Cree, Inc. has introduced the new XLamp XP-E and XQ-E High Efficiency (HE) Photo Red LEDs. Cree claims that the new photo red LEDs are the industry’s highest performing LEDs optimized for horticulture. According to Cree, the new HE Photo Red LEDs provide up to 21 percent higher output than the previous XQ-E and XP-E Photo Red LEDs. The new Photo Red LEDs are said to enable manufacturers of horticulture lighting to deliver better-performing products with lower system cost, and reduced luminaire size.
“The XQ-E family provides a unique combination of ultra-compact package, high output and a wide range of horticulture-optimized colors,” said Michael Naish, director, Rusalox. “Using XQ-E LEDs with our unique AlumOxide technology, our customers can create luminaires that use half the power of conventional HPS luminaires, as well as being smaller and weighing less than incumbent technologies.”
Naish added, “The higher performing XQ-E High-Efficiency Photo Red LED will enable customers to quickly reduce the power consumption of their current design even further for faster payback periods.”
The XQ-E High-Efficiency Photo Red LED, which measures just 1.6 mm x 1.6 mm, delivers Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) levels up to 5.39 μmol/sec at 85 C. Cree says that the new XQ-E’s ratio of output to size is more than double that of the closest competitor. The Cree XP-E High-Efficiency Photo Red LED delivers up to 6.08 μmol/sec PPF output at 85 C. Cree says that at 85 degrees C the XP-E HE Photo Red is the first LED to break the 1 W radiant flux barrier. Both new LEDs emit at a 660 nm wavelength and have a maximum current of 1A.
“The new XQ-E and XP-E High-Efficiency Photo Red LEDs bring Cree’s latest high-power performance breakthroughs to horticulture lighting, with twice the PPF density and higher output than all other available LEDs,” said Dave Emerson, vice president and general manager for Cree LEDs. “With these additions, Cree continues to offer the industry’s best portfolio of LEDs optimized for horticulture, including White, Royal Blue and Far Red color options.”
Both of the new Photo Red XQ-E and XP-E LEDs for horticulture employ Cree’s ceramic high-power technology. So, even at the extreme temperature of 105 degrees C, the new Photo RED LEDs reportedly deliver R90 lifetimes over 100,000 hours. Also, because the new Photo Red LEDs are part of the XQ and XP platform, horticulture lighting manufacturers can immediately use the existing ecosystem of optics and drivers that work with those platforms to accelerate their time to market.
Cree has made available product samples of the new XQ-E and XP-E High-Efficiency Photo Red LEDs, and production quantities of the new Photo Red LEDs are available with standard lead times.
