Finally Single LED (> 1000 Lumens) As Bright as Incandescent Bulb

Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq:CREE), a leading innovator in LED lighting components, today announced it has demonstrated light output of more than 1,000 lumens, an amount equivalent to the output level of a standard household light bulb, from a single LED. A single-die LED, driven at four amps, produced 1,050 lumens in cool white and 760 lumens in a warm-white version.

Efficacy of the cool-white LED was 72 lumens per watt and 52 lumens per watt from the warm-white device. Both LED versions operated at substantially higher efficacy levels than those of today’s conventional light bulbs. Historically, Cree’s R&D demonstrations generally have been commercialized within 12 to 24 months. via CNN

GE is speculated to buy Cree. And there are several other companies in the field that are cranking ahead too.

Meanwhile, the World Bank announced that they plan to eventually (by 2030) help 250 million Africans be able to study, work, chat, walk down Main St, and go to the outhouse at night with the lights on, without having to risk burning their homes down with candles and kerosene lamps, and animal dung and wood fires. Take a look at the picture and you will understand why Africa is called the Dark Continent.

Africans spend 15% of their monthly income to risk fire and asthma in order to have a little bit of light. Finally we may be able to help them.

Article idea: Joel (who prefers to remain anonymous)