Avraham Mor's Blog

In September, DOE received the first entry in the L Prize competition, an LED replacement for the 60-watt incandescent bulb from Philips Electronics. Philips’ entry is now undergoing photometric testing at independent laboratories. This performance testing will verify that the product submitted meets the L Prize specifications for the 60-watt replacement, including:
• Efficacy of more than 90 lumens per watt, exceeding the efficiency of all incandescent and compact fluorescent sources today, which range from 10 to 60 lumens per watt.
• Energy consumption of less than 10 watts, as compared to a 60-watt incandescent.
• Output of more than 900 lumens, equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent light bulb.
• Color Rendering Index (CRI) greater than 90, which is a high measure of lighting quality.
• Color temperature between 2700-3000 Kelvin, which is “warm” white light comparable to that of incandescent sources.
The photometric testing should be completed by January 2010. Once the entry passes this gate, it will move on to long-term lumen maintenance testing and field assessments.

More L Prize Entrants Expected Soon
Although Philips has an advantage as the first to submit an L Prize entry, the contest is far from over. L Prize candidate products will undergo extensive long-term testing to verify their performance, so the soonest we’ll have an official winner in the 60-watt replacement category is October/November 2010. Meanwhile, based on continuing inquiries from manufacturers large and small, we expect to receive more entries soon. The competition will award up to three (3) winners in the 60-watt category. The first to meet all competition requirements will receive the cash prize; all three winners will be eligible for federal purchasing opportunities and promotions and incentives offered by the L Prize partners.
L Prize Partners Ramp Up for Field Assessment
The L Prize partners are busy gearing up to conduct field assessments of the first entry, which will begin in the next few months. These installations will take place at locations all across the country, and will involve a wide range of facilities, fixture types, and tasks and areas to be illuminated. Settings may include hotels, retail stores, student housing, office spaces, homes, and apartment buildings. The field assessments will evaluate the energy use, performance, and reliability of the installed products compared with the existing products, and will identify any operational or performance problems not revealed in laboratory testing. Customer acceptance of the products will also be assessed.

*Article courtesy US Department of Energy