End of incandescent bulb presents big opportunity for Cree

The curtain is coming down on the iconic, standard incandescent bulb. And that can do nothing but help brighten the future for local LED designer-manufacturer Cree. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 raised minimum lighting-efficiency standards by 25 to 28 percent, explained Mike Watson, vice president of product strategy for Cree in Durham, N.C. That effectively stopped the manufacture of the standard, screw-in incandescent bulb. The 100W bulbs were outlawed at the start of 2012 and 75W bulbs last January. As of this Jan. 1, the 40W and 60W bulbs follow the other two into extinction. When stores are sold out, they’re gone.