U.S. Department of Energy and Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance Sign MOA to Advance Solid-State Lighting 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on February 2, 2005, to support the development and commercialization of solid-state lighting (SSL) technology.   The MOA details a strategy to enhance the manufacturing and commercialization focus of the DOE SSL research and development program by utilizing the expertise of an organization of SSL manufacturers. 

The Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance, administered by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), is an alliance of for-profit corporations formed in 2003 to accelerate SSL development and commercialization through government-industry partnership.  The Alliance provides the SSL industry with a forum for communication and collaboration, offers feedback to DOE on the Department’s SSL R&D strategies, and promotes SSL interests through collaborative advocacy to the federal government. Alliance members include 3M, Corning Inc., Cree Inc., Dow Corning, GELcore LLC, General Electric Company, Eastman Kodak Company, Lumileds Lighting LLC, Osram Opto Semiconductors Inc., and Philips Electronics North America Corporation.   

In 2004, DOE issued a competitive solicitation for a SSL Partnership composed of manufacturers that are individually or collaboratively capable of manufacturing and marketing the desired SSL products.  In selecting the Alliance to serve as its partner, DOE gains access to the technical expertise of the organization’s members. The Partnership will provide significant input to shape DOE research priorities and, at DOE’s discretion, provide technical expertise for proposal and project reviews.  In addition, the Partnership will accelerate the implementation of SSL technologies by:

• Communicating SSL program accomplishments
• Encouraging the development of metrics, codes, and standards
• Promoting demonstrations of SSL technologies for general lighting applications
• Supporting DOE voluntary market-oriented programs 

For more information on the SSL Partnership, see the DOE/Alliance Memorandum of Agreement (PDF 995 KB) and the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance Presentation (PDF 306 KB), delivered by Alliance Vice Chair Todd Graves at the 2005 DOE SSL Program Planning Workshop. For a complete listing of the DOE workshop presentations and materials, visit the Publications section of this site. 

For more information on the Alliance, including membership, please contact Kyle Pitsor at NEMA, kyl_pitsor@nema.org, or visit www.nema.org/solidstatelighting.