May 17, 2021
Game On: Department of Energy Announces $12M Lighting Competition
The U.S. Department of Energy has launched the latest iteration of the L-Prize, a $12 million competition to spur the development of next-generation LED lighting fixtures.
In 2011, Philips Lighting was awarded $10 million as the winner of the first L-Prize for the design of a 10W LED lamp with lumen output equivalent to a 60W incandescent lamp.
The new L-Prize incentivizes manufacturing and installing lighting systems with breakthrough energy efficiency, quality, functionality, and sustainability. The first L-Prize, which was awarded 10 years ago to a LED replacement for the 60-watt bulb, helped lay the groundwork for products that now save Americans $14.7 billion in avoided energy costs per year.
L-Prize
The first Lighting Prize was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in 2011, recognizing a high-efficiency LED replacement for the traditional 60-watt A19 incandescent bulb. Today, commercially available LED lights are competitive with all other lighting technologies, but the full technical and application potential of solid-state lighting (SSL) still far exceeds today’s products. Advanced interoperable lighting systems have the potential to better manage lighting energy use, integrate with other building systems, streamline maintenance and operations, and even respond to electric grid signals, increasing the value and resiliency of buildings.
The L-Prize, a successor to the first Lighting Prize, seeks to unlock the additional potential to combine high-luminaire efficacy with exceptional lighting quality, data-driven control and functionality, innovative design, construction, and grid flexibility for the future of illumination in commercial and institutional buildings. In addition to these technical innovations, the L-Prize also invites innovation for diversity, equity, and inclusion in how systems are designed, produced, deployed, or installed.
The L-Prize targets commercial sector lighting, which accounts for 37% of national lighting energy use, and encourages lighting innovators to design lighting systems with breakthrough energy efficiency, quality, functionality, and sustainability. A full realization of SSL technology potential envisions LED lighting products manufactured with significant domestic materials, while demonstrating exceptional energy efficiency, data connectivity, seamless lighting control, excellent visual quality, and design for recycling and remanufacturing.
DOE’s Building Technologies Office invites lighting innovators to participate in this new competition to bring tomorrow’s lighting into today.
Prize Structure
The L-Prize has three distinct phases:
- The Concept Phase invites innovative concept proposals from potential competitors.
- The Prototype Phase seeks prototype products, emphasizing technological innovation and presenting the opportunity and the challenge to think outside standard forms, materials, and price points of commercially available luminaires.
- The Manufacturing and Installation Phase will reward production and installation of real products meeting the L-Prize technical requirements.
Participation in initial phases is not required to be eligible for subsequent phases. In addition, teaming opportunities will connect researchers and product developers with manufacturing partners, contractors, utilities, energy service companies, and others interested in production and installation of lighting systems meeting the L-Prize requirements.
How to Compete in the L-Prize
The L-Prize will advance the state-of-the-art in LED lighting, encouraging innovators and researchers to engage in advanced lighting system development leading to ground-breaking designs, products, and impact. The prize will award a total of up to $12.2 million in cash prizes across three distinct phases.
A Prize Competition Structured for Success
The L-Prize consists of three distinct phases that will award a total of up to $12.2 million. Participation in initial phases is not required to be eligible for subsequent phases.
Phase 1: Concept
In this phase, competitors imagine and design concept systems that meet energy efficiency, lighting quality, connectivity, and product life cycle requirements exceeding currently available products. Competitors will think beyond current constraints on lighting innovation, such as cost, form factor, materials, and controls. In the Concept Phase, competitors will submit documentation of their concept systems, which will reference the preliminary L-Prize technical requirements listed in the official rules document. Entries will be scored across multiple categories, including feasibility, technical performance, and innovation and inclusion.
A cash award of $20,000 each will be awarded to up to 10 of the highest-scoring complete concept entries meeting the technical requirements and received within the eligibility period.
Phase 2: Prototype
In this phase, competitors create prototype systems that meet energy efficiency, lighting quality, connectivity, and product life cycle requirements exceeding currently available products. At the end of the Prototype Phase, competitors will submit 10 complete prototypes, allowing hands-on evaluation of all technical requirements.
Up to three winners will split a $2 million prize pool, based on number of points awarded by the Expert Reviewer Panel.
Simultaneous with the opening of the Prototype Phase, a Teaming Request for Information (RFI) will be issued. The RFI purpose is to seek parties interested in possible teaming arrangements for production and installation of systems capable of meeting the L-Prize technical requirements. This may include utilities, energy service companies, installation contractors, manufacturing partners, and any other parties interested in supporting the manufacture, deployment, and/or installation of lighting systems meeting the L-Prize requirements. The teaming partner RFI will be kept open through the duration of the L-Prize. The teaming partner list will be posted publicly on the HeroX Resources tab and regularly updated.
Phase 3: Manufacturing and Installation
In this phase, competitors earn points based on the quantity of products produced and installed, weighted by U.S. content, in addition to the technical requirements and points listed in the official rules. Optional points are added for systems installed under a business model or contract that includes ongoing system optimization, upgrade, and/or recycling at end of life (see official rules). The goal of the Manufacturing and Installation Phase is to have competitors realize the economic and energy savings benefits from the technology development fostered by the first two phases of the L-Prize.
Up to two winners will split a $10 million prize pool, based on number of points awarded by the Expert Reviewer Panel.
Anyone Can Compete
The U.S. Department of Energy Building Technologies Office invites participation from any entrepreneurial individuals or teams legally residing or based in the United States. Competitors can be individuals of one or multiple organizations, students, university faculty members, small business owners, researchers, or anyone with the desire and drive to transform an idea into an impactful solution.
Source: US Department of Energy
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