Cree scientists have made another breakthrough in light emitting diode lighting, producing the light equivalent of a standard household light build with a single miniscule LED.
On Friday, Cree (Nasdaq: ) disclosed that its XLamp LEDs could produce 72 lumens per watt of power in “cool” white and 52 lumens in “warm” light per watt. The warm light is considered more natural.
Traditional bulbs produce around 10 to 15 lumens per watt.
The advance could help Cree in its efforts to increase sales of LEDs for lighting. LEDs consume less power, generate less heat and last much longer than conventional bulbs.
While Cree didn’t say when it planned commercial production of the LEDs, the company noted in a statement that “generally” advances have been commercialized within 12 to 24 months.
“Cree’s XLamp LEDs are the best-performing commercially available LEDs, but we won’t be satisfied until light bulbs are obsolete,” said John Edmond, one of Cree’s six co-founders and director of advanced optoelectronics. “We’ve worked 20 years to achieve lighting-class LED performance, and we still have plenty of ways to advance the technology further.”
Cree recently announced plans to triple its LED production after buying a company in China.
