Increased regulation means more rigorous testing of products, but far from this being a headache for companies, it should be viewed as an opportunity to improve their businesses.

Paul Miller, from NPL's Optical Measurement Group, answers questions below on how you can gain real business benefits through using accredited test laboratories and traceable measurements.

Q. What do you mean by traceable measurements?
A. When we talk about traceability of measurements we mean that the measurements can be related to a reference through a documented unbroken chain of calibrations. The reference can be a definition of a measurement unit, a measurement procedure including the measurement unit, or a calibration standard of higher accuracy. Two important measurement units in lighting are the lumen (luminous flux) and the candela (luminous intensity), and traceability to these units can be provided by calibrated standards including reference lamps and photometers.

Q. And accreditation?
A. This is simply an assessment by an impartial, independent third party of the measurements you are performing. If you pass the assessment you are given accreditation to perform those specific measurements. You are assessed according to whether you meet the requirements as laid out in standards documents that are relevant to the measurements you are making, and whether those measurements are fully traceable.

Q. Who provides accreditation in the UK?
A. In the UK, the only body that can accredit you is UKAS - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. It is important to be aware that some laboratories will claim certain tests or services are accredited, when in fact this 'accreditation' has come from a parent company, so it's not independent and not approved. UKAS accreditation always has a particular scope in terms of the types of testing it relates to, so beware of laboratories offering, for example, light output or colour measurements, when in fact they are only accredited to provide electrical measurements. Always ask to see a company's UKAS certification so you can satisfy yourself that the scope is correct for your needs.

Q. Why is this important in lighting?
A. Lighting is ubiquitous; we use it at home, when we travel and at our workplace. In Europe, lighting products must meet essential safety and environmental requirements through CE marking. Recent legislation to reduce lighting's energy usage impacts the specification, design, installation and maintenance of interior and exterior lighting. These include the 'Energy related Products Directive', 'Carbon Reduction Commitments' and 'Green Public Procurement' requirements. In the UK, the National Measurement Office (NMO) enforces the implementing measures for the 'Energy related Products Directive', and their market surveillance can lead to market withdrawal of products that fail to comply. This demonstrates how important it is to make sure your product claims are backed up by actual performance, and the only real way of achieving this is to have them tested properly. The advent of new LED-based lighting technology has also resulted in requirements for new measurement methods and specifications that require traceability, which is best demonstrated through accredited measurement.

Q. Surely all test laboratories are UKAS accredited and use measurements properly?
A. It's not the norm unfortunately, but just because a laboratory isn't UKAS accredited doesn't necessarily mean they're not performing measurements properly - you just have no guarantee from an impartial body to rely on. We'd like to see a situation where the lighting consumer can be assured of the quality and reliability of all lighting products because all test laboratories have appropriate accreditation and can demonstrate they are making traceable measurements. It is essential that the two - accreditation and traceability - go hand in hand.

Q. But doesn't accreditation and traceable measurements put up more barriers for companies trying to be innovative?
A. It might appear that way, but in fact a report carried out by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 2005 called 'The Empirical Economics of Standards' found that, on the contrary, these things act as drivers of innovation. For example, innovative companies use the extensive information found in standards to guide their activities down the correct development paths, safe in the knowledge that any resulting products will be marketable. Manufacturers can also gain a deeper understanding of their products and processes through correct measurement. And they can use this knowledge to improve their products' performance, or cut manufacturing costs.

Q. What do you say to people who say that measurements don't need to be traceable and accredited, just fit for purpose?
A. Without accreditation you have no independent assurance that the measurement is correct. And without traceability you cannot be assured that you can make a fair comparison of results.

Q. Can you give us an example of a business benefiting from this?
A. In the broadest terms it is impossible for businesses to market their products if they can't demonstrate that they meet certain standards, and that they perform as stated. So if you test your products in laboratories that use measurement properly then you can be confident that you can market your products.

It also enables companies to export their products as there is no need to re-test them as UKAS operates under an international mutual recognition arrangement (MRA). All signatories to this MRA agree to recognise accreditations from each other.

You're also proving the quality and performance claims of your product, which is vitally important for national and global reputation, particularly for new technologies.

Companies that use accredited laboratories will normally find them to be a valuable source of impartial advice and knowledge transfer that can help them improve their products. Stewart Langdon of lighting company Ceravision said:

"Using an accredited laboratory with a reputation for high technical standards provides Ceravision with a strong technical base to support its market activities. We use the data provided in internal technical files and supply it to our customers. We also gain invaluable assistance with specific technical issues where the laboratory's depth and breadth of experience can offer the potential for more timely or cost effective solutions."

Q. Where do you think the lighting industry is headed in terms of regulation?
A. I think in the UK and Europe we'll be looking at increased regulations. The US Energy Star program has developed a framework of accredited third party measurement laboratories to validate lighting product performance, and I'd imagine that's where we're headed too. In Europe, energy efficient lighting performance must be measured using recognised state-of-the-art measurement methods, and in a recent EU Green Paper 'Lighting the Future' it was noted that wider market penetration of solid state lighting can be promoted by verifying measurements traceably to the SI system of units. It's only if measurements have been linked in this way that they can be compared in a meaningful sense to the requirements.

Q. How do I find out if a test laboratory is accredited?
A. The easiest way is to visit the UKAS website and search for the laboratory name under 'Testing Labs'. For example, searching 'NPL' will find our testing schedule of accreditation (UKAS Testing 0002), which shows the tests on lamps and luminaires we provide, including recent updates for energy efficient lighting.

A version of this article appeared in the November 2012 edition of Lux magazine

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For more information, please contact Paul Miller