LED chip, lamp and lighting fixture maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA has demonstrated a single high-power LED delivering luminous flux of nearly 1600 lumens at a luminous efficacy of 134 lumens per watt (lm/W, or LPW) with similar color quality to that of an incandescent light bulb.
Cree says that it has hence achieved a 25% increase in lumens per watt over production LEDs of similar color quality under operating conditions found in real-world LED lighting applications. This milestone - coupled with Cree's latest SC5 Technology platform - should lead to LED systems with increased performance, lower cost and better light, Cree reckons.
"Today, advancing LED technology goes beyond just increasing LPW," says John Edmond, Cree's co-founder & director of advanced optoelectronics. "Cree is also focused on improving spectral content and the efficacy of warmer color temperatures while pursuing tremendous opportunities to increase LPW at real-world operating conditions," he adds. "This R&D result continues Cree's high-power LED technology innovation and provides a path to better lighting experiences at the lowest overall system cost."
Many existing LEDs that provide excellent light quality do so by compromising LED efficacy, resulting in lower system performance or higher system cost, says Cree. The firm says that its latest innovation demonstrates a no-compromise solution that enables high-quality light at the lowest cost. As an example, an existing 60W LED replacement lamp with average light quality (3000K CCT & 80 CRI) could be upgraded to incandescent-like light quality (2700K CCT, 90+ CRI & 90+ R9) with the same light output and power consumption levels at no additional cost. The recently approved California Title 20 appliance standard for LED bulbs highlights the importance of this type of performance without cost and energy savings compromises.
Cree reports that the R&D LED performance was measured at 1587lm at a drive current of 350mA and a junction temperature of 85°C, delivering 134 LPW with a CRI Ra > 90 and R9 > 90 at 2700 K CCT.
