UL 8750

SAFETY STANDARD FOR

LED LIGHTING
Michael Shulman
Principal Engineer
September 15, 2009

Copyright 1995-2007 Underwriters Laboratories Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reprinted
in any form without the express written permission of Underwriters Laboratories Inc. or as otherwise provided in writing.

Presentation Overview

History of LEDs in Luminaires

UL Safety Standards Impacted by LEDs
Lighting and the National Electrical Code
UL 8750
Origins, Development, and Current Status
Technical Overview
Key Issues

LED Luminaire Certifications

Whats Next
2

History of LEDs in Luminaires

History of LEDs in Luminaires

UL Safety Standards Impacted by

LEDs
Fixed Luminaires:
UL 1573 Stage & Studio Lighting
UL 1574 Track Lighting Systems
UL 1598 Luminaires

UL Safety Standards Impacted by

LEDs
Portable Luminaires:
UL 153 Portable Electric Lamps
UL 1993 Self-Ballasted Lamps and
Lamp Adapters

UL Safety Standards Impacted by

LEDs
Specialty Luminaires
UL 48 Signs
UL 588 Christmas Tree and
Decorative Lighting Outfits
UL 676 Underwater Lighting Fixtures
UL 844 Fixtures for use in Hazardous (Classified)
Locations
UL 924 Emergency Lighting and Power
Equipment )
UL 962 Household and Commercial Furnishings
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UL Safety Standards Impacted by

LEDs
Specialty Luminaires (cont.)
UL 1786 Nightlights
UL 1838 Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
Systems
UL 1994 Luminous Egress Path Marking Systems
UL 2108 Low Voltage Lighting Systems
UL 2388 Flexible Lighting Products
UL 2577 Outline for Suspended Ceiling
Grid LV Lighting Systems

Lighting and the National Electrical

Code
NEC Articles that address lighting:

210 - Branch circuit sizing

250 - Grounding & Bonding
402 - Fixture Wire
410 - Luminaires
411 - Lighting Systems Operating at < 30 V
600 Signs
700 Emergency Power
725 - Class 1, 2, & 3 Remote, Signaling, & Power
Limited Circuits
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UL 8750 Origins
In 2005, UL Recognized
Existing lighting standards did not adequately
address SSL construction features and
performance attributes
Requirements for SSL were at risk of being
independently developed and taken in divergent
tracks by different Standard panels
Rapid advances in SSL technology required
centralized information management
Uniformity of approach was needed for efficiency
and consistent certification decisions
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UL 8750 Origins
Luminaires

Portable
Luminaires

Stage and
Studio
Luminaires

Signs

Emergency
Lighting &
Exit Signs

UL1598

UL 153

UL 1573

UL 48

UL 924

UL 8750
Standard for LED Equipment For Use in Lighting Products
Self
Ballasted
Lamps

Nightlights

UL 1993

UL 1786

Low
Voltage
Systems

Track
Lighting
Systems

Submersible

UL 2108

UL 1574

UL 676

Luminaires

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UL 8750 Development
Government
5%
AHJs
Comm. & Ind. Users
9%
5%

Standards Technical
Panel

General
14%

Producers
32%

Supply Chain
23%

Consumers
5%
Testing & Standards
7%

Formed in 2007
54 members (Aug 2009)
Global representation
Interest group balance
required
Non members welcome to
participate in the process

12

UL 8750 Development
Jan 31, 2007 - 1st issue of OOI 8750 (Outline
of Investigation)
Oct 30, 2007 1st STP meeting. 39 attendees
at UL Northbrook office.
Feb 14, 2008 - 2nd issue of OOI 8750
July 22, 2008 - 3rd issue of OOI 8750
July 31, 2008 UL 8750 1st edition released to
STP for preliminary review.
May 29, 2009 -- UL 8750 1st edition released
to STP for ballot and comment.
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UL 8750 Current Status

Consensus obtained by close of ballot (July 28):

33 Yes, 6 No, 12 not returned, 0 abstentions

150 comments submitted with ballots
Responses to comments developed by UL Principal
Engineer (Ed Joseph edward.a.joseph@us.ul.com)
Revised proposed standard and responses to
comments posted on Sept. 11.
45 day recirculation period end Oct. 26.
Votes may (or might not) change

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UL 8750 Technical Overview

Scope
Products Covered
Relation to Other Standards

Terminology
Safety Issues

15

UL 8750 Technical Overview

1 Scope
1.1 These requirements cover LED equipment that is an integral
part of a luminaire or other lighting equipment and which operates in
the visible light spectrum between 400 700 nm. These requirements
also cover the component parts of light emitting diode (LED)
equipment, including LED drivers, controllers, arrays, modules,
and packages as defined within this Standard.

Power
source

Control
Module

LED package,
array, module

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UL 8750 Technical Overview

1 Scope
1.3 LED equipment is utilized in lighting products that comply with
the end-product standards listed below. The requirements in this
Standard are intended to supplement those in other end
product standards. Included are:
a) Electric Signs, UL 48;
b) Portable Electric Luminaires, UL 153;
c) Underwater Luminaires and Submersible Junction Boxes, UL
676;
d) Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment, UL 924;
e) Stage and Studio Luminaires, UL 1573;

(more )

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UL 8750 Technical Overview

1.3 LED equipment is utilized in lighting products that comply with
the end-product standards listed below. The requirements in
this Standard are intended to supplement those in other end
product standards. Included are: (continued list)
f)

Track Lighting Systems, UL 1574 ;

g)

Luminaires, UL 1598;

h)

Direct Plug-In Nightlights, UL 1786;

i)

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting Systems, UL 1838;

j)

Self-ballasted Lamps and Lampholders, UL 1993;

k)

Luminous Egress Path Marking Systems, UL 1994; and

l)

Low Voltage Lighting Systems, UL 2108.

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UL 8750 -- Terminology

Power Source
Power Supply
LED Driver
LED Package
LED Array
LED Module
LED Control Module

Consistent use of terms is vital

for the consistent application of
requirements. The definitions in
UL8750 were developed from
IESNA and IEC documents,
and continue to be refined with
the assistance of the NEMA
Lighting Division. ULs
objective is to use the
terminology accepted by the
LED lighting industry to the
greatest extent possible.

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UL 8750 Safety Issues

Legacy approaches
Precedents from other standards
Field history

Hazard Based Safety Engineering

Energy and energy transfer
Behavioral expectations

20

Hazard Based Safety Engineering

(HBSE)

21

HBSE Model for Injury

22

HBSE Model for No Injury (1)

23

HBSE Model for No Injury (2)

24

UL 8750 -- LED Safety Issues

Risk of Electric Shock Injury

Risk of Fire

Risk of Ocular Injury

25

Risk of Electric Shock Injury

Risk of Electric Shock Injury when
> 5 mA
and
>30 vac rms or > 60 vdc (dry)
>15 vac rms or > 30 vdc (wet)

26

Body Susceptibility to Current

27

Body Impedance to Current

28

Current Path Through the Body

29

LED Risk of Electric Shock Injury

30

UL 8750 Electric Shock Injury

Safeguards
Limit voltage or current to levels below the
HBSE limits
Enclose or barrier live parts to prevent
physical contact, using materials of
appropriate strength
Insulate live parts with materials resistant to
tracking, ignition, moisture absorption, etc.
Incorporate appropriate spacings between
uninsulated live parts and accessible
conductive parts
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Risk of Fire

32

Risk of Fire

33

LED Risk of Fire

34

LED Risk of Fire

Power Conversion for White Light Sources
Incandescent

Fluorescent

(60W)

(Typical linear
CW)

Visible Light

7.5 %

Infrared
Ultraviolet
Total Radiant
Energy
Heat

Metal
Halide

LED

21 %

27 %

10-15 %

73.3 %

37 %

17 %

~0%

0%

0%

19 %

0%

80.8 %

58 %

63 %

10-15 %

19.2 %

42 %

37 %

85-90 %

100 %

100 %

100 %

100 %

(Conduction +
Convection)

Total

IESNA Lighting Handbook, 9th Ed.

Osram Sylvania

35

LED Risk of Fire

Junction temperature is affected by drive current, thermal path and
ambient temperature.
Heat must be moved away from the die in order to maintain the light
output, life and color.
Heat dissipation depends upon ambient temperature and the design
of the thermal path.

Tc

Die

Resin

Heat Sink
Slug

Ta

Solder

PWB

Tj
LED

Mount
36

LED Risk of Fire

37

LED Risk of Fire

Evolving Technology
LED Lamp Performance as of 2002 and at Projected Target Dates
Date

2002

2007

2012

2020

Luminous
Efficacy (lm/W)

25

75

150

200

Input power
(W/lamp)

2.7

6.7

7.5

Die Temp.
(C)

100

300-600

500-750

600-1000

Source IESNA TN-16-06

Values in the columns denoted by 2007, 2012, and 2020 are targeted values from the LED
roadmap developed by an industry-wide conference sponsored by the DOE

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UL 8750 Fire Safeguards

Measure luminaire temperatures
Exterior surfaces thermal limits

Component and material thermal limits

Fire Enclosure
Based on energy level
Based on fuel quantity
Based on fuel characteristics

39

LED Risk of Ocular Damage

Direct viewing of incoherent visible light
(400 700 nm)
Retinal damage
Thermal - intensity of source and viewing time
Photochemical exposure to blue light - macular
degeneration

Exposure to UV (400 - 100 nm)

Irritation, corneal burn (temporary)
Cataracts
40

LED Risk of Ocular Damage

Currently, neither the U.S. nor Canada have
mandatory standards or regulations for ocular
exposure to LEDs emitting incoherent visible
light.
Activities are underway with CDRH, ANSI,
ACGIH, IESNA, CIE, IEC
Canada is developing C866, Performance of
LEDs

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UL 8750 Key Issues

Enclosures & Accessibility
What needs to be enclosed?
What can be accessible?

Drivers
What are the appropriate standard(s)?

Field Installation & Replacement Parts

Is this a standards or certification issue?

Performance Claims
Is 3rd party certification warranted?
Separate or blended with safety certification?
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UL Certification of LED Equipment

Power Source for LED Light Source
Transformers
Class 2 -- UL5085-1 + UL 5085-3
> Class 2 -- UL5085-1 + UL 5085-2
Power Supplies
Class 2 -- UL1310 or UL60950
> Class 2 UL1012
LED Drivers
Class 2 UL 1310 or UL60950 + UL8750
> Class 2 UL 1012 + UL8750
UL 8750

43

UL Certification of LED Equipment

LED Arrays & Control Modules UL8750
Sign Accessories UL879 + UL8750
Low Voltage Lighting UL2108 + UL8750

44

UL Certification Categories (CCNs)

New LED Luminaire Categories

IFAM Surface Mount LED Luminaires

IFAO Recessed LED Luminaires
QOVA Portable Cabinet LED Luminaires
QOVZ Portable LED Luminaires
IFEC Stage and Studio LED Luminaires
QOWC LED Nightlights
FKSZ LED Drivers
OOQA2 LED Arrays, Modules, and Controllers
OOLV Self-ballasted LED Lamps
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UL Certification Categories (CCNs)

Other Categories with LED Luminaires
FTBR, FWBO Exit Signs
IFDH Low Voltage Landscape Lighting
Systems
IFDQ Low Voltage RV Luminaires
IFDR Low Voltage Lighting Systems
IFFR Track Lighting
UYMR Sign Accessories
46

Whats Next (part 1)

UL 8750 Comment resolution (done)
UL 8750 Recirculation (9/11 10/26)

UL 8750 Standard Issued

Transition Plan Analysis
Certifications Updated / Upgraded

47

Whats Next (part 2)?

STP Meeting?
Further refinement of UL 8750
Temperature test exempt criteria?
Substitution criteria based on
standardized inputs / outputs:
Alternate drivers
Alternate LED modules
Alternate LEDs in modules
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Questions / Contact Info

Michael Shulman
Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
455 E Trimble Rd
San Jose, CA 95131
michael.shulman@us.ul.com
408 754 6703

General info - http://www.ul.com/lighting/

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