Who doesn’t love adaptability?

End users of LED fixtures certainly do. These days, they’re looking for control. And as a contractor or energy services professional, you’re in the perfect position to help them out with selectable wattage LED fixtures. Instead of traditional fixtures you have to order in one wattage, selectable wattage LEDs are made to produce almost any wattage or light temperature an end user could want.

Let’s dive into how they work, why they’re so popular, and what you need to know to make installation go smoothly.

How Do Selectable Wattage LED Fixtures Work?

Selectable wattage LED fixtures come with built-in mechanisms — usually a switch or dial — that can be turned to easily adjust the wattage to control the light output.

• The knob or switch sends a signal to the fixture’s LED driver, which adjusts the current and voltage to the LED chips.
• This changes the light output and wattage: Higher current results in brighter light, while lower current reduces light output.
• The fixture's heat management system adapts to these changes to prevent overheating.

For fixtures with selectable color temperature, the driver also adjusts the settings to activate different LED chipsets, which adjust the color temperature between warm, neutral, and cool light.

Market Overview for Selectable Wattage LEDs

Building owners love energy-efficient products, and selectable wattage LEDs are no different. So, it’s no surprise that the market is growing. Globally, the LED market as a whole is valued at a whopping $46.54 billion USD, and with the growing demand for energy efficiency and sustainability, it’s expected to balloon to over $65 billion USD by 2030. While it’s hard to say how big of a slice of that pie selectable wattage LEDs represent, it’s safe to assume it’s sizeable, as selectable wattage LEDs are about 10% more expensive than standard LEDs. These fixtures are most used in commercial buildings, retail stores, warehouses, and educational institutions.

Benefits of Selectable Wattage LEDs

Why are these fixtures so popular? Because they have benefits for everyone. Despite costing a bit more up front, they generally make life easier for distributors, installers, and end users. Here’s how.

Benefits for Distributors

Distributors love selectable wattage LEDs because they save them space and hassle. When they stock these fixtures, they can carry fewer SKUs. A single selectable wattage LED, for example, can replace anywhere from three to nine traditional fixtures, depending on the range of wattage settings it offers.

This helps distributors in two big ways.

Reduced Inventory Complexity

Storing inventory can be expensive when you factor in renting warehouse space. And while fewer SKUs might not reduce the cost of an existing warehouse rental agreement, it can free up space for other kinds of products, preventing the need to rent even more space.

It’s also easier to track fewer SKUs, making inventory management easier and errors less frequent. And with less capital tied up in inventory, the business can invest elsewhere.

Increased Sales Efficiency

The more products a distributor stocks, the harder it is for sales reps to sell them. Would you rather memorize selling points for three products or 3,000? With fewer SKUs to manage, sales teams can more easily understand and promote the products, leading to more sales. And if one product can take the place of many, it’s easier for reps to meet the needs of their customers quickly, resulting in increased customer loyalty.

Benefits for Installers

You might think installers don’t play favorites when it comes to LED products. After all, installing one kind of LED light is no different than installing another kind, right?

That’s true in a sense. But selectable wattage LEDs come with hidden advantages for installers. One big one is adjustability.

Say you’ve nearly finished the installation when the building owner changes his mind. Instead of bright light, he’d now prefer a slightly dimmer one. Normally, this would put a wrench in an installer’s entire day. They’d have to pack up, go buy another fixture, and start the installation from scratch. And if the project involved multiple fixtures, they’d have to retrace their steps for fixtures they’d already installed.

But with selectable wattage LEDs, none of that is necessary. Installers can simply take down the fixture, adjust the settings, and install it again, saving them lots of time and frustration.

For example, Litetronics recently worked on upgrading the legacy lighting for a competition gym in Fort Worth. We designed the new setup with LED fixtures that offer three selectable wattage options.

We first set the fixtures to the lowest wattage setting, based on the previous lighting levels. But once the fixtures were installed with mounting height of 40 feet, it was decided that the space needed a brighter setting. By simply adjusting the fixtures to a higher wattage, we were able to increase the light output. The result: a happy client and happy gym-goers.

"For an installer, it's all about intuition, ease of installation, minimal hiccups, and multiple choices for mounting, right there in the box as a kit."

— Jerry Cassel, Regional Sales Manager, Litetronics

Benefits for End Users

These fixtures are designed for end users, so the benefits to them are obvious. They can tailor their lighting to their unique needs and save money on their energy bills in the process. And they can reduce the wattage output for even more energy savings when needed.

But it’s important to note here that changing the wattage or color temperature isn’t always easy for the end user. In some models, these elements can easily be controlled using an app, but in others, the fixture has to be accessed and manually adjusted.

Did You Know?

Most of Litetronics’ commercial LED fixtures are compatible with our easy-to-use LiteSmart app, thanks to our plug-in Bluetooth Sensor with IR.

Tips for Contractors Using Selectable Wattage LEDs

When it comes to selectable wattage LEDs, a little preparation can go a long way. Here are some things to know before you start installing.

Tip 1: Use a Checklist

Litetronics Regional Sales Manager Jerry Cassel has compiled a checklist to use before starting any installation project. Make sure these items are on your list as well for a more successful installation.

• Voltage compatibility: Make sure the selected fixtures are compatible with the circuit voltage to prevent damage and ensure the fixtures function properly.
• Wattage selection: Choose the correct wattage to match the light output requirements you need based on the specific application and mounting height. For example, a fixture mounted on an 11-foot-high ceiling will need to be brighter than one mounted on a ceiling 9 feet above the floor.
• Color temperature: Select the appropriate color temperature to meet the aesthetic and functional needs of the space. If you want a warm white fixture for a dining room, look for 2,000 to 2,700 CCT. If you’re lighting a sales floor display, you’ll need to look for bright white at 4,500 to 5,000 CCT.
• Mounting options: Identify the right mounting method (e.g., pendant, chain, surface mount) to ensure ease of installation and stability of the fixture.
• Application-specific requirements: Address any unique needs of the application, like waterproofing for outdoor or industrial environments.

Tip 2: Select before you install

Remember, adjusting wattage usually means removing the fixture. So, try to determine the desired wattage before you install, or at least before you leave the job site. It will save you time and effort.

Tip 3: Understand legacy lighting levels

No one likes squinting to read a book or feeling like they need sunglasses in their suddenly-too-bright room. So, understand the lumen output of the current lights to know how they translate to selectable wattage LEDs.

LEDs are more efficient, so a lower wattage can produce the same amount of light as the existing fixture. A 400-watt metal halide fixture, for example, might produce around 24,000 lumens, while an LED fixture producing the same lumens may use only 150 watts.

Consider controls: If your end users want to be able to change the color temperature and wattage on their own, look into selectable wattage LEDs that can be controlled by an app. That puts the control in their hands (literally) and saves you from having to come onsite every time they want to adjust the fixture’s settings.

Get support: Despite the ease of installation of these fixtures, problems can arise. Connecting it to the wrong voltage supply, improper wiring connections, or failing to follow directions can all damage the fixture, putting you back at square one. So, choose a brand with good customer support, so you can ask questions as they come up.

"Many fixtures are designed to adapt to a range of voltages, but if you haven’t identified a circuit properly, you could end up with serious issues. For example, in the United States, circuits can vary from 120V to 480V. A fixture designed for a lower voltage installed in a higher-voltage circuit can burn out quickly."

— Jerry Cassel, Regional Sales Manager, Litetronics

What’s Next for Selectable Wattage LEDs?

What’s in store for the future of selectable wattage LEDs? Even more adaptability.

Products will most likely offer even more voltage compatibility in the future, reducing the risk of damage from improper voltage.

And as smart controls are more popular than ever, we predict even more selectable wattage LEDs coming equipped with these controls, so end users can set their own wattage and color temperature preferences, and you can install the fixture once and leave the modifications to them.

And if happy customers and less frustration aren’t a win-win, we don’t know what is.

By the way, selectable wattage is just one of the many ways LED lights can improve ROI for your end users. Be sure to check out our e-book, How to Sell a Skeptical Customer on LED by Proving ROI, for more!