ledretrofitoptionsforlinearfluorescentluminaires.pdfVIP

LED RETROFIT OPTIONS FOR LINEAR FLUORESCENT LUMINAIRES Fluorescent lamps currently dominate the commercial sector, where they account for 80 percent of installed lamps.1 LED lighting products are receiving a great deal of attention for their potential to replace fluorescent lighting, reduce energy use and improve lighting quality in a variety of indoor commercial applications, including offices, classrooms and retail stores. LED alternatives to fluorescent lighting products fall into three main categories: tubular lamps, retrofit kits and dedicated luminaires. This guide provides the latest available information on each of these three rapidly developing lighting product categories, including safety precautions and labor requirements. 1? Department of Energy, 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization. Prepared by Navigant Consulting for DOE Solid-State Lighting Program, 2012, p. 44. ? ?CALIFORNIA LIGHTING TECHNOLOGY CENTER UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS CLTC.UCDAVIS.EDU LED REPLACEMENT OPTIONS Three main categories of LED products are currently available for LED retrofit options for existing linear fluorescent fixtures. These LED replacement options require varying amounts of labor to install, entail different costs, and require different safety precautions. 1 Tubular LED Lamps Replacing existing linear fluorescent lamps with similarly shaped LED lamps requires minimal new hardware, but this strategy also presents some unique challenges that should be understood thoroughly before purchase or installation. Based on the particular LED replacement lamp product being considered, this approach also typically requires changing the electrical wiring, replacing the ballast with an external driver, or altering the existing lamp holders (or “tombstones”) to accommodate the new lamp. Electrical architecture and installation challenges are addressed in a later section of this guide. 2 LED Retrofit Kits An LED retrofit kit provides the required electrical components, optical el