General LED Questions

1. Are LEDs and/or Driver replaceable in your luminaries?
   No. Moisture is obviously not good for the electronics. The outdoor Landscape lighting environment is a tough place to survive.  Often low to the ground, dirt, sprinklers, etc…..  Kichler took the approach that for this new technology to be reliable, we needed to remove as many failure mechanisms as possible.  If a luminaire can be “opened” it has seals that can/will fail over time.  User serviceable connection points, creates additional interfaces to corrode or come loose.
2. Do the phosphors in HB LEDs degrade?
   The phosphors used in Kichler’s LEDs are high temperature ceramic materials (typically processed at more than 1200C), they are not water sensitive or soluble.  They typically will resist dissolving in acids.  They do not degrade to any extent themselves.
3. What if water gets into the fixture?
   All Kichler Landscape LED products are engineered for outdoor use.  All sensitive electronics and drivers are potted or sealed by some proven means.  The LED boards for the Kichler LED Accent fixtures are double sealed with gaskets and potting.
4. Why does Kichler not develop or sell MR16 retrofit LED modules?

   Kichler reviews and evaluates most of the LED landscape products that are available in the market.  Current technology cannot even support a retro-fit MR16 package that equals a good quality halogen/xenon source (when installed inside a luminaire).
   

   Even projecting the LED power to 200 lumens/watt, the typical die cast accent light can only manage about 4 watts (3W of LED and 1W for the driver) of power thermally and still support a standard MR16. So doing some simple math, one can project future retro-fit potential (3 x 200lm = 600lm x .75 for thermal and optical losses, and you get 450 lumens).  450 lumens is just barely getting to the power of a 35w halogen source.

   Now take into consideration the 10-20% lumen losses by putting the retro-fit source into the casting (the same losses for both LED or halogen) compared to a dedicated LED luminaire that does not have these losses and you can see how the dedicated design will always be more powerful and efficient.

   We are continuing to investigate this application as the technology evolves.

LED Color and CRI

1. What is the color temperature of your different fixtures?
   Kichler uses LED chips with a color temperature from 2800-3175°K which is closest to the color associated with incandescent or halogen fixtures.
2. What is the CRI?
   CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of the ability of a light source to more effectively, or more naturally, reproduce the colors of various objects in comparison with an ideal or natural light.  Kichler uses LED chips that would provide the best CRI for the application.  Please review the catalog for data specific to each fixture.
3. Does the color of the LED degrade as the lumens decrease over life?
   Yes. With respect to the color shift over lifetime, the only documented specification for this metric is in the ENERGY STAR (SSL) program requirements, under color maintenance.  The LEDs in Kichler’s products meet that specification.
4. Why doesn’t Kichler use RGB in it’s LED accent lights?
   Creating white light by combining red, green, and blue is great for certain applications and will definitely be part of the future of white light for general illumination.  There are however some weaknesses with this method.  First, each LED color degrades at a different rate creating a color shift issue over time that is very difficult to mange.  Second the “binning” issues become 3x more difficult to resolve.  Very complicated (expensive) electronics are required to overcome these issues.  Third, it is difficult to optically combine the three colors well enough not see color separation around the edges.  Cannot have beam too close to objects.  Lastly, higher CRI values are currently impossible with RGB.

LED Electricity and Electronics

1. Do I need to be concerned about voltage drop with Kichler Landscape LED products?
   Kichler Landscape LED products are designed to operate from 9-15V input without affecting the output performance of the product.  This eliminates virtually all voltage drop calculations and reduces the cost of the installation.
2. Are LEDs AC or DC?
   LED’s typically require DC current to operate.  Kichler LED Landscape products are built with onboard drivers that convert the AC current from the transformer to DC current required by the LED chips.  These fixtures will also accept DC current. Select models have remote drivers.
3. Why do some of Kichler’s LED products have remote drivers?
   The Kichler Design Pro LED Water Accent light and the Design Pro Detail accent light have been designed with remote drivers.  There were several reasons for this design.  One, by having the driver remote, we could better protect the most sensitive electronic components from the potential water damage.  Two, using a remote driver allowed us to create a smaller package size for the fixture.  This allows more versatility when using these products in water features or detail lighting.
4. What converts the current to DC?
   The driver, whether onboard or remote, uses electronics to convert and regulate the current as necessary to the requirements of the LED chip.  Each driver is engineered specifically for the number and type of LED in that product.
5. Why can’t I use an electronic transformer for my Landscape LED fixtures?
   For this application, we suggest using a magnetic transformer. The driver should operate at a low frequency 60Hz. An electronic transformer usually operates at 20-40 kHz (20,000-40,000 Hz). These high frequency transformers may create ripple currents or spikes that could damage the components on the driver and decrease the reliability of the product.
6. How long do the electronics last?

   L70 is the industry accepted standard for “usable lifetime “ of a Solid State luminiare.  L70 is defined as the number of operating hours at which the LED reaches 70% of its initial lumen output (Luminiare output measured at steady state temperature).   Kichler engineers its LED products as a complete system.  If Kichler  luminaire is rated for 40,000 hours, all components have been rated and tested to that life rating.  In many instances, the LEDs could be rated for an L70 of 50,000 hours or more, but it is important to understand that it is a system.

7. What is binning?
   When LED’s are manufactured there are variations in their characteristics within batches and from batch to batch.  Binning is the categorizing and identification of the properties of an LED chip.  Most often times binning refers to the color temperature of the chip or batch of chip as manufactured.  It may include the intensity or voltage requirements among the specifications.

LED Temperature and Heat Control

1. Can LED’s perform in all extreme weather temperatures?

   Kichler’s LED Landscape products are designed to operate for 40,000 hours in ambient temperatures from -40°C to +40°C (-40°F to 104°F) continuous.

2. What does Kichler do for Thermal Management?

   Kichler has specifically designed the landscape products around the requirements and benefits of the LED chip as well as chosen chips that are best suited for the application.   By developing dedicated accent fixtures and not retrofitting existing products with “pre-designed modules”, the fixtures can take best utilize the LED advantages.

3. Why does my accent light feel so hot?
   Thermal management is one the most important engineering hurdles to producing a quality LED luminaire.  LED manufacturers rated maximum junction temperatures (Tj) vary greatly (80°C to 150°C).  Some manufacturers publish max Tj numbers but also suggest maximum drive currents that make maintaining that Tj max nearly impossible.   Tons of lumens but too hot for practical application in a luminiare.  Kichler’s LEDs are drvien BELOW their max rated Tj,  even in an ambient of up to 40°C.  The LED accent light “feeling really hot” is evidence of proper thermal management.  The idea is to get the heat away from the LED(s) and to the luminiare surface.  It is not unusual for the surface temperature of our larger accent lights to reach >60°C (140°F).
4. Do LED landscape lights melt snow?

   LED fixtures create light far more efficiently than incandescent, meaning there is less heat created.  Although LED fixtures will never generate the heat that an incandescent or halogen will, the Kichler LED accent fixtures will still effectively melt snow.  Kichler uses the housing to heat-sink the LED; even at -20°C (-4°F) the surface of the fixture will be approximately +15°C (+60°F).

LED Usage

1. Can your LED step lights be used indoors?
   No.  Because they are UL 1838 listed for landscape lighting applications, NEC requirements would prohibit them from being installed in a dwelling.  Any recessed landscape product should be marked for outdoor use only.
2. Can we recess an accent light into a deck floor?
   Not recommended.   The Accent light housings were engineered to efficiently move the heat away from the LEDs inside; enclosing/recessing them will interfere with the luminaries ability to shed heat.
3. What do we do if we want a moon lighting effect similar to MV moonlighting?
   Because the wavelength spectrum that makes up an LED fixture is different than that of an incandescent fixture, using traditional blue lenses is less effective for LED applications.