Solid-State Lighting Funding Announced

Anne L. Fischer

The US Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory recently announced 13 selections for Round 4 of its solid-state lighting research and development program.

The program funds projects that contribute to its goal of developing solid-state lighting technologies by 2025 that are energy efficient and cost competitive and that convert 50 percent of the electrical input into useful light.

Of the selections, five were made in response to a Core Technology funding opportunity announcement. These include Add-Vision Inc. of Scotts Valley, Calif., which is developing a polymer organic LED lamp using stable p-i-n device architecture. Another is PhosphorTech Corp. of Lithia Springs, Ga., which is working on high-extraction luminescent materials. The total value of the selections for core technology research is $10.8 million, and the recipients are expected to share 20 percent of the project cost.

The core technology research funding also includes two selections made in response to a National Laboratory Call. The laboratories are Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M.

All seven core technology research projects are expected to fill key gaps in technology, to represent a significant advancement in the solid-state lighting technology base and to provide enabling knowledge or data.

The remaining six selections were made for projects that will focus on product development. Among these are General Electric Co. of Fairfield, Conn., for the development of solid-state replacement down-light luminaires with novel cooling, and Universal Display Corp. of Ewing, N.J., for its high-efficacy, low-cost phosphorescent organic LED lighting. The total value of the product development selections is $17.1 million, and the nominees provide an average of 32 percent of the cost.