The new Cree XP-G LED has drastically raised the bar in LED efficiency in laboratories. Now for the first time it is flexing it’s muscle in the real world, as it has just recently become commercially available for lighting manufacturers and DIYers. When driven at 1A the XP-G LED is capable of emitting 345 lumens, [...]
The new Cree XP-G LED has drastically raised the bar in LED efficiency in laboratories. Now for the first time it is flexing it’s muscle in the real world, as it has just recently become commercially available for lighting manufacturers and DIYers. When driven at 1A the XP-G LED is capable of emitting 345 lumens, making it 46% brighter and 64% more efficient than the Cree XR-E which has become the de-facto standard in high efficiency and high output LED lighting.
If the power is dropped to 350mA the Cree XP-G hits 139 lumens for a high of 132 lumens per watt–making a very strong and practical case for LEDs to now take on ‘conventional’ reef lighting. We’ve already gotten word of aquarium manufacturers and advanaced DIYers experimenting with this new extremely efficient LED. It’s now only a matter of time until they become implemented in commercially available LED Reef Lights.
Reefers should care about LED technology. Despite the past patent issues (PFO v Orbitec) LED lighting is the future of our hobby and harnesses the power to significantly change the way we think about aquarium lighting and coral husbandry. In the not so distant future LED lighting will provide complete control of intensity and color temperature over every area of your aquarium while doing so at a fraction of the cost, and electrical consumption, of Metal Halide and T5s.
But there are some hurdles to overcome. One obstacle manufactures currently face is tooling and fixture re-design. The XP-G and XR-E have different die sizes which will require significant changes. LED lights, in all industries, have become hooked on the XR-E. To upgrade the XP-G is not as simple as changing out the LED.
For those looking for the highest output, binning and minimum luminous flux numbers are below. For those unfamiliar with LED binning it is a method LED manufacturers use to essentially label batches of the LEDs. Miniscule changes during manufacturing can result in slightly different output numbers and color temperature–by binning Cree can better provide information on the quality of light.
- R5 – 139 min luminous flux
- R4 – 130 min luminous flux
- R3 – 122 min luminous flux
- R2 – 114 min luminous flux
Cutter currently has the Cree XP-G for sale for just under $7 / LED making them an affordable option for commercial and DIY options. Keep an eye out for more information on aquarium lighting fixtures using the XP-G in the near future.
