How LEDs are affected by Cold and Hot Temperatures
How LEDs perform in cold temperatures
One of the most famous advantages of LED lighting is that it performs well at low temperatures. The main reason for this is because it relies on electric drives to function.
The fact is that LEDs actually thrive at low temperatures.
Since LEDs are semiconductor light sources, they emit light when current flows through them, so they are not affected by the temperature of the cold environment and can be turned on immediately.
In addition, because the thermal stress (temperature change) imposed on the diode and driver is small, LEDs work best at low temperatures. In fact, studies have shown that when the LED is installed in a cold environment, its degradation rate will be reduced and the lumen output will be increased.
How does the LED perform at high temperatures
When LEDs were first introduced to the market, they had a shoebox-style housing and could quickly overheat due to lack of ventilation. In order to prevent this from happening, manufacturers have begun to install fans in LED lamps, but this will only cause mechanical failure.
The new generation of LEDs has a heat sink to help prevent heat-related lumen depreciation. They channel excess heat and keep them away from LEDs and drivers. Some luminaires include a compensation circuit that adjusts the current flowing through the LED to ensure continuous light emission at different ambient temperatures.
However, like most electronic devices, LEDs tend to perform poorly when operating at higher than expected temperatures. In a long-term high temperature environment, the LED may overwork, which may shorten its life expectancy (L70). A higher ambient temperature will result in a higher junction temperature, which will increase the degradation rate of the LED junction components. This causes the lumen output of the LED lamp to drop sharply at a faster rate than at lower temperatures.
However, due to the ambient temperature, the rate at which LED life begins to decrease significantly is not common. Only if you know that your lighting equipment will be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, is it necessary to study how it might affect your lighting choices.