High-power 1,800 K LED provides mercury-free replacement for high-pressure sodium lamps
The introduction of NVSWE21A-V1 from NICHIA gives a new direct-mount option in LEDs producing the characteristic high-pressure sodium (HPS) amber glow, and adds a direct-mount chip-scale package version of its successful 1,800 K LEDs.
The 1,800 K LEDs provide a true LED alternative to HPS lamps in streetlights and other outdoor lighting applications.
The new NVSWE21A-V1 joins the 219F series of high-power LEDs in the NICHIA portfolio of HPS replacement LEDs. These LEDs produce a mercury-free alternative to HPS lamps while retaining the nostalgic amber glow of HPS lighting.
Until now, the absence of a viable and sustainable LED alternative to HPS has hampered efforts to phase out its use. HPS lamps have remained exempt from the list of banned products under the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
The 1,800 K NVSWE21A-V1 and NVSW219F LEDs enable lighting manufacturers to take advantage of a more efficient, longer-lasting alternative to HPS lamps while retaining the same nostalgic effect of HPS when used in municipal lighting.
The NVSWE21A-V1 and NVSW219F 1,800 K LEDs include less blue content than other cooler-white LEDs, supporting the industry’s darker sky initiatives, and making less impact on the environment. In addition, these 1,800 K LEDs have a CRI of 70, compared to the typical HPS lamp CRI score of 5. This means that they provide better rendering of the natural colors of a cityscape than is possible with the monotone output of an HPS lamp.
This improved CRI helps the viewer to distinguish the colors of clothes, cars and buildings under street lighting, creating a safer environment. In addition, the use of the NVSWE21A-V1 or NVSW219F LEDs allows for instantaneous on/off switching, output modulation, and dimming controls, which are all impossible with HPS lamps.