Cree’s XLamp XP-G is a finalist for the 2009 ECN Tech Awards (click here to vote)! Fellow LED geeks can read the specs on the XLamp XP-G and understand why it’s receiving recognition.

If you don’t know much about LEDs, you probably don’t know why this is such an amazing creation.  But I want everyone to be as excited as we are about the XP-G, so I’m going to explain why in simple terms.

Here’s the deal: There are two particularly important things we measure about LEDs. One is how much light an LED puts out, which is measured in lumens. The other is how much energy it consumes when it puts out that light, which is called efficacy (not to be confused with the similarly-spelled efficiency). Efficacy is measured in lumens per watt or LPW.

So now that you’re armed with that knowledge, consider this:

Cree’s XLamp XP-G is currently the brightest and most efficient LED available in the industry. Here’s why: It can produce up to 367 lumens when driven at 1 Amp, at a typical efficacy of 111 lumens per watt. Now that, my dear blog readers, is very bright and efficient.

So why does all of that matter?

Well, when an LED becomes brighter and more efficient, it can potentially reduce the number of LEDs needed in an LED lighting fixture, as well as the size and the cost of the fixture. Each of these breakthroughs in LED technology means it’s becoming easier to join the LED Lighting Revolution. (Look at this photo of my co-worker holding an XP-G to get a feel for how small it is.)

So, this brings me back to the 2009 ECN Tech Awards. The Cree XLamp XP-G is a finalist in the Optoelectronics & Displays category. Now that you understand more about the product, we sure would appreciate your vote. Thanks!