Cree, Inc., which has headquarters in Durham, North Carolina USA, has added to its portfolio of LEDs optimized for horticulture lighting. The company introduced the new XLamp® XQ-E Photo Red LED. According to Cree, the XQ-E Photo Red LED can deliver very high levels of growth-promoting light wavelengths. Cree contends that the Photo Red has less than one-third the size of its closest competitor with similar output. The small size reportedly helps reduce the size of horticultural luminaires and lower their system cost.
The new LED expands Cree’s full range of XQ and XP LEDs that can provide the highest available Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) as well as the best efficiency and reliability. For example, Cree created a high-bay reference design with its white and photo red LEDs that can provide higher average PPF Density than a 1000W double-ended high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixture while consuming half the power.
“Cree® LEDs enable us to offer full spectrum LED grow lights that truly mimic natural sunlight,” said Rami Vardi, chief executive officer, Spectrum King LED. “The high performance, high efficiency and high reliability of Cree® LEDs allow us to match the intensity of traditional HPS lamps at a lower system cost, longer life, and lower power.”
The XQ-E Photo Red LED can provide more than 6.4 μmol/sec of the 660nm peak wavelength light. This wavelength from the LED, which measures 1.6 mm by 1.6 mm, can be beneficial for plant growth. Cree’s white and color LEDs when combined can provide the full spectrum of light and can mimic natural sunlight. Cree’s color LEDs, including red, photo red and far red LED, royal blue, and green, can offer high PPF in the wavelengths best-suited for the different stages of plant growth. Cree points out that its LEDs provide a combination of consistent packages, footprints and drive currents that can enable easy tuning of spectral content and intensity at the luminaire level. Cree’s new photo red LED leverages the XLamp XQ-E family’s optical symmetry and consistency across all colors to help simplify the design and production process for lighting manufacturers.
“Our mission at Local Roots is to improve global health by building a better food system, and that means growing food in a responsible way at a cost that increases access to fresh and delicious produce,” said Matt Vail, chief operating officer, Local Roots. “Cree’s wide range of high-performing LEDs optimized for horticulture allows us to control spectrum and intensity and provide our crops precisely the light they need in order to maximize growth, nutrition, and quality. The high efficiency and long-term reliability of Cree® LEDs enable us to lower the cost of the food we grow and feed more people better food.”
The company has made product samples of the new XQ-E Photo Red LED available now, and production quantities are available with standard lead times.
