Like any other technology, LED technology is sensitive to electrical surges. To avoid having to replace them entirely or pay for expensive repairs, you should invest in surge protection technology. Since LED lights are more expensive to replace than traditional luminaires and are far more prone to damage than other lighting fixtures, it is crucial to protect them.
Surge-Over Voltages: What Are They?
Surge-over-voltages are surges that can reach tens of kilovolts and last many microseconds. Despite their brief lifespan, the voltage they carry has the potential to cause serious electronic harm, such as accelerated aging or damage. This will result in service interruptions and costly repairs ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Voltage surges can happen for many reasons. Any lightning strike near a building’s distribution line can produce electromagnetic fields that cause voltage spikes in nearby lighting fixtures. Lightning strikes can be extremely dangerous to outdoor distribution power cables.
Other causes of voltage spikes include:
- Replacing contactors inside electrical cabinets.
- Disconnecting any high-power loads such as transformers, motors, generators, etc.
Surge-over voltages have two circulation modes: common and differential. What variations exist between the two? Between the ground and live conductors, common modes are seen. Live conductors can move in different ways, like line-to-line. A luminaire should be shielded from both kinds of surge voltages when it is installed.
LED Lights Can Be Affected by Surges
LED lights can sustain serious damage from indirect lighting as well as direct lightning strikes. Over-voltages that are greater than an LED light’s sensitivity wattage can be produced by this type of lighting. The LED modules and drivers may partially or completely fail if there is an overvoltage. Electronic equipment may also malfunction or lose brightness as a result of it. Even if the LED light is still functional, it has a substantially shorter lifespan than previously.
Protection against Surges for LED Lighting
Similar to other electronics, LED lighting systems are susceptible to voltage surge damage. They accelerate the normal aging process of the distribution panels and LED drivers. Additionally, there may be more frequent service outages for them. Voltage spikes caused by lightning can damage the circuit boards’ safeguards on lighting distribution panels. Numerous instances of overvoltages harming electronic lighting systems have been documented, and several international standards and laws impose the appropriate safeguards.
Surge Protection Technology for Systems with LED Street Lighting
Due to the lower costs and ease of maintenance, more and more municipalities are choosing to employ long-lasting LED technology for their street lighting. The transition is taking place for a number of reasons, including funding constraints, restrictions on specific lighting technologies, and high energy efficiency.
LED technology has many advantages, but it is also very susceptible to surges and expensive to replace. LED street lights frequently have many lights affected when there is a spike. The LED parking lot light from YIBAI LED Lighting features a 10KV surge protector, which is much higher than the legally allowed 2KV. They will function even in extreme weather conditions like thunderstorms with lingering lightning.
Surge Protection for LED Lighting Indoors
Surge protectors are designed to prevent equipment from being harmed in the event of a surge. Beyond safeguarding their equipment, businesses can also benefit from surge-protecting lighting in their structures. It can assist in protecting workers from mishaps that might happen in the absence of sufficient lighting. YIBAI LED High Bay Lights provide a higher surge protechtion with a six times greater surge resistance capacity than is advised.
