Cree spreads the light

RALEIGH, NC -- Cree, Inc., a U.S.-based leader in Light Emitting Diode [LED] solid-state lighting components, and the City of Raleigh, NC, have formed a joint initiative to test, deploy and promote LED lighting technology. The “LED City” initiative is designed to create a “living laboratory” to deliver the economic, environmental and usage benefits of LED lighting to the residents of Raleigh.

“The economic benefits for municipalities to invest in LEDs are clear – they save energy, reduce environmental impact and improve the quality of light.” stated Charles Meeker, Raleigh mayor. “We believe that the cost savings and benefits of LED lighting are real and achievable today.”

Approximately 22 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States goes toward lighting, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If 25 percent of the lightbulbs in the United States were converted to LEDs putting out 70 lumens per watt, the country as a whole could save $55 billion in utility costs, cumulatively, by 2025. That would alleviate the need to build 65 new coal-burning power stations.

Future LEDs are expected to have twice the efficiency, doubling these savings.

Cree, Inc.: Spreading the gospel of LED

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