New XLamp XM-L2 LEDs Deliver 186 Lumens-per-Watt Efficacy Milestone to Accelerate Adoption of LED Lighting

Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) once again sets an LED industry performance milestone with the commercial availability of XLamp® XM-L2 LEDs. The new XM-L2 LED delivers up to 186 lumens-per-watt at 350 mA, 25°C, a level of performance available only in a lab setting just three years prior.

Built on Cree’s revolutionary SC³ Technology™ next-generation LED platform, the new XM-L2 LEDs double the lumens-per-dollar and deliver 20 percent more lumens-per-watt over the original XM-L LED – enabling lighting manufacturers to use fewer LEDs to deliver a better lighting system for lower cost.

The new XM-L2 LEDs are designed for very-high-lumen applications such as indoor, high-bay and outdoor lighting. The high-performance XM-L2 LEDs are compatible with existing XM-L LED designs and leverage the 5 mm x 5 mm XM footprint – allowing customers to easily incorporate the XM-L2 LEDs into existing XM LED designs to shorten the fixture design cycle and improve time-to-market.

“We’re excited that Cree has improved the performance of the XM package with the XLamp XM-L2 LED,” said Jeff Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing, Musco Sports Lighting. “XM-L2 allows us to boost the performance of our existing XM-L designs without changing optics or drivers.”

The XM-L2 LED offers the unique combination of very high efficacy and high drive currents, delivering an unprecedented 1198 lumens at 116 lumens-per-watt efficacy at     3 A, 25°C. The XM-L2 is the eighth product built on Cree’s SC³ Technology platform. The innovative platform leverages Cree’s advanced silicon-carbide technology, features advancements in LED chip architecture and phosphor and boasts a new package design to deliver the most-advanced LED components in the industry. 

“The XM-L2 LED efficiently delivers hundreds of lumens per LED, allowing us to significantly reduce the number of LEDs in our designs,” said Steve Walczak, director of engineering, Sternberg Lighting. “By using fewer LEDs, we can simplify design and production, ultimately reducing cost without sacrificing light output or quality for our end customers.”

Characterized at 85°C, the XM-L2 LED is available in 2700-K to 6200-K color temperatures and offers minimum CRI options of 80, 85 and 90. Additionally, since the XM-L2 LED is a successor product to XM-L LEDs, the application of ENERGY STAR® qualification requires only 3000 hours of XM-L2 LED LM-80 data, instead of the normal 6000 hours. The XM-L2 LED is also UL-recognized and features a level-4 rating.

Cree® XLamp XM-L2 LED samples are available now, and production quantities are available with standard lead times.