Cree, Inc.
Cree LED Revolution Blog
Cree and LED lighting are starting a revolution
August 30th, 2010
Idaho resident wins Cree LED lighting contest, will finally turn on his living room lights
You know the lighting in your home isn’t working for you when you intentionally avoid turning the lights on. That’s what Jerry Saltzer has been doing in his home’s living room and office for some time. Instead, he relies on floor and table lamps to illuminate the areas. How come?
“The living room (and office) in our house is equipped with incandescent downlights in 16.5 foot ceilings,” Saltzer told me in an email. “The light they produce is fine, but replacing those light bulbs is such a big production that we are inclined to leave them off as much as possible and use floor and table lamps instead.”
Jerry is the winner of the Cree’s July LED lighting giveaway. He submitted this photo of his problematic lighting situation:
Jerry wins five Cree LR6™ LED Downlights, which he plans to install in his living room. The LR6 downlight consumes only 10.5 Watts and delivers the warm light of a 65 Watt incandescent light. And Jerry’s new LED lights are designed to last 50,000 hours, which means he won’t have to deal with the hassle of swapping out his living room lights for years to come.
“Installing LED lights with an expected lifetime of 50,000 hours means that we can turn them on every evening and yet probably won’t need to change them until 2050,” Jerry wrote.
There are only a two days left to enter the August Cree LED Lighting giveaway. Just upload a picture of bad lighting in your home or office to Cree LED Lighting Revolution and you could be featured here next month.
August 18th, 2010
Home Depot is selling affordable LED Downlight powered with Cree TrueWhite Technology
If you don’t have a recessed downlight in your home or office, chances are you know someone who does. An estimated 500 million downlights are installed in homes throughout the United States, according the U.S. Department of Energy. And that number is growing, with an estimated 30 to 40 recessed lights going into newly-constructed homes.
With so many downlights lighting up American homes, there’s a big opportunity to save a lot of energy with LED lighting. But how? Well, today we’re ecstatic to announce that the LED Lighting is officially coming home! That’s right, Home Depot customers can now buy affordable six-inch LED downlights powered with Cree TrueWhite® Technology online at HomeDepot.com. This LED light is also targeted to be available in nearly 2,000 Home Depot retail stores in fall 2010.
Sold as the EcoSmart LED Downlight, this new energy-efficient light retails for less than $50 and features the award-winning technology that sets Cree’s LED lights apart from other LED products on the market — Cree TrueWhite Technology.
This is truly a milestone for the LED Lighting Revolution. Here are six reasons you should be excited about the EcoSmart LED Downlight:
1. Incredible Light Quality: Let’s face it, we love saving energy but we hate it when energy-saving light makes a room look like a dungeon. You truly don’t have to sacrifice light quality with the EcoSmart LED Downlight. This downlight is powered with Cree TrueWhite Technology, which delivers high efficiency with beautiful, warm color by mixing the light from unsaturated yellow and red LEDs.
Cree’s one-of-a-kind approach maintains high color accuracy over the life of the EcoSmart LED Downlight, exceeding even ENERGY STAR® color consistency requirements for LED lighting! That means the light quality is beautiful and can stay that way throughout the long-life of these fixtures.
2. Extremely Long Lasting: What if you didn’t have to haul out a ladder to change bulbs in your ceilings for decades? The EcoSmart LED Downlight is designed to last 35,000 hours. That means this light could last you more than 32 years with three hours of daily use. Install it in a hard-to-reach places such as foyers, high-ceiling kitchens and family rooms and you can avoid the hassle of dragging a ladder into your home to replace burned out bulbs…for years! In fact, you may never have to buy another light bulb (sorry, Thomas Edison).
3. Big Energy Savings: Imagine this scenario: Swapping out the 65-Watt incandescent light screwed into your recessed fixture with a 10.5-Watt LED light, while still having beautiful light quality. Now, wake up, you don’t have to daydream anymore.
The EcoSmart LED Downlight consumes only 10.5 Watts and doesn’t waste energy as heat like incandescent lights do. That means you can cook in your kitchen without feeling like your downlights are cooking you. Bonus: This downlight is dimmable to 5 percent, so you can rack up even more energy savings while having mood lighting for a romantic dinner or a scary movie. And, unlike, fluorescent lights, LED lights don’t contain toxic mercury. LED lights are also instant-on, which means you don’t have to wait for the lights to achieve full brightness, like you do with many fluorescents.
4. It’s Affordable: The EcoSmart LED Downlight will sell for less than $50. And considering its extremely long life and energy savings potential, you can stand to save a lot of money over the life of the fixture. This is the first affordably-priced and widely distributed consumer product to use Cree TrueWhite Technology. Bonus: Some utility companies are offering rebates. We’ll keep you posted on those, but feel free to inquire with your local utility provider.
5. Easy to Install: How many people does it take to screw in an EcoSmart LED Downlight? Just one. This light installs easily into most standard six-inch recessed insulated ceiling or non-insulated ceiling housings. It’s designed for new construction and retrofit. Need specific instructions? Watch this video.
6. You’ll Be Part of the LED Lighting Revolution: It’s one thing to support the concept of energy-efficient LED lighting, and we LOVE all of you who do. That being said, it’s another thing to experience LED lighting in your home. In fact, if you order the EcoSmart LED Downlight, please feel free to post your reviews on HomeDepot.com and to add them to our comments section. We would love to hear about your experiences.
You can find the EcoSmart LED Downlight on HomeDepot.com simply by typing “LED Downlight” in the search field. Or just click this link for the first step toward your energy-savings future.
August 16th, 2010
Filmmaker documents first day of Cree’s Habitat for Humanity construction as part of documentary on Montagnard people
A little over a week ago, Cree employees helped break ground on the world’s first all-LED Habitat for Humanity house. The Cree-sponsored house in Durham, NC, is being built for a Montagnard family originally from the central highlands of Vietnam.
We didn’t know it when we started construction, but a Raleigh filmmaker is documenting the story of the U.S. Special Forces and their loyal allies, the Montagnard people. Montagnards were allies of the United States during the Vietnam War and have since been persecuted for fighting for the United States.
Camden Watts is the producer and director of documentary, Abandoned Allies, which is scheduled to be released in 2011. Camden was at the Cree kick-off event to document the construction of this new home. She produced this short video from the Habitat kickoff event to offer a bit of insight about the Montagnards and to give folks a taste of her upcoming film:
Abandoned Allies Presents: A New Home for a Montagnard Family from Camden Watts on Vimeo.
I can’t wait to see the finished product – both the documentary and Cree’s Habitat house.
August 12th, 2010
How can grocers make their fruits and veggies pop? Hint: It involves LED lights
The ladders at a Michigan-based grocery chain are being used a lot less these days now that the produce sections are lit with Cree LED lights.
Up until a few months ago, employees at the three Value Center Marketplace stores used to haul out the ladder every couple of weeks to replace the burned out 90-Watt Par 38 spotlights that lit up the fruits and veggies, according to store owner Ron Fariada.
But earlier this summer, Ron replaced the energy-wasting incandescent lights in the produce sections at all three of his stores with energy-efficient Cree LRP-38™ LED lights. His new LED lights consume only 11 Watts of energy and provide beautiful, warm light that helps make the color of the store’s fruits and vegetables pop.
“It’s just worry free,” Ron said. “I’m not going to have to worry about changing any bulbs for years. There was an upfront cost, but you’ve got immediate savings as far as power.”
When Ron opened the first Value Center Marketplace in 1989, he was committed to offering the freshest quality foods and the best in family value. More than 20 years later, Ron now runs three of the grocers just outside Detroit, Michigan.
In all, he replaced 50 incandescent lights at each of stores with Cree LRP-38 lights, for a total of 150 LED lights.
Ron said he expects a two-year payback on his LED lights when he takes into account the energy savings and maintenance savings. The produce lights in his stores are on for about 12 hours a day, seven days a week. And since the LRP-38 LED lights are designed to last 50,000 hours, Ron could continue to save energy and money for another nine years before he needs to consider replacing the lights.
Already he’s noticed that when he walks under his new LED lights, the area feels cooler than when the 90 Watt incandescent spotlights were lighting up the area. Ron said he also expects to see HVAC savings.
The produce at Ron’s stores is hand-picked daily from the local farmers market. And now, it can truly shine under LED lights.
August 7th, 2010
Cree breaks ground on the world’s first LED-lit Habitat for Humanity home
Today we’re breaking ground on the world’s first Habitat for Humanity House lit entirely with LED lights. Cree employees are working with the Habitat for Humanity of Durham to build the home over the next three months. Cree is sponsoring the construction of the home, which will include our newest LED recessed light, the CR6™ downlight, as well as other LED products featuring Cree LEDs.
The LED lighting in this house is projected to save approximately $250 worth of electricity costs per year over traditional lighting. When it’s complete, this home will be a true example of the energy savings you can achieve when you ditch Edison’s ancient technology for energy-efficient LEDs.
The Durham home that we’re helping to build is part of Cree’s previously announced three-year, $1.5 million pledge to provide its high-efficiency LED downlights for all new Habitat homes built in the U.S. We hope to finish construction by October 2011.
This is the vacant site in Durham where Cree's Habitat for Humanity house will be built.
We’re so excited to help build the first Habitat home lit solely with LED lights. The CR6 downlight will be one of the primary fixtures in the home. It’s a 10.5 Watt light that delivers warm light and is dimmable to 5 percent. It’s designed to last 50,000 hours, which means the family that moves into this home could leave the CR6 lights on for eight hours a day, seven days a week and the lights could last more than 17 years!
I’ll keep you posted on construction.
July 30th, 2010
The U.S. Department of Energy is working to make “lumen” a household name
What would happen if you walked around and asked all of your coworkers to tell you how many lumens the lights in their homes put out?
Chances are they wouldn’t have the faintest idea (unless you work for a lighting company, but that’s another story). Your coworkers, your friends — heck, even your mom — could probably tell you how many Watts the lights in their homes consume. But when it comes to lumens, you might get a few blank stares.
That’s why the Department of Energy is launching a new consumer education campaign this fall to educate the public about lumens, which measure light output. It won’t be long before Watts will take a backseat on lighting packaging. When the new Lighting Facts labels begin appearing on light bulb packaging next year, the front of the package will display the number of lumens a light contains. This will help tell consumers how bright the light they’re buying will be. The more lumens, the greater the light output.
This becomes particularly important as we get closer to the first phase of the U.S. incandescent ban, which starts in 2012, when 100W incandescent lights are phased out. Then, in the following two years, the U.S. will say goodbye to 75W, 60W and 40W bulbs thanks to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. As more energy-efficient lighting options like LEDs enter the market, consumers are going to have to learn to look at lumens to gauge the light output they’re looking for.
We’re looking forward to learning more about the DOE’s consumer education initiative. In the meantime, we’re pleased to see the DOE is expanding its presence online. You can now:
- Follow the DOE on Twitter
- See DOE photos on Flickr
- “Like” the DOE on facebook
- “Like” U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on facebook
- Watch DOE videos on YouTube
- Read the DOE’s new blog
And, of course, you can find us on most of these networks too. Just click the icons in the upper right corner of our blog.
July 15th, 2010
Happy anniversary to the first LEED-certified McDonald’s in North Carolina
Four years ago, Ric Richards had to decide what to do with an aging McDonald’s franchise he just purchased in Cary, NC. The 25-year-old building was going to need “serious reinvestment,” he said, requiring major renovations to the front of the restaurant and drive-thru.
So Ric decided to do something he dreamed of ever since stepping foot in the first green McDonad’s in Savannah, Ga. He decided he was going to tear down the old McDonald’s and go for the gold. Ric wanted to achieve a gold LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Here's what the Cary McDonald's looked like before it was rebuilt.
“This was going to be the right thing to do,” Ric told me when I interviewed him last year about his decision.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of Ric’s dream coming true. The green McDonald’s in Cary’s Saltbox Village shopping center opened its doors one year ago today, and Ric and his crew are inviting the public to celebrate from 4 to 7 p.m. (for those readers who live in the area).
Once the decision was made to demolish the old McDonalds, 99 percent of the building materials were recycled. Then, a variety of sustainable goods – from tables made of bamboo and sunflower seeds to denim insulation – were used in the reconstruction. And, of course, we were thrilled when Ric decided to light the restaurant, inside and out, with LED lights.
Here's what it looks like today.
In fact, 95 percent of the restaurant is lit with energy-saving LED lights. Nearly all of the general illumination inside the McDonald’s comes from Cree LED lights. And the LED lights in his store consume 78 percent less electricity compared to a standard lighting package at other McDonald’s restaurants.
Cree LR6 recessed downlights light up the order area.
In January, the USBGC announced that Rich’s goal had been achieved. The Cary McDonald’s earned gold LEED certification.
The dining room is lit with Cree LRP-38 LED lights.
We’re proud of Ric’s accomplishment and thrilled that his new energy-efficient lights helped him achieve his dream. Now would someone please bring me some chicken McNuggets? I hear they look better under LED lights.
July 13th, 2010
What happens when you enroll your teenager in summer Energy Camp?
There’s a lot more to summer camp these days than doing crafts and building fires. At North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, students can sign up for Design Camp, Football Camp, Science Camp and even Energy Camp. You read that right – Energy Camp.
The NCSU College of Engineering offers a variety of summer camps, including a camp where students learn about the different forms of energy and how to conserve it.
And, of course, we love the idea of Energy Camp. After all, Cree’s products — from Schottky diodes, to our LED components and LED fixtures — are designed to do more with less energy. And, what’s more, Cree’s history is rooted in N.C. State’s materials science and engineering lab. That’s where our company’s founders first began working together on research that would later lead them to form Cree.
I had a chance to visit the NCSU Energy Camp a couple of weeks ago and sit in on the students’ lessons on LEDs. Here’s a video recap shot by yours truly:
July 8th, 2010
New York-based Design firm wins the June LED Lighting contest
The lobby of Stressdesign may look modern and chic, but look closer and you’ll see that the Syracuse, New York-based Design firm is actually employing some pretty ancient technology – incandescent lighting!
Stressdesign president Marc Stress wanted to improve the lighting in his office, so he snapped a photo and submitted it to our monthly photo contest. Today, we’re pleased to announce that he is the June winner and will receive five Cree LED lights to replace the halogens heating up his workspace.
Here’s his winning picture and what he wrote about the lighting:
“We have a mix of incandescent and CFL lamps in our office. The CFLs are inconsistent at best, and all the incandescent lamps (add) to heat and $$$ on utility.”
This was the winning photo for the month of June.
I e-mailed Marc to tell him the good news. He opted to receive the Cree LRP-38 ™ light which will replace the 75W Halogens that hang from tracks over the office.
Some facts about the Cree LRP-38 lights that Marc is receiving:
- The LRP-38 consumes only 11 Watts, while producing light comparable to a 75W incandescent.
- It’s designed to last 50,000 hours. That means Stressdesign could leave the lights on for eight hours a day, seven days a week for just over 17 years.
- But these lights won’t burn out instantly at the end of their life, like the incandescents Marc is currently burning. Cree’s LED lights are designed to provide at least 70 percent of their initial light output at the 50,000 hour mark. Many different factors (such as fixture design and operating conditions like temperature and current) determine the actual lifetime of an LED fixture or bulb.
- The light quality is beautiful. The LRP-38 light delivers warm light (2700K) and gorgeous color (achieving 90 out of 100 on the color rendering index).
Marc said he can’t wait to bring LED lighting to his Design firm.
“I’ve been using LED lighting solutions in various applications in my home and office for the past 5-7 years. I’ve used them for guide lighting, ambient lighting and supplemental area lighting. Early attempts were novel in their power savings, but light output and quality was lacking,” Marc wrote to me.
“Lately, I’ve noticed a huge jump in lumen output, CRI quality and lamping options. I am expecting the new Cree lamps to exceed expectations and provide a better alternative to CFL lamps,” he added.
If you want to give Cree LED lighting a try in your home or office, enter our July photo contest. To qualify for our giveaway, all you have to do is submit a photo of bad lighting to our site. We could be featuring you next month on our blog.
July 1st, 2010
Grote’s work lamp road tour features LED-loving super heroes
Seeing is believing when it comes to lighting. So if the folks at Indiana-based Grote Industries sent you an e-mail saying their LED work lamps were stunning, it probably wouldn’t have the same impact as if they set up the lights in your driveway and switched them on.
So Grote is taking its new LED WhiteLight Work Lamps to the streets, literally. Earlier this month, Grote hit the highway for an 80-plus city tour in a truck adorned with LED-loving Super Heroes dubbed Team Trilliant, named after the company’s Trilliant LED WhiteLight Technology. Take a look:
This truck features 34 exterior work lamps all lit with Cree X-Lamp® XR-E LEDs. The tricked out truck will travel west across the northern United States and parts of Canada this summer then head south during its return leg in the fall and winter, according to a Grote press release.
It’s definitely a different way for a manufacturer of vehicle safety systems to reach its audience. Grote officials say they redirected resources traditionally aimed at industry trade shows to pursue the tour. The tour also features a mobile theater, giving visitors a chance to learn more about the advantages of LED work lights where ever the truck stops.
So if work lamps are your thing, check out the Trilliant Technology Tour map to see if it’s stopping by a city near you.
Join the LED Lighting Revolution (and get a fancy badge for your website):
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