DoE Awards OLED Contract

Phosphorescent organic LED (PHOLED) technology and materials developer Universal Display Corp. has been awarded a two-year, $1.65 million contract by the Department of Energy (DoE) to demonstrate a thin, highly-efficient, white OLED lighting panel for undercabinet applications.

Under terms of the contract, which continues the company's work with the DoE under its Solid State Lighting Program, Universal Display will deliver a set of undercabinet lighting units, each consisting of five 6 in. x 6 in. white PHOLED lighting panels. The units will have a system efficiency of greater than 60 lumens per watt, and exhibit a significantly thinner form factor than conventional undercabinet lighting products currently in the market, the company said.

“While we continue technology development toward the US DoE 2015 targets for general illumination, the performance of our white PHOLED devices may already satisfy the requirements of a variety of specialty lighting applications,” said Steven V. Abramson, president and CEO of Universal Display. “The next important step is to identify and demonstrate new lighting product concepts that leverage these energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly and very thin OLED light sources. This proposed undercabinet lighting fixture represents an exciting, early-stage practical application for white OLED lighting for both consumer and commercial markets.”

This is the second potential commercial lighting application in development by Universal Display. In 2008, the company began working with Armstrong World Industries on a ceiling-based OLED lighting system, also supported, in part, through the DoE Solid State Lighting Program.

According to industry estimates, electric bills for lighting alone are over $200 billion per year on a worldwide basis. It has been estimated that by 2016, white OLEDs could generate well over $20 billion in worldwide savings of electricity costs and could save over nine million metric tons of carbon emissions from the US alone.

For more information, visit: www.universaldisplay.com