Cree's LED lights for the rest of us
Most of the stuff I read about LED lighting is focused on products for commercial or retail settings or that are being installed out in municipal garages or street lights. They haven't had much coverage as a residential option. But Cree, which is based in Durham, N.C., is trying to brighten the LED scene in homes with recessed downlights, like the kind that you might find in a hallway or in a kitchen.
Its latest offering is something with the memorable (not really) name: LR6. The bulb puts out 650 lumens and works with a 12-watt input. (That's comparable to a 65-Watt BR30, 50-Watt PAR30 or a 100-W A-lamp.) Cree doesn't have pricing on its Web site, but says consumers can expect to pay about they would pay for a comparable compact fluorescent downlight, lamp and trim. So, yes, there is a premium over incandescent.
The reason that I was reminded about Cree is because they've just released the LR6 for Europe and Asia. But the thing that makes Cree's products really compelling though is the fact that they come in retrofit modules can be screwed into a "traditional Edison socket." (As the company puts it.) That's what it'll take.