Bye Bye Binning, Hello EasyWhite: How Cree’s EasyWhite technology simplifies designing with LEDs

Posted by Ginny Skalski

Cree is celebrating Energy Awareness Month with a series of blog posts about ways Cree and our products are helping save energy.

Halloween is quickly approaching…the one time of year where it’s completely appropriate to dress up as your favorite SpongeBob characters and scare yourself silly with horror movies and haunted houses. One thing that’s not okay this Halloween? Being scared of LEDs.

For too long, lighting manufacturers and designers have been spooked by LEDs. Sure, hearing the terms black body locus, flux and ANSI (what?!) are enough to make even the toughest of us shake in our stylish yet affordable boots.  One of the most bloodcurdling words to LED-phobes? Binning.

More than two years ago, thanks to EasyWhite technology, Cree removed the evil-ness of binning, which can simplify LED system design and improve LED-to-LED color consistency.

Before EasyWhite, lighting and fixture manufacturers had to play “mad scientist” and manually mix multiple LED bins to achieve the desired color consistency using recipes. Not only can this be complicated and time-consuming, sometimes it’s just plain impractical. Like when you’re designing those tiny MR-16 bulbs (track lighting) where you just can’t cram multiple LEDs into that small form factor to get that ‘just right’ color.  

With EasyWhite, all you, Mr.-or-Ms.-Lighting-Designer, need to know is what color temperature (2700K, 3500K, etc.) and light output you want…and voila! Not at all scary, right?

The following Cree LEDs are currently available with EasyWhite color mixing technology: XLamp XM-L, MC-E, MT-G (perfect for that MR-16 bulb!) and MP-L LEDs (directional lighting), the easy-to-use CXA2011 LED array and the LMR4 LED module, which is hands-down, the easiest way to design with LEDs.  For even more information on Cree’s EasyWhite technology, check out http://www.cree.com/xlamp/easywhite.asp.

At Cree, we’re constantly trying to remove the obstacles to using LEDs to create more energy-efficient fixtures.  We believe the fewer challenges associated with LED-based fixtures, the more widespread the adoption of LED technology…which is a win-win for everyone.

So this Halloween, as you go door-to-door for sweet treats, you can be rest assured that Cree has taken the fear out of LEDs.

5 Responses to “Bye Bye Binning, Hello EasyWhite: How Cree’s EasyWhite technology simplifies designing with LEDs”

1. Ronny F. says:

   October 24, 2011 at 3:48 pm

   Dear Cree-Team,

   in the next years you should have an eye on Germany. The price for elevtric Energy will rise up, because they closed nearly all nuclear reactors. So all the companys and private people need to save…

   Regards from Germany

   Ronny
2. Shane says:

   October 24, 2011 at 5:28 pm

   This is not very smart. Color temperature tells you very little about the quality of light without the other half of the picture: Color Rendering Index. Likewise, CRI Means very little without color temperature. So Cree is going to Ignore one half of the picture and obscure the other to advance the industry and better their buisness?

   Less informed consumers will have more to be bitter about once brand X puts out nicer light at the same ratings.
   I am a Cree fan, but this will bite them eventually.
3. Ginny Skalski says:

   October 25, 2011 at 4:33 pm

   Shane:
   Thank you for sharing your feedback. Please note our post is focusing on color consistency, which is one (big) part of light quality that EasyWhite helps tackle. You’re right that CRI is critical as well, but please note we are not ignoring CRI requirements, we just didn’t address them in this overview blog post.

   It’s important to note that many of the EasyWhite products are available in different CRI options, including 80, and 90 minimums. Combine a 2-step EasyWhite LED with 90min CRI, and you have arguably the highest color quality discrete LED available. Color quality being both consistency (EasyWhite) and high CRI.

   Additionally, please note that not all applications require high CRI. In most applications, 80 CRI is good enough, and often better than the CFL being used. Where High CRI does matter to customers, Cree offers high CRI options.

   Again thank you for your feedback. Please know that we are focused on CRI too.

   Ginny from Cree
4. Energy Awareness Month 2011 Blog Series Wrap-Up | Cree LED Revolution Blog says:

   October 31, 2011 at 2:07 pm

   [...] of Michigan’s Big House). We also told you about our investigative applications engineers and how Cree EasyWhite technology can make it easier for you to design with LEDs. And, our senior director of components marketing [...]
5. led flashlight test says:

   February 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

   WOW I am speechless… you ROCK. I hope this goes far and wide, you deserve it.