{
  "id": "emitters:led-lighting",
  "collection": "emitters",
  "slug": "led-lighting",
  "name": "LED lamps and low-cost drivers",
  "summary": "The switch-mode driver inside a cheap LED lamp can put measurable high-frequency harmonics on the circuit and produce visible flicker; well-filtered drivers do neither.",
  "status": "verified",
  "lastVerified": "2026-08-12",
  "data": {
    "aliases": [
      "LED bulb",
      "LED driver noise"
    ],
    "category": "dirty-electricity",
    "environment": [
      "home",
      "workplace",
      "school"
    ],
    "bands": [
      {
        "label": "Driver switching harmonics",
        "minHz": 20000,
        "maxHz": 1000000
      }
    ],
    "dutyCycle": "While the lamp is on.",
    "distanceProfile": [
      {
        "meters": 0.3,
        "value": {
          "quantity": "electric-field-strength",
          "unit": "V/m",
          "value": 0,
          "basis": "measured",
          "note": "Emissions are driver-specific and conducted rather than radiated; compare lamps by measuring the same circuit with each lamp fitted.",
          "sourceIds": [
            "sbm-2024"
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "mitigations": [
      {
        "action": "A/B test lamps on the same circuit with a dirty-electricity meter and keep the quietest.",
        "effect": "Driver quality varies by more than an order of magnitude between lamps at the same price point."
      },
      {
        "action": "Prefer lamps that state low flicker percentage and EMC compliance figures.",
        "effect": "Flicker and conducted emissions both trace back to driver design."
      }
    ],
    "measureWith": [
      "dirty-electricity-meter",
      "flicker-meter"
    ],
    "related": [
      "emitters:dimmer-switch"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "sbm-2024",
      "title": "Building Biology Evaluation Guidelines for Sleeping Areas (SBM-2024)",
      "publisher": "Institut für Baubiologie + Nachhaltigkeit (IBN)",
      "url": "https://buildingbiology.com/site/downloads/SBM-2024_EVALUATION_GUIDELINES_EN.pdf",
      "year": 2024,
      "kind": "ngo",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "self": "https://emfbase.com/api/emitters/led-lighting",
    "html": "https://emfbase.com/emitters/led-lighting",
    "markdown": "https://emfbase.com/emitters/led-lighting.md",
    "collection": "https://emfbase.com/api/emitters"
  }
}