Thursday morning at the DOE SSL Workshop, Secretary Granholm announced the winners of the first phase of the L-Prize competition.
The new L-Prize® competition, launched in May 2021, is designed to catalyze transformative LED lighting innovation, products, and impact. The L-Prize is primed to unlock the full potential of LED technology—to combine high efficiency with exceptional lighting quality, data-driven control and functionality, and innovative design, construction, and grid flexibility. There will be three Phases with three distinct prizes. The Concept Phase was announced this morning.
Concept Phase: Up to 10 winners ($20,000 each) COMPLETE
Invites innovative concept proposals, providing competitors with an opportunity to receive feedback on their proposals and potential for cash award.
The 2022 winners are:
QuarkStar – Las Vegas, Nevada
Project Description: Quarkstar Project Tango is a networked, white-light-tunable luminaire concept that leverages innovations in optics, LED, and power conversion technology to deliver high efficacy, exceptional quality of light, and precise control of light distribution.
Orion Energy Systems – Jacksonville, FL
Project Description: The Orion Sustainable and Connected Troffer Retrofit concept is a high efficacy networked luminaire designed to retrofit an existing fluorescent luminaire to LED technology with an advanced controls platform in less than 2 minutes.
Smash the Bulb/Bridgelux- Mountain View, CA
Project Description: This 3D-printed semi-indirect luminaire concept delivers high efficacy and excellent quality of light. Built around a high-performance light engine that requires no secondary optics, the innovative optical design reduces losses and addresses glare.
Papaya – Evanston, IL
Project Description: The Papaya Modular Lighting Ecosystem concept is a highly modular luminaire platform that uses a unique community-based approach. All aspects of the system are made open source, offering opportunities for innovators of all types to participate in evolving and innovating this lighting solution over time.
When reached for comment Smash the Bulb/Bridgelux luminaire designer and inventor Don Peifer stated “I am thrilled to have our technology acknowledged by the DOE. The responsible stewardship of Energy begins and ends with the innovative technologies which help facilitate changes in behavior. We look forward to the next stage of the competition and bringing this technology to fruition.”
The initial L-Prize winner from 2011 was the 60W L-Prize lamp from Philips. DOE (PNNL) Lab started long-term testing in 2011, and an update from DOE last month on the latest testing results were astounding. After 90,000 hours, the average lumen maintenance is above 90%, and the average chromaticity change (u’, v’) is less than 0.003.
For more information on the L-Prize competition please click here.