Description
PHILIPS Backlit LED Panel Series RC038V
PHILIPS36 W / 42 W93–95 lm/W4000K / 6500K600x600 & 300x1200UGR ≤25IP20 / IK0235–36 mm
The PHILIPS Backlit LED Panel Series RC038V is a 35–36 mm slim backlit panel in 595x595, 600x600, 295x1195 and 300x1200 mm formats, delivering 3350 lm at 36 W and 4000 lm at 42 W from a 0.8 mm PS diffuser with a PMMA lens. Power factor is raised to >0.95, flicker is held below PstLM 1, and the range carries five mounting routes — T-bar grid, plasterboard, suspended, integrated ceiling and surface — with 12 order codes across 4000K and 6500K. Part of the wider PHILIPS LED panel range.
Feature Highlights
Four upgrades that matter on site: a flatter back plate, higher efficacy, a slimmer body with more mounting options, and better electrical performance.
Flatter Back Plate, New Ribs
One-piece formed body from a dedicated mould with a PHILIPS logo back plate. Flatness tightens to 2.5 mm on 600x600 and 2.8 mm on 300x1200, so the panel sits tighter against the grid.
93–95 lm/W, Even Light
3350 lm at 36 W and 4000 lm at 42 W. 0.8 mm PS diffuser plus PMMA lens gives a fine, even surface that resists dust build-up and stays easy to clean.
Slim 35–36 mm, Five Mounts
High-strength steel body only 35–36 mm deep, with the driver mounted externally on the panel edge. T-bar, plasterboard, suspended, integrated ceiling and surface mount.
Efficient, Eye-Safe, 30,000 h
PF >0.95 and ripple current below 10%. RG0 blue-light hazard, PstLM <1 and SVM <1.6, with 30,000 h L70B50 lifetime at Ta 25°C.
Product Gallery
Official PHILIPS product images, dimension drawing and back-plate detail for the RC038V range.
600 x 600 mm Backlit Panel595 x 595 mm body for 600 x 600 T-bar grid
300 x 1200 mm Backlit Panel295 x 1195 mm body for 300 x 1200 grid
Back Plate & External DriverReinforcement ribs, PHILIPS logo, side-fixed driver
Dimension Drawing595 x 595 x 35 mm, 555 mm optical aperture
New Back Plate Design
A dedicated mould, not a carry-over from the previous generation.
- Flat construction. A dedicated tooling set stiffens the whole body, so the panel sits flush against the grid after installation. Cold and hot flatness is held under 2.5 mm on 600x600 and under 2.8 mm on 300x1200.
- Dedicated branding. The newly tooled back plate carries the PHILIPS logo, so the fixture is identifiable from below the ceiling void.
- Reinforcement ribs and cross-grid. Corner ribs plus a square cross-grid pattern on the back plate control panel deflection without adding weight.
- External driver on a flying lead. The driver sits on the panel edge, 120 mm flying lead with 8 mm stripped ends and more than 48 mm of strip plus ferrule — no remote driver box in the void. Housing is V0 flame rated.
RC038V vs RC037V G3: What Changed
Five specification moves against the previous generation. Blue values are the RC038V specification.
| Parameter | RC038V (current) | RC037V G3 (previous) |
|---|---|---|
| Power factor | >0.95UPGRADE | >0.9 |
| Flatness 600x600, cold / hot | <2.5 mm / <2.5 mmUPGRADE | <3 mm / <3 mm |
| Flatness 300x1200, cold / hot | <2.8 mm / <2.8 mmUPGRADE | <3 mm / <3 mm |
| Back plate | New dedicated mould, ribs, PHILIPS logoUPGRADE | Previous generation tooling |
| 42 W integrated ceiling codes | 2 order codes (600x600, 300x1200)UPGRADE | None |
| System power / output | 36 W / 42 W · 3350 / 4000 lm | 36 W / 42 W · 3350 / 4000 lm |
| Efficacy | 93 / 95 lm/W | 93 / 95 lm/W |
| Beam angle | 115° (36 W) / 120° (42 W) | 120°, 115° CPC |
| Height | 35 mm · 36 mm (36 W CPC) | 34 / 35 mm |
Why it matters: PF >0.95 lowers reactive current on dense branch circuits and reduces the risk of derating shared breakers. Tighter flatness removes the light-leak gaps that show up on large ceiling runs. If you need UGR 19 or a direct / indirect distribution for VDU workstations, step up to the Aura RC430 direct / indirect panel; for a trimless appearance use the frameless RC468V panel.
Application Scenarios
Specified for general interior areas where a flat, even, low-maintenance ceiling is the requirement.
Office & Open Plan
UGR 25 keeps glare controlled over desks in 600x600 T-bar grids, with even illuminance run to run.
Meeting & Conference
PstLM below 1 and SVM below 1.6 keep flicker out of camera shots during video conferencing.
Training & Lecture Rooms
Plasterboard and suspended options let lecture rooms keep the same photometry as the corridor and office areas.
Healthcare corridors and clinic back-of-house areas are also covered by the IP20 body and RG0 rating. For classroom projects that specify UGR 16 and a suspended body, use the SP130S classroom light; for circadian or tunable-white schemes, see the NatureConnect Skylight LP913P.
Five Mounting Options
One body, five installation routes, all with genuine PHILIPS accessories. The external driver stays on the panel edge in every case.
T-bar Grid
Lay-in on a standard 600x600 or 300x1200 exposed T-grid. No accessory needed.
Plasterboard
Recessed into plasterboard ceilings with Plaster Ceiling SMB-PLC_STL fixings.
Suspended
Wire-rope suspension with RC048Z SME-2, two ropes and four fixings per set.
Integrated Ceiling
CPC bodies fit modular integrated ceilings in 600x600 and 300x1200.
Surface Mount
Direct ceiling mount with a Panel SMB frame in 600x600 or 300x1200.
Mounting Accessories
| 12NC | Description | Application | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 911401867182 | Panel SMB W60L60 H7 | Surface-mount frame, 600 x 600 | 1 set |
| 911401867282 | Panel SMB W30L120 H7 | Surface-mount frame, 300 x 1200 | 1 set |
| 911401893687 | Plaster Ceiling SMB-PLC_STL | Recessed plasterboard kit, current version | 1 set |
| 911401824580 | RC048Z SMB-PLC | Plasterboard kit, RC048B-compatible | 1 set of 4 |
| 911401824680 | RC048Z SME-2 | Suspension kit, 2 wire ropes + 4 fixings | 1 set of 2 |
| 911401824780 | RC048Z SC | Safety rope | 1 set |
Order codes and pack quantities follow the PHILIPS RC038V ordering guide. The 600x600 and 300x1200 CPC bodies are a distinct order code from the T-bar versions — the CPC body is 600x600 mm, the T-bar body is 595x595 mm. Do not mix them in one ceiling run.
Technical Specifications
Full photometric, electrical and mechanical data for the two power tiers.
| Parameter | 36 W · LED33S | 42 W · LED40S |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Body dimensions | 595x595 / 295x1195 mm (T-bar) · 600x600 / 300x1200 mm (CPC) | |
| Height | 35 mm T-bar · 36 mm (36 W CPC) | 35 mm |
| Structure | Backlit | |
| System power | 36 W | 42 W |
| System output | 3350 lm | 4000 lm |
| Efficacy | 93 lm/W | 95 lm/W |
| CCT | NW 4000K / CW 6500K | CW 6500K |
| Optical | ||
| Colour consistency | ≤5 SDCM | |
| Diffuser | PS, 0.8 mm | |
| Lens material | PMMA | |
| Beam angle | 115° | 120° |
| CRI | ≥80 | |
| Blue light hazard | RG0 | |
| UGR | ≤25 | |
| Flicker | Ripple current <10%, PstLM <1, SVM <1.6 | |
| Electrical | ||
| Input voltage | 220–240 V, 50/60 Hz | |
| Power factor | >0.95 | |
| Surge protection | L-N 1 kV, LN-PE 2 kV | |
| Insulation class | Class I | |
| Driver | External, fixed on panel side | |
| Ambient temperature | −10°C to +35°C (Ta 25°C) | |
| Mechanical & Other | ||
| Ingress / impact | IP20 / IK02 | |
| Housing | ST13 cold-rolled steel, PP film; back plate 0.18 / 0.20 mm | |
| Flatness | 600x600 <2.5 mm cold and hot; 300x1200 <2.8 mm cold and hot | |
| Colour | RAL9003 | |
| Packaging | 10 pcs per brown carton, shrink-wrapped, QR code on body and carton | |
| Lifetime | 30,000 h L70B50 @ Ta 25°C | |
| Mounting | T-bar grid, plasterboard, suspended, integrated ceiling, surface | |
| Certification | CCC, China Energy Label | |
The 42 W tier is 6500K only. All 4000K codes are 36 W. Height differs by mounting type, not by power: 36 W CPC bodies are 36 mm, every other body is 35 mm.
Complete Product Lineup
12 order codes across four body formats. Click any description to open that SKU page.
| 12NC | Description | Power | Output | CCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 600 x 600 mm · 595 x 595 mmT-bar Grid / Suspended · 35 mm | ||||
| 911401895788 | RC038V LED33S/840 CLI W60L60 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 4000K |
| 911401895888 | RC038V LED33S/865 CLI W60L60 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 6500K |
| 911401896188 | RC038V LED40S/865 CLI W60L60 | 42 W | 4000 lm | 6500K |
| 300 x 1200 mm · 295 x 1195 mmT-bar Grid / Suspended · 35 mm | ||||
| 911401895988 | RC038V LED33S/840 CLI W30L120 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 4000K |
| 911401896088 | RC038V LED33S/865 CLI W30L120 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 6500K |
| 911401896288 | RC038V LED40S/865 CLI W30L120 | 42 W | 4000 lm | 6500K |
| 600 x 600 mm · Integrated Ceiling CPC36 mm (36 W) / 35 mm (42 W) | ||||
| 911401896388 | RC038V LED33S/840 CLI CPC W60L60 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 4000K |
| 911401896488 | RC038V LED33S/865 CLI CPC W60L60 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 6500K |
| 911401896788 | RC038V LED40S/865 CLI CPC W60L60NEW | 42 W | 4000 lm | 6500K |
| 300 x 1200 mm · Integrated Ceiling CPC35 mm | ||||
| 911401896588 | RC038V LED33S/840 CLI CPC W30L120 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 4000K |
| 911401896688 | RC038V LED33S/865 CLI CPC W30L120 | 36 W | 3350 lm | 6500K |
| 911401896888 | RC038V LED40S/865 CLI CPC W30L120NEW | 42 W | 4000 lm | 6500K |
Also from PHILIPS Lighting Range
Related PHILIPS series for the rest of the project specification.
BVP150 G4 LED Floodlight10-200 W · IP65 
Aura RC430X Interact Wireless PanelUGR 19 · Wireless 
Aura RC430V DALI Dimmable PanelUGR 19 · DALI 
Aura RC430 Direct / Indirect PanelUGR 19 · 134 lm/W 
Frameless LED Panel RC468V600x600 · Frameless 
NatureConnect Skylight LP913PTunable White · Scene Set 
Classroom Lighting Solution SP135P / SP136PBlackboard + Classroom 
SP130S Suspended Classroom Light36 W · UGR 16
Frequently Asked Questions
What is new in the RC038V compared with the RC037V G3?
Three things. Power factor rises from >0.9 to >0.95, so the panel draws less reactive current on the same circuit. Flatness tightens from 3 mm to 2.5 mm on 600 x 600 bodies and 2.8 mm on 300 x 1200 bodies, which reduces visible gaps against the grid. The back plate is a new dedicated mould with reinforcement ribs and a PHILIPS logo, and two 42 W integrated-ceiling codes are added.
Which formats and mounting methods are available?
Four body formats: 595 x 595 mm and 295 x 1195 mm for T-bar grid or suspended mounting, and 600 x 600 mm / 300 x 1200 mm CPC bodies for integrated ceilings. Five mounting routes are supported with genuine accessories: T-bar lay-in, plasterboard recess, suspended, integrated ceiling and surface mount.
Is 4000K available in the 42 W version?
No. All four 42 W order codes ship in 6500K (865) only. The 4000K (840) option is available across the full 36 W range: 595 x 595, 295 x 1195, 600 x 600 CPC and 300 x 1200 CPC.
What is the UGR, and is the panel suitable for offices?
UGR is 25 or lower, with RG0 blue-light hazard, PstLM below 1 and SVM below 1.6, so it meets general office, meeting-room and education requirements. For UGR 19 specifications, or for VDU-heavy workstations, use the Aura RC430 direct / indirect panel instead.
Can RC038V replace an existing 600 x 600 grid panel?
Yes. The 595 x 595 mm body drops into a standard 600 x 600 exposed T-grid, and the 295 x 1195 mm body fits a 300 x 1200 grid. The driver is external, fixed to the side of the panel on a 120 mm flying lead with 8 mm stripped ends, so no remote driver box is needed.
Which accessories do I need to order?
T-bar lay-in needs nothing extra. Surface mount uses Panel SMB W60L60 H7 or W30L120 H7. Plasterboard uses Plaster Ceiling SMB-PLC_STL. Suspended uses RC048Z SME-2, and RC048Z SC safety rope is recommended for suspended and surface installations.
