September 10, 2013 – Cree says it has raised the bar with its TW (TrueWhite) Series LED bulb, which boasts a CRI (colour rendering index) of 93 and, in the U.S., is available for $19.97. In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District will provide a rebate for these new bulbs.

“The Voluntary California Quality LED Lamp Specification was created to move consumers away from inefficient lighting of the past century and toward more efficient LED lighting technology,” said Michael Siminovitch, director, California Lighting Technology Center. The specification focuses on six quality attributes for LED lamps: colour temperature, consistency and rendering, dimmability, lifetime and light distribution. The bulbs turn on instantly, says the company, are dimmable with most standard incandescent dimmers and are backed by Cree’s 10-year limited warranty.