Cree advances XLAMP XP-G2 LED family

By Warren Miller, contributing writer

Cree, Inc. has introduced a new high-efficacy (HE) edition of the XLamp XP-G2 LED, a progression that the company claims yields greater output and higher efficiency than its predecessors. The XP-G2 HE can be easily configured into existing XP-G2 LED systems, allowing designers to upgrade their indoor/outdoor, portable, and architectural applications with Cree’s latest Dmax high-power LED chip technology. These improvements “enable smaller, lighter, and lower-cost designs,” said Cree.

Based on Cree’s SC³ technology platform, the XP-G2 LED produces up to 20% more lumens per watt and two-and-a-half times the lumens-per-dollar than first-generation XP-G LEDs. The newest XP-G2 HE LED, leveraging the Dmax high-power chip technology, provides up to 9% greater efficacy and lower thermal resistance while producing 25% more light output (by way of a maximum current of 2,000 mA) than preceding XP designs. Optically compatible with original XP-G designs, the XP-G2 can be dropped into pre-existing systems to reduce LED design cycles and get products to market more quickly.

“The XLamp XP-G2 LED served as a breakthrough product that enabled a broad set of new LED applications,” stated Dave Emerson, executive vice president and general manager of Cree’s LED product line. “Today, Cree continues our commitment to make our latest LED technology available in form factors that are easy for our customers to use while enabling smaller, lighter, lower-cost designs and delivering the color quality that Cree is known for. Cree’s new XP-G2 HE further strengthens the industry’s best 3.45-mm high-power LED portfolio, which delivers leading lumen density and reliability for high-power general lighting applications.”

Perhaps the most visible application for high-power lighting is in the architectural space. Dramatic LED-based lighting on modern buildings provides the opportunity to create “personalities” for buildings that mirror their occupant’s branding. More cost- and power-efficient LEDs can now expand these applications to even smaller, more cost-sensitive structures or provide even more dramatic effects on larger buildings.