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LED Lights Installed in Over 3,000 Habitat for Humanity Homes
Partnering with Habitat for Humanity to install LED lighting in affordable housing units across the U.S., leading LED manufacturer Cree announced it's now offering the new Cree LED Bulb to Habitat for Humanity affiliates.
The company's March 17 announcement expands on Cree's 2010 commitment to provide Habitat for Humanity $1.5 million dollars' worth of Cree LED downlights. “As part of our mission to drive 100 percent adoption of energy-efficient LED lighting, Cree’s goal has always been to deliver LED solutions that save energy and fundamentally improve the overall lighting environment,” Cree Chief Marketing Officer Betty Noonan commented.
“The addition of the Cree LED Bulb portfolio to our collaboration further supports Habitat’s efforts to create affordable, sustainable homes, while enabling homeowners to greatly reduce their energy usage for decades without sacrificing the light quality.”
LED lighting: Big savings, lots of benefits
Residential and commercial buildings account for nearly 41 percent of U.S. energy consumption and 40 percent of national carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Department of Energy's 2011 Buildings Energy Data Book. A cost comparison by EarthEasy estimates that, by replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lighting, end-users can cut their electricity bills by 75 percent over 50,000 hours of use. The total cost of purchasing 25 LED lights is 25 percent that of purchasing 25 incandescent bulbs.
Energy Star-qualified Cree CR6 LED downlights have been installed in more than 3,000 new Habitat for Humanity homes since 2010, Cree highlighted in its news release. Designed to last for 50,000 hours (~5.7 years), Cree's CR6 downlights on average consume 85 percent less energy than incandescent downlights.
“We are grateful to partner with companies like Cree that are helping Habitat serve families in need of affordable housing through product donations that can lower homeowners’ daily living expenses,” Habitat for Humanity International CEO Jonathan Reckford said of the organization's evolving relationship with Cree. “Extending Cree’s current commitment to include the Cree LED Bulb furthers our efforts to build sustainable communities across the country.”
*Image, video credits: 1) Cree; 2) Burgess Lighting; 3) Habitat for Humanity
An experienced, independent journalist, editor and researcher, Andrew has crisscrossed the globe while reporting on sustainability, corporate social responsibility, social and environmental entrepreneurship, renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. He studied geology at CU, Boulder, has an MBA in finance from Pace University, and completed a certificate program in international governance for biodiversity at UN University in Japan.
