News Article
Cree LED Troffers Revolutionise Commercial Lighting
The new Cree CR series delivers shorter payback, better light quality and efficacy than fluorescents.
Antiquated, inferior commercial lighting has had a much-needed transformation with the revolutionary new series of LED troffers from Cree.
The Cree CR family of architectural troffers, including the CR24, CR14 and CR22, bring a superior combination of performance, aesthetics and affordability to a market traditionally lit by outdated, flickering fluorescent tubes.
--270411.jpg)
Cree's CR Series Architectural Troffer Family (Photo: Business Wire)
The CR series is redefining commercial lighting by offering a no-compromise alternative when upgrading over fluorescent lighting. More affordable than comparable fluorescent options, CR series fixtures deliver higher-quality light, longer life and greater energy savings, with an estimated payback of less than a year in a typical office installation.
“We chose the Cree CR troffers because the payback calculation was clear,” said Richard J. Michal, PE, MBA, LEED-AP, facilities engineer planning design and construction, Butler University. “Seeing the CR troffers installed, they have an elegant aesthetic that produces an incredibly high-quality light. When you combine that with our predicted energy and maintenance savings, it was a no-brainer.”
“You never need to install fluorescent troffer lighting again,” said Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO. “The traditional lighting experts keep telling us what LEDs can’t do, and we keep showing them that anything is possible. We think it is time to rid the world of the compromises inherent in choosing fluorescent lighting — the flickering, toxic mercury, poor colour, ineffective dimming and disposal expense.”
“Our life cycle cost analysis using Cree LED lighting on our projects decreased the watts-per-square-foot by upwards of 60 percent,” said Nick Santore, PE, LEED-AP, Senior Electrical Engineer at O’Brien/Atkins Associates. “That decrease translated into measurable reductions in building HVAC equipment sizing requirements, delivering additional savings.”
According to Freedonia Group, the 2009 US indoor lighting fixture market is estimated at U.S. $6.4 billion. Lighting represents 27 percent of American commercial building energy consumption, according to the U.S Department of Energy.
The Cree CR troffer family is powered by Cree TrueWhite Technology to deliver a combination of 90 CRI and up to 110 lumens per watt, which the firm says far outperforms any other current lighting options.
An innovative thermal management system enables the LEDs to consistently run cooler, providing significant boosts to lifetime, efficacy and colour consistency. All fixtures feature step or 0-10V dimming, are designed to last at least 50,000 hours and feature a five-year warranty.
The CR troffer family includes three models and multiple performance options: 1ft x 4 ft, 2ft x 4ft and 2ft x 2ft.
The Cree CR series is made in the United States, sold through Cree LED Lighting sales channels and is currently shipping in volume.
The CR troffers will also be demonstrated at Cree’s booth #1925 at Lightfair International in Philadelphia, May 17-19.
