[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43720-43722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12425]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Next Generation Lighting Initiative: Commercial Application 
Activities

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy Act of 2005, section 912, established the 
Next Generation Lighting Initiative, and directed the Department of 
Energy (DOE or the Department) to ``support research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application activities related to 
advanced solid-state lighting technologies based on white light 
emitting diodes.'' In partial fulfillment of the directive to support 
commercial application activities, the Department has initiated and 
planned a number of activities. In the interest of informing the public 
on the scope of the commercial application activities underway and 
planned, the Department developed a document entitled, ``Solid State 
Lighting: Commercialization Support Pathway.'' That document was 
recently updated, and is now publicly available. The document is 
printed with this notice.

DATES: ``Solid State Lighting: Commercialization Support Pathway,'' was 
first publicly distributed on February 1, 2005. It was subsequently 
updated and again publicly distributed on February 1, 2006. The 
document was updated once again on May 22, and is being made publicly 
available via this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Brodrick, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Program 
Office EE-2J, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, 
(202) 586-1856. E-mail: [email protected]. Richard Orrison, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, Program Office EE-2J, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 
DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-1633. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Solid-State Lighting: Commercialization Support Pathway

I. SSL R&D Investment Leads to Technology Commercialization

    The U.S. Department of Energy has made a long-term commitment to 
develop and support commercialization of SSL for general illumination, 
including sources, fixtures, electronics, and controls. In August 2005, 
President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), the 
first national energy plan in more than a decade. Title IX (Research 
and Development) of the Energy Act directs the Secretary of Energy to 
carry out a Next Generation Lighting Initiative (NGLI) to support 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application 
activities for SSL.
    The Secretary is also directed to carry out research, development, 
demonstration, and commercial application activities through 
competitively selected awards. The EPACT 2005 authorizes $50 million to 
the NGLI for each fiscal year 2007 through 2009, with extended 
authorization to allocate $50 million for each of the fiscal years 2010 
to 2013. The actual Congressional appropriation for the NGLI will not 
be determined until fiscal year 2007.
    This public R&D investment serves the ultimate goal to successfully 
commercialize the technologies in the buildings sector, where lighting 
accounts for more than 20 percent of total electricity use.
    Potential benefits are enormous if SSL technology achieves 
projected price and performance levels:
     By 2025, SSL could displace general illumination light 
sources such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps, decreasing national 
energy consumption for lighting by about 0.45 quadrillion Btus (quads) 
annually, that is, enough

[[Page 43721]]

energy saved to serve the lighting demand of 20 million households 
today.
     The cumulative energy expenditure savings from 2005 to 
2025 would translate into more than $25 billion dollars saved.
     The cumulative energy savings from 2005 to 2025 is 
projected to be more than 1.5 quads.
    To realize the full promise of solid-state lighting by 2025, major 
research challenges must be addressed. To help tackle these challenges, 
DOE is funding selected R&D to improve energy efficiency and speed SSL 
technologies to market. Projects are selected to align with a 
comprehensive R&D plan developed in partnership with industry, research 
and academic organizations, and national laboratories. DOE has and will 
continue to maintain a focus on the ultimate goal of supporting 
commercialization of SSL technologies to decrease lighting energy use 
while improving and expanding lighting services. Unique attributes of 
SSL technologies underscore the importance of a long-term, coordinated 
approach encompassing applied research and strategic technology 
commercialization support.
    For most general illumination applications, current white lighting 
emitting diodes (LEDs) cannot yet compete with traditional light 
sources on the basis of either performance or cost, but the technology 
is evolving rapidly. As a result of extensive R&D, the luminous 
efficacy of white LEDs has approximately doubled in the past three 
years. The timing and targeting of commercialization support efforts is 
as important to the ultimate success of SSL as current R&D investment. 
For this reason, DOE has created a comprehensive commercialization 
support plan, drawing on a variety of strategies to assist the market 
introduction of high-quality, energy-efficient SSL technologies.

II. Commercialization Support Strategies

    DOE has a long-term vision for commercialization support of SSL 
technologies. Over the coming years, SSL technologies for general 
illumination will continue to improve and evolve, with luminous 
efficacy increasing and unit costs decreasing. Appropriate 
commercialization support strategies will be determined by the status 
of the technology relative to particular applications. Beginning in 
2005, DOE initiated several activities as part of the long-term plan.

A. Activities in Progress

Partnership With Industry

    EPACT 2005 directs DOE to partner, through a competitive selection 
process, with an industry alliance that represents U.S. SSL research, 
development, infrastructure, and manufacturing expertise. DOE is 
directed to solicit alliance assistance in identifying SSL technology 
needs, assessing the progress of research activities, and updating SSL 
technology roadmaps. In fulfillment of this directive, DOE signed a 
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Next Generation Lighting 
Industry Alliance (NGLIA) in 2005. Among a number of activities in the 
MOA, DOE with the Alliance will create criteria for voluntary market 
conditioning programs, such as ENERGY STAR [supreg] for SSL (see next 
item). Alliance members include the major US-based manufacturers of 
LEDs, organic LEDs, components, materials, and systems.

ENERGY STAR[supreg] for SSL

    DOE has initiated development of ENERGY STAR criteria for white 
LED-based lighting products intended for general illumination purposes. 
DOE envisions a two-category criteria, with the first category 
(Category A) covering a limited number of general illumination niche 
applications for which white LED systems are appropriate in the near-
term, and the second category (Category B) intended to cover a wide 
range of LED systems for general illumination. Category B will serve as 
the longer term target for the industry. Initial applications eligible 
under Category A will include those with the following characteristics: 
(1) Appropriate for a light source with a directional beam, as opposed 
to a diffuse source; (2) low to moderate illuminance requirement; (3) 
illuminated task or surface relatively close to the light source; and 
(4) potential for cost-effective use of LED-based products in the near 
term.

Support for Standards Development

    Solid state lighting differs fundamentally from incandescent, 
fluorescent, and HID lighting technologies, in terms of materials, 
drivers, system architecture, controls, and photometric properties. A 
host of new or revised test procedures and industry standards is needed 
to accommodate these technical differences. DOE is engaged in ongoing 
dialogue with the relevant standards organizations, and is providing 
technical assistance in the development of new standards.

LED Fixture Design Competition

    DOE is one of the organizing sponsors of Lighting for Tomorrow 
(LFT), along with the American Lighting Association and the Consortium 
for Energy Efficiency. LFT design competitions in 2004 and 2005 were 
successful in encouraging, recognizing, and publicizing excellent new 
designs for energy-efficient residential decorative light fixtures. 
LFT's 2006 program includes a new competition for LED products in 
specific general illumination niche applications. Working prototype 
fixtures will be evaluated by an expert judging panel which will select 
winners on the basis of lighting quality, energy efficiency, fixture 
design, and style.

Outreach to Federal Programs

    As the largest single purchaser of lighting products in the nation, 
the federal government can play an important role in demonstrating new 
technologies. Recently, DOE has provided information to more than 30 
federal agencies through presentations to the Federal Utility 
Partnership Working Group, the Interagency Energy Management Task 
Force, and the Federal Energy Efficiency Working Group.

Technology Tracking and Information Services

    DOE continues to track performance improvement in SSL technology 
over time. DOE also maintains a database of available white LED-based 
niche lighting products available in the market. This information is 
used to support DOE efforts to provide general information about 
pricing and availability trends of LED products.

Consumer and Business Awareness Programs

    DOE is developing informational materials on LED technology and 
products for a general consumer and business audience. Fact sheets are 
being disseminated widely. More fact sheets on a wide range of LED 
topics are in development. Additional information of use to consumers 
and businesses is available online via DOE's SSL Web site at 
www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/.

B. Planned Activities

    In addition to the activities already underway, DOE is planning a 
range of other initiatives over the next five years that will support 
commercialization of SSL technologies and products. These include the 
following:

[[Page 43722]]

Technology Procurements

    Technology procurement is an established process for encouraging 
market introduction of new products that meet certain performance 
criteria. DOE has employed this approach successfully with other 
lighting technologies, including sub-CFLs and reflector CFLs. DOE plans 
to employ technology procurement to encourage new SSL systems and 
products that meet established energy efficiency and performance 
criteria, and link these products to volume buyers and market 
influencers. Volume buyers may include the federal government (FEMP, 
DLA, GSA), utilities, or various sub-sectors including hospitals, 
lodging, or retail.

Demonstration and Performance Verification

    DOE will develop valuable information from SSL installations in 
various field applications through demonstration and performance 
verification, including design and installation issues and measurement 
of energy consumption, light output, color quality, and interface/
control issues.

Technical Information Network

    Working with key organizations and companies already involved in 
providing technical information to the market on energy-efficient 
technologies (such as energy efficiency organizations, electric 
utilities, state energy offices, and energy consulting companies), DOE 
plans to establish a network through which SSL technical information 
can be efficiently distributed to the market.

University and Professional Education Programs

    DOE will support development of training materials and curricula 
for design professionals, including interior designers, lighting 
designers, and architects. To support development of the next 
generation of engineers and designers who will implement SSL, DOE will 
also support development of teaching materials and related information 
on SSL technologies for universities.

    Issued in Morgantown, WV, on July 17, 2006.
Eddie Christy,
Building and Industrial Technologies Division Director.
[FR Doc. E6-12425 Filed 8-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P