What is a LED?
The LED diode (Lighting-Emitting Diode), appeared back in the early 60, is a semiconductor device which if it is crossed by a current through the PN junction emits photons.
A LED transforms the electric energy into a luminous energy.
The color (wavelength) of the emitted light, the efficiency of the electro-optic conversion and so the obtained luminous intensity depend on the nature and condition of semiconductor which is used and it extends from the infrared, to the visible light gamma to the proximity of ultraviolet.
LED are reversible devices: in effect, if the junction is directly exposed to solar rays or to a strong luminous source on the reo-hole (REOFORI) is possible to notice a tension.
What are Lumens?
Lumen (symbol: lm) is the unit of measure taken by the International System with which one measures the luminous flux that a luminous source emits.
For example, an European standard incandescent lamp of 100 Watt 230 Volt emits about 1200-1400 lm equal to 13.8 lm/W.
What is CCT?
CCT, Correlated Color Temperature, is a characteristic of the visible light which has a remarkable importance in the lighting applications: in the illuminating engineering is a term to quantify the light shade.
The color temperature of a luminous source is determined comparing its shades with those emitted from a theoretic warmed black object; for sure a real source is different from an ideal black object but the analogy stays valid.
The unit of measure of color Temperature is Kelvin grade (°K).
Normally when a light is warm, in the reality this corresponds to a temperature of low color, otherwise a major temperature produces a definite light normally cold.
What is CRI?
CRI, Color Rendering Index, is the quantitative measure of the capacity of a luminous source of reproducing faithfully the colors of different kinds of objects towards an ideal light or a natural light source.
Lighting sources with a high CRI are correct in critical applications for the naturalness of colors like in photography and film-making.
The index gives a number till 100, reference value for ideal light.
TYPE OF LUMINOUS SOURCE CCT (K) CRI
Low Pressure sodium 1800 ~5
Mercury Vapors 6410 17
Metallic Halogenurs Quartz 4200 85
Power Led ‘High CRI’ 2700~10000 90
Incandescent/Halogen Lamp 3200 100
In which applications we can use LEDs?
-Architecture Lighting
-Entertainment Lighting
-Commercial Lighting
-Residential Lighting
-Emergency Lighting
-Street Lighting
-External/Internal Parking Lighting
-Advertising and Billboards Lighting
-Vehicle/Camper/ Boats Lighting
-Sensitive objects to infrared and ultraviolet Lighting
-General signals Lighting