What is the luminous efficiency of LED panel lights

What is the luminous efficiency of LED panel lights?
The luminous efficiency of LED panel lights is a key parameter to measure their energy efficiency performance, and the unit is usually lumens per watt (lm/W). This indicator represents the value of visible light flux (lumens) generated by one watt of electrical power consumed, and is an important reference for evaluating the energy-saving ability, lighting effect and use cost of LED panel lights.

Current mainstream luminous efficiency level in the industry
At present, the luminous efficiency of high-quality LED panel lights is generally between 100lm/W and 150lm/W, and high-end products can even reach 160lm/W to 180lm/W. There are certain differences in the luminous efficiency of products with different power, structure, light source chip and power drive configuration. With office lighting, educational lighting and commercial lighting as typical application scenarios, customers are increasingly inclined to choose mid-to-high-end panel lights with a luminous efficiency of more than 120lm/W.

Advantages of high luminous efficiency
1. Energy saving and consumption reduction, improving system energy efficiency ratio
High luminous efficiency means less power consumption under the premise of providing the same brightness. For example, a 120lm/W LED panel light only requires 30W to achieve 3600 lumens, while traditional fluorescent lamps may consume more than 50W. This energy-saving feature can significantly reduce energy consumption costs in long-term large-scale lighting projects, especially for government projects and green building certification projects with clear requirements for energy efficiency.
2. Reduce heat loss and extend product life
High luminous efficiency means that more energy is converted into visible light rather than heat, which effectively reduces the thermal stress of the light source and the driver power supply and delays the LED light decay. Through reasonable thermal management design (such as aluminum frame heat sink, graphite thermal conductive film, etc.), combined with high-efficiency LED chips, the overall product has better thermal stability and a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours, effectively reducing the frequency of maintenance and replacement.
3. Reduce the number of lighting layouts and optimize lighting solution design
In application scenarios such as office buildings, classrooms, and hospitals, high-efficiency LED panel lights can reduce the number of lamps and improve lighting flexibility while ensuring illumination standards (such as 300-500 lux). Reducing the number of lamps not only saves initial procurement and installation costs, but also reduces the pressure of later maintenance and electrical load, which is particularly important for large-scale projects.

Core factors that determine luminous efficiency

1. LED light source chip quality

Using high-efficiency chips (such as Cree, Osram, Lumileds and other brands) is the basis for improving luminous efficiency. At present, the luminous efficiency of a single LED chip can generally reach 180-220lm/W. High-quality lamps use optical and thermal management systems to reasonably utilize the luminous flux, and the overall output can be stably maintained at 130-160lm/W.

2. Optical design of light guide plate and diffusion film

LED panel lights convert point light sources into uniform surface light sources through light guide plates (LGP) and diffusion films. High-transmittance PMMA light guide plates combined with nano-diffusion films can reduce light loss and improve light output efficiency. The transmittance of high-quality light guide plates is generally above 92%, which is an important guarantee for improving overall luminous efficiency.

3. Power drive efficiency
The efficiency of the driving power supply directly affects the system energy consumption and heat accumulation. High-efficiency driver power supply (efficiency ≥ 88%) can more effectively convert electrical energy into light energy and improve the energy efficiency of the entire lamp. Choosing an isolated power supply with high constant current accuracy can also improve the stability and safety of the system.
4. Structure and heat dissipation system
The design of the aluminum frame, backplane, and thermal conductive material determines the heat dissipation capacity of the LED chip and driver. Good heat dissipation helps to maintain the chip within the optimal operating temperature range, thereby stabilizing its light output and avoiding the decline in light efficiency and accelerated light decay due to overheating.

How to identify high-luminous efficiency LED panel lights
Check the lumen-to-power ratio: "XX lumens/XX watts" is clearly marked on the product packaging or parameter table, and the lm/W value can be calculated.
Check the IES optical report: Professional brands provide IES files and test reports, which customers can use for light efficiency verification with software such as Dialux.
Request a third-party test report: For example, energy efficiency test reports issued by authoritative organizations such as TUV, SGS, and Intertek can serve as an important basis.
Observe the lighting performance: high-efficiency panel lights are usually brighter but not glaring, and emit light evenly without obvious dark areas or yellowing.