Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technology Research and Development- 2018 | DE FOA 0001823

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technology Research and Development - 2018 funding opportunity?

It is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding opportunity focused on advancing solid-state lighting (SSL) technologies into high-performance, cost-effective commercial products. The opportunity is identified as DE FOA 0001823 and is described as a targeted effort to accelerate next-generation lighting improvements that can succeed in real-world use and manufacturing.

Which federal agency offered this opportunity, and who administered it?

The opportunity was offered by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered through the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

What types of lighting technologies were included (LED, OLED, or both)?

The scope covered both LED (light-emitting diode) and OLED (organic light-emitting diode) approaches.

What was the main goal of the program?

A central goal was to maximize the energy efficiency of SSL products available in the marketplace, meaning improvements that translate into commercial products rather than only laboratory demonstrations.

What does "improving energy efficiency" mean in the context of this opportunity?

It refers to improving how efficiently lighting converts electricity into useful light, with emphasis on results that matter in deployable products and real environments (buildings and outdoor settings), not just controlled lab conditions.

At what levels of the product did the opportunity aim to improve performance?

The opportunity emphasized performance improvements at the device, package, and luminaire levels.

Did the program focus only on efficiency, or were other adoption barriers also addressed?

It addressed other market barriers as well. In addition to efficiency, the opportunity emphasized improving lifetime and reliability, raising and maintaining color quality, and strengthening overall lighting system performance.

Why were lifetime and reliability emphasized?

The funding opportunity highlighted that customers and real-world deployments require products that maintain output and color over time and perform reliably in practical operating conditions, including thermal and electrical stresses found in actual fixtures and installations.

How did the opportunity address color quality?

Color quality was identified as a key theme, including efforts to raise and maintain color quality over time so that products deliver consistent visual performance and reduce barriers to adoption.

What does "overall lighting system performance" include in this opportunity?

Based on the description, it includes practical aspects that affect real installations, such as thermal and electrical performance in fixtures, consistent results over time, and predictable performance across manufacturing batches.

Was cost reduction part of the program objectives?

Yes. Cost reduction was a major objective for both SSL sources and luminaires.

What types of cost-reduction activities were called out?

The opportunity referenced lowering materials and manufacturing costs, simplifying designs, improving yields, and reducing the cost of delivering high-quality light through better optics, drivers, thermal management, and integrated system designs.

Did the program mention manufacturing consistency or quality control?

Yes. It highlighted product consistency while maintaining high quality, indicating interest in improving uniformity, repeatability, and quality control so products perform predictably across large-scale production runs.

Did the opportunity include goals related to U.S. manufacturing?

Yes. A stated priority was strengthening the growth, leadership, and long-term sustainability of domestic U.S. manufacturing within the SSL industry, tying technology R&D to competitiveness and supply chain resilience.

What kind of funding instrument was used?

The opportunity was described as discretionary funding using a cooperative agreement.

What does a cooperative agreement imply for how projects are run?

As described, it typically implies substantial federal involvement during the project period, such as coordination, technical direction, or milestone-based collaboration.

How many awards were anticipated?

The program anticipated making about 16 awards.

What was the maximum award size per project?

The award ceiling was $1,500,000 per project.

What was the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity fell under CFDA 81.086.

How was this opportunity categorized by topic area?

It was categorized under research and development spanning energy, environment, health, science and technology, and related areas.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted (open to any type of entity), subject to any additional eligibility details contained in the full funding announcement.

What were the key real-world deployment considerations emphasized?

The description emphasized that practical issues can slow adoption in real buildings and outdoor environments, and that funded work should address performance in real fixtures and conditions, including maintaining output and color and delivering consistent manufacturing outcomes.

When was the funding opportunity created and when did it close?

The funding opportunity was created on April 27, 2018, and originally closed on June 18, 2018.

How can this opportunity be summarized at a high level?

It was a DOE effort to accelerate LED and OLED advances that deliver higher efficiency, longer life, better color and system performance, lower costs, and more consistent manufacturing results, while reinforcing a strong U.S.-based SSL manufacturing ecosystem.