Lighting - Testing and Certification at the VDE Institute

Our VDE test specification

Our VDE test specification covers all possible areas of application for lamps and luminaires with HCL control indoors - in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, offices, factories and at home. It is important to mention that different areas of application require different settings. Higher illuminance and cold light are required in schools and offices in order to increase the melanopic effect in the human body and thus the performance in the morning and at noon. In contrast, warm white light with high illuminance and low illuminance in the evening hours is used in hospitals and nursing homes, because here the well-being of the patient is paramount. In many companies and factories, the special case of rotating three-shift operation has to be considered. Here the disturbance of the melanopic effect must be kept as low as possible. This can be achieved by putting together daylight-based lighting with a high proportion of blue. During the night shift, lighting with a low melanopic effect should be realized.

The HCL criteria

The HCL criteria are verified by CIE S 026, DIN SPEC 5031-100 and other standards. The following test criteria are evaluated in this test:

1. Checking the lighting properties such as luminous efficacy, dimming range, color temperature range, color rendering index, color consistency, homogeneity, psychological glare, ratio of melanopic to photopic luminous flux, flicker, stroboscopic effect, energy efficiency class and photobiological safety.
2. Checking the light dynamics such as the step size of the change in brightness and color, the accuracy of the light dynamics, the selection of the light scenes and the parameters from the ASTA / DGUV regulation.
3. Testing the usability of the operation according to DIN EN ISO 9241-11.

VDE special certificate Human Centric Lighting

The inspection of HCL lamps and luminaires is awarded with a special certificate. The logo visually shows that human centric lighting focuses on people and their wellbeing. The star point system is also shown on the logo, with one star being filled in for each level reached. If all three stars are shown dark, it is a very well rated HCL system.

For the test we need:

• Safety certification according to IEC60598
• 10 lights
• 3 Control Units
• Data sheets
• Nameplate(s)

We support manufacturers and retailers of HCL systems

The aim of current research and standardization is to transfer the properties and advantages of natural daylight to indoor lighting. It is important that both the light color and the illuminance adapt to the circadian rhythm during the day. In the morning, the body is supported by cold white light with high illuminance when waking up and working. From afternoon to evening, the lighting then turns more and more to warm white and the illuminance drops. This prepares the recovery and sleep phase - just as it corresponds to the natural biorhythm.

We support manufacturers  and retailers of HCL systems in presenting the advantages of their product to the customer at a glance. In this way, consumers can be sure that the HCL system offered can really reproduce the natural spectra.

For market players, it means the following: New possibilities, but also new challenges with respect to IT security, interoperability, functionality, serviceability, service life and performance.

We help you demonstrate that sustainability means more for your products and for your company, e.g. via energy labels that underscore your products’ energy efficiency in a promotionally effective manner. Furthermore, we offer you holistic balancing of your products with a focus on the carbon footprint and many other solutions that go beyond the issues of safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). 

Additional information on our sustainability and ecodesign services

In our modern lighting laboratory, we have the know-how and the necessary equipment for testing products and highlighting high-performance products. We test the biological effect of light and determine its spectral properties. And we do so flexibly, quickly and around the globe.

To meet the demand for independent testing that covers all aspects of the performance characteristics of lamps and lights, the VDE Institute operates a test center for photometry and spectrometry. The scope of services ranges from luminous flux measurement, the color rendering index, spectral value percentages and color temperature to evaluating the photobiological safety, logging the light distribution curve and spatially resolved measurements of spectral distributions.

In addition, light is increasingly being assessed and evaluated in terms of its potential impact on people's well-being, for example in the field of HCL (Human Centric Lighting). The flicker properties of illumination can thus also influence well-being. For the assessment of the flicker behavior and the stroboscopic effect, we have developed a test basis with an associated certification option.