MEAN WELL ELG LED Drivers vs. HLG LED Drivers
The HLG series is MEAN WELL’s premium range of LED drivers.
Over the past few years the HLG series has earned a global reputation for reliability, so much so that in 2015 MEAN WELL extended the warranty period from 5 years to 7 years. More recently, the range has been expanded recently to include a 480-WATT and a 600-WATT version.
In 2016 ADM added the MEAN WELL ELG series of LED drivers to our product line-up.
We are often asked what the difference is between the ELG and HLG LED drivers, and which is the best to use.
The answer is that it very much depends on your project, or application. In this blog post we give you a comparison between these two weatherproof LED drivers, so that you have a better understanding of the features and benefits offered.
The most obvious differences between the HLG series and the ELG series are the warranty periods and cost.
Warranty Periods
The first thing you will notice with the ELG series LED drivers is that they have a 5-year warranty, as opposed to the 7-year warranty offered on the HLG series.
However, if you dig further into the data sheets you will notice that in many cases the ELG series has the more favourable MTBF (meantime between failure) data.
Cost Effectiveness
When comparing ELG and HLG series LED drivers, with very similar power outputs you generally find a cost saving of 15-20% in favour of the ELG series.
So, the ELG series gives you a more cost-effective option. In accepting the slightly shorter warranty period of 5 years, you don’t compromise on reliability.
But that is not where the story ends.
Product Range
When it comes to the range of models available, the HLG series has the upper hand. There are 11 different power output options ranging from 40 WATTS to 600 WATTS.
With the ELG series the range is much more restrictive, ranging from 75 WATTS to 240 WATTS.
If you offer a wide range of different products to your customers, you may prefer the HLG series as it gives you a uniform offering across a very wide range of output options.
Dimming
This is where the ELG series really shines. Being the newer of the two series it features MEAN WELL’s latest dimming features.
For example, the ELG series includes models with a built-in DALI interface. DALI dimming is still possible with the HLG series, using MEAN WELL’s low-cost DALI to PWM converter, the DAP-04.
Another thing to note is that both the HLG series and ELG are available with MEAN WELL’s patented 3-in-1 dimming technology. However, the majority of HLG models offer 1-10V dimming. Whereas, all of the ELG models feature 0-10V dimming.
This means most HLG models will only allow you to dim the LEDs down to 10%, but with the ELG LED drivers you can dim to off.
Auxiliary Power Output
The only HLG series LED driver to incorporate an auxiliary power output is the HLG-600H series LED drivers (5V / 0.5A). This is usually used to power a cooling fan on larger LED fittings.
MEAN WELL has recently added a new ‘BE’ variant to the ELG series of LED drivers, which includes a 15V / 0.3A auxiliary power output. The auxiliary output has a deviation range of 11.5~15.5V. This makes it ideal for powering control devices, such as PIR and microwave motion sensors.
Summary
The HLG series remains MEAN WELL’s premium LED driver and is by far still a firm favourite here in Australia. When it comes to reliability it has an excellent track-record and many industries are reluctant to use anything else.
However, for projects that are particularly budget conscious then the ELG offers an excellent alternative.
Being newer, the ELG series also includes some useful features not found on the HLG models.
If you would like help in selecting the most suitable MEAN WELL LED driver for your application, then contact ADM. A member of our expert team will gladly answer any questions that you may have.
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