What is the power factor of lamps?


led lights
When buying a lamp, many forget to pay attention to the power factor in addition to the lumen value and socket. The value describes the relationship between active and apparent power. A 1 stands for the most energy-efficient use. What is the value of bulbs, energy-saving lamps, and LEDs in this article?

Key facts at a glance:

Power factor (the quotient of active power and apparent power) is important in addition to the lumen and base when choosing a new light source
The value 1 stands for the most energy-efficient use
LEDs reach up to 0.95
The λ symbol on the packaging of LEDs indicates the power factor

What does the power factor describe?

The power factor describes the relationship between active and apparent power. What does that mean in concrete terms? The apparent power (expressed in volt-ampere) is the power available throughout the power grid. This is divided into reactive and active power (expressed in watts). The active power is the part that can be used and is calculated in private households by the electricity supplier. Conversely, this means that the reactive power is not used. Thus, with a quotient of active power and apparent power, the power factor results, which can be used as an indicator of efficiency. In Regulation (EU) No 1194/2012, the legislator stipulates which values ​​must be achieved at which wattage:


active power
power factor
up to 2W
no requirement
over 2 W to 5 W
> 0.4
over 5 W to 25 W
> 0.5
over 25W
> 0.9

Different power factors for lamps

Light bulbs and halogen lamps
With bulbs and halogen lamps, the power factor is 1. Thus, there is no reactive power. However, the production of both bulbs was discontinued due to their poor energy efficiency.

Energy saving lamps

For energy-saving lamps, the apparent power is higher than the active power, because the ballast of the lamps additionally burdens the power grid. For an 11-watt energy-saving lamp, the active power is 11 watts, but the apparent power is twice as high at 23 volts.

LEDs

The times of LEDs with power factors of 0.4 - 0.5 are over. Meanwhile, there are lights with LEDs that have a value of up to 0.95 and thus approach the bulbs and halogen lamps. However, LEDs are far more energy efficient. This is also reflected in the energy efficiency class from A to A ++.
Also, read about LED lighting for parking.


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