rays for a week period: The most durable material used in panels and resistant to yellowing is PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), also known as plexiglass or acrylic glass. Depending on how the light diffusion layer is obtained (screen printing or laser), the material will turn yellow within 24-36 months or not at all. The use of PMMA in the production of panel material with laser processing as LGP and the highest quality LED and power supply allows manufacturers to provide a minimum five-year warranty. Below we present a picture showing the yellowing of materials used in the production of the panel, subjected to strong UV rays for a week period: The most durable material used in panels and resistant to yellowing is PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), also known as plexiglass or acrylic glass. Depending on how the light diffusion layer is obtained (screen printing or laser), the material will turn yellow within 24-36 months or not at all. The use of PMMA in the production of panel material with laser processing as LGP and the highest quality LED and power supply allows manufacturers to provide a minimum five-year warranty. Below we present a picture showing the yellowing of materials used in the production of the panel, subjected to strong UV rays for a week period: The use of PMMA in the production of panel material with laser processing as LGP and the highest quality LED and power supply allows manufacturers to provide a minimum five-year warranty. Below we present a picture showing the yellowing of materials used in the production of the panel, subjected to strong UV rays for a week period: The use of PMMA in the production of panel material with laser processing as LGP and the highest quality LED and power supply allows manufacturers to provide a minimum five-year warranty. Below we present a picture showing the yellowing of materials used in the production of the panel, subjected to strong UV rays for a week period

   A common criterion when choosing panels is its appearance. In modern rooms, fluorescent fixtures are no longer used. Most of the new investments are designed on led panels, but also so that it blends into the design of the room. In this case, even LED panels shining the entire plane are often not taken into account. Some manufacturers meet these expectations and offer a panel other than standard, but meeting all the criteria listed above, so as to maintain the best parameters and visual appearance. An example of such a solution may be, for example, the TRIPLEX panel from UNITED, which is shown in the picture below.