RAB Lighting has claimed that its previous 50,000 hour estimates for its LEDs have been too conservative,and based on the TM-21 standard it now says its LEDs should last 100,000 hours,the equivalent of 27 years of 10-hr per day use.
The projection has relied partly on the use of the new TM-21 standard,which enables manufacturers to use L-80 data(the time taken for light output to reach 80%of its original capacity)to calculate the lifespan of a fixture.
In this case,as with all projected lifespan,the estimate is a projection of how long the fixture will take to reach L70.This is the point of generating 70%of the original output and the point at which studies have shown that people are able to perceive a difference.
These projections are based on the alleged fact that the LM80 tests have now reached over 16,000 hours successfully without dipping below 80%of original output.
Ross Barna,CEO of RAB Lighting explained,TM-21 puts a stake in the ground and levels the playing field for LED fixture manufacturers[a?|]It was very gratifying to learn that our adherence to the strictest design standards and our LM-80 tests exceeding 10,000 hours have finally paid off.
Importantly,some have highlighted that the TM-21 is a test specifically for components and does not take into account other potential areas of failure that can occur in a normal luminaire,such as electrical connections and drivers.
