Ultimately, LM-80 provide the consumer with a guarantee that the manufacturer's products are true to their specifications.
LM-80 Testing
What is it?
It is the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) approved standard for measuring lumen maintenance of LED light sources. LM-80 apply to the LED package, array, or module alone, not a complete system, it is testing a component level. The standard does not provide guidance for extrapolation of testing results.
The LM-80 standard is accepted worldwide with slight variations in different countries. The data resulting from the LM-80 measurements are matrices of lumen maintenance values. LED manufacturers use this data in combination with their UL IN-SITU thermal testing to predict the lumen maintenance of the LED fixtures themselves.
Who can perform testing?
Light Laboratory with its partnership company Korea Institute of Lighting Technology is an Approved Lab to test LM-80 recognized by the EPA Laboratories. Only reports from recognized laboratories are relevant. This standard is used for Department Of Energy (DOE) ENERGY STAR program early qualification in conjunction with other reports.
What does it provide?
The testing report issued according to a standard format will provide luminous flux for a given current over a 6,000 hours period with interval measurements. Luminous flux will be measure for 3 different LED case temperatures: 55ºC, 85ºC and a third temperature to be selected by manufacturer. Besides, the lumen maintenance, the chromaticity shifts over the measured period.
IES LM-80 "Measuring Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources
- Approved method for measuring lumen depreciation of solid-state (LED) light sources, arrays and modules
- Does not cover measurement of luminaires.
- Does not define or provide methods for estimation of life.
Procedures/Conditions
• Ambient conditions and setup- Case Temperature measured and maintained
- Case Temperature measurement point
- Airflow minimized
- Operating orientation and spacing per manufacturer
- Voltage and Current (AC or DC levels)
- Voltage waveshape (harmonic distortion <3%)
- Current Regulation
• Instrumentation
Measurement Methods
• Case Temperatures- Measurement performed at multiple temperatures to address IN-SITU conditions
- 55C, 85C and 3rd manufacturer selected temperature
- Temperature: 25C ambient
- Drive current per manufacturer
- 6000 hours min testing period 10K preferred
- Minimum at least every 1000 hours
Testing Output and Use
• Test report basics- Description of sources tested
- Ambient conditions (Airflow, temperature, RH etc)
- Case test point temperature
- Electrical conditions
- Lumen maintenance data
- Observation of failures
- LED monitoring interval
- Chromaticity shift over time
LM-80 provides no determination or estimation of expected life or lumen output beyond test data.
Read more on Understanding IES LM-79 & IES LM-80
For a current LM-80 Luminaire Testing and Angular Distribution of Light measurement services price list,
or if you have any question about LM-80 please contact us:
T: 714.282.2270 | info@lightlaboratory.com