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Cree LRP-38 LED light is a smart fit for illuminating museums, grocery and retail stores and more

Friday, August 26th, 2011


It’s an electrifying time to be engaged in the lighting industry. The world is more focused than ever before on energy efficiency. And innovations in lighting are happening faster than ever before, with LED lighting emerging as the most efficient way to replace traditional lighting.

The LED Lighting Revolution is gaining momentum, and as with any new technology, education plays an important role in moving this forward. And part of that education requires LED lighting manufacturers to do their part to provide accurate information about their products.

That’s why we wanted to take a moment to talk about the beauty that is the Cree LRP-38 LED lamp. We believe it’s a smart fit for anyone looking to use directional lighting to illuminate places like museums, grocery and retail stores and more.

So when we read lighting designer Kevan Shaw’s guest post in this month’s MondoArc magazine, which questions whether LED lighting is the best solution for illuminating precious works of art in museums, we had to pause. That’s because we believe Cree LED lighting can absolutely be a good match for museums. In fact, it’s already featured in several museums, including the Liberty Science Center and recently the Metropolitan Museum of Art (more to come on that soon).

liberty science center

Cree LRP-38 LED lights illuminate the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey.

And while Shaw certainly doesn’t rule out using LED lighting in museums (he wisely suggests that lighting designers do a cost-benefit analysis before committing), he also makes some sweeping statements about quality of light, color and maintenance—some of which aren’t exactly fair.

No doubt the quality and control of light that comes from a Low Voltage Halogen IR lamp is excellent for museum exhibitions. And if LVHIR didn’t have infrared, ultraviolent, heat and lifetime issues as compared to LED lighting, we wouldn’t be enthusiastically shopping our LED lights to museums. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of LED products on the market misleading design professionals on what is possible today with LED.

Among Shaw’s concerns:

“The thing I find most difficult to deal with is the constant change. We know this should be offering benefits over time, however it makes things difficult if you want to add or change lighting. If each time you want to add fittings they will have subtly different performance characteristics, how do you achieve a consistency in display? What is worse is that even if you have an open cheque book and buy as many fittings as you would ever want at the beginning of a project, LEDs change in output and colour appearance throughout their lives so a new fitting from your original stock will look different to fittings bought at the same time but that have been running for a couple of years.”

We’re definitely sensitive to that, and certainly his concerns apply to plenty of LED lighting products on the market. However, when people get their hands on an LRP-38 LED light for the first time, many see a side of LED lighting they are not used to. That’s because our lamp features Cree TrueWhite™ Technology, a revolutionary way to generate white light with LEDs that maintains color consistency throughout the life of the lamp. Starting with the highest performing LEDs, Cree TrueWhite Technology mixes the light from red and unsaturated yellow LEDs to create beautiful, warm, white light. Our patented approach enables color management to preserve high color consistency over the life of the product.  So if a museum wants to add more Cree lighting a couple years after its initial install, it should find that the color on its original Cree LRP-38 lights has not shifted.

cree lrp-38

Cree LRP-38 LED lights.

The LRP-38 also features 94 CRI, exceeds 50 lumens per watt and has beautiful 2700K warm color, and it’s designed to last 50,000 hours. It’s also dimmable to 20 percent. And, a bonus that museums may relish is that the LRP-38 produces little heat and emits virtually no ultraviolet rays, which can help protect those priceless objects the lights are shining on.  The LRP-38 may not solve every lighting challenge, but we believe it truly demonstrates the power of LED lighting.

We applaud Shaw for starting a conversation on this topic, as a healthy dose of skepticism among lighting designers can help keep low-quality lighting products with false promises from being installed. It’s wise to be skeptical of claims by LED lighting manufacturers because inferior products are making their way into the market. However, we hope that Cree’s innovations and commitment to LED lighting leaves lighting designers excited about joining the LED lighting Revolution.

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Posted in LED Businesses, Revolution | 3 Comments »

Cree LED Contest Series: Family no longer hangs out in the dark

Monday, July 18th, 2011


We’re strong believers that if people can see quality LED lighting in action, they’ll want it. That’s because quality LED lighting is beautiful, very energy efficient, and can last a long time. What’s not to love?

So when we first launched our LED education portal, CreeLEDRevolution.com, we set out to makeover poorly-lit spaces through a monthly photo contest. The idea was to end the oppression of inferior lighting (or at least make a dent in it).

Since then we’ve awarded more than 100 Cree LED lights to homeowners and office workers from coast to coast. We followed up with the lucky winners to find out where they ended up using their Cree LED lights and what they think of them.

This week we will be highlighting follow-up interviews from some of the winners we heard back from. So stay tuned to our blog all week for stories from these LED revolutionaries. Here’s what you can expect:

TODAY: We check-in on our July 2010 winner who has developed a love for Cree LED lights.

TUESDAY: We see how the October 2010 winner made over his office and how a bathroom went from spooky to smiley.

WEDNESDAY: We revisit an energy professional who is using his LED lighting from the December 2010 contest to spread the good word.

THURSDAY: It’s not all about residential lighting. We revisit the February 2010 who shows us what LED lighting can do in a retail space.

FRIDAY: We’ll show you how LED lighting can even help a plein air painter. Confused? Stay tuned to see what our March 2010 winner did.

And if you want to be a winner too, hurry up and enter our July photo contest.

Entering is simple, just submit a photo of poor lighting in your home or office. Maybe you have CFLs that make everything in your kitchen look ghastly. Or maybe those incandescent lights in the den are sucking up too much energy and putting out too much heat. Each month our judges select one winner (and occasionally a runner-up) to receive five Cree CR6 LED downlights.

But you can’t win if you don’t enter. Submit your photo here. And read the full rules here.

And now, find out how winning our contest is changing the way one Idaho family lights its home:

July 2010 Winner Jerry Saltzer

It has been a year since Jerry Saltzer won our LED lighting giveaway, and in that time his love for LED lighting has grown so much that he has purchased eight more Cree LED lights.

“About half the canisters in the house are now equipped with Cree LEDs and I plan gradually to replace the rest,” Jerry wrote to me in a recent follow-up email.

That’s great news considering Jerry and his family were avoiding turning on lights in the living room and office because it was too much of a pain to change them when they burned out. The Idaho family won the July 2010 LED lighting giveaway after submitting this photo and explaining:

Jerry entered this photo to Cree's LED Lighting Contest.

Jerry entered this photo to Cree's LED Lighting Contest.

“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.”

Now the family doesn’t have to worry about that. In addition to replacing the energy-wasting incandescent downlights in his living room and office, Jerry says he has installed four Cree CR6 LED downlights in his kitchen. He has also installed four Cree LBR30 LED lamps in his stairwells.

And while it probably wasn’t oodles of fun dragging out the ladder to installing all of these new LED lights, Jerry gets to look on the bright side. Since his new Cree LED lights are designed to last 50,000 hours, he shouldn’t have to worry about changing these lights for years, even decades, to come.

If you want to put away your ladder for a long time, enter our July LED lighting photo contest. Simply submit a photo of poor lighting in your home or office that you would like to get rid of for good. One lucky winner will receive five Cree CR6 LED downlights.

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Posted in Contest Winners, Cree, Revolution | 5 Comments »

Recap of President Obama’s Cree visit

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011


While standing with local media in a hallway at Cree Monday, I heard a familiar voice. It belonged to President Barack Obama, only it wasn’t coming from the TV or the radio. I looked around the corner, and there he stood – President Obama, shaking hands with Cree CEO Chuck Swoboda.

This wasn’t your ordinary day at the office.

Then the door I was standing beside flung open and the White House press pool ­­– about 15 reporters and photographers who flew in from D.C. to cover the president – rushed down the hallway to catch up with the president. I grabbed my video camera and scurried after them.

President Obama visited Cree Monday to tour one of our LED lighting manufacturing lines, meet with his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and to address Cree employees. Cree was honored to play host to the president and his Jobs and Competitiveness Council.

Here are some highlights from his visit:

The Factory Tour

After exchanging greetings in the hallway, President Obama joined Chuck for a tour of our new LED troffer manufacturing line. The press pool packed together behind a rope in three tiers: The photographers knelt, the TV cameramen stood behind them and the reporters hung out in back.

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Cree CEO Chuck Swoboda (right) leads President Barack Obama on a tour of one of Cree's LED lighting manufacturing lines.

We were eager to show the president where we manufacture our new LED troffer lights, the CR Series. It’s been three years since Obama visited Cree while he was on the campaign trail, and since that time our LEDs have doubled in efficiency. So we had a lot to catch him up on. Chuck explained that these new LED lights are designed to replace the outdated fluorescent tubes that line the ceilings of many commercial buildings. In fact, LED lighting is the world’s most energy-efficient lighting!

You can watch some raw footage I shot of the Chuck leading the president through the factory here:

The president broke away from the tour to shake hands with employees. One of them was Josephine Lynch, who secured a job at Cree two months ago. News & Observer reporter Rob Christensen interviewed her and wrote:

“She said her years of unemployment had been a struggle that she managed only with the help of family. She went back to school to get electronics certification.”

After Obama told her to “keep up the good work,” Rob reported that she responded:

“Oooh, I’m going to be the coolest mom on my block.”

The Jobs Council

Once the tour was complete, Obama joined the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which was already seated in Cree’s café. Only the president probably had no idea that the meeting was in a cafeteria. All signs of the dining hall were removed. Blue curtains lined the walls, tables were covered with cloths and no one was gaining entry to that room unless the Secret Service said so.

IMG_0146

I snapped this photo with my iPhone while photographers were allowed in the room.

It was the second meeting of the new Jobs Council, which the president created so he could receive non-partisan advice on ways to improve the economy, create jobs and keep the United States competitive. The Council committed to meeting outside of DC following its first meeting in February. Cree, located in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, was selected to host the follow-up meeting.

The president briefly addressed the Council, giving photographers a chance to take photos and record footage. Then everyone with a camera was ushered out of the room. Reporters were allowed to stay to cover the meeting. During the meeting, the council outlined some recommendations designed to help spur economic growth and increase jobs in the short term and long term.

The Employee Meeting

When President Obama walked into Cree’s auditorium, employees rose and reached for their cameras. It seemed as if everyone in the room was holding a camera or cell phone, trying to preserve the day the president came to work.

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Cree employees listen to remarks.

Then the president did something I don’t think anyone was expecting. He called out Cree employee David Jones by name, saying that he met David during a campaign stop at Cree in 2008. David reminded the president of the visit during Monday’s factory tour, when David pulled out a picture the pair had taken together in 2008. Obama joked that his hair wasn’t as gray in the picture.

“It’s true, I’ve got a lot more gray hair now than I did the last time I visited. But I have better plane, so it’s a fair trade,” Obama quipped, referring to Air Force One.

Then the president got serious, highlighting the recommendations he just received from the Jobs and Competitiveness Council. Those recommendations include increasing the number of engineering graduates in the U.S. by 10,000 per year and working with community and vocational schools to train workers. You can read more about the recommendations here.

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President Obama addresses the audience at Cree.

Obama also touted his new Better Buildings Initiative, which aims to help business owners upgrade buildings for energy efficiency. It’s a move the president says could save America’s businesses up to $40 billion a year on their utility bills.

“And obviously that $40 billion could be better spent growing and hiring new workers.  It will boost manufacturing of energy-efficient products like those made here at Cree.  It will put contractors and construction workers back on the job.  It is a win-win-win-win proposition.”

You can see a full transcript of the president’s remarks here.

The president also gave Cree props for the work it has done over the past 20+ years to advance technology and create jobs.

 “Today the small business that a group of N.C. State engineering students founded almost 25 years ago is a global company.  It’s got 5,000 employees.  Next month, your new production line will begin running 24/7.  And soon you’ll add another 400,000 square feet of space on a new site next door.  So you’re helping to lead a clean energy revolution.  You’re helping lead the comeback of American manufacturing.  This is a company where the future will be won.”

Indeed, we believe in the future of an energy-efficient world. The LED Lighting Revolution is happening now. And we won’t be satisfied until every energy-wasting light is replaced.

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Posted in Cree, Revolution | 4 Comments »

March LED lighting contest winners already love LED lighting

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011


Rob Gully is an early adopter. The Missouri resident says he has been using LED lights for five years, back when it wasn’t even on most people’s  radar. The first LED lights Rob bought were only bright enough for use in his refrigerator! Five years later, Cree LED lights are now bright enough to illuminate his entire kitchen.

Rob is the winner of the March LED lighting giveaway. He won 5 Cree CR6 LED downlights, and he says they’re the best LED lights he’s found yet.

“I always pick up a few LED light bulbs every year just to see how things have improved and I must say the CR6 bulbs are currently the peak of the LED evolution,” wrote to me in an email.

rob gully march winner

Here's the photo Rob submitted to the contest.

The CR6 LED downlight delivers the same warm incandescent light you’re used to, but consumes significantly less energy. The 10.5 watt CR6 downlight can replace a 65 watt halogen light. And it’s designed to last significantly longer than a halogen. Rob’s new lights are designed to last 50,000 hours, which means he could leave them on eight hours a day, seven days a week and it could be more than 17 years before he would have to change them!

“A friend came over recently and I took him to the kitchen and told him I wanted to show him some new LED bulbs I got.  Only after I pointed out the CR6 could he tell the difference.  The biggest compliment about these bulbs is the quality of light is nearly identical to incandescent or CFL (once they are warmed up),” Rob wrote.

Rob isn’t the only March winner. Massachusetts resident Jonathan Hunt also scored some LED lights. Jonathan was a runner-up, receiving 2 Cree CR6 LED downlights. Our judges just couldn’t pass up a chance to save Jonathan from this bad lighting situation:

Here's the image Jonathan submitted.

Here's the image Jonathan submitted.

Jonathan and his wife are big on saving energy. They blog about ways to live a more sustainable life. We’re eager to see Jonathan ditch the CFL reflector bulbs that he has been using in the kitchen.

If you think your lighting is bad enough to catch the eyes of our judges, then submit a photo in our June LED lighting giveaway. One lucky winner will receive 5 Cree CR6 LED downlights. We’ll be announcing the April and May winners soon. Stay tuned.

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Posted in Revolution | 2 Comments »

High School Computer Lab Gets Cree LED Lighting Makeover

Monday, May 16th, 2011

The days are numbered for commercial fluorescent lighting. For those of you who are attending Lightfair this week, you’ll have a chance to see why at our booth #1925. For those of you who aren’t going or just can’t wait to see what the future of commercial lighting is, you’ll want to watch this LED lighting makeover video.

Cree’s new CR troffer series is designed to replace ugly, old fluorescent tubes. We’ll be showcasing the series at Lightfair International this week in Philadelphia. The series features three models and several performance options, the CR14, which is 1 ft x 4 ft; the CR 24, which is 2 ft x 4 ft; and the CR 22, which is 2 ft x 2 ft.

In this video, you’ll get to see us upgrade a computer lab in a North Carolina high school. We replaced outdated T12 fluorescent lights and ballasts with the Cree CR24. The results are beautiful and show just how much energy you can save with LED lighting.

The school reduced its energy consumption by 75 percent by replacing the school’s old T12 fluorescent lights and ballasts with the Cree CR24. The video has more details on exactly what they replaced. And, since the federal government has ordered a national phase out of energy-wasting T12 fluorescent tubes, the school would have had to replace its lights soon.

We calculated payback on what it would have cost the school to replace its T12 fluorescent lights with fluorescent lighting comparable to the CR24 LED troffers. By choosing the LED lights, the school would see payback in just over six months! After that, the school would continue to save on energy and maintenance costs.

Lightfair goers will get to see these lights in person at our booth. It’s one of the many products we’re excited to be showcasing at our booth. For more details on Cree’s CR troffer series go to CRSeries.CreeLEDLighting.com.

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Posted in Lightfair 2011, Places Rocking LED Lights, Revolution, Trade Shows | 2 Comments »

February Cree LED lighting contest winner is giving his kitchen a lighting makeover

Thursday, April 7th, 2011


Paul Mason is remodeling his kitchen, which means he finally gets to ditch the ugly, three-light CFL fixture in the center of the room.

Paul, of Dearborn, Michigan, is the winner of the February Cree LED lighting photo contest. He gets five Cree CR6 LED downlights to replace the ugly (his words, not ours) lighting in his kitchen.

Feb 2011 Contest Winner

When I wrote Paul to see if he had ever used LED lighting before, he responded that he has some LED under cabinet lighting from IKEA and one LED light bulb. We’re pretty sure our CR6 LED downlights are going to knock his socks off. Here’s what he said about his current kitchen lighting:

“I have two applications for the CR6 bulbs, both over my sink and for general lighting throughout my kitchen.  I like the even, warm light and very low heat generation.  Our current fixture generated way too much heat with incandescent bulbs, and the light quality of the CFL’s currently installed is just poor, so I’m looking forward to fixing both with your bulbs!”

The lights he won consume only 10.5 Watts and can replace a 65 watt incandescent light. Since Paul is upgrading from CFLs, he’ll probably immediately notice that his new LED lights deliver warmer light and come to full brightness instantly. No more waiting for his CFLs to warm up. He’ll also have the option to dim them down to 5 percent, nothing like having the option of mood lighting.

And Paul should also be able to go a long time without replacing another bulb in his kitchen. Since the CR6 LED downlight is designed to last 50,000 hours, he could leave his new kitchen lights on for eight hours a day, seven days a week and he could go more than 17 years without replacing them. Pretty incredible, huh?

Are you jealous of Paul’s new lights? Don’t be. Submit a photo of the lighting you would like to replace in your home or office to our monthly photo contest. Each month we give away five energy-efficient Cree CR6 LED downlights. To enter, submit your photo here. Or, if you can’t wait that long, find out how you can go get them right now.

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Posted in Cree, Revolution | 3 Comments »

The incandescent light bulb phase out does not mandate CFLs as a replacement

Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011


Last night, I cried out at my TV as I watched the NBC Nightly News story on the upcoming incandescent light bulb phase out. The very first line delivered by the reporter was inaccurate and misleading and I knew it. 

“At 131 years old, Thomas Edison’s bright idea may be due for a makeover,” said NBC’s Chief Environmental Affairs Correspondent Anne Thompson, “but the government-mandated transition from the incandescent to the compact fluorescent – the CFL – isn’t winning many style points.”

“That’s not true,” I hollered at the TV, sending my cat flying off the sofa. You would think I was watching the Superbowl instead of the nightly news by the way I was shouting at my flatscreen.

It’s really not true! The federally-mandated phase out of inefficient incandescent light bulbs does not in any way specify that consumers must only buy mercury-laden CFLs.

The new energy efficiency standards, set to start in 2012, say we can replace our energy-wasting incandescent bulbs with any lighting technology that is roughly 30 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs.

That means we could light our homes and businesses with CFLs, but it also means we can choose energy-efficient LED lighting. It even means we could turn to slightly more efficient incandescents that use halogen technology (although this borderline defeats the purpose of the standards, since halogens just barely make the energy-efficiency cut).


 

How Did They Ignore LEDS?

Disappointingly, last night’s NBC Nightly News story didn’t even mention LEDs. Although, if you visit the show’s website, you’ll see a clip that never made it on-air showing LED lighting as an option. But even that clip contained misinformation, because it wrongly stated that LEDs and CFLs are both 75 percent more efficient than incandescent lighting. Cree LED lights, like the CR6 LED downlight, are nearly 85 percent more efficient than incandescent lighting.  And while 10 percent might not seem like much, if you have 10 to 20 downlights—or more—it adds up!


 

Phase Out Opposition is Puzzling

Unfortunately, as we draw closer to the first step of the incandescent phase out, which begins in 2012, more misinformation about the energy efficiency standards will probably penetrate the media. It doesn’t help that Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) is leading an effort to repeal the energy-efficiency standards.

Supporters of reversing the phase out say the government shouldn’t mandate what type of lights we can use. They also say the incandescent phase out is costing the U.S. jobs after recent closings of traditional light bulb factories.

But what naysayers don’t mention is that we’ve created jobs by investing in new technologies, not old wasteful ones. So while incandescents and CFLs are almost entirely made outside the U.S., Cree was adding jobs and expanding manufacturing in North Carolina. In fact, we’ve added nearly 2,000 U.S. jobs focused on energy-efficient lighting in the past 10 years.

In September, we announced at a press conference that Cree has added more than 600 jobs since early 2009, surpassing our 2012 hiring goals set in fall 2009.

In September, we announced at a press conference that Cree has added more than 600 jobs since early 2009, surpassing our 2012 hiring goals set in fall 2009.

Also, this is not about the government mandating what we can and cannot consume. It is about setting national efficiency standards that save money for energy users, protect customers from out-of-date technologies that are overly expensive to operate, boost innovation and protect the environment.

On the Bright Side

Fortunately, it appears that most Americans are down with making the switch to energy-efficient lighting. A new USA TODAY/Gallup poll reports that nearly three out of four U.S. adults – or 71 percent –say they have replaced traditional light bulbs in their home in recent years with CFLs or LEDs. Additionally, 84 percent say they’re “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the alternatives, according to the survey of 1,016 U.S. adults taken Feb. 15 to 16.

Many businesses, cities and universities are taking the lead on switching to energy-efficient LED lighting. You can see some of these LED lighting revolutionaries here. 

For a complete rundown on what the new energy-efficiency standards mean for lighting, I highly recommend you read this informative, easy-to-understand document from the National Resources Defense Council. That way, I won’t be the only one yelling at the TV (or newspaper or computer or radio or mobile device) the next time a misleading news about the phase out  is reported.

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Posted in Cree, Energy Efficiency, Revolution | 22 Comments »

December Cree LED lighting contest winner wants to save energy and money both at home and at work

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

Rusty Ponder is always looking for ways to save energy and money. As the Energy Management Coordinator for the third largest school district in Mississippi, Rusty was recently researching new lighting technology for work. In fact, it was his quest to find ways to save energy and money that led him to our website and our LED lighting giveaway.

Rusty is the December winner of our monthly bad lighting photo contest. He wins five Cree CR6 LED downlights for his home. In his entry, Rusty submitted this photo and wrote:

dec 2010 winner

“This house has very little foot candles in every room. Actually it is like living with candles and no electricity!”

Well anyone who talks in foot candles gets a shining star in the lighting geek book. And we couldn’t let Rusty feel like he was living in the dark. Turns out he has bigger plans for his new Cree LED lights. When I wrote Rusty to tell him he won, I asked him why he entered the contest. Here’s what he wrote:

“I thought if I can win these, I can show my bosses the LED technology and do some light meter readings and demos, so they can see firsthand how good they are. Then I can install them in my house and enjoy them for years to come.”

I think that makes Rusty a true LED Revolutionary. Because he’s going to spread the good word about high-quality LED lighting before enjoying them himself. And indeed, these lights could keep Rusty’s home lit for many years. They’re designed to last 50,000 hours, which means he can leave them on eight hours a day, seven days a week for 17 years. The lights are also dimmable, which means he can bring some mood lighting home. And since they only consume 10.5 watts, Rusty will be saving energy and money, which was his goal all along.

“I believe I will have a lot more evenly-spread light with better color and use a lot less energy, which will help me save money and help save the planet at the same time,” Rusty wrote.

This will be the first time Rusty has used an LED light. We’re pretty sure it won’t be his last.

If you want to try to win five Cree LED lights of your own, hurry up and enter our February LED lighting contest. Simply submit a photo of bad lighting in your home, office or business here. Next month, you could be joining Rusty in the LED Lighting Revolution.

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Posted in Cree, Revolution | 2 Comments »

Cree demonstrates 60-watt equivalent LED light bulb

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

January 27, 1880 was a significant day in lighting history. That was the day Thomas Edison received the historic patent for the incandescent light bulb. The patent changed the way we illuminate the world and  is listed by the National Archives as one of 100 milestone documents in U.S. history.

Today, exactly 131 years later, we have a historic announcement of our own. We are proud to demonstrate our TrueWhite Light. It’s the brightest, most efficient, LED-based A-lamp that can meet ENERGY STAR® performance requirements for a 60 watt standard LED replacement bulb.

bulb in hand

We’re demonstrating that it is possible to make an LED light bulb that delivers the same bright, warm light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. We want to show the world that this is what LED lighting can and should look like. And we want to help our customers – don’t forget we don’t just make lighting, we manufacture LEDs and modules that we sell to lighting manufacturers – bring bulbs like this to market. See more details about this new light on TrueWhiteLight.com.

Through the use of Cree lighting class XLamp LEDs, Cree TrueWhite™ Technology, a patented Cree remote phosphor technology, and of course, plenty of Research and Development, we are continuing to break barriers in LED performance.

Last week, I got to hang out with the TrueWhite Light in a photography studio. We set up three orange lamps and put a 60-watt incandescent, a 60-watt equivalent CFL (it consumes 15 watts) and the 60-watt equivalent Cree TrueWhite LED bulb (it consumes less than 10 watts).

 Light Comparison blog

As soon as the photographer’s assistant plugged in the lights, I was awestruck. Our LED bulb truly looked as beautiful as the incandescent, and certainly better than the CFL. And that’s the way it should be. LED lighting should look as good as the technology it’s replacing.

We understand why so many people are reluctant to let their incandescent bulbs go. Even though they waste energy, they still provide that warm light that many of us love. But Cree is continuing to prove that LED lights can do it too.

 That’s why we had a little fun with Thomas Edison this week on Twitter, on our facebook page and in this video:

 

Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely appreciate what Edison did 131 years ago today. But the time has come to turn off energy-wasting incandescent lights and join the LED lighting revolution.

It’s funny,  a hundred years ago Thomas Edison made some predictions in the Miami Metropolis about what the world would be like in 2011. His definitely reached for the stars in his predictions, calling for books that were printed on leaves of nickel and taxicabs made of gold. But he didn’t predict that a new lighting technology would render his incandescent light obsolete.

The incandescent bulb has served us well for many years, Mr. Edison, but thanks, we’ll take it from here.

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Posted in Cree, Energy Efficiency, Revolution, Videos | 22 Comments »

November contest winner: Even cats can benefit from Cree LED lighting

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Do cats deserve good lighting? (Cat haters, don’t answer that). What about the veterinarians, who treat sick cats, should they be able to work under good lighting? We think so.

The November winner of the Cree LED lighting photo contest is Big Sid’s Cat Sanctuary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The sanctuary is home to cats that are FeLV (Feline Leukemia) and/or FIV positive. These cats are fortunate to get to live out their days in a posh cat sanctuary with regular vet care.

But Scott Eaton, a volunteer at the sanctuary, thought the cats deserved more. They deserved to live in a well-lit, energy efficient home. So Scott, after searching Cree’s website for real-world LED lighting examples, decided to enter our monthly photo contest. He entered the following photo and explained “’Big Sids’ is an animal sanctuary I volunteer for and help with maintenance. Our lighting is a mish-mosh of (incandescent) and cheap CFL, but it’s what we can afford. We are in desperate need of an upgrade.”

November Winner Cats

This was the winning contest entry for November.

When I wrote Scott to tell him he won the November contest, he explained where the new CR6 LED downlights are going to go:

“While a cat shelter may seem like fun and games,” Scott wrote, “all the cats at Sid’s are FeLV (Feline Leukemia) and/or FIV positive. This creates a lot of related health issues for the cats and consequently requires greater medical attention and examination. We will most likely use the lights in areas where our Veterinarian and volunteer examiners can best utilize the higher quality of lighting.”

Our CR6 LED downlights consume only 10.5 watts, yet deliver enough light to replace a 65 watt incandescent light. These downlights are also dimmable, which means the cats can have some mood lighting in the evenings. And the CR6 LED downlight is also designed to last 50,000 hours, which means volunteers at Big Sid’s Cat Sanctuary could leave the lights on for eight hours a day, seven days a week and they could last more than 17 years.

Scott added: “We only wish we had more of them, but after we see how well the CR6s work we are hoping our grateful donors and sponsors will jump on board and help us get more.”

If you live or work under inferior lighting, hurry up and enter our monthly photo contest. All you have to do is submit a photo of the bad lighting in your life and briefly tell us why you need Cree LED lighting. We look forward to your entries!

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