# Do High-CRI LED Incandescent-Bulb Replacement Units Exist



## williaty (Nov 23, 2011)

Hello,
I would like to use LED lighting as backup lighting during power outages. I can work with 12VDC (direct from battery bank, so some voltage range must be tolerated) or 120VAC (from inverter powered by battery bank). I would love something with equivalent light output to a 60W incandescent bulb, but I'll accept something dimmer than that if that's the only thing on the market.

The sticking point is that I want it to have a CRI of 85 or higher and a color temperature of 4,000K or yellower. I currently have a Zebra Light H51Fc, which is a 85CRI 4kK emitter. It's just barely good enough.

Do high-CRI LEDs exist in the correct form for direct-replacement of a standard incandescent bulb?


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## LEDAdd1ct (Dec 1, 2011)

I haven't head about a direct replacement, but the XP-G high CRI emitters are definitely lower than your desired CCT of 4000k or warmer. 

This site has PDFs with specs:

 Link

I'll leave the wiring advice up to those better qualified than myself.


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## Ken_McE (Dec 25, 2011)

williaty said:


> I would love something with equivalent light output to a 60W incandescent bulb,



850 lumens. Doable.


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## mdrejhon (Dec 25, 2011)

williaty said:


> Hello,
> I would like to use LED lighting as backup lighting during power outages. I can work with 12VDC (direct from battery bank, so some voltage range must be tolerated) or 120VAC (from inverter powered by battery bank). I would love something with equivalent light output to a 60W incandescent bulb, but I'll accept something dimmer than that if that's the only thing on the market.
> 
> The sticking point is that I want it to have a CRI of 85 or higher and a color temperature of 4,000K or yellower. I currently have a Zebra Light H51Fc, which is a 85CRI 4kK emitter. It's just barely good enough.
> ...


I like the Philips AmbientLED A19 bulbs (60 watt replacement, about 850 lumens, 12.5 watt), which although only has a CRI of 80, it seems to be better than that -- since usually I can tell the difference between LED and incandescent, but this was the first LED bulb that tricked me into thinking it was incandescent.

Supposedly, the new version of this bulb, coming in 2012, has a CRI of *93!!!* - the DOE L-prize winner at lightprize.org


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## Ken_McE (Dec 26, 2011)

williaty said:


> I would like to use LED lighting as backup lighting during power outages. I can work with 12VDC (direct from battery bank, so some voltage range must be tolerated) or 120VAC (from inverter powered by battery bank).



I would like to suggest that you save the inverter for things that *must* have AC, such as your refrigerator, furnace, and well pump, and use 12 volt DC LEDs for lighting purposes. This is more efficient and will give you more run time than if you used the inverter for light.


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## lilmarvin4064 (Jan 12, 2012)

I lit up my entire kitchen using these.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...=sGAEpiMZZMu4Prknbu83y7N7V3V7mIdJ7DV1GpcUVXI=

http://www.acriche.com/en/product/prd/zpowerLEDp4.asp


4000K, 93CRI. They are very nice. I would call them a "creamy white"


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## LEDninja (Jan 13, 2012)

:welcome:
Missed this thread when it was 1st started. Bit late but here is my 2 cents.



williaty said:


> The sticking point is that I want it to have a CRI of 85 or higher and a color temperature of 4,000K or yellower.


Most of the light bulb manufacturers have been introducing LED bulbs that closely resemble the traditional incandescent light bulb. Most home LED light bulbs are 2700 to 3000°K. (Or they are 5000°K for maximum efficiency.) Since good LEDs from Cree or Philips Lumileds are ~85 CRI for their warm whites this is not a problem for home lighting as long as you stay away from ebay and the Chinese websites.
Flaslights 6500°K 75CRI standard.
Home light bulbs 2700°K 85CRI standard.



williaty said:


> I can work with 12VDC (direct from battery bank, so some voltage range must be tolerated) or 120VAC (from inverter powered by battery bank). I would love something with equivalent light output to a 60W incandescent bulb, but I'll accept something dimmer than that if that's the only thing on the market.


You can walk into a Home Depot or Lowes and buy a 60W equivalent LED bulb by Philips, Ecosmart, Lighting Science, Sylvania. 2700°K 85 CRI. 13.5W. 115VAC. ~$25-$40.
The good bulbs done properly will have a lighting facts label on the package which will give you info on the bulb. Sample here:
http://www.lightingfacts.com/default.aspx?cp=content/label
(A 60W incandescent is 800-840 lumens.)

Ken_McE suggested using 12V bulbs and saving the inverter. This creates a bit more of a problem as I have not used 12V bulbs. The only ones I am aware of are the MR16 type but they are SPOTlights normally used in track lighting.
The beam angle varies from 20° to 40° depending on the model and the latest from Lighting Science is only about 300 lumens. (But you are supposed to have 3 cans on your track - no?)

Lighting Science makes their bulbs in 2700°K, 3000°K, 4000°K, 5000°K but good luck finding a retailer that carries 3000°K, 4000°K, & 5000°K.


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## videoman (Jan 19, 2012)

Cree has announced the MT-G in Hi-CI varieties, should be out very soon and should soon be available as a MR-16 replacement (12V) hopefully in retail stores and has an equivalent to a 50W.


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