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15W 1521lm B22/BC 2700K LED Lamp Dimmable 240 beam Frosted GLS Integral LED ILGLSB22DC033

15W 1521lm B22/BC 2700K LED Lamp Dimmable 240 beam Frosted GLS Integral LED ILGLSB22DC033

This is the Integral LED ILGLSB22DC033 GLS bulb B22/BC 1521lm 15W 2700K dimmabe 240 deg beam frosted..

Model: 14BCLEDD

as low as £4.50 Ex. VAT

15W 1521lm 2700K ES/E27 LED Lamp Dimmable 240 beam Frosted GLS Bulb Integral LED ILGLSE27DC032

15W 1521lm 2700K ES/E27 LED Lamp Dimmable 240 beam Frosted GLS Bulb Integral LED ILGLSE27DC032

This is the Integral LED ILGLSE27DC032 GLS LED bulb E27/ES 1521lm 15W 2700K dimmavbvle 240 beam fros..

Model: 14ESLEDD

as low as £5.00 Ex. VAT

14.5W BC/B22 Classic Globe GLS Non-Dimmable LED Lamp 1921lm 2700K Frosted Lamp, Integral LED ILGLSB22NC100

14.5W BC/B22 Classic Globe GLS Non-Dimmable LED Lamp 1921lm 2700K Frosted Lamp, Integral LED ILGLSB22NC100

This is the Integral LED ILGLSB22NC100 LED lamp, a Classic Globe (GLS) 14.5W (equivalent to 120W) 27..

Model: 18BCLED

as low as £5.00 Ex. VAT

14.5W ES/E27 Classic Globe GLS Non-Dimmable LED Lamp 1921lm 2700K Frosted Lamp equiv. 120W, Integral LED ILGLSE27NC097

14.5W ES/E27 Classic Globe GLS Non-Dimmable LED Lamp 1921lm 2700K Frosted Lamp equiv. 120W, Integral LED ILGLSE27NC097

This is the Integral LED ILGLSE27NC097 LED lamp, a Classic Globe (GLS) 14.5W (equivalent to 120W) 27..

Model: 18ESLED

as low as £4.60 Ex. VAT

5.7W GU10 3000K Warm White 540lm Dimmable LED Lamp 36deg Beam Angle, Integral LED ILGU10DD120

5.7W GU10 3000K Warm White 540lm Dimmable LED Lamp 36deg Beam Angle, Integral LED ILGU10DD120

The Integral LED ILGU10DD120 is part of a High Lumen GU10 range offering a fantastic ratio of value ..

Model: GU10LD7W

as low as £3.00 Ex. VAT

4.9W 2700K E14/SES Candle LED Lamp 240deg Beam Clear Dimmable Integral LED ILCANDE14DC069

4.9W 2700K E14/SES Candle LED Lamp 240deg Beam Clear Dimmable Integral LED ILCANDE14DC069

This is the Integral LED ILCANDE14DC069  4.9W 2700K E14/SES Candle LED Lamp 240deg Beam Clear D..

Model: 6CLEDSES

as low as £3.00 Ex. VAT

5.6W B22/BC LED Candle Bulb 2700K Dimmable 280 deg Beam Frosted Integral LED ILCANDB22DC025

5.6W B22/BC LED Candle Bulb 2700K Dimmable 280 deg Beam Frosted Integral LED ILCANDB22DC025

This is the Integral LED ILCANDB22DC025 LED candle lamp B22/BC 470lm 5.6W 2700K warm white dimmable ..

Model: 4CLEDCBC

as low as £3.50 Ex. VAT

9W 1055lm BC/B22 2700K LED Lamp Dimmable Omni Filament GLS Clear Glass Integral LED ILGLSB22DC060

9W 1055lm BC/B22 2700K LED Lamp Dimmable Omni Filament GLS Clear Glass Integral LED ILGLSB22DC060

This is the Integral LED ILGLSB22DC060 omni filament GLS bulb B22/BC 1055lm 9W 2700K dimmable 300 be..

Model: 8GLSBCWW

£3.99 Ex. VAT

4.9W 470lm E14/SES LED Candle Bulb 2700K Dimmable 280 deg Beam Frosted Integral LED ILCANDE14DC024

4.9W 470lm E14/SES LED Candle Bulb 2700K Dimmable 280 deg Beam Frosted Integral LED ILCANDE14DC024

This is the Integral LED ILCANDE14DC024 LED candle bulb E14/ES 470lm 4.9W 2700K dimmable 280deg beam..

Model: 4CLEDCSE

as low as £3.50 Ex. VAT

9.5W 1055lm 2700K ES/E27 LED Lamp Dimmable Omni Filament Clear Full Glass Integral LED ILGLSE27DC124

9.5W 1055lm 2700K ES/E27 LED Lamp Dimmable Omni Filament Clear Full Glass Integral LED ILGLSE27DC124

Integral LED ILGLSE27DC124 omni filament GLS bulb E27 1055lm 9.5W 2700K dimmable 300 deg beam clear ..

Model: 8GLSESWW

£3.99 Ex. VAT

2.5W GU10 LED Lamp 2700K Non-Dimmable 36deg Beam 190lm Integral LED ILGU10NC128

2.5W GU10 LED Lamp 2700K Non-Dimmable 36deg Beam 190lm Integral LED ILGU10NC128

This is the Integral LED ILGU10NC128 2.5W GU10 LED spot bulb offering 2700k warm white, non dimmable..

Model: GULS33WW

as low as £2.00 Ex. VAT

2.7W 2700K 300lm G9 Dimmable LED Light Bulb with a 300 deg Beam Angle, Warm White Capsule LED

2.7W 2700K 300lm G9 Dimmable LED Light Bulb with a 300 deg Beam Angle, Warm White Capsule LED

This is the Integral LED ILG9DC011 - a G9 2.7W 2700K 300lm Dimmable LED lamp with a 300 deg Beam Ang..

Model: G9LED1WW

as low as £3.50 Ex. VAT

3.6W GU10 Warmtone Glass 400lm Dim-to-Warm 1800-2700K 36 Beam Integral LED ILGU10DC121

3.6W GU10 Warmtone Glass 400lm Dim-to-Warm 1800-2700K 36 Beam Integral LED ILGU10DC121

Introducing the Integral LED ILGU10DC121 3.6W GU10 Warmtone Glass 400lm 1800-2700K Dimmable (dim-to-..

Model: GUDIMLOW

as low as £3.75 Ex. VAT

8.8W BC/B22 Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GLS 220 Beam Angle Frosted Globe, Integral LED ILGLSB22DC083

8.8W BC/B22 Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GLS 220 Beam Angle Frosted Globe, Integral LED ILGLSB22DC083

Introducing the Integral LED ILGLSB22DC083 - 8.8W BC/B22 Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GL..

Model: 9.5BCLED

as low as £7.00 Ex. VAT

2.7W G9 Dimmable LED Lamp 4000K 300lm 300 deg Beam Clear LED Capsule Integral LED ILG9DC014

2.7W G9 Dimmable LED Lamp 4000K 300lm 300 deg Beam Clear LED Capsule Integral LED ILG9DC014

This is the Integral LED ILG9DC014 2.7W 300lm G9 Dimmable LED Lamp 4000K Cool White 300 deg Beam Cle..

Model: G9LED1CW

as low as £3.50 Ex. VAT

8.8W E27/ES Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GLS 220 Beam Angle Frosted Globe, Integral LED ILGLSE27DC084

8.8W E27/ES Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GLS 220 Beam Angle Frosted Globe, Integral LED ILGLSE27DC084

Introducing the Integral LED ILGLSE27DC084 - 8.8W E27/ES Dimmable LED Lamp 2700K Warm White 806lm GL..

Model: 9.5ESLED

as low as £2.25 Ex. VAT

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Related Articles

Is it that Simple to Transform a Regular Dimmer into an LED Dimmer?

The advancement in today's LED technology allows people to choose not only to use a LED lamp instead of an incandescent or halogen one, but even to choose the light output (the lumens), the light colour temperature (daylight, warm white, neutral white, and cool white), and the size and shape. It is safe to say that soon the LED lamps will be available at a lower cost than ever, and they will replace the high consumption lamps with more energy saving light bulbs. What's even more interesting is that many of the existing LED lamps are also dimmable, allowing people to dim the LED lamp sometimes all the way to 0%! However, there are a few problems with the LED dimming - at this point in time. Problems with LED Dimming The LED lights offer a bright light in the light color you desire, so many times you may want to dim them. There are a few questions that rise up here: Are all the LED lights dimmable? Can we dim a LED light with any dimmer? How low can you dim an LED lamp, and how long can you keep it dimmed? If you dim the LED lamp, is the energy consumption also reduced? Is the LED lamp life decreased drastically if you dim it? First of all, at this moment in time NOT ALL the LED lights are dimmable; those who are dimmable are clearly marked "dimmable". If an LED light bulb is not dimmable, it may not be marked so - but unless it is marked dimmable, don't assume that the LED lamp is dimmable. Secondly, the dimmable LED lamps cannot be dimmed from ANY dimmer. Simply changing a dimmable halogen lamp with a dimmable LED lamp doesn't guarantee that the existing regular dimmer will work with the LED lamp. Most LED manufacturers have a list of recommended LED dimmers / LED dimmer modules that would work with a particular dimmable LED lamp, and it is best to make sure you use one of those dimmers, otherwise dimming may not work and the lamp/installation may be damaged. Thirdly, the whole point of dimming is not only to decrease the level of light but also to save energy and consequently, money. So yes, dimming the LED lamp will save you even more energy and money. Lastly, if the LED lamp is dimmable, dimming the LED lamp should NOT have an impact on the lifetime of the lamp. All these considered, there are now more questions with most of our customers such as, So then how can I make sure I have the right LED dimmer for my LED lamps? Is there such a thing as a "universal LED dimmer" that works with most LED Lamps? And what do I do with my existing dimmers - do I need to buy the expensive ones and throw them away? In other words, Is it that Simple to Transform a Regular Dimmer into an LED Dimmer? Six months ago we would have recommended replacing the entire dimmer with a brand new LED dimmer - which costs a lot of money, may not be in the plate and finish you desire, and may not work with all your LED lamps. But now there's such a thing as a "universal LED dimmer" made by Varilight - see the JP250P V-Pro 1 Gang 2 Way Trailing Edge 10W-250W LED Dimmer Module Replacement. It is a normal size as a regular dimming module, so it can easily replace the existing dimmer in the back of your dimmer switch. Of course, such a replacement should be done by a registered electrician - don't try to do any DIY with electricity and electrical devices such as these - so that it may be tested and work properly. Do you need a smooth and silent dimming for your LED lights? Are your LED lights dimmable? Do you want to keep your existing dimmer plate and not replace it with one from this list of LED dimmers? Then your best solution is this LED dimmer module from Varilight, which is currently in stock and very highly recommended. In conclusion, to answer the question in the title: yes, it is that simple to transform a regular wall dimmer into an LED dimmer - if the size of the dimmer module behind the dimmer plate allows it, you can simply replace it with the highly recommended Varilight JP250P trailing edge LED dimmer module. For more details on this, don't hesitate to contact us or leave us a comment below.

Recycle Your Old Energy-Saving Light Bulbs - Don't Just Throw Them Away!

Maybe your lightbulbs burned out over the winter, or maybe you just made a New Year's resolution to upgrade to LED lighting - who knows? But if you're disposing of old and expired lightbulbs, there are a lot of complicated recycling guidelines. Some can be thrown out with the rest of the rubbish; others need to be collected. In this article, we hope to dispel some of that confusion. When a lightbulb is recycled, it gets sent to the reprocessor where it is crushed. 98% of the material (glass, plastic, and metal), can then be reused. It's the circle of life. Incandescent Lightbulbs Incandescent lightbulbs are non-recyclable and should be disposed of along with the rest of the household waste. These bulbs are made of a different type of glass than bottles - and the fine wires in the processing are very hard to filter out. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) Fluorescent light fittings are Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Category 5, and must be collected separately for disposal or dropped off at collection points. The handy site Recolight provides a map of the nearest collection points to your postcode. If you have a house full of CFL lightbulbs and a trek from the nearest collection point, it's probably best to wait until you have a collection of expired bulbs - just make sure they don't smash! Fluorescent Tubes Fluorescent tube lights fall under the same regulations as CFLs above: drop them off at your nearest collection point. For larger projects like commercial refitting, you can request a lamp collection. Halogen Lamps Halogen lightbulbs cannot be recycled with regular glass and should be disposed of with regular household waste. Metal Halide BulbsAs with energy-saving lights, high-output metal halide lamps should be recycled in the same manner as CFL bulbs. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) LED bulbs contain no harmful substances and individual LEDs can be disposed of in household waste. However, it is advisable to check the disposal guidelines for the housing and equipment in which they are housed, which often contain plastics. Photo by phozographer on Flickr (Creative Commons)

New Energy Label for LED Lamps: What you need to know

You may have noticed that the energy efficiency label on the packaging of LED lamps has changed, and some LED lamps now have a rating of E; do not be alarmed, they are still energy efficient! The reason the energy labels look different is that the rating system has changed in Europe and in the UK, and this blog post tells you everything about the new energy efficiency labels for LED lamps. Some customers were quite intrigued to purchase a 5W or 6W LED lamp and find out that the energy efficiency label says it is E or D. We had quite a few calls and emails from customers concerning this, so we thought we should explain to the best of our ability what all this means. How come an A+++ energy-rated LED lamp is now a D energy-rated lamp? Read below to find out more concerningThe new rules for energy labels for lighting products.The old energy label vs the new energy labelThe new energy efficiency requirementsThe contents of the Light Products New Energy LabelHow to Read the Packaging for a LED LampNew Energy Efficiency Label - FAQConclusion and Further ReferencesWhat are the New Rules for Energy Labels for LightingThe reason there are no more A++, A+, etc is that there are some alterations to the rules for energy efficiency labels. These were triggered by the new EU 2019/2020 Single Lighting Regulation (SLR, laying down ecodesign requirements for light sources and separate control gear) and the new EU 2019/2015 Energy Label Regulation (ELR, laying down energy labelling requirements of light sources). The SLR replaces and repeals three regulations: (EC) No 244/2009, (EC) No 245/2009 and (EU) No 1194/2012, giving a single point of reference for compliance, and it defines in new terms the light sources covered under the regulation and separate control gear. By light sources, we mean anything that emits light such as LED lamps, LED modules, LED luminaires, etc. These new and more stringent minimum efficacy thresholds on light sources and separate control gear push the lighting industry forward to innovate and improve energy efficiency beyond existing technology. Furthermore, they encourage design for a circular economy, reducing refuse and increasing reuse. Products now need to be designed to be more reliable, even upgradable, and the "right to repair" is now enabled; furthermore, they need to contain more recyclable material and be easier to dismantle. All these are good both for consumers and for the earth, for less waste will end up in a landfill. The ELR replaces and repeals two regulations: (EC) No 874/2012 and (EC) No 2017/1369. It defines the new energy labelling requires for packaging, sales literature, websites, and distance selling. All products requiring energy labels will need to be registered into the EPRLEL database, and a QR code that links to the technical product info is mandatory. In the UK, these rules were incorporated into the UK law under The Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021 2021 No. 1095. According to Integral LED, one of our lighting suppliers, "These are new European Commission regulations which were ratified and published in December 2019. Since the UK has left the European Union, it decided to replicate the technical requirements and combine them into one UK regulation known as a Statutory Instrument.  In practical terms, this means the new lighting regulations will apply to EU member states and the UK in a near identical fashion – only specific regulatory markings are likely to vary, for example, CE/UKCA and EU/GB flags on point of sale energy labels."LED Lamps and LED Lights at SparksThe Old Energy Label and the New Energy Label: what's the DifferenceIt is not just the label that changed but the energy rating has also changed. The old ratings lost clarity as the efficiency essential to the previous regulation had maxed out. There were products rated A, A+, or A++, while the E and F ratings had become redundant. There was a need for better energy ratings to make things more clear and improve the understanding of the energy rating classifications. Here is what the old EU Energy Label used to look like, with a rainbow colour scale going from Green to Red, and a lettering scale from A+++ to E. Here is what the new EU and UK energy labels look like; the revised scale is still green to red in colour, but the lettering scale is from A to G, with more energy efficiency needed to achieve these levels. Just as a quick reference, many lighting products that were rated A++ in the old energy label will now be rated C or D in the new energy label. See here some of the newest LED lamps with the best energy label rating. The New Energy Efficiency RequirementsJust as a comparison, what used to be 120lm/W in the A++ class before 2021, now it is class E in the new energy efficiency requirements.The reason lighting products have lower ratings now on their new label is not that they are less efficient; rather, they consume the same amount of power as they always have, but now their energy efficiency has been lowered. The old energy ratings A+, A++, and A+++ no longer exist; the new scale is from A to G, and B and C ratings are the best in class, the most energy-efficient lights. Unfortunately, there's no way to compare the old label with the new one due to the new energy efficiency requirements. Full explanations and details regarding the Energy Label can be found via this website, and there's a PDF that can help you understand more concerning the label. The focus has shifted from Watt to Lumen; yes, wattage is important, but more light output is appreciated. For example, a 20W halogen spot is equivalent to 190lm LED 12V and 110lm LED 230V, while a 15W incandescent bulb is equivalent to 140lm LED and 130lm energy-saving bulbs. The contents of the Light Products New Energy LabelAccording to the new rules, the new energy labels need to contain certain items, such asThe supplier's name and model number. This refers to the manufacturer's name and the model number of the LED lamp. Energy Rating: the new energy rating on a scale from A to G. Power Consumption: the number of kWh/1000h consumed by the LED lamp; it is rounded up to the next single watt. QR code: QR code to access the detailed product information sheet registered in the European Commission's EPREL database.Buy Integral LED Light bulbsHow to Read the Packaging for a LED LampOn light products' packaging, you can now find a lot of useful information by reading its label. The new rules are being applied from the 1st of October 2021, and the lighting manufacturers need to indicate either by icons or text concerning the following features:Energy label: The light sources energy consumption in kWh per 1000hWattage: the on-mode power for the light source in WLuminous Flux (lm): indicating how much light the light source emits. A high Lumen value means a more distinguished light. Kelvin (K): is a colour temperature scale used to indicate how warm or cold the light output is perceived. Outdoor use: it indicates whether the light source can be used outdoor - this has to be on the packaging. Beam angle: the angle of the light output in degrees or the range of light output angle.Dimming: the dimming icon indicates whether the light source is dimmable or not. Lifetime: it indicates the light source's lifetime in hours from the start of use until the light output has degraded to less than 70% of the original output. Ra-value (Colour rendering index, CRI): the Ra-value indicates the light source's ability to reproduce a lifelike colour; daylight, for example, has a Ra-value of 100. QR Code: Further product information will be available to consumers via the new QR Code included in the labels. The product manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the QR code links to a relevant information source, this could be for example the new EU product database or their own website. LED lamps with CRI 80New Energy Efficiency Label - FAQQ: Why are there two different energy labels with my product?A: Over the last 20 years, the energy efficiency of products has improved. This means the information on the energy label needs to change to ensure it can continue to help you find the best products. As the new information is phased in, there will be a short time when products may feature both the old and new labels.Q: Why do the two labels show different information for the same product?A: The new label will show different energy ratings for your product. This may seem strange but the new label has been updated to take into account how you use your products at home, as well as provide more detailed information on other features of the product. This will give you a more accurate and realistic idea of how your product will perform over its life.Conclusion and Further ReferencesThe matter of the energy labels for the light bulbs/LED lamps is a complicated and vast one, and in this guide, we do a quick overview of this issue. There is nothing to worry about if you purchase a LED lamp that has an energy rating of E or D according to the new label; you simply need to check the lumens output and make sure it is low wattage, and it will save you £££ of your bills. Read more on this topic via the following links:Guide to energy performance certificates (via Energy Saving Trust).New Lighting Regulations 2021: what you need to know (via Integral LED)Energy ratings: everything you need to know (via Energy Saving Trust).The New Energy Label for Light Sources (via Label 2020 Europe). The New EU Energy Label Explained (via gov.uk). About the changes to energy rating labels this year (via ML Accessories). 

The Best GU10 LED Lamp on Durability, Performance, and Energy Saving (Video)

In June 2014 Integral LED was awarded by "Which?" with the "Best Buy for GU10 LED bulb" in the categories of durability, performance, and energy saving. The tests they performed and the results they obtained can be found on their website, but one thing is certain: after rigorous testing against many of the big-name LED manufacturer brands, Which? has awarded the "Best Buy (Spotlights)" in June 2014 to the Integral LED made GU10 PAR16 5.3W 3000K non-dimmable LED lamp.October 2022 update: this particular LED lamp has been discontinued and replaced by the more energy-saving and energy-efficient GU10 lamps on our website. What we are talking about is a retrofit LED lamp that delivers a warm light and brightness, being the equivalent to a 50W halogen bulb (see the manufacturer announcement on their blog). Also, this LED lamp features quad-high output Everlight LEDs, has an anti-glare refractor, and is finished in aluminum and plastic with a GU10 lamp cap and a thermally efficient body. Great for both commercial use and domestic applications. This LED light bulb is a perfect replacement for the once-efficient but now energy-wasting and quite inefficient 50W halogen lamps and this LED lamp can help you reduce your electricity bills by up to 85% instantly. Think about it: you can save money every month on electricity with a fast payback of less than a year! Buy GU10 LED LampsTechnical specifications for this Awarded LED Lamp Wattage: 5.3W (equivalent to 50W halogen lamp) Dimming: non-dimmable LED lamp Type: GU10 PAR16 LED light bulb Light color: warm white 3000K Anti-glare refractor, high quad output Everlight LEDs. Lumens: 350 useful lumens (370lm nominal) Lumens per watt: 69.8lm/W Construction: plastic and aluminium heat-sink Dimensions: 52mm length, 50mm diameter Mains voltage LED lamp, 50Hz IP rating: IP20 rated. Energy rating: A+ More specifications and technical details together with more other pictures and videos for this awarded BEST LED Spotlight in 2014 can be found via our dedicated page for this GU10LS5W LED lamp at SparksDirect.co.uk.Please note: this LED lamp has now been replaced by more energy-saving and energy-efficient LED lamps, all of which can be seen via GU10 LED Lamps.

What is the Relationship Between the Wattage of a Lightbulb and its Brightness?

As incandescent bulbs are phased out of the domestic market, it's the right time to take a look at what the options are for replacements. It's common knowledge that a modern energy-saving lamp consumes much less energy and so has a lower wattage, but still offers roughly the same amount of light. CFL and LED light fittings are often sold as being "equal" in brightness to a traditional lightbulb: so an 11W CFL bulb emits as much light as a 60W bulb, according to the packaging. How does this work? Well... it gets a little bit complicated. But thankfully, it also gets a little bit interesting. Seeing Brightness Brightness is someone's subjective judgement of the luminance of an object. Without getting too mathematical, it's based on the equation known as the luminosity function - the standardised model of brightness perception. That's an average measurement, not a universal statement. Every person is going to judge brightness ever-so-slightly differently. What the luminosity function describes is the average human sensitivity to small differences: those aptly named "just noticeable differences." To illustrate the idea: one more "just noticeable difference" is that between a 'classic' chocolate bar and a smaller version introduced when the old version becomes too expensive to manufacture. The observer will hardly be able to notice the difference unless they look very closely. How do we know it's noticeably different, then? If test subjects notice the discrepancy in at least 50% of the tests, that's a just noticeable difference. (In this regard, psychophysics is an endlessly fascinating sub-discipline of marketing.)LED Lights and Lamps at SparksThe Lux and the Lumen The Lumen is the measure of the perceived power of light: the "luminous flux." It's affected by the spectral sensitivity of the eye. A lumen is equivalent to one candela per steradian (1 lm = 1 cd·sr). (And a steradian, by the way, is the SI-derived unit of "solid angle" - a radiated cone of light. It's best thought of as a 2D area in a 3D space, like a patch on the surface of a sphere.) The lumen isn't used to measure brightness, as such - that's a subjective measurement that changes with distance. The further away you get from something, the dimmer it gets. But it is useful for comparing the power of energy-saving lamps and light fittings to their halogen and incandescent counterparts. Some manufacturers list this information right on the box. And it gets still more complicated: lamps are rated in initial and mean lumens. The initial lumen rating refers to the light given when the lamp is new, and as the light source sheds the chemicals inside it, or as its bulb walls darken over time, lumen deprecation takes place. So the average rating is the lumens emitted over the useful lifespan of the device. The Lux is related to the lumen but is measures a completely different thing: it's the SI-derived measure of illuminance. Illuminance is what we think of when we think of "visible light." It is the total amount of visible light illuminating (reflecting off) a point on a surface of a thing from all directions above that surface. Visible light, then, is measured in lux: the luminous flux per unit area. Lux measures the intensity of light that reflects off or passes through a surface. One lux is equal to one lumen per square metre (1 lx = 1 lm/m^2). Home lighting is about 50 lx, while TV studio lighting is usually about 1,000 lx. Daylight tends to hover around the 10 to 25,000 lx mark. So a measurement of lux will tell you how many lumens you need to illuminate an area. 1000 lm concentrated over a square metre will illuminate that spot for an illuminance of 1000 lx, and spreading that same lm value over 10 metres will illuminate that area for 100 lx. The Relationship Between Wattage and Luminance The watt (W) is the measure of power, defined as 1 Joule (unit of energy) per second (1 W = 1 J/s), and the power a bulb consumes has a lot to do with its electrical resistance. The resistance of a traditional incandescent bulb is affected by its filament, depending on its length, thickness, material, and so on. That metallic filament needs to be heated to a high temperature until it glows, and a filament with higher resistance glows brighter - but needs more power. So if a bulb has a brighter-burning filament, it is constructed at a higher wattage. A filament fitted within a 100W bulb has a higher resistance than a 60W bulb and so emits a brighter light. Sadly, a lot of that electrical energy is converted into heat when a lightbulb's sole purpose is to provide light. This is considered to be wasted energy. The rate at which a light source converts electrical power into light is known as luminous efficacy and is expressed as lumens per watt (LPW). The higher the LPW, the more efficient the light source. So while an incandescent light source has a low LPW, an energy-saving bulb has a much higher LPW: more of the electrical input is converted to luminous output. Wattage Equivalence When a manufacturer claims that a CFL or LED lightbulb is "equivalent" to a 40, 60 or 100-watt lamp, what they mean is that the light output is roughly the same, as measured in lumens. That said, it's rarely (if ever) a straight relationship; most of the time wattage equivalency is a rough figure, somewhere in the same "ball park." But in everyday use, that difference is barely noticeable - particularly with the current range of energy-saving lamps. If you'd like to take some of your own measurements and correct us on our science, you are more than welcome to do so in the comments. We stock both incandescent and energy-saving lightbulbs and lamps to aid the research.Energy Saving Lights at Sparks

Do the Flicker-Free FIPEL Lamps Mean the End of Fluorescent Lights?

A while ago the BBC reported on a new plastic lightbulb that apparently gives a better quality of light than modern fluorescent bulbs and twice the energy efficiency. The research behind the "FIPEL" technology is now online, ahead of publication in the peer-reviewed journal Organic Electronics (thanks to R&D for the link!). The lighting industry is a technological wonderland lately! "Glowing Layers of Malleable Plastic" FIPEL (an acronym for Field-Induced Polymer Electroluminescence) bulbs were developed by Dr. David Carroll at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. The science is outlined in the Organic Electronics paper above, but in brief: the lights are made from layers of polymer containing nanomaterials that glow when an electric current is passed through them. It sounds like it should generate some heat, but reports say it doesn't. FIPEL also offers a few other, rather futuristic advantages over current tech. The Advantages of FIPEL FIPEL is primarily pitched at the market for fluorescent lighting, such as offices and high-bay warehouses. The most salient advantage is that they don't hum or flicker like contemporary lights, which should bring some joy to office workers. The plastic lamps are also malleable, so they can be arranged into whatever shape you like, and shatterproof. The composite materials can be made to a range of specifications such as ceiling-mounted "sheets."Buy Energy Saving Lighting Wake Forest are hopeful that the technology will later be adopted in the retail market. In terms of colour temperature, these lamps are closer to natural daylight than anything available on the consumer market. Fluorescent lamps tend to be "warmer" than the ideal level; LEDs are generally cooler. This means they're great for indoor workers! To stave off concerns about longevity, Carroll claims that he's had a prototype running in his office for close to a decade. But whether FIPEL poses a real threat to fluorescent lighting remains to be seen. PureLux, Wake Forest University's commercial lighting technology arm, are set to bring FIPEL to the consumer market in 2013. There's still no word on pricing - and pricing has been one of the major obstacles for energy-efficient lighting. Until then, why not take a look at the LED light fittings available at Sparks?

Some Advantages and Disadvantages of the LED lighting technology today

The recent and continual developments of the LED lighting technology make us not only be glad about its amazing properties but also wonder, what are the advantages and, if any, the disadvantages of the LED technology? CP Electronics put out a report recently outlining the main advantages and disadvantages of this revolutionary technology, and we are quoting some of their points below. The Efficiency of the LED Lights The efficiency of an LED light depends very much on the quality of the LED. The greater the efficiency, the less electricity is used for a given light output. It is possible to broadly compare the LED lights with other light sources. A more thorough look at the different light sources tells us that the most efficient one is the T5, then the CFL, and lastly the incandescent light bulbs. The most efficient T5 fluorescent tubes are widely used in offices and high bay lighting - they are either the same or slightly more efficient than an equivalent LED light source. However, there are clear efficiency benefits of the LEDs over the incandescent and compact fluorescent (CFL) light sources. The Lifetime of the LEDs Without a doubt the LEDs provide the best lifetime of all the common light sources, offering as much as 50,000 hours for a light bulb. This is clearly beneficial where the cost of replacing the fitting is prohibitive, like the street lighting, hazardous areas etc. Please note that the rating on most LED lights means at the end of life, they will only be giving 70% of rated output. Furthermore, consider the control gear for the LED light bulbs – it is not much use to have a control gear rated for fewer hours than the LEDs. The LED Lights Controllability Unlike fluorescent lights, the LEDs start instantly at the rated brightness and can be dimmed using various techniques to give almost any level of brightness. This means that they are far easier to control than their equivalent fluorescent light source, although nowhere near as good as an incandescent light source. A relevant feature is the use of "light bulb" replacement products. Normal incandescent light bulbs are dimmed using standard low-cost triac dimmers. There are a few manufacturers of dimmable CFL replacement bulbs, but these do not work well. Some LED replacement bulbs on the market dim, some do not, and others claim to dim but do a very poor job. The Cost of the LEDs This is the biggest factor restricting the use of LEDs. Across the board, all the LED light sources cost more, from light bulb replacements right through to spotlights and standard office lights. Not only is the cost of the LED element more expensive but the luminaires or the bulbs they are fitted into are more expensive to design and make, because of the optical and heat characteristics of LEDs.Energy Efficient LED Lights