Selectable CCT & Wattage LED Fixtures : Advantages & Disadvantages

While LED technology has created new product options that meet the needs of a variety of customer applications, there are still pros and cons to the technology.In this paper, we will discuss the pros and cons of Selectable CCT and Wattage LED technology and learn how to pick the best LED solutions for your project.

What is a Selectable CCT Light? With the flip of a switch, users can select the desired color temperature (CCT) ranging from cool white/daylight of 5000K to the warm white of 2700K.

What Does CCT Stand For?

CCT stands for Correlated Color Temperature, and uses the Kelvin scale which goes from 1,000K to 10,000K. The lower the number, the redder (warmer) a light will appear. The higher the number, the bluer (cooler) a light will appear (see the color chart).

What is Selectable Wattage or Light Output?

With the flip of a switch, users can select the desired Wattage (light output) to meet the needs of a specific application. This can be especially beneficial at the job site where you are not sure how much light you will need to light up an area. naturaLED offers a variety of selectable wattage lighting fixtures.

Benefits of Selectable CCT & Wattage LED Fixtures:

- Fewer SKUs to inventory. From a distributor point of view, having fewer SKU products that still cover multiple options (colors & lumens output), will help reduce inventory costs. Distributors can simply stock one SKU instead of 3-6 different SKU’s.

- Design Flexibility. Lighting Designers and Installers have more flexibility in switching the color temperature & lumen output, during the design process, by switching the color temperature and wattage to meet their client’s preferences.

- Less Risk. Having the ability to select the CCT & Wattage provides more flexibility to the contractor or installer, preventing them from having to go back and forth to fine tune the right light fixture for the job. There is less risk since there is flexibility to change the settings (required CCT & Power).

Cons of Selectable CCT & Wattage LED Fixtures:

- Cost.
Color and Wattage selectable LED fixtures are typically more expensive than the fixed CCT & Wattage LED fixtures. When selecting an LED fixture at the lowest end of the wattage, usually, the cost associated with this fixture will be higher than a fixed wattage. For instance, buying a selectable 20/30/40W LED fixture will cost more than buying a fixed 20W LED fixture.