Whether manufacturers or wholesalers, you should know the certifications of LED strips. This article will talk about the certification of LED strips you need to know.
Let’s dive right in!
The important certifications for LED lights include the CE, FCC, UL, CSA, ENERGY STAR, and RoHS. Besides, there are other voluntary certifications like GS, ENEC, ETL, cULus. These certifications specify the safety, performance, and environmental standards.
We have summarized the crucial certifications of LED strips based on countries. The LED users would have peace of mind to use these LED strips with certificates. Read on to learn more!
Certifications for Different Countries
While there are many certifications, you should justify which ones your country needs. Take a look at the certifications for certain countries here. We will explain them further in the next section.
European Union Countries
These are a few critical certifications for LED imports to European Union (EU). The mandatory one is CE certification with various directives. Besides, the voluntary compliances include GS certification, ENEC certification, and others.
The German market requires VDE certification, mainly for parts and materials.
United States
The mandatory certification to export LED strips to the United States is FCC. Whereas the voluntary ones are UL and ENERGY STAR certifications.
North American Market
The main certifications for LED lights in these countries are UL, ETL, FCC, and ENERGY STAR.
Canada
The LED strips sold in Canada need to have one of the cULus, ETL, or CSA safety certifications.
Japanese
If you are entering the Japanese market, you’re required to get the PSE certification.
Types of LED Lights Certification
1. CE Certification
The CE certification stands for Conformitè Europëenne (CE) Certification. It is mandatory for selling LEDs in the European Union. It generally comes with more than one CE directive like LVD, RED, RoHS, EMC. The LED lights exported to the European Union countries must pass this certification.
It is compulsory to have the CE mark and traceability code on your products and packages. You can visit this site to learn more about CE marking.
Here are the CE directives you need to know:
(a) EMC – Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive
EMC is the electromagnetic compatibility test. It is to make sure your products do not interfere with other electrical appliances. The EMC test costs you around $100 to about $1,000.
Importers should get the EMC test report from their suppliers. You can guide them to abide by the EMC rules before production. Otherwise, send the products to third-party companies like SGS and Intertek to inspect.
(b) LVD – Low Voltage Directive
The Low Voltage Directive is the safety certification. It states the voltage limits for electrical equipment. The input voltage for most LED products is from 50V – 1000V AC, or around 120V – 1,500V DC. Unsafe LED lights could lead to fires and casualties.
You could get the LVD test report from your suppliers. The other option is to engage a third-party company to test for LVD compliance. The testing generally costs a minimum of $700.
(c) RED – Radio Equipment Directive
This directive sets the standards for electromagnetic compatibility. It also states about health, safety, and the efficient use of the radio spectrum.
You can only get this certification through third-party lab testing. Very few LED manufacturers provide this report. Based on how complex your products are, it costs you around $100 to about $1,000.
(d) Ecodesign Directive
The EU countries set eco-design standards to enhance the environmental performance of LEDs. You’ll need to follow these standards for the energy efficiency of your products. Otherwise, non-compliance could cause fines and prohibition from entering the country.
Your products need to have energy labels and test reports. Besides, product life cycle analysis is vital to ensure ecodesign compliance. You can either get the report from suppliers or testing companies.
2. UL Certification
Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is a global safety certification organization. The UL standards state the safety requirements. It also conducts safety analysis for electrical components.
UL certification is voluntary if you want to export or sell LED lights in the United States. Yet, it is mandatory for Amazon and many US states. It tests for durability, longevity, and resistance.
The UL certification could be costly and time-consuming to get. Yet, it is important as most companies opt for UL-listed LEDs. UL Standards are stricter and more reliable. It is also consistent in testing electrical and mechanical safety.
There are different UL standards for various LED lighting products. UL 588 is for seasonal decorative products and UL 8750 is for use of LED in lighting products. Besides, UL 8753 is for replaceable LED light engines, and UL 2592 is for low voltage LED wires.
You must pass the UL8750 about the application safety for LED light sources. It states the requirement for electric structure, structural structure, and the working environment. Besides, you can also make fireproof evaluations, mechanical and electric via UL8750.
Your LED lights could be UL certified, listed, recognized, classified, or performance verified. Each LED light element needs to be tested one by one for specific standards.
3. FCC Certification
FCC stands for Federal Communication Commission. The FCC certification is mandatory for all LED lights sold in the United States. This rule supervises the frequency spectrum and interference on telecommunication networks. Different LED products have different FCC requirements. Still, most LED lights are subject to FCC Part 15 requirements.
There is a limit for LED lights with unintentional radiators. The radiated emission limit is from 30MHz to 10,000MHz. What about intentional radiators of smart homes and IoT LED lighting products? They are subject to other specific rules under FCC Part 15.
To import LED lights to the American market, you need the FCC certification. FCC tests conducted emission, radiation emission, and electromagnetic compatibility. It is like the CE certification. Yet, the FCC has different immunity rules and test frequency range.
4. RoHS – Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive
As the name states, RoHS limits hazardous substances in the products. It is a directive under CE certifications, compulsory for all LEDs sold in the EU. Besides, RoHS is also mandatory in some US states. For instance, California, Florida, New York, Maryland, and Washington.
RoHS aims to achieve better environmental protection. It restricts heavy metals in LED lights and other electronic products. For instance, lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PDBE.
You can buy RoHS compliant parts directly or submit the LED lights for testing. Otherwise, you can tell your manufacturers to use only RoHS-compliant parts.
5. ENERGY STAR Certification
This certificate ensures that the products are at strict energy efficiency standards. The standards are set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It is a voluntary certification to recognize and promote energy-efficient products.
There are a few requirements for your LEDs to qualify for ENERGY STAR certification. They must meet the brightness, light output, color quality, and energy efficiency standards. Your LED products must also pass the mandatory safety requirements first.
The LED lights with the ENERGY STAR label have certain features. They are more durable, cost-efficient, and energy-efficient. Consumers prefer these LED lights for their high quality and performance.
You can check this article to learn How are LED Lights Energy-Saving.
6. CSA Group
The CSA stands for compliance, standards, and accountability. It is from the Canadian standards development organization. The CSA certification certifies products based on specific criteria.
CSA mark is not a mandatory certification. Instead, it is a voluntary one. It reports product evaluation, quality standards certification, and energy efficiency verification. You can verify the LEDs working hours and longer replacement cycles with it.
If you want to check certifications for certain LED products, you can look them up on CSA Group’s website.
Factors in Applying Certifications for LED Lights
LED lightings are now the ideal alternative compared to traditional light sources. It is an emerging industry from which many businesses profit. But, if you want to do business out of this trend, you need to learn the rules.
To apply for these LED certifications, you should understand their objectives. You need certifications to export LEDs for the international or targeted markets.
Besides, you should consider combined certifications for different technologies of your products. In this case, know your product, manufacturing process, and market well to find out the types of certificates you need.
Not only that, you need to learn the quality standards required. Ensure your samples are up to the requirements. Otherwise, it costs you more to modify and retest them. Make sure your final LED light products are the same as the tested sample.
Before you apply, you need to plan your time. Note the timeframe needed to get the approved certifications. Also, you should check for updates regularly and communicate with the certification company.
Summary
Certification applications could be timely and costly. Yet, they are beneficial to your company. It is one of the essential factors consumers look at before buying LED lights. You can also learn more about How to Install LED Lights here.
I hope this article is helpful in sharing the essential certifications of LED lights. With these certifications, customers would get a sense of security using your products. You can also enter your target country without hassles!
