10 Key Questions to Ask Lighting Suppliers
May 4, 2018
Parts 1 and 2 in this 3-part series, “Selecting the Right Industrial Lighting”, provided an overview of lighting for industrial workplaces looked at the role of lighting in the workplace, its contribution to capital costs and overheads, and nine factors to consider in the selection process. Here in this third and final article are essential questions that Eaton recommends any potential purchaser pose to suppliers.
- Does the manufacturer or importer possess the necessary laboratory equipment to test performance and conformity?
- Is the performance data quoted from a production product tested by a calibrated photometer or is it from theoretical modelling?
- Is the efficacy figure quoted in luminaire lumens per circuit watt? Beware of suppliers quoting chip efficiency or masking losses in LOR factors.
- Are the LED chips from a reputable manufacturer – are they binned, what is lifetime L70 curve, etc.
- Is the LED driver approved by certification organizations?
- Are emergency versions available and do they comply with accepted standards and requirements?
- How long has the supplier been in existence? Do they manufacture or purely source?
- What are the warranty terms? Many suppliers exclude diffusers, require product to be returned to base, require registration, have severely limiting run hours, etc.
- Does the supplier have a service and technical support function in Canada?
- Is the supplier willing, if required, to subject the product to third party testing?
Given this complex set of considerations and questions, those who lack expertise are advised to seek guidance from industry organizations, regulatory and standards authorities, and reputable manufacturers. Eaton offers a wide range of support services to ensure your lighting installation meets not only basic operational and safety standards on day one, but will also continue to do so throughout its lifetime.
Graham White is a lighting technical manager at Eaton. This series of articles is based on a white paper published by Eaton. Read
- Part 1: http://www.lightingdesignandspecification.ca/led-technology/2164-selecting-the-right-industrial-lighting-part-1
- Part 2: http://www.lightingdesignandspecification.ca/led-technology/2204-selecting-the-right-industrial-lighting-part-2
- the paper in its entirety: http://electricalsector.eaton.com/en-gb_industrial_lighting_solutions_whitepaper
