Did You Know?
LEDs produce equivalent light output at only 60% of the initial rated lumen output of fluorescents and HIDs.
Equivalent Light Output:
600 LED lumens = 1000 HID and fluorescent lumens
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The Albeo Difference
Lumen Output
Not all illumenation is the same!
Albeo LED fixtures are capable of producing equivalent light to all standard fluorescent and HID technologies. Don’t let rated lumens confuse you when properly identifying an appropriate LED alternative; it's not an apples-to-apples comparison!
Using “rated lumens” when comparing LED to fluorescent and HID bulbs is misleading. Because each lighting technology is different, actual lumen output will vary. Fluorescents and HID suffer from loss factors not associated with LED. Because LED is a directional and low voltage light source, more lumens are projected where they are needed and do not experience loss to other factors outlined below. As a general rule, LEDs produce equivalent light output at approximately 60% of the rated lumen output of fluorescent and HID alternatives.
Reflectance
Only a fraction of lumens produced by fluorescent and HID actually reach a work plane such as a desk or factory floor. Due to the omni-directional nature of fluorescent and HID bulbs, only one-third of the lumens directly reach the working plane. The remainder of light is reflected from the fixture’s reflective surfaces. When light is reflected, brightness suffers. Total light loss in fluorescents and HIDs can be as much as 30% of initial rated lumens. Because LEDs are directional, no light is lost to reflectance.
Ballast Factor
Fluorescent and HID ballasts are used to create the voltage and current necessary to start and illuminate the bulbs. These ballasts are inefficient, sometimes diminishing rated lumens by as much as 10% compared to LEDs. No such loss factor is associated with LEDs because they use a low voltage transformer.
Dirt Depreciation
Even if fluorescent and HID fixtures are cleaned every 18 months, dirt and dust buildup on reflective surfaces can reduce lumen output by as much as 10% between cleanings. LEDs do not rely on reflected light so there is no such loss associated with dirt and dust.
Dirt depreciation for a typical fluorescent fixture in a very clean environment
Source: IESNA/Platts
Conclusion
As a general rule, LEDs produce equivalent light output at approximately 60% of the rated lumens of fluorescent and HID alternatives. For example, an LED producing 600 lumens is equivalent in light output to an HID bulb rated at 1000 initial lumens. Actual equivalencies will vary. Please contact the Albeo sales team for specific LED equivalent fixtures.
