The difference between COB street light, SMD street light, and Module Street light

The difference between COB Street Light, SMD Street Light, and Module Street Light

Street lights, are elevated sources of light on the road’s edge. This elevated source is typically a light bulb on a pole. However, modern street lights are far more advanced than the basic model. There are solar-powered street lights and other smart and advanced lighting options. Nowadays, lamps are outfitted with light-sensitive photocells that activate the light, whenever necessary, particularly when there is no or little ambivalent lighting on the road.Streetlights have a rich history, where these elevated sources of light have been used since ancient times for ease of navigation and safety. The streetlight serves the same purpose of providing a sense of safety and security to pedestrians and drivers.Street lights are an important aspect of the public place landscape. Other than providing light and illuminating dark areas, they are also a source of comfort, safety, development, and ease.These special elements are not just for giving light and direction, they also offer an appealing visual when customized to suit the landscape and structures around them. Hence, it gets much more important to select the right kind of light mechanism when choosing a street light setup.Alite has catalogs of various street lights to choose from, including COB street lights, SMD street lights, module street lights, solar-assisted, smart street lights, and residential ones. Have a look at this article to find out more!


What are a few essential parameters of LED lights?
Certain factors must be considered when selecting LED lights for use in streetlight lamps.
1. Wattage- When selecting an LED light, wattage is an important factor to consider. A LED bulb with a high wattage emits more light. However, the wattage of LEDs in streetlights must be determined in conjunction with other factors such as lighting distribution and division.
2. LED Driver- LED drivers (also known as LED power supplies) are similar to fluorescent lamp ballasts or low-voltage bulb transformers in that they provide LEDs with the electricity they require to function and perform optimally.
3. LED chips are an important deciding factor- LED chips play an important role in determining the quality and brightness of LED bulbs. For streetlights, there are two types of LED chips available. There are 2835,3030 and 5050 versions available. The LED chip 3030 version is a more expensive option with better performance. When it comes to energy efficiency, 5050 chips are a good choice.
4. Optical lens- A wide range of light distributions of various lenses are available for all types of lighting applications to improve light uniformity.
5. CCT (Correlated Color Temperature)- This is a measurement of the hue and tone of the white color provided by the LED. Kelvin, or K, is the unit of measurement for Correlated Color Temperature. The best CCT to use is determined by the location of the lighting.
6. CRI (color rendering index)- CRI stands for color rendering index. The Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures a light source’s ability to reproduce the colors of the object it illuminates accurately. LED lights typically have a CRI rating of 80 to 100. The high color rendering index of LED lights typically indicates a bright, natural, and accurate source of light.
Advantages of LED Streetlights or bulbs:
The street lighting systems used for the emission of light during the times of low visibility such as dusk and dawn, consume high amounts of electricity in their use. It is speculated that about 15 to 40% of the electricity consumption of a region goes towards the working of the streetlights in that area. Hence, the construction and the kind of streetlight used should be planned according to minimize the electrical consumption, installation, and maintenance cost of the streetlights. Here, using LED bulbs in streetlights comes into the picture. Recent technological developments assure an exponential increase in the light output of LEDs along with a reduction in energy consumption and maintenance costs. Due to the several advantages of LED bulbs, streetlights now use LED bulbs majorly.

● Modern LED bulbs produce 160-200 lumens of light output at just one-watt electrical power.

● The flexible and automatic control of the streetlights has increased the quality of performance of the streetlights. Also, the use of LED streetlights during the time of low visibility has resulted in energy efficiency.

● Smart LED streetlights are big when it comes to saving on energy consumption. Smart lights can automatically optimize and dim their light output according to the environment, saving on energy consumption.

● The life expectancy of an LED bulb used in the streetlight is high. The luminary output of the light remains consistent even after years of use. High life expectancy means lower maintenance costs. Even though the upfront cost of LEDs is high, the life-cycle cost of these lights is low.

● The color rendering index of the LEDs is high. The Color rendering index measures how accurately the artificial lights represent the natural color of the objects.

● Multiple lights producing a source used in the LED streetlights body reduces the glare of light.

Definition of COB LEDs, SMD LEDs, and Modular LEDs
Many LED bulbs are available in the market. These lights differ based on some essential features. We have the most common ones: COB, SMD, and module lights, which are mainly used in streetlights or lamp posts.

What are COB LED streetlights?
Here, COB stands for ‘Chip on Board.’ COB LED includes individual numerous diodes on a chip forming a single module. These numerous diodes as a singular module together emit light. There are numerous advantages to the application of COB LEDs in streetlights. For example, the chips or diodes can be spaced on the chip to produce maximum light output while being energy efficient as well.

What are SMD LED streetlights？
SMD is the abbreviated form of surface mount diode. Hence, SMD LED is essentially the surface mount light emitting diode. The SMD LED light source is a single-patch LED lamp bead with a surface-mounted light-emitting diode. An SMD LED has a higher level of efficiency. This is due to the fact that far more lumen output is generated per watt. Also,  SMD LED generates a wider light source, which implies it does not require as huge a heat sink like a COB LED. Furthermore, these lights have glazed reflectors on them, that further allow for even light distribution and conceal the chip array within the bulbs.

What are LED modules？
LEDs work by supplying voltage to any semiconductor compound, causing electrons to be struck off from surface and transmitting energy particles of light termed as ‘photons’. LED are essentially devices that transform electricity into light. In simple terms, an LED module is just a tool which contains numerous LED bulbs and is attached to a connector comprising a power source that powers each of the individual bulbs.  The material or ‘diode’ of the module is an electic semiconductor substance that, based on the kind of material, could generate a wide range of colours, or only white or Ultra violet light.

Advantages of COB, SMD, and LED Module Street Lights
All of these different types of street lights have different characteristics. They might share many similarities, but it is their differences that decide which LED street light should one go for. Based on their common characteristics and distinct features, here are some advantages of each type of street light to help you make the best choice.

Advantages of Chip On Board LED Street Light:
● It has a higher lumen per inch metric due to its compact size.

● It has a smaller circuit and fewer parts as only one circuit design is needed to power the multiple diode chips present in the COB LED bulbs.
● Heat generation can be reduced by decreasing the number of parts or components.
● The circuit board and electric connection has better reliability due to presence of wire stitching.
● It has a uniform light emitting spread over a large area, making it suitable for indoor and outdoor lighting.
● It has a relatively easy installation setup and design.

Advantages of Surface Mounted Device LED Street Light:SMD LED Street Lights are a great choice to go for due to their efficiency rates. Below listed are some of their numerous pros and advantages:
● The SMD LED came in various designs and shapes. They even have different sizes along with sophisticated designs.

● Chips used to make the SMD LED are much smaller in size, making them compact and ideal for even small minuscule spaces or corners.
● Compared to other LED types, they offer a wide light beam and can cover a larger area. This makes them perfect for coverage of large areas in industries, public spaces, roads or residential units.
● They contain the primary colors- Red, Blue, and Green, which can help generate various light combinations and produce dynamic colour effects.
● They are lightweight due to their build structure, and are easy to install. 
● Their wider light beam mechanism makes sure that less material is required for heat sink, making them more economical.

Advantages of LED Module Street Lights:With technological evolution, technology is becoming more compact and customizable. This is especially true when talking about LED module type of Street Lights. They also have numerous advantages. Some of their pros are listed below:
● They can effectively generate multi-colored lights and light shades other than just plain white light.
● They are efficient and have a better electricity to light conversion compared to traditional and modern models.
● Their better efficiency makes them ideal for multi-use like in residential complexes, business complexes, industries, etc.
● These LED circuit modules are interconnected with lead wires, which makes it easier to disconnect, re-connect, or customize. One can even create patterned street lights with these.
● They can generate a brightness range between 105 lumens to over 6000 lumens, making the adequate for all kinds of use.

Conclusion
Technology has evolved and has provided innovative mechanisms for traditional and conventional methods. Street light lighting now has better and more efficient options. All of these distinct options have their own advantages, and wide applications.COB street lights are a great option if you are looking for a durable and cheap Street light mechanism. While SMD street light provides greater efficiency and increased light coverage. Meanwhile, LED modules are a great option if you need good heat dissipation and easy maintenance, choose modular street lights.Each street light option is a game changer in itself and it is difficult to make a choice between them. There exist vast possibilities for every type of LED street light mechanisms. But the ideal one to choose depends solely upon your individual requirements, expectations, quality requirements, affordability, durability, etc.