Do you want your LED brightness to decrease? Or do you plan to change its brightness? Then choose a dimmable driver or power supply. Why? Power supplies are easy to distinguish because of how they work. Specification sheets also provide additional information, such as what kind of dimmers the driver can be controlled with.
Power Supply Requirements
One of the first things to consider is how much voltage your light requires. So, if your LED requires 20 volts to operate, you should buy a 20-volt driver.
In short, the goal is to ensure your driver receives the appropriate amount of power. A general rule is that you should be able to operate within the light range.
For constant voltage drivers, you can also consider the voltage range. However, you can measure both the voltage and current range using a constant current driver.
Note how much voltage the recommended LED light will use. Therefore, ensure the LED driver can handle the voltage from the LED. This makes it easy to step down to the required output voltage.
Additionally, you should consider wattage. In this process, be sure to buy a driver with a maximum wattage higher than the light's.
Power Factor
The power factor helps determine how much power the driver is drawing from the grid. And the range is typically from -1 to 1. Because of this, a power factor of 0.9 or higher is the norm. In other words, the closer the number is to 1, the better the driver's performance.
Safety
Your LED driver should meet several different standards. For example, we have UL Class 1 and Class 2. Use UL Class 1 for drivers that output high voltages. A secure clamp is needed for drivers in this class. It can also accommodate more LEDs, thus increasing efficiency.
At the LED level, UL Class 2 drivers don't require many safety features. It also meets the standard set by UL1310. While this class is safer, it can only operate a limited number of LEDs at a time.
IP rating is another way to measure the safety and functionality of the driver's cage. For example, if you see IP67, it means the driver can withstand dust and brief immersion in water.
Efficiency and Comfort
This part is crucial because it shows how much power the LED driver requires. This value is displayed as a percentage. Therefore, you can expect it to work properly 80% to 85% of the time.
