Cree, Inc., a market leader in LED lighting, announces the volume availability of the LR24, a 24-inch square, recessed LED luminaire. The light fixture produces energy-efficient LED light, replacing traditional lighting such as linear fluorescents, also known as lay-ins or troffers.

The LR24 is designed for applications in various buildings, such as offices, hospitals, schools and retail stores. It delivers the uniform, high light levels required while consuming less electricity than most linear fluorescents.

The LR24 features superior color rendering, with a color-rendering index (CRI) of 92—compared to a CRI of 70 to 80 for fluorescents. It is also dimmable to 5 percent with standard protocols—providing additional design flexibility and further energy-saving potential.

Neal Hunter, Cree president of LED lighting, said with the addition of the LR24, they can light an entire office using Cree LED fixtures. The volume availability of the LR24 builds on Cree’s success to-date, as they’ve already installed more than 1,000 early-production LR24s in various national-account projects.

Chris Jennings, U.S. Federal Reserve, plant manager, noted they have installed LR24s on one floor at the U.S. Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. as part of our ongoing energy-efficiency program. The graphic designers in the department love the uniformity and the color rendering of the new lights. they are impressed with the amount of light delivered by the LR24, and they look forward to evaluating additional Cree LED lighting products in other applications within the Federal Reserve.

The use of LED lighting can be a great advantage in gaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. LED lighting is becoming an exciting design element in sustainable design projects, according to Tom Liebel, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Principal at Marks, Thomas Architects. Furthermore, the use of LED lighting for general illumination can dramatically lower a building’s energy-density, allowing an architect to re-introduce accent or decorative lighting—something that is sometimes sacrificed in buildings pursuing LEED certification today.

The LR24 delivers high light levels at only 0.5 to 0.75 watts per square foot. With an elegant 24-inch square form, the LR24 offers architects and designers a modern lighting aesthetic, freeing them from the design constraints of linear-fluorescent technology. The innovative lens is recessed above the ceiling—reducing glare and creating an attractive and comfortable environment.

The LR24 has already been recognized for its superior efficacy in the 2008 Lighting for Tomorrow solid-state lighting competition, organized by the American Lighting Association, the U.S. Department of Energy (represented by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) and the Consortium of Energy Efficiency.