Cree announces 276 lumens per watt!!! (okay just in a lab setting)

[foxtrot824]

I just saw this press release

http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2013/february/276-lpw

Looks like they achieved that at 4401K at a drive current of 350mA. I'm sure it will be a while until we see it in a package but still encouraging.

 

[Stephen7372]

I just saw this press release

http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2013/february/276-lpw

Looks like they achieved that at 4401K at a drive current of 350mA. I'm sure it will be a while until we see it in a package but still encouraging.

Hooooooooorayyyyyyyyyyyy !!!

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

1 watt / .350 amps = 2.857 forward voltage

Is that right?

2.857 volts at 350mA = 276 lumens and at 4401K?!

Nuts!

 

[awenta]

A while may be an understatement but awesome nonetheless!

 

[2xTrinity]

I just saw this press release

http://www.cree.com/news-and-events/cree-news/press-releases/2013/february/276-lpw

Looks like they achieved that at 4401K at a drive current of 350mA. I'm sure it will be a while until we see it in a package but still encouraging.

Makes sense that we'd see higher efficacy (lm/watt) at a lower color temperature. 4400k white has a lot more power density in the green where the eyes are much more sensitive.

 

[Led_Blind]

Great, now when will they be released?

 

[jtr1962]

I'd love to know the WPE of the blue emitter here. Based on the numbers it looks like it might be pretty close to 100%.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Wall Plug Efficiency:

"Wall-plug efficiency, a term in the optics field, typically refers to the effectiveness of converting electrical to optical power."

Source

 

[BigRiz]

.. time for the usual R&D efficacy achievement chart

 

[uk_caver]

That chart would be even better with curves for announced production efficacy (and available-to-buy device efficacy, though that might rely on various people's memories/records of when they first managed to get hold of a particular output bin).

 

[BigRiz]

Well I agree with you but I don't have that information at hand, although I'll try to collect it one day..

btw judging by the trends, production is around 3-4 years behind R&D, and R&D efficacy has doubled in the last ~5 years. For how long this can go on is anyone's guess. I believe the theoretical maximum efficacy for white LED's is 260 - 300 lumens per watt.. so we might be hitting a wall very soon

 

[awenta]

That may turn in to a crazy busy chart.

R&D may hit a wall soon but we won't get that product for a long time. We just have to pretend we don't know and enjoy the emitters they release in the meantime.

 

[WeLight]

CREE typically commercialise R&D into product in around 18 months

 

[uk_caver]

Has that time lag been getting longer recently?
XPG-2s seemed to be available around the middle of last year, and they seem to be roughly 160lm/W, not far off 4 years behind the 'lab setting' curve.

 

[awenta]

It's like that with everything. Have to milk everything you can.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

I wonder, with a cheaper and easier to produce l.e.d. and platform than in the past (SiC vs. chip based), won't we be seeing these l.e.d.s sooner than 18 months?

 

[BigRiz]

I wouldn't hold my breath in expecting this within 18 months. As far as I can remember, production was always around 4 years behind R&D, and it will probably continue to be so. That's still good news however. With the current trend, we should be expecting to have LED's that exceed 200 lumens per watt within a year.

 

[awenta]

Just imagine you didnt read this and be amazed as new emitters are released!

 

[IMSabbel]

I wonder, with a cheaper and easier to produce l.e.d. and platform than in the past (SiC vs. chip based), won't we be seeing these l.e.d.s sooner than 18 months?

Don't forget that this is two effects at play here.

In addition to the technology delay, this is also a single LED, the best hand picked from certainly quite a few wavers. If you want to compare it with production LEDs, you would need to buy a couple of thousand of the highest bin LEDs available and only take the best one.

 

[uk_caver]

If you want to compare it with production LEDs, you would need to buy a couple of thousand of the highest bin LEDs available and only take the best one.

As long as the criteria used to work out 'average best retail available' or something like that are consistent over time, they'd be a reasonable basis for comparison even if they don't find the absolute best retail record breaker.

I'm not interested in the absolute best LED Cree released for sale, since I'm unlikely to buy it even in the absence of premium customers with first dibs on the very best products.

What I am personally interested in is roughly the best LED I might expect to end up with if I go to Cutter or similar and buy a few dozen of the highest output bin LEDs available in a non-unpleasant colour, assuming I don't need them instantly and can afford to wait a week or two if what I ideally want isn't in stock.
Other people may well have different criteria.