cree

Cree today introduced an LED lighting component that will bring prices down significantly, but the company has come to realize that only cutting prices won't make LED lighting mainstream.

The company said its latest XT-E White LED delivers an industry-best 162 lumens per watt at room temperature. Boosting the price performance of LEDs results in a cost reduction of about 25 percent at the retail level in a year or two, said product marketing manager Paul Scheidt.

That's significant given that LED lighting has a higher upfront cost than more established products, but Scheidt said the industry's … Read more

Cree is trying to put LED lighting on the same price and performance curve that people are used to with computers.

The company today announced redesigned LED light sources that promise a significant cut in the cost of LED lighting and a quicker pace of technical improvement.

Cree estimates that the new design, which uses smaller LED chips, can cut the cost of the LED components by 50 percent. At retail, that translates to a roughly 25 percent cost reduction, said product marketing manager Paul Scheidt.

"LEDs are at the point where the technology is good enough to get … Read more

In a sign of rapid change in the lighting industry, LED supplier Cree today said it is buying commercial lighting company Ruud Lighting for about $525 million.

The acquisition will bring LED lighting to more applications, including street lights and indoor commercial spaces, such as hospitals and retail spaces, according to Cree. Cree currently supplies the LED light sources to Ruud Lighting for some its fixtures. Ruud Lighting also sells lights with florescent and HID (high-intensity discharge) technology.

"Cree is taking another bold step in leading the LED lighting revolution, creating a company that has an unrivaled focus and … Read more

Cree has made an LED light bulb designed to show the industry what can be done in the pursuit of energy-efficient lighting.

The company yesterday unveiled a demonstration LED bulb that meets the stringent efficiency requirements of the L Prize, a Department of Energy-sponsored contest. Cree, which makes LED light sources used in bulbs and light fixtures, doesn't plan to release the prototype as a product.

The bulb, which Cree is calling the 21st Century Lamp, gives off more than 1,300 lumens, or more than a 75-watt incandescent light, and consumes 8.7 watts. It's shaped to … Read more

LED lighting company Cree is taking on the overhead fluorescent lights that are a fixture of office buildings with a light source it says will quickly recoup the investment.

The company today announced a new line of "architectural troffers," or rectangular-shaped fixtures designed for overhead lighting. The troffers use Cree's LED light sources, which offer a longer life and improved efficiency over fluorescent lights, according to the company.

The fixtures offer a white light with an efficiency of 110 lumens per watt and a color rendering index, a measure of light quality, of 90. The lights can … Read more

A manufacturing breakthrough will result in lower costs for better color LEDs, LED manufacturer Cree announced Wednesday.

Cree says it's been able to apply a new method of color mixing to produce an LED light that's akin to an incandescent light bulb in color and uniformity.

The LED light uses 4 watts of power while offering 340 lumens at 3,000 degrees Kelvin (warm white) and operating at a temperature of 85 degrees Celsius.

The LEDs are intended for use in fixtures that would normally take a 20- to 25-watt halogen bulb, such as track lighting, picture lights, … Read more

LED maker Cree is gunning for the demise of the 60-watt incandescent bulb with a demonstration LED bulb that's energy efficient and disperses light in all directions.

The company today introduced a dimmable LED bulb, which it expects to get EnergyStar certification in the fall. Today's date coincides with the day 131 years ago when Thomas Edison received a key patent for incandescent bulbs.

Cree makes components that go into an LED light fixture, notably the LEDs' light sources themselves, and some light modules themselves. It has not yet decided how it will bring this demonstration 60-watt incandescent … Read more

The Joby Gorillatorch Blade is the latest in a line of hands-free flashlights that includes the Gorillatorch Original and the Gorillatorch Flare. While all three 'torches feature Joby's trademark flexible, bendable legs--a feature that originally debuted on the Gorillapod line of tripods--the Blade differentiates itself with an all-new chassis for the lamp and a few new features. It's also the most expensive, which may be a turn-off for casual users.

Starting with the Gorillatorch Blade's flashlight, the unit features an anodized black aluminum tube chassis that's about 6.25 inches long and 1.33 inches thick. The unit is IPX-5 water-resistant, which means you could probably douse it with a hose or rinse it in a sink, but you probably don't want to go submerging it. The unit's design also lends a bit of inherent shock-resistance. Dropping this guy onto concrete may mar the finish, but the functionality probably won't be affected.

Located at the business end of the lamp is the CREE XLamp XP-C LED. When Joby calls this guy ultra-bright, it's not just blowing smoke. Standard output from this LED is 65 lumens, which matches the output of the Gorillatorch Original and proved to be more than bright enough for most of the uses we could think of. However, for users who need even more brightness, the Blade also features a boost mode that doubles the output to 130 lumens for a moment or for up to a three-minute burst. By twisting the head of the flashlight, users are also able to adjust the cone of light emitted by the Blade, widening it to a 160-degree flood or narrowing it to a 30-degree spotlight.… Read more

LED lighting company Cree on Wednesday is expected to announce it is supplying downlights to Home Depot for sale online, adding another LED to the retailer's lighting offerings.

The downlights, which fit into a six-inch recessed lighting can on ceilings, use 10.5 watts and put out as much light as a 65-watt incandescent bulb. The price for the lights, available under Home Depot's EcoSmart brand, is $49.95.

In addition to being more efficient, Cree says these bulbs give off familiar light to people accustomed to incandescents and they will last for 35,000 hours, which could … Read more