Power

What is electrical power?

• Input power to the light, usually measured at stable operation (warmed up)
• Defines the total power of the light, and generally defines the “class” of lighting product. A 20-watt pod is a different class from a 10-watt pod, etc.

How do we use it at Diode?

• We use it in engineering as an input for product planning. 
• The maximum power we can run is always determined by the size of the lamp. The heatsink size is what eventually determines the maximum potential output we will achieve, before considering efficiency and other factors.
• We can use the electrical power along with lumens to determine the efficacy of a light. For example, if a lamp runs at 10 watts, and shines with 800 lumens, it would be described as 80 lumens per watt. "Lumens per watt" is a very common way to describe how efficient a lamp is.

What is optical power?

• This is also a measurement of power, but it is the power contained in the actual emitted photons of light.
• Normally output power is measured as visible light, in lumens. However, colors and infrared do not shine a lot of visible light, so instead, the total output may be rated in watts.
• We use optical power to describe the output level of colored lights, especially infrared LEDs.