The U.S. Department of Energy's CALiPER program has released a new Snapshot Report on LED troffer luminaires. Among the key findings of the Snapshot, which is based on DOE's LED Lighting Facts database:
• The efficacy of LED troffers is notably higher than what's typical of troffers that are fitted with fluorescent lamps. About 10% of the listed products had a luminous efficacy greater than 125 lm/W -- substantially higher than the efficacy of fluorescent-based troffers, which tops out at under 100 lm/W.
• Color and power quality for troffers were very similar to that of fluorescent troffers.
• The LED troffers had a variety of CCTs, but almost all of them had a CRI in the 80s.
A lot has changed since the last time a CALiPER Snapshot report included troffers, which was in April 2014. Back then, the mean efficacy for troffers was 90 lm/W; today it's 102 lm/W. In terms of the data captured by LED Lighting Facts and reported in the new Snapshot, LED troffers offer a compelling alternative to fluorescent troffers. This applies to both troffer luminaires and troffer retrofit kits, whose performance was nearly indistinguishable. While the new report focuses on basic photometric characteristics, choosing a product for a specific installation requires a more comprehensive analysis.
