Lamp power and initial light efficiency become the soft underbelly of energy-saving lamps

In the briefing report of the results of the comparison test of energy-saving lamps held by the Beijing Consumers Association, the products with unqualified indicators of lamp power and initial light efficiency were high, and these two indicators also became the focus.

According to Wu Qizheng, a senior engineer in lighting electronics at the Fujian Provincial Institute of Product Quality Inspection (formerly the Fujian Provincial Center for Inspection and Quarantine), energy-saving lamp product inspection mainly includes safety and performance. Among them, safety inspection items mainly include interchangeability (lamp size type), protection against electric shock, insulation resistance and dielectric strength, mechanical strength (stiffness of the lamp holder), temperature rise of the lamp, heat resistance, fire and flame resistance, etc. The test items mainly include start-up characteristics, lamp power, power factor, luminous flux, initial luminous efficiency, color rendering index, lifespan, lumen maintenance, and so on.

Among them, the relationship between the initial light efficiency of an energy-saving lamp and energy saving is the most direct, and the initial light efficiency refers to the light effect produced by one lamp per one watt of electricity. The greater the luminous flux generated, the brighter the lamp. Products with acceptable initial efficacy are less likely to use qualified products than unqualified products and can achieve energy savings.

Secondly, the lamp power refers to the wattage of the manufacturing mark we see on the bulb or box, which is directly related to the lighting effect. The relevant national standards stipulate that the actual lamp power of the energy-saving lamp and the explicit power error on the package shall not exceed 15%. A lamp that was told to be a 10 watt lamp was tested to have an actual lamp power of between 8.5 watts and 11.5 watts. Wu Qizheng’s engineers stated that most of the products with unqualified lamp power in the inspection process are low indicators, that is, the actual wattage of a bulb marked with 10 watts is lower than 8.5 watts, and the brightness will be low.

In addition to the well-known Guangdong, in fact, Fujian is also a major province for the production of energy-saving lamps, especially in Xiamen. Many branded products are directly exported to Europe and the United States.

It is understood that there are mainly two methods for the detection of energy-saving lamp products. One is to conduct spot checks directly from the sales market, and the other is to go to the production companies for spot checks. The passing rate of product testing from the sales market is lower than that of the manufacturer. The products tested in Beijing this time are taken directly from the sales market.

In addition, the reporter learned from the Fujian Provincial Center for Inspection that Fujian Province also conducts energy-saving lamp product testing every year. The most recent energy-saving lamp inspection was in the fourth quarter of 2010, targeting energy-saving lamp manufacturers in Fujian. Test results showed that The qualified rate of lighting appliances including energy-saving lamps and other lighting products in our province is 85.7%. This data shows that the qualified rate of energy-saving lamps produced in our province is higher than that in other regions.

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