Downlights have several benefits:

• They can remove unsightly imperfections in the ceiling, especially an issue in older renovated homes.
• They provide a desirable look, because they are flush and minimalist.
• They offer an excellent lighting choice for low ceilings.
• They allow flexibility in partly lighting a room.
• They reduce the chances of tall people hitting their heads with low-hanging light fittings.

Myths about why people might think downlights are desirable:

• Energy efficiency. Just because downlights are low voltage does not mean they use less energy, as their amperage is quite high. For example, high-voltage GU10 downlights use less power than low-voltage MR16 downlights, because they do not need control gear. Energy is lost during the transformation process of 240V to 12V, and also the low-voltage cable and lamp holder get hotter due to the higher amperage.
• Downlights do not effectively use the walls and ceiling to deflect lighting around the room, creating a more evenly spread brightness.

The ultimate solution for building air tightness would be surface-mounted downlights, and they are becoming available. However, they currently do not have the ability to produce a flush look with the necessary light output without breaking the building envelope.

Using a recessed luminaire with a barrier or an IC-rated fitting can provide significant benefits when designed correctly, but at the end of the day, it’s all about maintaining the thermal and airtight barrier of a building.

OR

OR

The post How Are Downlights Beneficial? appeared first on Efficiency Matrix.]]> https://efficiencymatrix.com/downlight_benefits/feed/ 0 https://efficiencymatrix.com/ic-4-rated-downlights-vs-barrier-standard/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ic-4-rated-downlights-vs-barrier-standard https://efficiencymatrix.com/ic-4-rated-downlights-vs-barrier-standard/#respond Wed, 02 Apr 2014 04:29:05 +0000 https://efficiencymatrix.com/?p=11091 With LED lighting becoming the mainstream in todays recessed lighting industry, and with the need to make the building envelope and thermal envelope as consistent as possible, the barrier standard...

With LED lighting becoming the mainstream in todays recessed lighting industry, and with the need to make the building envelope and thermal envelope as consistent as possible, the barrier standard (AS/NZS 5110) was implemented (Called up by AS/NZS 3000 the wiring rules) and now luminaire fittings without a cover are required to have IC ratings (AS/NZS 60598.2.2).

The different standardised solutions specified in AS 3000, which can be implemented to will achieve a similar result for household safety, yet different results for energy efficiency of heating and cooling.  

Taking into Consideration LED’s can have such a long lamp life and they are composed of electronic components, it is actually very important to understand what temperatures they get to, especially if they are IC rated and have a heat sink fin design, which is not the best design under insulation.

If you are looking at owning or you currently own IC-4 (IC-F) rated fittings, and there are some great products out there but, be careful about lamp life. HOLD onto your receipt, because there is a chance of premature failure regardless of Warrantee.  These fittings are not required to be tested for LED life longevity under insulation, and can over heat and fail prematurely.  An IC-4 rating is a safety standard only.  Although a NATA accredited test laboratory (Such as LEDLab) would perform an In-Situ test of such a product actually covered with insulation, this is not a mandatory test.  If correctly performed this test will give a close approximation of LED lifetime.  However even government subsidy schemes such as I-PART and VEET do not require NATA endorsed In-Situ reports and reports from overseas are accepted even if performed at 25 degrees uncovered. 

So when you consider IC Rated Downlights there is still a good reason why you could benefit significantly using a barrier on top of an IC rated fitting.  The LED chip will run cooler and the fitting will last longer.

 

IC-4 (IC-F) Rated Downlights VS Barrier Standard

Luminaire Barriers:    Extend the building envelope

IC-4 & IC-F Rated fittings:          Become the building envelope

All of these standards do not include the control gear, and it must be considered when installing these fittings.

CA90 Downlight Fitting:     Fitting can be abutted to its sides with insulation only.

IC-4 (IC-F) Downlight Fitting:     Largest hole on a fitting must be less than 1mm in width,but what happens to control gear?

IP-65 Downlight Fitting:     Highly protected against dust and water.    Ingress protection.

IC Downlight Fitting:     Fitting can be abutted and covered with insulation, but what happens to control gear?

IC-F (IC-4) Downlight Fitting (NZ):    Fitting is a completely sealed unit and can be abutted and covered with insulation, again, what happens to control gear?

These fittings really need to be installed under insulation, and they should be designed without fins to enable efficient dissipation of heat in insulation.  Fins in a heat sink do not help when submerged inside insulation.

The Benefits of the two solutions

What ends up happening…

Barrier Standard fitting combination

Click here to see more about our Downlight Covers 

• A good quality air tight barrier insulates extreme temperatures in the roof from the luminaire more reliably.  Roof area temperatures in Australia can go as high as 60˚C for significant periods of time.
• It includes an R-value in the barrier itself.
• Keeps insulation away from a LED Luminaire allowing an area to breathe in, improving lamp life longevity.
• Can provide a Tested and reproducible sound proofing and fire rating if required in the building.
• Provides an ability to keep heat producing control gear outside of the barrier and away from insulation, improves control gear longevity.
• Significantly Reduces the chance of vermin living on top of insulation hotspots where they may lower the life of the luminaire, from compacting insulation and or excretion.  This was a common occurrence with Halogen Lighting in Australia.
• Install-able from below the ceiling.

Things to look out for:

• Make sure the downlight cover includes an R-Value.  Steel and plastic do not insulate at all, and they contribute to thermal bridging.  Heat sinks are great conductors.
• Ensure the barrier conforms as a combination barrier with a LED

IC/IC-4 Rated fittings 

• Quick and easy installation.
• Insulation consistency is maintained but can be problematic, because the insulation will sit up off of the plasterboard, and hot attic air can move in between the gap.
• The heat sink is exposed outside of the building envelope directly into insulation.  The insulation after time usually sags around the luminaire and reduces exposed cooling plasterboard exposed to the living area for an efficient means of dissipating heat downwards.
• Install-able from below the ceiling.

Things to look out for:

• Be wary of what temperature IC-4/IC-F/IC testing was undertaken with, because most roof cavities in Australia can reach extremely high temperatures.  25˚C Ambient testing is not reflective of some roof cavities that can reach up to 60˚C very consistently.
• Newer LED downlights do not stand as high, so insulation does not lift up so much.  This means that there is less air for the LED to breath with, and less uninsulated plaster for the fitting to use to dissipate heat downwards into the living area.
• No matter how much a luminaire manufacturer tells you an LED is designed to run under insulation, if they can run cooler they will last a lot longer.  Heat sink fins do not help LEDS to dissipate heat under insulation.  a flat surface with a larger surface area is more beneficial.
• Luminaires that are designed  to operate under insulation directly abutted and covered, should not have fins on the heatsink, but should be conducting straight into insulation batts with an entirely flat piece of aluminium as opposed to using convection.  Hold onto to your receipt to ensure you can replace the fitting should it fail.
• AS3000 has some requirements for transformers.  Make sure the Control gear can also be covered in insulation, most of the time it CANNOT!
• If the control equipment needs to be clear of insulation, mount them on structural timbers or look at using an insulative barrier that can allow installation of the control gear up and out of the way of insulation.
• Having a gap under the insulation, where the LED is completely open underneith, will highly likely become a nesting ground for vermin during cooler times of the year, where they will excrete and move around at night potentially causing damage to the luminaire.
• The LED can be exposed to hotspots depending on how the insulation forms on and around the LED.
• The amount of exposed plasterboard where heat can radiate downwards is not garaunteed, especially with some of the more flat LED’s that do not protrude so much.
• Lamp longevity testing is NOT required to be done under insulation, IC-4 rating a fitting is only a safety thing.  Hold onto your receipt when covering these fittings with insulation.

Electronic luminaire or control gear failures operating inside elevated temperature environments.

These failure rates can depend on how efficient a given device is capable of moving heat away from the electronic components, control gear and LED itself.  But it helps understand just how critical it is to keep these devices as cool as possible to ensure a much longer lamp life.

25˚C represents no change in lamp life, and most IC-rating tests are conducted using this temperature.  Any exposure that a fitting like this might get from the loft area which can go to 65˚C will have the following effect on an LED.

• 45˚C  Operating temperature can reduce LED/Control gear life expectancy by 7.  50000 hour service life could become 7000 hour.*
• 65˚C  Operating temperature can reduce LED/Control gear life expectancy by 40.  50000 hour service life could become 1500 hour.*

*As a contrast, a high quality MR16 Halogen globe should last up to 5000 hours.

If you are buying/using an IC rated fitting that has only been tested at 25˚C Ambient, and you aren’t using an insulative barrier with it, make sure you hold onto your receipt!

Conclusion

Its important to keep LED’s as cool as possible.  Protecting the LED from roof area temperatures while also allowing it to breath so that it can dissipate its own heat is a tight balancing act.

Both solutions, provide a significant energy efficiency benefit as opposed to old Halogen oven technology recessed lighting which can contribute significantly to draughts and insulation inconsistencies while also being a fire hazard with old filament lighting technologies.

So when you consider IC Rated downlights VS The Barrier Standard.  There are still good reasons why you could benefit significantly using a barrier on top of an IC rated fitting.   So they don’t necessarily need to be competing standards.

50W halogen globes can get to 90˚C on the plasterboard without a barrier, so if your LED luminaire has control gear that can support a 50W halogen globe, it is extremely likely that the luminaire will not be able to be covered by insulation or a barrier.

Be aware!!! In order to ensure an LED with a AS/NZS 5110 barrier or IC Rated LED fitting is installed as efficiently as possible for heating and cooling, its important to put insulation around the luminaire/barrier afterwards. So make sure your professional tradesman who installs an energy efficient barrier or an IC rated fitting, finishes the job and covers the downlights after fit off.   Be aware of the limitation of control gear, most of the time they need to be away from insulation.  Read the documentation, and hold onto your receipts if you are completely submerging your IC rated downlight with insulation.

Click here for an article on LED Thermal issues.

The post IC-4 Rated Downlights VS Barrier Standard appeared first on Efficiency Matrix.]]>

AS/NZS 5110 is a safety standard that is called up by AS/NZS 60598 when insulation clearances are required to be reduced, such as:

• For fire rating requirements,
• Sound proofing
• Energy efficiency

If none of the above features are needed:

• A 200mm clearance of insulation is required from incandescent/halogen lighting, and
• A 50mm clearance of insulation is required from LED lighting,

and everything complies because 5110 is not required to be adhered to.

In case you need to cover your downlights for any of the three reasons listed in red above, here are the potential solutions…

Firstly, here is a good example of a solution that does not comply with AS/NZS 5110:

GU10 and MR16 Pin Outs

Fixed is smaller, more airtight, and non-adjustable, while Gimble is larger and manoeuvrable

1. GU10 & MR16 with 50W Transformer (Iron Core or Electronic) fixed Fittings (65mm – 95mm cutout)

Status: Uncoverable

Fixed head fitting with no enclosure reaches 90˚C at the plasterboard (this is the limit for compliance to AS/NZS 5110). In order to keep this downlight cover at this temperature, the compliant barrier would need to be very well ventilated.

Halogen Globes reach extreme temperatures of 350˚C + and with a fixed head fitting can reach 90˚C without an enclosure. Fixed head fittings may benefit your home’s energy efficiency due to reduced air leakage rates compared to a gimble fitting, but they are uncoverable and thus require the 200mm insulation clearance stipulated in AS/NZS 60598.

Because these fittings can be installed with 50W Halogen Globes, they must be tested with 50W Globes, even though the GU10 Fitting may be sold as an LED Fitting. Beware to check that these fittings are labelled with AS/NZS5110 before thinking about submerging them in insulation. (Again, GU10 LED’s need to be tested with GU10 50W Halogen; otherwise, they don’t comply with AS/NZS 5110).

These types of fittings are extremely restrictive to cover and insulate due to the ability to retrofit them with Halogen type globes and should be avoided for new homes. It is critical in case your house is sold to someone who isn’t aware of the difference between Halogen and LED’s and undertakes replacing an LED with a halogen globe.

2. MR16 Fitting with a Gimble fitting and LED Control Gear (82mm + Cutout)

Status: Coverable

Compared to a Fixed fitting, a gimble has significantly reduced temperatures at the plasterboard when installed with halogen Lighting.

3. LED Full Fitting with LED Control Gear built into Fitting. (No GU10 no MR16)

Status: Coverable

LED fittings cannot be retrofitted with a halogen globe

4. MR16 Fitting with LED Control Gear

Status: Coverable

LED MR16 Fitting cannot be retrofitted with a Halogen Globe due to the use of an LED Driver

The Small Basic Downlight Covers are capable of complying to AS/NZS5110 for energy efficiency, sound proofing and with an up to 2 hour fire rating.

Benefits for covering LED’s

Loft area temperatures can get to temperatures of 70˚C.  LED’s that are designed to be enclosed in a cover and ventilate with cooler living area air can benefit from an airtight barrier.

Building envelope extension in summer protects the LED from excess temperatures

Covering an LED downlight with a quality downlight cover can save considerable money on heating and cooling costs, but don’t forget about keeping control gear safe and out of the way of insulation. Efficiency Matrix downlight covers have a built-in loop for cable tying control gear.

LED downlight fittings installed with a building envelope extension (Recessed Lighting Barrier AS/NZS 5110)

This is because they exist in two completely different parts of the home:

1. the roof area, and
2. the living area

This exposes these electrical devices to potentially extremely dangerous situations, while at the same time contributing to significant energy losses for heating and cooling…

Examples of unsafe downlights installed:

This downlight has been installed with some sort of a cardboard cover which has started burning due to the extreme temperatures that come out of halogen lighting

A downlight that had been installed straight through a wood member with halogen lighting, is a huge danger and definitely not a legal installation. Should a downlight be installed like this contact a licensed electrician to work out the best way to resolve this situation.

Poorly terminated Lamp holder to control gear has melted this transformer. This situation could become very dangerous over time.

A Downlight that has been inundated with Leaves and insulation. Its easy to understand how dust comes through your downlights when you see this. With Halogen Lighting, this type of occurrence is also extremely dangerous, for fire safety. Dry leaves are an excellent ignition source, and Halogen Lighting reaches temperatures in excess of 350C˚

This home shows an example of unsafe insulation installed on top of a 50W Halogen Downlight. Home insulation and Halogen Lighting/LED Electronics do not work well together. Heat Build up with any electric appliance is very dangerous. Luckily, this home escaped the high potential of fire.

Burned electrical cabling caused by an illegal installation of recessed lighting.

The chances of transformers starting a fire in a home are almost as great as Halogen Lighting starting a fire. Control gear must be installed as per manufacturers instructions which is usually well away from insulation.

Control Gear failure is an extremely important part of installing downlights safely. LED lighting still has control gear and to ensure a long lasting transformer these appliances should be up and away from insulation. All LED Lighting is Low voltage, so whether you buy a 240V LED or not, heat dissipation from control gear electronics needs to be considered.

Take a look at our Downlight Mitt cover product for LED Lighting.  For LED and Halogen Lighting, take a look at the Loft Mitt.

Click here to see Product information

All Photo’s were taken by Mal Boyd from Save Energy Plus.  Should any customers have any additional photo’s of unsafe downlights installed and you would like to share them, feel free to email them with a description.

Downlight Cover Compatible LED Products

IMPORTANT! There may be other cheaper products on the market, but they may not comply to AS/NZS 5110 Barrier Standard. They sometimes also need to be assembled on site, and they may not have a place to cable tie control gear.  Be sure to check that you are comparing our product with a Cover that complies to the barrier standard called up by AS/NZS 60598.

Here is a table we have complied with for specification requirements when requiring the use of our downlight covers for Sound proofing, fire ratings and energy efficiency. Note: Some products may no longer be available.

Nathers requirements for Energy Star ratings and recessed lighting are summarized below, based on Nathers Documentation Technical Note 2, Version 1.0, 2012.

Downlight Covers

Approved to AS/NZS 5110:2012, non-ventilated covers enable the insulation to be firmly installed around the LED luminaire, allowing for an R-value above the light via the material of the downlight cover itself. No ceiling penetration allowance needs to be made.

The use of downlight covers must be noted on the electrical plan; otherwise, insulation installers will assume the default values of insulation clearances apply. Where downlight covers have been allowed for in the rating, assessors cannot certify plans that do not explicitly show the use of approved downlight covers.

Further information on approved fireproof downlight covers can be obtained from your electrical wholesaler, supplier, or directly from Efficiency Matrix.

Air Infiltration through Downlights

Unless otherwise noted on the electrical plan, all downlights will be considered to be ventilated. However, this does not apply to downlights fitted with approved non-ventilated covers that allow for the ceiling insulation to tightly enclose the sides and top. This must be noted on the electrical plan; otherwise, the default values will apply.

Guidance for calculating ceiling penetrations

The AS/NZS 5110 Safety Standard comes into play when a builder or homeowner requires the following features in the building and thermal envelope of the building:

1. Fire Rating
2. Draught Proofing
3. Insulation
4. Sound Proofing

If you need any of these features in your ceiling system, particularly with recessed lighting, your fittings must comply with the AS/NZS 5110 Safety Standard.

The Efficiency Matrix Small Basic Cover is designed to meet this standard, even in abnormal conditions. It provides:

• Up to 2-hour Fire Rating
• Sound Proofing capabilities
• An easy installation process from below the ceiling, with a 95mm cut-out and built-in R-value for energy efficiency

We have partnered with LED Lighting suppliers to ensure compatibility with our products, so you can maintain your lighting warranty. For more information on the Small Basic Cover and other downlight covers, visit the Tighthouse website

The Small Basic Cover has undergone rigorous testing, including submersion in 400mm of insulation, to demonstrate its energy efficiency benefits for both heating and cooling.

Sound Proofing recessed lighting for RW34 installations is possible, and doubling up (Stacking) the downlight cover can assist in achieving RW38. There are “official” tests in the industry that require the testing of downlight barriers for the commercial industry in a scenario where a concrete slab is the fitting.  There is no actual test focusing primarily on the soundproofing capabilities of a fitting or downlight cover available in the industry other than our testing which tries to prove that our products can maintain sound proofing when downlights are specified to be installed in a dwelling.

We undertook some testing in insertion loss and transmission loss and compared these tests with products available in the market.

• Testing with a Basic Fitting (No cover installed/Perforated Tin Can installed)
• Testing with no downlight installed (No hole in plaster)
• Testing with a traditional Plastic Downlight cover
• Testing with Basic Mitt and Halogen Mitt (Ventilated and non-ventilated Tighthouse Product)

What do the different test results represent?

Imagine you have two spaces, so in a downlight installation scenario, you have a ceiling cavity or Loft (We’ll call this space A) and the receiving room/Living area below the ceiling cavity (We’ll call that space B).

Transmission Loss is the difference of the noise level between Space A to Space B. This difference is a result of all the building elements you are testing through (i.e. the ceiling, the light, the downlight cover, etc.). So, think of Transmission Loss as the comparison of noise between 2 different spaces.

Insertion Loss is the difference to the noise level in Space B only after you change something. (i.e. before you add a cover and after you add a cover, what is the difference?). So, think of Insertion Loss as the comparison of with and without a downlight cover.

The conclusion from our ViPAC report.

The Downlight Mitt and Basic Mitt with a 90mm gimble downlight perform very similarly to 16mm fire rated plasterboard at frequencies above 500Hz.  The difference in weighted sound reduction between no downlight installed at all and a gimble fitting installed with both our covers was 1dB.

To Achieve RW38+CTR 2 of our downlight covers must be stacked on top of each other.  We strongly recommend using an IC rated fitting to achieve this level of sound proofing.

If you are looking for a product to help you achieve an RW34 or 38 +CTR installations of our Speaker Mitt and Small Basic covers are the product you are looking for.

Insertion Loss

Transmission Loss of Downlight Covers

How our downlight covers perform? An R3.5 Batt vs the Downlight Mitt on a Cool Melbourne Day. The LED downlights were not turned on for 24 hours. The warm behind the downlight is caused by the R-value performance of the downlight cover.

Downlight Covers comparison of the Loft Mitt/ Downlight Mitt & Basic Mitt for Gimble (For recessed lighting Ventilated 75-95mm cut out fittings or larger) downlights compared/versus other Mainstream Australian downlight cover products on the Australian Market which do not comply to Australian Standard AS/NZS5110 for reduced insulation clearances and Air tightness.

IMPORTANT! There maybe other cheaper downlight cover products on the market, but they may not comply to AS/NZS 5110 Barrier Standard, they also need to be assembled on site and they normally do not have a place to cable tie control gear.  Be sure to check that you are comparing our product with a Cover that complies to the barrier standard called up by AS/NZS 60598.

Our Covers are tested for Air tightness and R-value Consistency specifically for energy efficiency benefits/Fire ratings and Sound proofing requirements to comply with stringent Australian Standards.

Find out more about the Australian barrier standard and how it compares to the luminaire standard.

None of our products support fixed 65mm-73mm cut out fittings with an install from below the ceiling, consult your manufacturer if they are compatible with our products.  Visit our support page for compatible LED products.  LED model numbers are specified right down the bottom.

There are no Australia approved downlight covers that can be completely submerged in insulation, even though some may advertise this (Our downlight cover has a built in R-value to assist in thermal insulation consistency.  Our downlight covers can be installed with insulation up to its 200mm high line.  All control gear must be considered when covering our cover.  Efficiency Matrix cover is the most insulative and air tight covers on the market with 3rd party supported documentation for all of its features.

At Efficiency Matrix we recognize that some fittings/lamps need to be thought about before covering them with a quality downlight cover like ours.  For this reason, we put together this Downlight Covers Comparison Chart.  We do NOT market or have a solution that fixes every single possible recessed lighting scenario because some fittings/globes may overheat when bottled up in a fixed head fitting and a sealed downlight cover.  For that reason, Efficiency Matrix has a ventilated downlight cover version as well as a sealed downlight cover.

Our covers assist in satisfying Australian standard AS 1530 Part 4 and Bushfire standard AS 3959 for pergolas and eaves for recessed lighting and In-ceiling speakers.

Please contact Efficiency Matrix, before purchasing LED Light fittings, should you require some or all of the features our downlight covers can provide, we can recommend Fittings from our LED Lighting Partners.

Our tested LED products run a higher level of energy efficiency to their competitor’s products enabling the fittings to produce more light and less heat, which is key to allowing the use of our downlight covers.

 

Features	Loft Mitt (16W LED & 35W halogen with a gimble fitting)	Downlight Mitt (10W LED)	Basic Mitt	Plastic Isolite	Tin Can	Other Rockwool covers	Igloo
Fire Rated	Yes (up to 2 hours)	Yes (up to 2 hours)	Yes (up to 2 hours)	No	No	No	No
Fire Resistant	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stops Draught	Yes	Yes	Reduced	Yes	No	Yes	Reduced
Zero Insulation Clearances	Yes (Up to 200mm on the side of the cover)	Yes (Up to 200mm on the side of the cover)	No (Does not comply with AS5110)	No (Does not comply with AS5110)	No (Does not comply with AS5110)	No (Does not comply with AS5110)	No (Does not comply with AS5110)
Accoustic Testing RW34+CTR installs	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Thermal R-value	Yes (R-Value of .5)	Yes (R-Value of .5)	Yes	No	No	No	No
Below Ceiling install	Yes 95mm hole	Yes 80mm hole	Yes 80mm hole	No	Yes	No	No
Transformer holder inc	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Control gear access from below the Ceiling?	Yes 150mm hole	Yes 90mm hole	Yes 90mm hole	No	Yes	No	No
Conforms to Australian standard AS/NZS 5110 tested, for reduced insulation clearances with blow in insulation and batts	Yes Combination 50W GU10 Halogen Only & LED. MR16 NOT Compatible	Yes Combination LED only (See support Page for compatible products)	No	No	No	No	No
Lamp Compatibility	LED 20W MAX for lamp life longevity	Combination LED Fittings only. LED 13W MAX for lamp life longevity	50W	50W	50W	50W ALU	50W

Warning!

To protect yourselves from warranty issues that may occur between yourselves and the lighting manufacturer, please ensure you contact your lighting sales rep in regards to using any manufacturers sealed downlight cover over your recessed luminaires.

Downlights introduce significant inefficiencies to the effectiveness of home energy efficiency for heating and cooling.  Our downlight cover strategy is to be the link between recessed lighting and the insulation/Building envelope.  Additionally, our Downlight covers can play a fundamental role in enabling fire rating and sound proofing for architects in the building envelope(commercial and residential).

Should Architects have, any questions regarding a combination of LED’s that can be used with our Downlight Covers, please contact us.