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  • New EU Ecodesign Regulation Affects the LED Driver Industry

    March 22nd 2022

    New EU Ecodesign Regulation Affects the LED Driver Industry

    In September of 2021, a new regulation was passed in the EU impacting LED lighting: The Ecodesign Regulation. Every aspect of this new regulation is about maintaining high standards that enhance the wellbeing of those regularly exposed to LED light sources—especially concerning light flicker.

    Light flicker is defined as rapid and repeated changes to the overall brightness of a light source over time. But what effect does this have on the LED driver industry?

    Places all around the world have developed regulations designed to mitigate the effects of light flicker—including the EU.

    Let’s dive into the new EU Ecodesign regulation, how it relates to light flicker, and what that means for LED drivers.

     

    The New EU Ecodesign Regulation for Light Sources

    In September of 2021, the new Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 for light source Ecodesign went into effect. Along with regulating other aspects of lighting, such as energy efficiency, one of the most important parts of the new Ecodesign regulation revolves around light flicker and stroboscopic effects.

     

    Why is this important? 

    Light flickering can cause numerous problems, such as migraines, eye strain, headaches, and more. The new regulation aims to eliminate these problems, among other things.

     

    How Are LED Light Sources Tested for Flicker?

    The EU Ecodesign Regulation introduces a brand new method for testing light flicker: PstLM.

    PstLM is a metric used to measure flicker severity in the short-term. When testing light sources on the PstLM scale, it’s important to test in a lab-style environment to ensure maximum accuracy. Tests should be performed with no other light sources nearby that could interfere with the test. The testing device is known as a flicker meter.

    With the new regulation in place, lighting products testing at PstLM ≤ 1.0 are deemed acceptable to be put on the EU market.

     

    How Does the New EU Ecodesign Regulation Compare to the Rest of the World?

    The EU regulation isn’t the first of its kind. As light flickering has grown into a larger issue, similar regulations have popped up around the world over the past few years.

    For example, back in January 2017, the state of California introduced requirements for light sources to have less than 30% flicker when operating at frequencies below 200hz.

     

    Similarly, Japan also has released documentation detailing how SSL products must not create a flickering sensation if the lighting fixture:

    • Has a cyclic frequency of 100hz or more with no output failure
    • Has a cyclic frequency of 500hx or more of light output

     

    The EU isn’t the only area where awareness surrounding light flicker has grown.

     

    What To Look For in an LED Driver

    To avoid the detrimental effects of light flicker, the question is: What should you be looking for in an LED driver?

    Putting it simply, you’ll want to select flicker-free LED drivers. LED drivers labelled “flicker-free” are defined as LED drivers that produce less than 5% light flicker.

    Products such as GRE Alpha’s ELV Dimmable LED Driver take flicker-free LED drivers one step further, using patented technology to allow full range, flicker free dimming of LED lighting fixtures.

     

    GRE Alpha and Our Partners Have Been Ahead of the Curve

    GRE Alpha is proud to provide flicker-free LED drivers that adhere to the new EU Ecodesign regulations (and other light source regulations around the world). Our commitment to remaining ahead of the curve also extends to our valued partners, such as EnOcean. Together with our partners, GRE Alpha continues to produce high quality, reliable LED drivers that address these flickering issues.

     

    Looking For More Information?

    The GRE Alpha team is here to answer all of your questions regarding the new EU Ecodesign regulations, flicker-free LED drivers, and more. Reach out to us. We’re happy to help.

    Filed in: Company News

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