LED + SSL

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released the latest in a series of reports about OLED lighting technology. The new report – Round 2 Update of Stress Testing Results for Organic Light-Emitting Diode Panels and Luminaires – builds on earlier DOE studies of OLED technology by updating information about previously benchmarked OLED products in accelerated stress tests. The results indicate OLED panel performance continues to improve.

In April 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its final GATEWAY report documenting the performance of LED luminaires in a high-temperature outdoor lighting environment over four years. DOE’s GATEWAY program, which evaluates projects demonstrating LED capability, studied the results of a retrofit of quartz metal halide area lighting along a 7.2-mile stretch in the Yuma, Arizona Border Patrol Area between the U.S. and Mexico. Temperatures in this area can top 100 degrees Fahrenheit at sunset.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) evaluated the performance of a selection of LED lighting products with very high published efficacies close to or topping 200 lumens/W. All seven were industrial luminaires, with all but one featuring unshielded light emitters. DoE set out to validate the efficacy claims, characterize commonalities between the products, and identify any performance tradeoffs. Pairs of product samples for each of the seven luminaires were tested for horizontal light level, flicker, and maximum luminance (photometric brightness). Further, 23 knowledgeable observers visually evaluated the products in a mockup.

In December 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report evaluating the energy-savings potential of LED lighting in horticultural applications. A subsequent May 2018 report by the Lighting Research Center, however, reached different conclusions.

On October 25 at 2:00 pm EDT, Naomi Miller of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will examine key findings from a June 2018 Department of Energy study, An Investigation into High-Achieving LED Luminaires, in a webinar that looks at tradeoffs between efficacy, lumen output, light distribution, color temperature, and visual comfort

Accounting firm DeJoy, Knauf & Blood LLP (DKB) invited DOE to evaluate a diverse installation of OLED lighting at its Rochester, NY offices comprising about 14,000 sq.ft. One of DKB’s founding partners is a co-founder and CEO of OLEDWorks LLC, the only U.S.-based OLED manufacturer. DOE published the resulting GATEWAY report in 2017, reporting significant energy and quality improvements over the previous fluorescent T8 lighting while gaining insights into OLED’s effectiveness in a real-world setting.

In this republication of a recent Postings, SSL Program Manager Jim Brodrick shares his observations about LIGHTFAIR 2018.

The U.S. Department of Energy once again hosted educational sessions at its LIGHTFAIR booth this year and has now made these presentations available online.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced up to $15 million to conduct early-stage, innovative research to drive further breakthroughs in solid-state lighting technology. This funding will accelerate the development of high-quality LED and OLED products.