Cree Inc., Durham, N.C. recently announced that it's ready to start cranking out its LR24, a 24-inch square, recessed LED luminaire in high volume. The LR24 delivers high-quality, energy-efficient light for suspended-ceiling applications traditionally addressed by linear fluorescents, also known as lay-ins or troffers. The company says the LR24 delivers the uniform, high light levels required for offices, schools, hospitals and retail environments while consuming less electricity than most linear fluorescents.
The LR24 is said to last 50,000 hours (compared to approximately 20,000 hours for conventional fluorescents) and has a color-rendering index (CRI) of 92 — compared to a CRI of 70 to 80 for fluorescents. It is also dimmable to 5 percent with standard protocols — providing additional design flexibility and further energy-saving potential. The LR24 delivers high light levels at only 0.5 to 0.75 watts per square foot.
“With the addition of the LR24, we can light an entire office using Cree LED fixtures,” said Neal Hunter, Cree president of LED lighting. “You can have it all — superior energy efficiency, natural-looking light, no toxic mercury and an ultra-low maintenance system, designed for 50,000 hours. The volume availability of the LR24 builds on Cree's success to-date, as we've already installed more than 1,000 early-production LR24s in various national-account projects.”
The LR24 was a hit at a high-profile test applications — the Federal Reserve Bank in Washington, D.C. “We have installed LR24s on one floor at the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., as part of our ongoing energy-efficiency program,” said Chris Jennings, U.S. Federal Reserve, plant manager. “The graphic designers in the department love the uniformity and the color rendering of the new lights. We are impressed with the amount of light delivered by the LR24, and we look forward to evaluating additional Cree LED lighting products in other applications within the Federal Reserve.”
The LR24 has already been recognized in the 2008 Lighting for Tomorrow solid-state lighting competition, organized by the American Lighting Association, the U.S. Department of Energy (represented by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) and the Consortium of Energy Efficiency.
Need more green news? Check out G-Biz, a free e-mail newsletter published twice-a-month by the editors of Electrical Wholesaling and Electrical Construction and Maintenance magazine. You can subscribe by visiting www.ewweb.com and clicking on the “G-Biz” link in the left column.