Recently in High Performance Light of LEDs Category

Ruediger Mueller, CEO of Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH, said at the Electronica 2008 exhibition, that LED technology has the potential to lower light energy usage by 30 percent. This means total energy use could be slashed by 50 percent. He estimated that 19 percent of global electricity is used for lightning. The LED technology can help reduce light energy consumption by 30 percent, and by adding some intelligence, it goes to 50 percent.

Mueller noted overall LED efficiency has improved by a factor of 50 percent.

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LED maker Cree, Inc., Durham, NC, has made the XLamp MC-E LED commercial available.

Cree says that the MC-E is the highest-lumen LED in the award-winning XLamp family. The multi-chip XLamp MC-E has the same 7mm x 9mm footprint as Cree's existing XLamp XR family LEDs. However, the company says that it provides four times the light output of the existing XR-E. Cree boasts that this is the highest lumen output commercially available for a package of its size.

Cree says the MC-E is designed to enable new applications and reductions in overall system cost to other LED packages.

At 9.8W, the XLamp MC-E LED provides up to 790 lumens at 6000K (80.61 lumens/W) and up to 605 lumens at 3000K (61.73 lumens/W).

The CRI for cool white and neutral white (3,700 K - 10,000 K CCT) is 75.

CRI for warm white (2,600 K - 3,700 K CCT) is 80.

Each LED chip in the four-chip package is individually addressable.

Environmental Advantage for LEEDTM Certification by USGBC

LED lights offer numerous environmental benefits over other types of lighting for today's environmentally-conscious facilities and for buildings working toward LEED certification.

• Longer life ratings for less waste for landfills
  
• Daylight harvesting capabilities with solar power
  
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHs) compliant
• No mercury or lead is used in the product
  

Earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) points by using KramerLED fixtures. See how by reviewing Kramer Lighting's  LED Lighting Systems in Sustainable Building Design brochure.

Auxiliary lighting on motorcycles

The "Night-time Awareness - Auxiliary Lighting" bill unanimously passed through the Maryland Senate  and the House in April 2008. This Motorcycle lighting legislation enables the front, rear, and sides of bikes to be illuminated using non-outwardly projecting lights. The bill was publicized to raise awareness for the National Highway Traffic Safety Association's motorcycle awareness week.

"Most motorcycle accidents involving another vehicle, they are almost always the fault of the other vehicle, and usually the comment of the other vehicle is, we just didn't see him."

Police Sgt. Dave Ennis adds that "Anything that adds to the visibility of the rider, I think is a move in the right direction."

Carmanah Technologies Corporation  is providing solar-powered airfield lights for a United States Air Force installation in the Middle East.

The order, valued at approximately USD $463,000, will enable the facility to upgrade its five-year-old system of A702 solar-powered airfield lights with Carmanah's wireless, high-visibility A704-5 GEN II runway lights. The new airfield-lighting system will help ensure the safety of air traffic and airport personnel by providing bright and reliable lighting for taxiways and runways within this challenging environment.

Featuring Carmanah's top-of-the-line solar-powered A704-5 airfield lights, the new solar-powered system significantly improves visibility thanks to a revolutionary new optical lens and high-intensity LED light source that makes the new lights up to 40 times brighter. Dual-mode LEDs can be switched from visible to infrared mode (for use with night vision goggles), and configuration and control is quick and convenient using the onboard programmable interface or secure wireless controller.

Offering a quick and easy installation, versatile operation, and no scheduled maintenance for up to five years, the stand-alone solar-powered lighting system offers an effective and dependable alternative for improving airfield safety around the clock.

Industry proven for reliable operation in a range of environments, Carmanah solar-powered LED aviation lights are installed at some of the world's busiest airports, including Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Gatwick International Airport, Singapore Changi International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport. For more information, visit www.solarairportlights.com.

Vortex Vision Corporation, a pioneer of the rechargeable-battery flashlight market, has chosen Cree’s new XLamp XR-E power LEDs for five of its LED flashlight models.

Cree XLamp XR-E LEDs lead the industry in brightness and efficiency, critical features in battery-powered, portable lighting applications such as hand-held flashlights. XR-E LEDs also produce the high-quality, uniform white light required by flashlight manufacturers. The new white Cree XR-E LEDs produce typical luminous flux of 80 lumens at 350 mA, yielding 70 lumens per watt, and establish a new class of LED performance.

“We chose the Cree XLamp XR-E LED because it allows us to make very bright flashlights featuring long run times,” said Arne Ogaard, Vortex managing director. “The combination of the XLamp XR-E LED and the advanced Vortex technology ensures that our customers will have the most powerful Vortex Premium Aluminum Flashlights and TacLites available.”

“The rechargeable-battery flashlight market is focused on brightness and efficiency,” said Norbert Hiller, Cree general manager and vice president for XLamp power LEDs. “We are pleased that an industry pioneer, Vortex, has chosen Cree XLamp XR-E LEDs due to their superior performance and quality.”

For additional information on Cree XLamp power LEDs, please call (919) 313-5300 or visit www.cree.com/xlamp.

For additional information about Vortex LED flashlights, please call +1 951 695 5545 or visit www.vortexvision.us.

In 2007 CREE announced that its XLamp® LEDs would light up campsites around the world in Coleman® lanterns, flashlights and other outdoor lighting products.

The Coleman Company, Inc., one of the best-known manufacturers of lighting products and outside gear, is designing Cree’s new XLamp XR-E and XR-C power LEDs into all of its LED-lighting products.

“Coleman is converting all LED-based products to the Cree XLamp LED due to Cree’s advanced technology, common package size within the entire XLamp LED family and excellent support,” said Traci Willing, Coleman product manager for battery lighting. “As we roll out Cree LED-based lanterns, headlamps, flashlights, spotlights and specialty Exponent® products, we believe our customers will be thrilled with the brightness, runtime and overall performance of these new models.”

“We’re delighted that Coleman has selected Cree XLamp LEDs for its new LED lighting product lines,” said Norbert Hiller, Cree vice president and general manager for lighting LEDs. “Campers and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide can now join the LED lighting revolution.”

For additional information on Cree XLamp power LEDs, please call (919) 313-5300 or visit www.cree.com/xlamp.

For additional information about Coleman camping lanterns and flashlights, visit www.coleman.com.

About The Coleman Company, Inc.
The Coleman Company, Inc. is a  leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, including its legendary lanterns, as well as stoves, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, coolers, furniture and grills. Coleman embraces its leadership role as an advocate for the outdoors, contributing to outdoor causes and inspiring people to get outside. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation.

About Cree, Inc.
Cree is a market-leading innovator and manufacturer of semiconductors and devices that enhance the value of solid-state lighting, power and communications products by significantly increasing their energy performance and efficiency. Key to Cree’s market advantage is its world-class materials expertise in silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) for chips and packaged devices that can handle more power in a smaller space while producing less heat than other available technologies, materials and products.

In September, 2007, Cree announced it achieved R&D results of 129 lumens per watt for a cool-white LED and 99 lumens per watt for a warm-white LED.

These are the best results reported for packaged, high-power LEDs, and indicate that Cree is extending its lead in solid-state lighting through its continued investments in LED technology.

The results have been verified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST’s tests confirmed that the cool-white (5,813 K) LED produced 135.7 lumens of light output and achieved 129 lumens per watt efficacy. The warm-white (2,950 K) LED produced 104.2 lumens of light output and achieved 99 lumens per watt efficacy. The institute tests LEDs at 350 mA and measures the output after five minutes of operation to ensure thermal stabilization.

In coming years, such investments in core LED technology could lead to products that replace traditional light sources in all commercial applications.


“To replace traditional light sources, LEDs need to provide both high light output and high efficacy,” comments John Edmond, Cree co-founder and director of advanced optoelectronics. “Cree continues to push the limits of LED performance in order to realize the potential of the LED lighting revolution – energy-efficient, long-lasting LED light.”

For more information on Cree high-power LEDs, please call (919) 313-5300 or visit www.cree.com.