DOE Prizes Energy-Efficient Lighting

DOE has announced the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Competition (L-Prize™), intended to kick-start development and distribution of highly energy-efficient solid-state lighting (SSL) products to replace two of today’s most common, less efficient lighting products -- the 60-watt A19 incandescent and the PAR 38 halogen incandescent lamp.

Authorized by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) the cash prize is $10 million for the 60-watt lamp and $5 million for the PAR 38 halogen lamp. DOE is partnering with four California utilities (Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric Company, Pacific Gas & Electric, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District) to evaluate and promote the winning product(s).

“You have to recharge the technology pipeline,” says Jeff Harris, VP of Programs at the Alliance to Save Energy. “You can’t assume technology will advance on its own.” By working both sides of the market and involving utility companies, DOE is using the L-Prize as leverage to encourage innovation while simultaneously alleviating market risks – a good strategy for getting energy-efficient products into the market.