DLC Compliance Checker

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) runs a qualified-products list for horticultural LEDs; utilities usually only pay rebates on fixtures that are on it. The core requirement is efficacy — how much grow light you get per watt, called PPE (photosynthetic photon efficacy, in µmol/J = micro-moles of light per joule of electricity). This checks a fixture's spec-sheet numbers against the DLC thresholds so you know if it likely qualifies before you buy.

When you are speccing or comparing LED grow fixtures and plan to claim a utility rebate, or you just want an apples-to-apples efficiency comparison. Crop-agnostic. Enter numbers from the fixture's spec sheet or DLC listing — this is a paperwork check, not a field measurement, and the real qualified-products list is the final authority.

PPE (Efficacy) is the headline: 2.3 µmol/J is the pass line used here and higher is better — top fixtures reach 3.0+. "Meets DLC V3.0" shows Pass only if PPE ≥ 2.3 AND power factor ≥ 0.90 AND rated life ≥ 36,000 h, so a fail can come from any one of the three even with good efficacy. EnergyStar-eligible uses a stricter 2.5 bar. Annual Energy assumes an 18 h/day schedule for a rough kWh figure. A pass here means "worth checking the official DLC listing and your utility's rebate program," not a guaranteed rebate.