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LED Downlight from LLF—Most Efficient on the Market

A new LED (light-emitting diode) downlight module for 6" (150 mm) recessed cans offers the highest efficacy of any downlight on the market—providing 60 lumens of usable light per watt of power consumption. The LR6 from LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (LLF) in Morrisville, North Carolina, uses just under 11 watts to produce 650 lumens. A diffuser on the face of the module results in a uniform light that is nearly indistinguishable from incandescent light yet requires one-fifth the energy. The module is available in 2,700 and 3,500 K color temperatures and provides a color rendering index (CRI) of 92. It is available with an Edison-type screw base or a GU-24 pin base, is dimmable to 25% (but only with certain compatible dimmers), and has a rated life of 50,000 hours.

What makes LLF’s LR6 different from other LED lighting products is the way it produces white light. Most white LEDs are actually blue LEDs coated with a yellow phosphor. (For more on LED lighting see EBN Vol. 16, No. 8.) “We took a different approach,” said Gary Trott, LLF’s vice president for product development. The company uses a proprietary mix of red and yellowish-green LEDs—42 per fixture—to produce white light. Because the LEDs are hidden behind the diffuser, an occupant is not aware of the number and different colors of the LEDs. They also have a sensor that detects wavelength-specific light output from the LEDs, according to Trott, and the module automatically adjusts the output to maintain the correct balance. “It allows us to have very consistent color,” he said. LLF uses U.S.-made LEDs from Cree, and the modules are manufactured for LLF in China using 100% recycled aluminum.

LLF introduced the LR6 at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando in February 2007 and shipped the first product in July 2007. By the beginning of October, the company had shipped over 5,000 modules, according to Trott. “We’ve had an incredible response,” he said, noting that he has launched products with other companies over the years but has never seen a response like this.

Interest in the product was buoyed when the LR6 won the grand prize in the Solid State Lighting category in the 2007 Lighting for Tomorrow competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Lighting Association, and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (see EBN Vol. 14, No. 11). According to a competition press release, the LR6 fixture “scored high marks for light output and color quality, with luminaire efficacy exceeding even the most efficient fluorescent downlights.” The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory tested the product as having an efficacy of 54 lumens per watt (LLF claims a higher efficiency today) and a CRI of 95, which is slightly higher than the company claims.

The LR6 is appropriate for a wide range of applications, including homes, offices, schools, and hospitality. One of the first companies to purchase and install the LR6 was Sentry Equipment Corporation, a 40-year-old manufacturer of high-tech sampling equipment for mechanical and industrial applications. The Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, company installed 90 of the downlights in corridors, restrooms, and conference rooms in its headquarters. “We love them,” said Sentry CEO Mike Farrell. An enthusiastic Farrell told EBN that his company didn’t want to put in incandescent lights and was looking at compact fluorescent downlights when it heard about LLF. “They’re much brighter than you’d expect, given the wattage,” Farrell said. “The fact that they’re going to last 50,000 hours is pretty nice, too.” With the lights in for a couple months, Sentry has had no problems.

Pricing on the LR6 depends on quantity and where you are in the distribution chain, according to Trott. The retail price in a lighting showroom would likely be $125 to $130 per lamp (not including the recessed can), with contractor and bulk pricing lower. For a green renovation of a doctor’s office in Brattleboro, Vermont, green consultant Doug Snyder paid about $115 each for about ten lamps. Visiting the project when the lights were being installed, several EBN editors were impressed with the light quality. Initial flickering we observed was solved by replacing the dimmers with models recommended by LLF.

By the end of the year, LLF plans to introduce the LR4, a module designed for 4" (100 mm) recessed cans, and it is developing a 2' x 2' (610-mm square) recessed LED troffer for dropped ceilings. The latter is expected to provide about 4,000 lumens and consume 70 to 75 watts, according to Trott.

– Alex Wilson

For more information:

LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc.
Morrisville, North Carolina
919-991-0700
www.LLFinc.com

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LR6 Downlights Cree LED Lighting Solutions, Inc.	LR6 Downlights Cree LED Lighting Solutions, Inc.
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IMAGE CREDITS:
1. Photos: LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc.

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