Cree has announced an LED-retrofit A-lamp that meets stringent performance goals, although the company has no immediate plans to market the product. The company has developed a prototype that delivers 1330 lm and consumes 8.7W, with an efficacy of 152 lm/W.
Cree says that the prototype “exceeds the performance goals” of the US Department of Energy (DOE) L Prize Competition in the 21st Century Lamp category. The DOE has yet to fully define the requirements of this third element of the L Prize competition, although it has said that 150 lm/W efficacy would be a requirement.
Non-traditional looks
The new lamp looks significantly different than most LED retrofit lamps and decidedly different from a traditional incandescent bulb. In a video, below, Gerry Negley, Cree's CTO and co-inventor of the bulb, said, “I don’t know what lighting will look like in the 21st century. I can tell you it will not be constrained with shapes and technology of the past. It will not look like a traditional light bulb.”
Indeed we have already seen a number of SSL lamps that depart from traditional looks. But Cree is taking liberties in suggesting that the prototype might meet the undefined 21st Century L Prize requirements (except in terms of efficacy), and the unusual shape of the lamp could be an issue.
The prototype appears to be cylindrical in terms of the lighting globe or diffuser, as shown in the photo. And a cylindrical heat sink, which is larger than the optical element, forms the base of the lamp. Such a design would not provide an omnidirectional distribution of light. No one knows for sure what requirements the DOE will define for the third L Prize category. But we do know that in the 60W category, an omnidirectional distribution is a requisite.
Cree won’t reveal any of the design details used in the prototype other than saying it uses Cree TrueWhite technology. TrueWhite is Cree’s approach to mixing red LEDs with phosphor-converted yellow LEDs to deliver warmer color temperatures with greater efficacy than is possible using white LEDs alone.
Third-party validation
Cree says that the prototype has a CCT of 2800K and a CRI of 91. Cree had the performance and color specifications verified by third-party testing lab OnSpeX.
A retrofit lamp in the 150 lm/W range could certainly have a big impact on energy usage. Cree co-founder Neal Hunter said, “We calculate that if fully deployed, LED lighting at 150 lm/W could bring a 16.5% reduction in US electrical-energy consumption, returning it to 1987 levels.” But Cree isn’t saying when such a lamp might be manufactured.
Back in January, Cree announced a prototype of a 60W-replacement lamp that it said was the first design that could meet Energy Star requirements. Since then Philips has achieved Energy Star compliance with its EnduraLED 60W-replacement lamp.
Cree has consistently said that its lighting systems business is primarily focused on helping customers of its LED components business solve design problems. Essentially Cree creates systems from which LED customers can borrow design elements. Cree does sell LED luminaires such as downlights and linear-fluorescent-replacement fixtures. To date the company has not sold LED retrofit lamps.
COMMENTS
Name: nathan Posted: Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:08
The video says it "meets the 21st Century L-Prize requirements even before it is defined". What does THAT mean???
Name: rh in ct Posted: Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:08
What it means is explained in the text of the article. The complete specifications have not been finalized, but one key specification has been - lumens per watt - and that one has been met/exceeded.
The key point in the video for me is that in the future lamps and other fixtures will not be designed around standard replaceable light sources, that when a light source lasts 20 years designing around a replacement model is unnecessary.
Name: samanywhere Posted: Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:08
Great bulb in regards to its performance. My compliments for that. But...
Designing LED bulbs for a while now, (No, I won't make statements wheter it is a good looking design or not, haha) I am not so surprised by it's performance since Cree took one liberty that most of the LED bulb designers are not allowed to take: They completely abbandoned the IEC EN60630 regulations in regards to bulb outlines.
This means you can use bigger components and a big heatsink, all adding to the lumens per watt ratio.
If they would stick to the regulations, and it needs to fit inside an existing luminaire, it needs to be an A60 size bulb.
I'd like to challenge them to come up with the same performance, for the right price (max$19.99)in such a form factor.
Administrators Reply
Fair comment, except Cree is not trying to suggest this is a standard A-lamp replacement, and this is not what the L Prize 21st Century Lamp competition appears to be about.
Name: samanywhere Posted: Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:08
Dear administrators. It is clear that it is not trying to be a A-bulb replacement. Mr Negley is honest enough to even state it during his presentation. It would not have that kind of performance if it would have the regulated form factor.
I am only worried that these kind of performances will become a requirement from both the US DOE and more and more consumers, based upon lab models like this shown bulb.
As soon as we can go to new standards in regards to form factors for bulbs and luminaires, standards without IP !!, which are dedicated for LED bulbs , then we can make a huge jump in performance. Until then, within the current form factors, it will remain extremely difficult to come close to this kind of lumen per watt ratio’s without using tricks like more expensive components with higher temperature ratings or using forced cooling (expensive)
So, just a suggestion for the DOE L Prize committee: Don’t only look at the required 150 lm/W efficacy but also at a useable form factor (not necessarily the IEC EN60630) which can be used for future replacement lamps.
