Welcome to the ERP Lighting Blog, which puts you at the forefront of topics from dimming, efficiency, and programming to much, much more.
The trailing edge dimmer is one of two available phase control dimmers and the one that works optimally with LED drivers. Leading-edge dimmers are their counterpart, with a higher market presence they are cheaper, but their high minimum load make them inadequate for nuanced LED lighting. ...Read More
Take advantage of the many outstanding, economical, and versatile LED Power supply options available when you use LED lighting. LED lighting capability has revolutionized your lighting choices everywhere that you need lights. ...Read More
Unlike incandescent lighting, LED lighting relies on a self-contained power supply that also acts like a current and dimmer control system called an LED driver that is separate from the wall dimmer switch. The LED driver takes high-voltage alternating current power from the electrical line and converts it into low-voltage direct current power. It also adjusts to keep the current constant so that an LED light functions as expected based on its design and use. ...Read More
Forward phase dimming was discovered first, and quickly became the status quo, the degradation of which being factored into engineering design. But savvy engineers realized there was another way to go about the same effect without damaging the equipment so much, and voila! Reverse phase dimming. ...Read More
Energy efficient LED power supplies save money, period. If you've got a traditional light bulb, it will last around 80 days continuously used, with a maximum of about 90. Meanwhile, an LED light can stand nearly 12 years of continuous use. That's quite a difference in magnitude! ...Read More
An LED power supply is going to save you money over time, period. At a rate of ten cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), running a light bulb continuously will only give you about 40 days illumination. Meanwhile, if you were to run an LED at the same energy continuously, you would be able to get somewhere around six and a half years continuous illumination, and at a fraction of the cost. ...Read More
It's all about conserving energy while having the most reliable luminosity possible. LEDs are already an energy conserving measure. They allow illumination without as much energy output as regular lights have. The thing is, theyare slightly more expensive than regular lighting solutions, so many people have shied away from them. What they don't realize is that the savings aren't on the front end, but on the back end. LEDs last longer and use diminished amounts of resources. ...Read More
An Electronic Low Voltage (ELV) dimmer used in conjunction with an LED (light emitting diode) is almost a match made in heaven. LEDs in general are known for their energy-saving properties. They have a higher cost because of this, but most LED lights come with a warranty of some caliber. Usually LED power supplies have a three-year warranty, while the lights themselves can have five or more years under their belt in that category. ...Read More
An LED driver manufacturer is necessarily going to face some very interesting electrical engineering challenges. In order to surpass these challenges, it makes sense that a manufacturer be found with only the highest design standards available to the market. The higher the standards, the more trustworthy the product. ...Read More
There are certainly advantages and disadvantages to a leading edge dimmer, and the same can be said about trailing edge dimmers. Following the two will be explored briefly. With an incandescent light bulb, domestic dimmers promote a resistance that is characterized as ideal by many. As a result, domestic dimmers are often used in support of LED lamps which act as replacements for traditional options. That said, when combining incandescent and LED worlds, designers are often confronted with challenges that were not previously anticipated. These challenges may include low current draw and a luminous response that is very quick, even in regard to minor fluctuations of power. But depending on what kind of dimmer you're using, the kind of damper or bleeder circuits of the LED drivers in question may change; as will the necessary switching topology for operational optimization. ...Read More