In the beginning of September, we blogged about the ground-breaking of the first all-LED Habitat for Humanity home. In case you missed the blog, Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit housing ministry that builds homes for families in need. The family helps the volunteers build their new home, and their mortgage payments go toward the building of new Habitat homes. The all-LED Habitat for Humanity home in Durham, North Carolina, was sponsored by Cree and built by Cree employees and other Habitat volunteers.
After five months, the house is complete! The Rahlan-Ksor family, originally from Vietnam, used to live in a one-bedroom apartment, and now lives in Habitat’s three-bedroom home, complete with Cree’s award-winning CR6 downlights and other Cree LED products. Chuck Swoboda, Cree chairman and CEO, is pleased to say in a press release that the family can enjoy the new energy-efficient lighting that will not have to be replaced for the next twenty years. The family will also be saving $300 annually on electricity costs. Cree also made a three-year $1.5 million pledge to Habitat for Humanity to provide LED downlights in the kitchens of the new homes.
The volunteers also broke a record for the quickest building of a Habitat for Humanity home in Durham. We commend the volunteers for working so hard, and we also commend Cree for providing solid state lighting for these homes!