Win $10 million prize :Build a better bulb

The Race for Super Efficient Light Bulbs begins with L-prize competition. Presently highly inefficient 60-watt light bulb badly needs a makeover. And it could be worth millions in government prize money, and more in government contracts, to the first company that figures out how to do it. "L Prize" competition is Energy Department contest that will award up to $10 million to the first person or group to create a new energy-sipping version of the most popular type of light bulb used in America.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 directs the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prizes (L Prize) competition. The L Prize competition is the first government sponsored technology competition designed to spur development of ultra-efficient solid-state lighting products to replace the common light bulb.

The legislation challenges industry to develop replacement technologies for two of today's most widely used and inefficient technologies: 60W incandescent lamps and PAR 38 halogen lamps. It also calls for development of a 21st Century Lamp that delivers more than 150 lm/W. The competition will award significant cash prizes, plus opportunities for federal purchasing agreements, utility programs, and other incentives for winning products.

Competition Requirements :
The L Prize competition requirements include technical specifications to ensure compliance with the general requirements outlined in the 2007 energy legislation, with additional details specified for quality, performance, and mass manufacturing.

Required metrics for the 60-Watt incandescent LED replacement, as laid out by DOE, include:

• Efficacy of more than 90 lumens per watt, which exceeds the efficiency of all incandescent and most 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
• Lifetime of more than 25,000 hours, which is 25X greater than a typical incandescent 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

Competition Requirements (updated June 26, 2009)

L Prize Notice in Federal Register

L Prize Competition Process Flow Chart

Selection of Winners:
Entries will be accepted for each product category until a winner is declared, or until 24 months have elapsed since the first award in that category, whichever comes first. In each category, the first entrant to successfully meet the full competition requirements will receive all prizes. Up to two additional entrants may be eligible for program partner promotions.

Opportunities for Recognition:
The L Prize competition will offer numerous opportunities for recognition. All competitors and program partners will be in the media spotlight, both on the L Prize website and in national, trade, and regional publications.

The race is on:
DOE Solid-State Lighting Program Manager Jim Brodrick, said,"Philips is the first to submit a formal L Prize entry, demonstrating their leadership and corporate commitment to energy conservation in lighting. Philips' entry into the competition is a clear signal that massive energy savings from solid-state lighting are within our grasp. The field is wide-open, and we hope to see more entries from both large and small manufacturers."

Philips has delivered 2,000 prototypes of its bulb to the energy department for testing. The firm says the bulbs meet all the criteria of the contest, which specifies a bulb that reproduces the same amount and color of light made by a 60-watt incandescent bulb, but uses only 10 watts of power. It must also last for more than 25,000 hours — about 25 times longer than a standard light bulb.

"Philips is confident that the product submitted meets or exceeds all of the criteria for the L Prize. By being the first to enter this very tough competition, Philips has demonstrated its commitment once again to playing a leading global role in lighting innovation and energy conservation," said Rudy Provoost, CEO of Philips Lighting.

General Electric — along with Philips and Osram Sylvania, one of the world’s biggest lighting suppliers — said that it would introduce a new LED module next month that would make it easier to replace traditional light sources with LEDs. Osram had no comment about its plans.