V-TAC VT-2-36-1 SAMSUNG CHIP downlight 36 W, 2880 lm, 5700 K, CRI 90+, UGR19, 38° beam, 5-year warranty

VT-2-36-1 is a square V-TAC downlight measuring 130 × 130 × 47 mm, built on a Samsung chip. It draws 36 W and delivers 2880 lm of cool 5700 K light in a narrow 38° cone. This is a technical fitting for suspended ceilings — office, shop, corridor, display space.

CRI 90 and SDCM 2 — the two numbers that separate it from a cheap downlight

The manufacturer's declaration in the EU EPREL registry (no. 987617) states a colour rendering index of Ra 90 and colour consistency of SDCM 2. The first means goods, materials and skin tones look true — which is why this model goes into shops and consulting rooms, not just warehouses. The second matters more in multi-fitting installations: SDCM 2 is very tight binning, so a row of a dozen fittings in one ceiling will light in a single shade of white, with no visible difference between neighbours. On cheap downlights (SDCM 5–6) that difference can be obvious.

The declaration also gives a flicker metric Pst LM of 0.1 — very low, and relevant where people work for hours — and a power factor of 0.98, a good result for a 36 W fitting.

The colour is fixed: 5700 K, no switching

EPREL classifies this model as a single-value colour temperature source (5700 K, minimum = maximum) and as not colour-tuneable. There is no CCT switch and no 3000/4000/6000 K mode — 5700 K is a cool, near-daylight white, and it stays that way.

The fitting is also not dimmable. Brightness control would require a different model; connection to a phase-cut dimmer is not envisaged by the manufacturer.

The light: a narrow 38° cone and low UGR

The beam angle is 38° — a directional beam, not a diffuse wash. From a 3 m ceiling that cone lights a patch about two metres across, so the fittings are spaced more closely than 100–120° panels; in exchange the light lands where it is meant to instead of spilling onto the walls. The manufacturer declares a low glare rating (UGR 19), which for screen-based work is a design criterion rather than a decoration.

Lumen maintenance over the declared life is 0.96 with a survival factor of 1.0 — after a full cycle the fitting keeps 96 % of its initial output, with no unit failures assumed across the population.

Installation and supply

The body is aluminium, which matters at 36 W: aluminium carries heat away from the chip and is what decides real service life. The fitting runs directly on 230 V mains (L/N conductors); the declaration notes a quick connector is also available as an accessory — useful when installing a series of fittings.

The rating is IP20, so the fitting is for dry interiors only. Manufacturer's warranty: 5 years.

Specifications

• Model: V-TAC VT-2-36-1; order code 997; EAN 3800157650502
• EPREL registration: 987617
• Type: downlight, square
• Dimensions: 130 × 130 × 47 mm
• Power: 36 W; luminous flux: 2880 lm; efficacy 80 lm/W
• Light colour: 5700 K (cool white), fixed value
• CRI (Ra): 90; colour consistency: SDCM 2
• Beam angle: 38°; UGR 19
• Energy efficiency class: F
• Dimming: no; colour tuning: no
• Power factor: 0.98; flicker Pst LM: 0.1
• Lumen maintenance: 0.96; survival factor: 1.0
• Supply: 230 V, L/N conductors (quick connector available as an accessory)
• Ingress protection: IP20 (dry interiors)
• Material: aluminium; colour white
• LED chip: Samsung
• Certificates: CE, EMC, RoHS; 5-year warranty

Worth knowing before you order

• 5700 K is cool white — closer to daylight than to domestic light. For a home, 3000–4000 K is usually chosen.
• No dimming and no colour switch — confirmed in the EPREL declaration.
• A 38° beam needs closer spacing than a wide-angle panel; calculate the spacing rather than carrying it over from 120° fittings.
• SDCM 2 pays off across several units — an argument for buying the whole batch in one order.
• IP20 means dry interiors only.