Frequently Asked Questions

The Act will distribute approximately $1.2 trillion over a decade, targeting a wide range of projects and upgrades across various sectors. Below are the key areas and projects targeted by the IIJA:

• Transportation Infrastructure funding is intended to repair and upgrade Highways, Roads, Bridge, Rail Infrastructure, Airports, Ports and Waterways.
• Broadband and Digital Infrastructure is intended to expand broadband internet access to underserved and rural areas.
• Energy Infrastructure will include Power Infrastructure and Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Water Infrastructure will include Clean Drinking Water and Wastewater and Stormwater Management.

• Climate Resilience and Environmental Remediation funding will help communities prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change, such as wildfires, floods, droughts, and coastal erosion. This includes funding for flood control projects, wildfire prevention, and ecosystem restoration.
• Electric Vehicle (EVs) funding is intended to build a national network of EV charging stations, particularly along highways and in rural areas.

There have been provisional waivers issued and planned for the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). These waivers are intended to provide flexibility as the provisions of BABA are implemented, particularly during the transition period as industries and government agencies adjust to the new requirements.

Types of Provisional Waivers:

1. General Applicability Waivers: These apply broadly across various projects and industries. For example, a waiver might temporarily allow for the use of certain foreign-produced materials while the domestic industry ramps up production to meet BABA standards.
2. Product-Specific Waivers: These waivers might be granted for specific types of products or materials that are currently unavailable in sufficient quantity or quality from U.S. manufacturers. An example could be specialized construction materials or advanced technology components.
3. Project-Specific Waivers: These are issued for individual projects where applying BABA requirements would lead to significant project delays, increased costs, or other issues that would not be in the public interest.

Cree Lighting products will have the BAA/BABA logo on creelighting.com webpages by product family. Not all SKUs within the product family meet the requirement, so please request a product evaluation to ensure compliance.

BAA/ BABA Request (formsite.com)

While both the BABA and BAA aim to promote the use of American-made products, BABA is more comprehensive and stringent, particularly in its application to infrastructure projects funded by federal money. BAA primarily governs direct federal procurement, while the BABA extends to a broader range of federally funded infrastructure initiatives. It is important to complete the Cree Lighting product evaluation form, so we know which agency is administering the funds and under which rules. 

Enacted under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), BABA applies to certain federally funded projects. BABA requirements apply to purchases of iron and steel, construction materials and manufactured products permanently incorporated into infrastructure projects. Our luminaires are evaluated as manufactured products. To qualify, the product must be manufactured in the U.S. AND the cost of its components that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the U.S. must be greater than 55% of the total cost of all its components. 

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is a significant piece of U.S. legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. The Act is designed to address the nation’s aging infrastructure by making a historic investment of approximately $1.2 trillion over ten years, targeting various sectors critical to the U.S. economy and public safety. The IIJA is expected to have long-term impacts by revitalizing critical infrastructure, reducing carbon emissions, promoting economic equity, and preparing the country for future challenges, including those posed by climate change and technological advancements.

Check Recommended Dimmer List for compatibility.

Turn off adjacent loads to see if flickering stops. If it continues, noise is likely coming from outside the home or building. Replace dimmer with one that provides better noise attenuation. Cree LED Lighting recommends the Lutron Skylark SF-10P (single-pole) or SF-103P (3-way).

Replace dimmer.

Disconnect light fixtures one at a time to determine which one is causing the rest to flicker. Replace the faulty one.

Incompatible dimmer: Check Recommended Dimmer List for compatibility

Improper wiring/connection of dimmer: Check wiring instructions with dimmer to insure dimmer is connected properly

Open circuit between dimmer and fixture: With dimmer fully turned up, check the voltage level at the fixture socket. It should be ~110vac.

Faulty dimmer: Replace dimmer

Faulty light fixture: Replace light fixture

Incompatible dimmer: Check Recommended Dimmer List for compatibility

Improper wiring/connection of dimmer: Check wiring instructions with dimmer to insure dimmer is connected properly

Too many or too few fixtures on dimming circuit: Refer to Recommended Dimmer List for minimum and maximum number of fixtures recommended per dimmer.

Faulty dimmer: Replace dimmer

Faulty light fixture: Replace light fixture

Incompatible dimmer: Check Recommended Dimmer List for compatibility

Improper wiring/connection of dimmer: Check wiring instructions with dimmer to ensure dimmer is connected properly

Too many or too few fixtures on dimming circuit: Refer to Recommended Dimmer List for minimum and maximum number of fixtures recommended per dimmer.

Dimmer “Low End Trim” is set too high: Determine if dimmer has a “Low End Trim” adjustment, and adjust it all the way down

Faulty dimmer: Replace dimmer

Faulty light fixture: Replace light fixture

Incandescent dimmers are designed for “resistive” loads, and typically rated for at least 600 watts. They have a requirement called “minimum holding current”, which is the minimum amount of electrical current flowing through them to keep the dimmer firing properly.

Cree LED Lighting downlight and lamp products have electronic drivers that are “reactive” (capacitive and/or inductive) and draw very little power (10-11 watts). These two factors result in electrical current that is just barely above the minimum holding current for most dimmers, and below it for others. There are other factors specific to the installation site, such as neutral-to-ground integrity, power line noise coming from the utility or other loads, and source impedance. With the minimum holding current requirement barely being met, these other factors can cause the current to dip below that threshold, resulting in occasional dimmer mis-firing which can result in a faint flickering coming from the lights.

Cree LED Lighting tests its products with a variety of dimmers, and makes recommendations regarding compatibility based on those results, but cannot guarantee performance.

The LR4™ and LR6™ product families are designed to dim down to ~25% of full brightness, then turn off when dimmed below that. Due to the nature of LED light, this can appear more like 40%-45% when looking directly at the fixture. Examining the room being illuminated will give a more accurate perception of actual brightness.

The CR6™ and LR24™ products are designed to dim down to 5% of full brightness. Due to the repetitive peak currents generated by the inrush current of LED lighing fixtures, Cree products should be treated as a 75 watt load when sizing dimmers.

Cree LED Lighting products are no different than conventional lighting loads when connected to 3-way switching circuits. Check the wiring instructions provided with the switch for proper connection.

As mentioned above, high-bay lighting is intended for medium to high ceilings while low-bay lighting is used in lower ceilings. Low-bay lighting is for spaces with ceilings under 15ft while high-bay lighting is for spaces with ceilings above 15ft. High/low-bay lighting means that a product could be used for either type of ceiling and has the lumen power to illuminate a space well.

Low-maintenance with a long life, high-bay LED lighting saves you money and energy. Our high-powered high-bay lights come in a variety of sizes, coverages and strength. Choose custom lighting solutions for all types of applications such as retail businesses, conference halls, convention centers and more.

These lights produce the highest quality light on the market for performance and efficiency. Check out our article about upgrading to LED high-bay lighting to learn more. 

High-bay lights are designed for high-ceiling buildings like warehouses, gyms, big box retail or more. Ceilings from 15ft to around 40ft benefit from high-bay lights. High-bay LED lights have specially-engineered lenses to provide strong illumination to every space.

Aside from lighting a space, ambient lighting also adds warmth and depth to spaces. This makes an area more inviting and comfortable, preventing a distracting glare or too-bright lights that can cause eye irritation or headaches. Enough lighting also ensures it’s easy to navigate through a room and find everything you need.

An LED surface mount light can be a great overhead light for classrooms, product shelves or warehouse. They provide plenty of light without feeling as though they clutter a space. LED surface light products and suspended products are versatile and thin, allowing them to fit almost any scenario.

Sometimes ambient lighting is called mood lighting, because it involves color, temperature and brightness to create the light levels in the room and set a comfortable tone. Ambient lighting is mainly provided by ceiling light fixtures, wall-mounted lights or recessed spotlights.

Indirect lighting is a fantastic way to add focus, texture, layering and accent color to a space. Place a surface mount LED fixture in a place in need of light like the ceiling, above or below cabinets, behind a mirror or in hallways to provide evenly-distributed lighting in a room. Suspended LED fixtures can also provide ample lighting when added to the center of a room.

Ambient lighting, sometimes called general lighting, provides the basis for any lighting landscape. Ambient lighting includes main lights that illuminate the whole room. Choosing the right ambient LED lights can set the mood of a space.

Some lighting applications that are categorized as ambient lighting include: suspended LED lights, surface mount LED lights and downlights.

Yes, with inverter-style battery backup systems that produce true sinewave outputs.

LEDs began to be used in the lighting industry in the late 1990’s typically in aesthetic, effect, or specialty lighting applications, including architectural highlighting. The use of LED luminaires in applications such as street lighting, area lighting, parking structures, security lighting, and even general lighting for interior spaces is viable today both economically and from an illumination performance standpoint.

The Illumination Engineering Society (IES) classifies varying light distribution patterns into different categories or “types” (i.e., Type II, Type III, etc.), but within these classifications are a fair amount of variation. For example, two manufacturers may both have products that are classified as a “Type III” distribution, but from a light distribution standpoint both products could vary greatly. Therefore, assuming any two products with the same IES classification will provide identical or even a similar light distribution pattern is a mistake. Only by looking at each product separately at the application level can such comparisons be made.

Yes, each Cree LED Lighting product is individually tested and tuned to the optimal color point before shipment.

As an ENERGY STAR^® partner, Cree LED Lighting supports the ENERGY STAR program and its efforts to inform consumers and to protect our environment for future generations. Products that earn the ENERGY STAR for Solid-State Lighting meet energy efficiency and performance guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy. These guidelines help to protect consumers’ interests by ensuring that qualifying products meet certain efficacy, lifetime, color rendering and color quality specifications. Cree LED Lighting is proud to offer a variety of ENERGY STAR qualified products, which meet and exceed these guidelines.

Performance Values for LED Downlights	ENERGY STAR® partner Minimums	Cree LED Lighting
Efficacy	35 LPW	46 to 80 LPW
Color Rendering Index	75	90
Rated Lifetime	25,000 hours	50,000 hours
Minimum Lumen Output ≤4.5″ diameter	375 lumens	515 or 540 lumens
Minimum Lumen Output >4.5″ diameter	575 lumens	650 or 1000 lumens

Cree LED Lighting products are sold through distribution. The following link will help you to locate your closest Cree LED Lighting distributor for pricing requests:

Where to Buy

Based on how long a fixture is illuminated per day, here’s what 100,000 works out to:

Hours of Operation:  100,000 hours is:
24 hours a day            11.4 years
18 hours per day         14.8 years
12 hours per day         22.8 years
8 hours per day           34.2 years

When you average delivered lumens over the course of 60,000 hours, you’ll see that LED outperforms a 400-watt MH lamp operated in a horizontal position. (60,000 hours is used for this comparison to show three full life cycles of the HID.)

The MH’s lumen depreciation, as well as optical and ballast losses, quickly reduce output of the HID system. Note that there are three relamps over 60,000 hours.

Conversely, LED has significantly better lumen maintenance and a more efficient driver. Also note that the LED fixture typically doesn’t need relamping from zero to 60,000 hours.

Combine this with Beta’s exclusive NanoOptic^® and LED outperforms MH over the course of the life of the fixture.

Result: the LED’s average delivered lumens is 74% higher than HID over 60,000 hours.

LED fixtures must be designed with junction temperature thermal management as a key component and use the correct LEDs. These products will then be robust enough to operate in most ambient temperature applications. Unlike fluorescent sources, cold temperatures do not impact the performance of LEDs.

Our products are all designed to meet ENERGY STAR® requirements for spatial uniformity, meaning they must all be within 4 equivalent MacAdam ellipses.

Compared to conventional technologies, Cree LED Lighting products can deliver the same amount of light using as little as 10 to 15% of the power.  This huge reduction in energy consumption can enable consumers to save hundreds of dollars over the life of each light.

The Value of Cree LED Lighting

A Cree LED Lighting product, like the LR6^TM downlight, can replace a 65 watt light while using only 10.5 watts.  In its 50,000 hour lifetime it will consume about 525 kilowatt-hours, costing about $63.  During that time, it will never need to be replaced.

The Cost of Incandescent Lamps

A typical 65 watt light lasts for 2,000 hours.  To match the light output and longevity of a Cree LED Lighting downlight, traditional lighting would consume 3,250 kilowatt-hours, and need to be replaced about 25 times, costing over $465.  

It’s a simple story…saving over $400 in electric and relamping costs, for every downlight you replace.

Unlike previous technologies, LED manufacturers have a much greater impact on the rate of lumen depreciation based on their luminaire designs. Thermal design plays a critical role in the rate of lumen depreciation. Therefore you should see variation in lumen depreciation from manufacturer to manufacturer, as well as within different product families offered by the same manufacturer.

There are many different types of lighting, housings, trims, accessories, and lamp types available. Please refer to the Product Spec Sheet for photometry information.

The performance of all of our products is verified by accredited independent 3rd party laboratories.

LEDs bring several advantages to the lighting industry, including high efficacy and durability, and, with superior life over other lamp sources, their required maintenance is greatly reduced. This translates into energy savings, maintenance savings, and environmental sustainability. There is also the potential for greater optical control (more controllable source), dimming, instant on/off, and reduced rate of lumen depreciation (potential for long application life).

Yes. At Cree Lighting, each of our street LED lights is designed for maximum eye comfort for humans and animals alike. Check out our turtle-friendly lighting options by looking for the turtle icon at the top of our product pages. All of our street lights are also DarkSky Approved, an initiative that provides third-party certification for products, designs, and completed projects that minimize glare, reduce light trespass, and don’t pollute the night sky.

Our LED road lighting solutions are designed to last. From 5-year warranties to 10-year warranties, these LEDs are made to be durable, reliable sources of illumination over the years. Check out our individual products for specifications.

As a leading lighting manufacturer, we believe the best LED area lighting is tailored to your unique needs. Our diverse range of outdoor LED lights ensures optimal solutions, combining energy efficiency, durability, and customizable features to meet the specific requirements of any outdoor space. Talk to our team today to tailor your lighting to your environment and spacial needs.

Cree Lighting is happy to help you find the outdoor lighting solutions that your business needs. Contact us for a custom outdoor project layout today.

Indoor LED light bulbs provide low heat output and high energy savings. They provide a lot of light for the power used, and have a long lifespan. Explore our Application Gallery to see how our LED replacements and professional lamps can brighten your spaces.

Choosing the ideal LED lamp can be a process but we’re here to help. There are many factors to consider, such as the lumen output and the size of the space you’re intending to light. There are three key layers of light to consider while building a space’s lighting: task, accent and ambient.

The color temperature of a light matters as well; warmer or more amber-tinted light bulbs provide an inviting, cozy atmosphere while cooler or white-tinted light bulbs add a clean, crisp look to any space.

For those hoping to light homes, consider reading our blog post ‘Which LED Light Bulb is Right for Your Home?’ for our best recommendations and insights.

Generally, yes. However, it is important to check with your local regulations.

Emergency exit signs indicate the closest safe exit in case of an emergency. They’re required to be immediately recognizable and understandable to everyone and to be permanently lit so they are visible at all times. On the other hand, emergency lighting is a lighting apparatus that turns on automatically during a blackout and helps people safely evacuate the building.

Refer to the Installation Instructions where it states to remove the adjustable socket bracket prior to installation.

Check Recommended Housing List for compatibility. If it’s a shallow 6″ housing, such as the Halo H27 series, the LR6-GU24 and CR6-GU24 will work, as the GU24 socket base is much shorter than an E26 Edison screw base.

Extend mounting clips perpendicular (90°) from the fixture, then insert straight up into the recessed housing.Search Recommended Housing List for compatibility.

Wedge some wooden shim material between the housing and the ceiling material to secure it firmly.

LED Downlights are a great option for illuminating rooms due to their lower heat output, and due to their longer life than traditional bulbs, so you won’t have to worry about changing these nearly as often.

LED Downlights should be spaced by around half the length of the floor to the ceiling of the room being illuminated. Downlights should be spaced at least two feet from the wall to avoid shadows.

LED downlights are light fixtures that sit flush with the ceiling of a room and direct light down to illuminate a space.

Setting up your ideal smart house lighting only takes a few simple steps. First, start with light bulbs. Our Connected Max Smart Home bulbs pair with our Cree Lighting app to control with a touch of your fingers. Simply replace your traditional bulbs with our equivalent bulbs. Switching out a light bulb is one of the simplest ways to begin your smart home lighting transformation. You can also choose a smart assistant to pair with your home lighting. Our smart connected lighting works with Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts, etc.

All of our smart lighting bulbs are LED. LED bulbs are a great energy-efficient alternative to incandescent bulbs due to their low heat output and high energy savings. Choosing our programmable light bulbs guarantees cost-effective, bright light. 

Explore our Application Gallery to see how our LED solutions can brighten your spaces.

Smart lights are simply Wi-Fi enabled devices that connect to the internet wirelessly. They allow you to connect to a smart home hub or smartphone cordlessly. All you need to use Cree Lighting’s signature smart home lighting is to download the Cree Lighting app on your smartphone.

To choose which smart light bulbs to use, consider reading our blog post ‘Which LED Light Bulb is Right for Your Home?’ for our best recommendations and insights.

With Cree Lighting products, you can expect a lifetime range of 50,000 to 100,000 hours to save you money on replacement costs. Our products also feature limited warranties including 1-year, 5-year and 10-year warranties. To learn more, visit our Warranties page.

The applications for troffers range from municipal, healthcare, educational and auto dealership settings. Troffers work well for offices, hallways, and other indoor environments. Plus, we offer dimmable and intelligent lighting solutions so you can personalize the experience to fit individual needs.

A troffer is a rectangular or square light fixture that typically fits into a ceiling grid, often described as “recessed.” Historically, troffer fixtures have been designed to accommodate standard fluorescent lamps. Because of their rectangular shapes, troffers are a great fit for office space or conference rooms.

Understanding your indoor space and how occupants are interacting with it can help address concerns regarding color temperature. Enhancing light quality with high-performance, high-CRI LED technology can result in better patient care, productive working environments, and improvement in a retailer’s ability to sell product. To learn more, check out our blog post on How Color is Revolutionizing the Lighting Experience.

For applications such as schools, offices and hospitals, intelligent lighting solutions like occupancy sensors, daylight harvesting and color tuning mean that you can tap into the energy savings and benefits of having just the right amount of the ideal light for each space.  To learn more, check out our blog on Making Smart Choices with Intelligent Lighting Solutions.

We’ve got the expertise, leading solutions, service and support to prove that no one better delivers on the promise of LED lighting. Whether you choose our low-glare lights, high-CRI bulbs or intelligent lighting, our products give any room or environment an upgrade with crisp and clear lighting that brings out true colors.

Yes! Check out our Connected Max Smart series for LED retrofit downlights that integrate seamlessly with your smart lighting. Control your lights at a tap of a button on your smartphone. 

LED downlights are energy-efficient alternatives to traditional downlights. Our retrofit downlight LED options are perfect for any space and provide cost-effective, bright light. 

Retrofit downlights provide low heat output and high energy savings, providing quality light with a long lifespan. Explore our Application Gallery to see how our LED lighting solutions can brighten your spaces. 

Retrofit lighting is a 1-for-1 lighting replacement. Retrofits are typically done in interior spaces or residential areas. The existing fixture’s internal components are upgraded in order to house a new LED unit.

Our retrofit LED downlights are designed to bring better light to any space. If you are looking to add downlights to a new build, check out our New Construction Downlights.

LED lamps are energy-efficient alternatives to incandescent bulbs. Our indoor LED light bulbs are perfect for any space and provide cost-effective, bright light.

Combine quality, performance and value with our indoor lamps.

Any color that is readily visible or distinctive on exit signs is acceptable to OSHA, but it is important to review your local ordinances to understand local codes.

Each exit sign is equipped with an integral battery that provides power for emergency illumination if there is a power outage. Generally, exit signs must be connected to the circuit serving the normal lighting in the area as is required for unit equipment. Please refer to local regulations.

No, the emergency lights will only turn on in case of a power outage. Once the power is restored, the lights will turn off, but the word “EXIT” permanently stays on.

No. All of our current products are designed to maintain light color consistent through the dimming range.

We do not currently offer downlight products designed for sloped ceilings; however, our lamp product family is compatible with most sloped ceiling housings.

Refer to the Product Spec Sheet or Installation Instructions for the specific products.

Although Cree LED Lighting products run at much lower current levels than typical lighting, wiring size is determined by local code requirements and by the NEC.

Painting, staining, or otherwise altering our products voids the warranty.

All Cree LED Lighting products are UL certified. Please visit the UL website to find more details about our certifications to UL standards.

Our products meet California and Washington state Title 24 requirements.

Our products are designed to be easy to install with no special tools or experience needed, using conventional dimmers and wiring. Please reference our installation information for detailed documentation.

Some of our downlight products are compatible with shallow housings.

Our downlight and troffer products are attached directly to earth ground at installation. Our lamp products are not.

If the CFL housing is pin-based with an integral housing, then no.  If the CFL housing is an incandescent housing with a CFL installed in it, then refer to the Recommended Housing List for compatibility.

TAA Compliant Products

TAA refers to the Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. & 2501-2581), which is intended to foster fair and open international trade. TAA requires that the U.S. Government may acquire only “US-made or designated country end products.” 

This act requires that contractors must certify that each end product meets the applicable requirements. End products are “those articles, materials and supplies to be acquired for public use.” This includes items which have been “substantially transformed” in the U.S.

Cree’s TAA compliant products are manufactured and/or assembled in the U.S. and are approved to be acquired by the U.S. Government for use. These products are also compliant with GSA Schedules.

The following products are only TAA compliant when the designation -US is included in the ordering number, which specifies that the product is “U.S. Manufactured.”

LR6^TM Family: LR6 LR6-DR650  LR6-DR1000 LR6-277V LR6-DR1000-277V 

LE6

Architectural Troffers – CR Series: CR24 CR22 CR14

2′ x 2′ Architectural Lay-ins – LR24^TM Family: LR24-32SKA35  LR24-38SKA35  

We do not currently offer any plenum rated products.

Fire rating depends on the housing, and currently none of our housings are fire rated. Our downlight products are designed for fire rated housings.

Remove the small brake screws from the ends of the hanger rails, allowing more movement.

If the CFL housing is pin-based with an integral housing, then no.  If the CFL housing is an incandescent housing with a CFL installed in it, then refer to the Recommended Housing List for compatibility.

TAA Compliant Products

TAA refers to the Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. & 2501-2581), which is intended to foster fair and open international trade. TAA requires that the U.S. Government may acquire only “US-made or designated country end products.” 

This act requires that contractors must certify that each end product meets the applicable requirements. End products are “those articles, materials and supplies to be acquired for public use.” This includes items which have been “substantially transformed” in the U.S.

Cree’s TAA compliant products are manufactured and/or assembled in the U.S. and are approved to be acquired by the U.S. Government for use. These products are also compliant with GSA Schedules.

The following products are only TAA compliant when the designation -US is included in the ordering number, which specifies that the product is “U.S. Manufactured.”

LR6^TM Family: LR6 LR6-DR650  LR6-DR1000 LR6-277V LR6-DR1000-277V 

LE6

Architectural Troffers – CR Series: CR24 CR22 CR14

2′ x 2′ Architectural Lay-ins – LR24^TM Family: LR24-32SKA35  LR24-38SKA35  

We do not currently offer any plenum rated products.

Fire rating depends on the housing, and currently none of our housings are fire rated. Our downlight products are designed for fire rated housings.

LEDs are environmentally friendly on many fronts. First, unlike HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps LEDs contain NO mercury. In addition, some LED luminaires are RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant and have been designed to provide more than a decade of near maintenance-free service. That means no re-lamping which means no waste.

Assuming an HID fixture is re-lamped every two years, that’s five re-lamping cycles over a 10 year period.

Just imagine the benefits of choosing LED:

• No concern over proper disposal (hopefully not simply thrown in a landfill) of old HID lamps containing harmful mercury.
• No fuel used and the accompanying pollution to service those fixtures.
• Greatly reduced potential for lane closures and other productivity and inconvenience-related costs associated with maintaining an HID system.
• No natural resources lost to produce the replacement lamps that contain mercury.
• No fuel used to move old-technology lamps from the factory (most likely overseas), to the distributor, to the contractor, to the job site.

It’s important to keep in mind all the positive and powerful ripple effects that using LED technology can have on the environment.

Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) is defined as the color of light given off by a particular light source that most closely represents the light emitted from a perfect blackbody radiator when heated to a certain temperature.

Useful life has been defined as the number of hours an LED device can operate until it emits only a certain percentage of its original lumen output. For general illumination applications, vision research suggests that 70 percent of original lumen output is the level where end users begin to notice a drop in light levels. This metric is indicated as L70. The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) published LM-80-08, IES Approved Method for Measuring Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources. Cree tested our LED lamps for long-term lumen maintenance consistent with LM-80 methods to demonstrate L70 life after more than 6,000 hours of testing and got the number 50,000 hours under normal operating conditions. Also the performance of all of our products is verified by accredited independent 3rd party laboratories. Please note, any initial condition or parameter change will affect the useful life of LEDs in different ways.

Unlike incandescent and fluorescent light sources, Cree LED Lighting products produce virtually no light in the ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) spectrums.

Our products are all designed to meet ENERGY STAR® requirements for spatial uniformity, meaning they must all be within 4 equivalent MacAdam ellipses.

Compared to conventional technologies, Cree LED Lighting products can deliver the same amount of light using as little as 10 to 15% of the power.  This huge reduction in energy consumption can enable consumers to save hundreds of dollars over the life of each light.

The Value of Cree LED Lighting

A Cree LED Lighting product, like the LR6^TM downlight, can replace a 65 watt light while using only 10.5 watts.  In its 50,000 hour lifetime it will consume about 525 kilowatt-hours, costing about $63.  During that time, it will never need to be replaced.

The Cost of Incandescent Lamps

A typical 65 watt light lasts for 2,000 hours.  To match the light output and longevity of a Cree LED Lighting downlight, traditional lighting would consume 3,250 kilowatt-hours, and need to be replaced about 25 times, costing over $465.  

It’s a simple story…saving over $400 in electric and relamping costs, for every downlight you replace.

Unlike previous technologies, LED manufacturers have a much greater impact on the rate of lumen depreciation based on their luminaire designs. Thermal design plays a critical role in the rate of lumen depreciation. Therefore you should see variation in lumen depreciation from manufacturer to manufacturer, as well as within different product families offered by the same manufacturer.

There are many different types of lighting, housings, trims, accessories, and lamp types available. Please refer to the Product Spec Sheet for photometry information.

The performance of all of our products is verified by accredited independent 3rd party laboratories.

LEDs bring several advantages to the lighting industry, including high efficacy and durability, and, with superior life over other lamp sources, their required maintenance is greatly reduced. This translates into energy savings, maintenance savings, and environmental sustainability. There is also the potential for greater optical control (more controllable source), dimming, instant on/off, and reduced rate of lumen depreciation (potential for long application life).

We recommend consulting with our team to help meet your lighting needs. However, to calculate lighting for an outdoor area on your own, determine the area’s square footage, consider the intended purpose (e.g., security, ambiance), and use the formula: lumens needed = (square footage) x (recommended lumens per square foot). This ensures optimal illumination tailored to the specific outdoor space.

Yes! Outdoor LED lighting fixtures are generally known to produce less heat, have a longer lifespan, and be more environmentally friendly compared to traditional lighting technologies like incandescent or fluorescent fixtures.

Lights may take up more energy if you’re not using LEDs, but customers prefer the feeling of safety and security that  clear and crisp LED lights provide when pumping gas at night. In fact, many customers may pass up a darker station for the better-lit station, so powerful illumination is a must.

Using LED lighting is ideal for your wallet and your customers, too. Motorists will feel more comfortable with the inviting lighting, and the lighting switch will also help you lower your energy bills.

Most gas stations use LED canopy lights, on account of their strong energy and maintenance savings. Previously, other lighting types like high-intensity discharge (HID), metal halide, and fluorescent lighting were used for gas stations, but LED lighting for gas stations has grown significantly more popular thanks to its efficiency and price point.

Our outdoor bollard lights offer increased energy efficiency compared to traditional lighting. Choosing low voltage for efficient lighting saves on your energy bill without compromising light levels and comfort.

With 5 or 10 year warranties, our outdoor lighting bollards are guaranteed to stand the test of time – saving you money the whole time. With sleek aesthetics, you’ll be able to create a welcoming environment for any site. 

Love the outdoors? So do we! Opt for THE Edge Series and its turtle-friendly amber lighting to protect the local wildlife.  

This type of lighting fixture is used to illuminate pathways and landscapes for pedestrian use and safety. Bollards make great pathway and walkway lighting options. 

You can place bollard lights outdoors thanks to their weatherproof build designed to hold up against moisture. Our LED bollard lights are designed to provide better light for less energy in order to maximize your cost savings. 

Yes. LED outdoor flood lights require less maintenance and are long-lasting. The long-term costs of LED flood lights are far less than continuing to replace conventional lights.

Want to calculate savings for your project? Check out our Payback Calculator to estimate how much your bottom line could benefit from LED flood lights.

When it comes to outdoor flood lights, the average enterprise chooses between 700 to 1300 lumens. Improve your security by choosing lights with higher lumens and excellent color rendering. Our LED area flood lighting offers a lumen output as high as 86,000 when you’d like to invest in high-quality lighting for your business.

LED flood lights are an energy-efficient alternative to traditional flood lights. Guaranteed to provide high energy savings, our LED area flood lighting is ideal for long-lasting, high-quality illumination. Our flood lights are also specially designed for the outdoor elements, meaning they’ll stand the test of time against bad weather. 

With Cree Lighting products, you can expect a lifetime range of 50,000 to 100,000 hours to save you money on replacement costs. Our products also feature limited warranties including 1-year, 5-year and 10-year warranties. To learn more, visit our Warranties page.

With intelligent controls onboard, Cree Lighting outdoor luminaires can provide a solution for virtually any outdoor sales venue, campus environment or parking structure. Employed with mesh networks, each luminaire is wirelessly linked to as many of its neighbors as possible to create multiple paths for relaying communications to and from the controller. Learn more about How to Get Outdoor Lighting Under Control.

Yes, wildlife may experience disruption from “artificial light at night” (ALAN). ALAN introduces light with a different spectral distribution than that of sunlight, moonlight or starlight, with varying impacts on behavior or physiology. When looking for a lighting solution, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself about your options for wildlife and Turtle-Friendly Amber Lighting.

Although the numbers can vary from project to project, LED street lighting is estimated to reduce costs by 35 to 70%.

Want to calculate savings for your project? Check out our Payback Calculator to estimate how much your bottom line could benefit from LED street light fixtures.

There are two parts to creating the optimal lighting for a roadway project: planning the locations of the lights, and choosing the type of street light fixture to install.

For planning, Cree Lighting is happy to provide insights to create your lighting solution. Check out our guide to street light design variables to help guide you through the process of planning your fixture placements.

In order to choose the type of street light fixtures you need, see our blog “An Easy Guide to Choosing Street Lights” to get an overview of the types of lighting available.

Commercial LED street lights provide an energy-efficient alternative to traditional roadway fixtures due to their low heat output and high energy savings. Durable and intended for the elements, these street light fixtures will save maintenance costs and work in all weather. Cree Lighting roadway lighting provides comfortable, reliable and long-lasting illumination for your streets.

See a case study of how we can save your project money with LED efficiency.

Brighten pathways, illuminate driveways, and enlighten natural areas. All of these are great options for the use of bollard lighting.

Cree Lighting LED bollard lights are perfect pathway lights for any application. They not only help with walkway illumination but also have energy saving in mind with state-of-the-art LEDs. 

LED bollard lights are short, thick, upright LED lighting fixtures used to illuminate pathways, patios, and other outdoor projects. They are ground-mounted and usually consist of LEDs at the top and the sides of the fixtures.

Yes, area LED lights are the best solution for outdoor lighting fixtures. They boast important features such as brighter lighting and higher lumens, a longer lifespan, and energy savings to benefit your bottom line. Traditional lighting needs to warm up, whereas LED area lights turn on immediately, making them a powerful, weatherproof part of any illumination strategy.

Area lighting, sometimes called site lighting, is a type of lighting intended for outdoor spaces. Area lighting fixtures are perfect for parking lots, playgrounds and other types of large spaces in need of light. 

They’re also perfect for outdoor businesses for a number of reasons, which we detail in our blog post 7 Reasons LED Lighting is the Right Choice for Automotive Dealerships.

If you have environments that are exposed to humidity or water in general, this can prevent damage to the lights that you are relying on. Places include those that typically would not be able to have lighting due to the damage that would be done from the wet environment.

Vapor tight light fixtures are a solution for lighting that is exposed to damp or wet environments. They are sealed and gasketed which provide illumination. Typically they are fitted with a screw-in glass jar which protects the led bulb.

Super-bright white LEDs have the advantage of minimal lumen depreciation, better optical efficiency and high lumens per watt. LEDs also have a vastly longer life span than traditional lamp sources. The luminaire must be designed to leverage these inherent advantages of LEDs. A total systems approach is needed for an LED product to bring all these features together.

Cree luminaires also have an environmental advantage in that they contain no mercury, are RoHS compliant, last longer and produce less waste. In fact, 20 to 25% (by weight) of the product is made using post-consumer recycled materials (aluminum castings and extrusions). Furthermore, 70% (by weight) of Cree fixtures are readily recyclable. The remaining LED circuit boards, drivers, wires and connectors are all non-hazardous, mercury-free, and RoHS compliant.

At this point Cree LED Lighting doesn’t have any products for in-ground lighting applications.