XLamp XP-G LED: Jump-starting the LED revolution

XLamp XP-G LED: Jump-starting the LED revolution

May 2009 at Lightfair International in New York City was a very bright spot in the history of Durham, NC-based Cree (www.cree.com). At that industry event the company showed its cool-white (5,000-K) XLamp XP-G LED publicly for the first time. The solid-state light source broke records by providing the highest lumen density of any available lighting-class LED. Housed in the XLamp XP-family package, it produces up to 400 lm at 1 A and over 130 lm/W at 350 mA, making it up to 43% brighter and 53% more efficient than previous devices.

The company was intending to drive what it called the “LED Revolution,” and in fact changed the nature of Lightfair; by the 2010 show, LED lighting could be found in practically every booth.

The XP-G had established a new level of performance for LEDs, potentially reducing the number of LEDs needed for an LED fixture, as well as fixture size and cost. Further, the LED’s high efficacy at lower current can lower the total power requirement for a portable or solar lighting application, which in turn can reduce the number and size of solar cells or batteries needed.

Not content to merely have the top cool-white product, in March of this year Cree began commercial shipments of the XLamp XP-G LED in warm-white (2,600 K) and neutral-white (4,300 K) color temperatures, once again setting industry-leading efficacy levels while extending the highest level of light output and efficacy across the white color spectrum. The fact that they were available in the industry’s smallest ANSI-based chromaticity bins helped drive the LED into general lighting applications, such as LED replacement lamps and outdoor area and commercial luminaires.

The warm-white (3,000-K) XP-G LEDs provide up to 114 lm and 109 lm / W at 350 mA, and driven at 1.0 A can produce up to 285 lm. The neutral-white (4,000-K) versions produce up to 139 lm and 132 lm / W at 350 mA and up to up to 463 lm at 1.5 A.

One of the first companies to adopt the LED was Sunovia Energy Technologies (http://sunoviaenergy.com). According to company president Bob Fugerer, “The extremely high efficacy levels are enabling us to offer our [EvoLucia] Aimed Optics luminaires in a neutral color while maintaining the same pace-setting mounting-height-to-pole-spacing ratio and fitted target efficiency that we previously achieved with cool-white color temperatures.”

The LEDs have enabled LED lighting products that exceed the current Energy Star luminaire and lamp requirements. Today, Cree continues to accelerating the LED lighting revolution by pushing through performance milestones.

Richard Comerford