Changes for LED power supplies from 1 Sep 2021

For a lamp to receive the CE mark, LED power supplies integrated into the lamp and also those operated separately have to meet certain requirements. The new Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 specifies the latest applicable changes for CE compliance. The new regulation is mandatory and, with a few exceptions, will apply from September 1, 2021, to all light sources placed on the European market as well as to separate control gear in a range of installations — in both private homes and for industrial lighting. It thus replaces the existing regulations (EC) No. 244/2009, (EC) No. 245/2009 and (EU) No. 1194/2012.

The aim of the regulation is to achieve energy savings in the EU, and to be able to adjust or change required measures.

Changes arising from the new regulation relate to energy efficiency requirements as well as functional requirements in the following points:

Stricter minimum efficiency requirements apply in relation to the declared output power (Pcg) of the control gear for LED and OLED light sources at full load. The minimum efficiency to be achieved can be calculated using the formula:

Consumption under no-load power (Pno) and with separate control gear must not exceed 0.5 W. However, this only applies if the manufacturer’s technical documentation states that the device is designed for use in a no-load state. With standby power (Psb) and networked standby power (Pnet), the power consumption also must not exceed 0.5 W.

To ensure that the active power proportion achieves a required level, the new regulation uses the displacement factor (DF) instead of the power factor (PF) as the relevant value. The displacement factor cos φ1 signifies the cosine of the phase angle φ1 between the fundamental harmonic of the mains supply voltage and that of the mains current.

Although most control gear datasheets list the power factor, the displacement factor can be calculated from the power factor using the formula:


► Tip: For LED power supplies (capacitive loads), the displacement factor is always larger than the power factor. For power supplies greater than 25 W, this means that the new requirements are actually less stringent than in the previous regulation.

The standardised parameter “Pst LM” (‘st’ stands for short term and ‘LM’ for light flickermeter method) is now the metric used for flicker. Pst LM = 1 means: an average observer has a 50 % probability of detecting flicker.

When testing according to IEC 61547-1 or EN61000-3-3, which takes into account flicker up to a frequency of 80Hz, the result must be less than 1.

► Tip: With power supply manufacturer MEAN WELL, this measured value is available in the EMC reports of the accredited bodies.

The metric for the stroboscopic effect (change in motion perception caused by a light stimulus with fluctuating spectral distribution or luminance) is now the standardised quantity SVM. SVM = 1 represents the visibility threshold for an average observer in a frequency range from 80 to 2000 Hz.

For mandatory testing according to IEC 63158, which must be performed at full load for dimmable light sources, the limit for SVM is <0.4. For LED power supplies in full-load operation on the 230 VAC low-voltage mains, double the mains frequency – i.e. the 100 Hz current ripple – is to be taken into account.

Our technical sales team here at Schukat electronic can advise you on questions relating to the new (EU) 2019/2020 regulation, as well as on general power-supply-related questions.

As the largest European MEAN WELL distributor, we carry a very wide selection of the manufacturer’s power supplies in our extensive power supply portfolio for LED lighting and other applications.