This morning I finally got a look at the new LR6 6" LED can light module from LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (LLF).
After many disappointments in my search for an LED fixture that provides a comparable amount of light to a 65 watt incandescent flood light, the LR6 fills the bill and then some!
The LR6 actually provides more footcandles of light on the work surface than a 65-watt flood. Mounted side by side, the LR6 was clearly brighter.
An LR6 installed pulls just 12 watts of electricity. WOW!!!
Better yet (Well, that was pretty good but THIS gets a designer's attention), the LR6 has a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 92. That means a tomato will look like a tomato; nice rich red...not purple, not brown. Very few light sources have CRIs over 90. That is considered the gold standard.
You may never change another light bulb, or even forget how! The LR6 lasts more than 20 years (50,000 hours) under normal use.
It comes in 2700 Kelvin (incandescent range) or 5300 Kelvin (sunlight range) temperatures.
The LR6 is dimmable, though Lutron is working on a better dimming system than what is available now (which I am told is a bit choppy in its dimming).
A lens that is quite unique covers the LEDs, so you don't see a light bulb at all. The lens refracts the colors of red and green LEDs in the fixture to make white light! Who'da thought?
It retrofits (screws into the existing light bulb socket) easily in most 6" recessed IC or non-IC fixtures. So if you already have can lights in your ceiling, chances are you can swap them out very easily yourselves.
If you are doing a remodel or new construction they have a hard-wired setup that conforms to California's Title 24 requirements (YEAY!) with a GU-24 base instead of the screw-in base. (Here in California we have had homeowners and contractors who install fluorescent fixtures and then swap them out for incandescent after the final inspection. Therefore the State requires bi-pin fluorescents and fixtures that are much harder to swap.)
They run cool. So no running up the air conditioning bill or burn spots on the tops of bald heads from hot halogens.
I've been saying they're not quite there yet for two years now. THE WAIT IS OVER. They are here.
I know, the next question is: How much?
They are pricey at about $130.00 each. They WILL pay for themselves pretty quickly in energy savings compared to incandescent. Comparing to fluorescent, the premium is a little harder to justify unless you are one who wants that perfect color rendering characteristic of a 92 CRI fixture.
LLF technology uses only 12 watts of power. That's 85% less energy spent per incandescent light, and 50% less than a CFL.
Save Money
How can one light save hundreds of dollars? On average in the United States, running a 65-watt light for 50,000 hours would cost $325 in electricity alone. Because the LR6 uses only 12 watts, running the light for 50,000 hours will cost only $60 under the same scenario. In addition, you will no longer spend time or money replacing lights. Over the lifetime of one LR6, you will save $265 dollars or more on your electric bill alone. Imagine the savings if every light in your home was an LR6!
They're GREEN too! No mercury or other earth or people-poisoning substances.
I think most of my clients will want it enough to pay the premium once they see one on display. I'm putting one (2700 Kelvin) in my own kitchen to see how I like it...I have a feeling I'm gonna be buying four more for the other cans I have in there.
Before I post this, I think I'll invest in the company. I'm sold! ;-D
Peggy
02/25/08
An addendum to this post is that LLF has just been acquired by Cree, Inc. After the acquisition is complete, in March 2008, LLF will be known as Cree LED Lighting Solutions. Cree will be keeping the LLF people on board.
7/29/08
A further addendum:
I have finally gotten around to installing an LR6 in my own kitchen (replacing the center surface-mount fluorescent). It is incredibly BRIGHT and there's a wonderful color to the light.
I STRONGLY recommend these fixtures, and using wider spacing than past practice. I'd say 4' on center would provide plenty of ambient light for a room. I will be interested to try the new LR4 in kitchens too, as that will be fewer lumens and likely closer to what we are accustomed to with 8' ceilings.
Peggy
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