May 5, 2008—Cree, Inc., provider of LED (light-emitting diode) lighting, has announced the launch of the LED University program, an international community of universities promoting the use of energy-efficient LEDs on their own campuses and around the world.
The Cree founders’ alma mater North Carolina State University was the first to participate, soon to be joined by Marquette University, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Arkansas, and Tianjin Polytechnic University in China. All have committed to evaluating and deploying LED lighting in areas such as offices, dormitories, parking garages, walkway lighting, and streets across their campus infrastructures.
Each of the participating universities is conducting LED lighting pilots to determine the cost and environmental benefits of switching to LED lighting in campus applications. Initial installations include:
- NC State University installed LED recessed can lighting from Cree in the chancellor’s office and a dormitory, and is installing LED parking garage lighting from BetaLED
- Marquette University installed LED T8 replacements from LED Dynamics in the vice president for administration’s office and is installing LED recessed and task lighting
- UC Santa Barbara installed 23 LED streetlights from BetaLED on a campus street and reports that compared to its traditional streetlights, it is achieving a 44 percent reduction in energy use as well as better light distribution and color rendition
- University of Arkansas has installed the first set of what it plans will be approximately 1,700 recessed LED lights from Cree in university buildings, starting with lighting the chancellor’s residence
- Tianjin Polytechnic University installed 1,500 LED streetlights designed by its graduate students on the campus’ main roadway
Details of each university’s LED lighting pilots and installations are available on the LED University Web site.
