Application-Specific Lighting

Lead Performer: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) — Richland, WA 
DOE Total Funding: $4,500,000
Project Term: October 1, 2018 — September 30, 2021
Funding Type: Direct Funding

Project Objective

This project addresses lighting for outdoor applications and lighting intended for horticultural and animal agriculture applications.

LED outdoor lighting conversions are well underway nationwide, with many communities replacing existing high-pressure sodium streetlights with LEDs. However, concerns about sky glow, light pollution, and blue light have focused attention on the light color and spectrum of LEDs. This has delayed conversions in some cities and resulted in the installation of lower color temperature (“warmer”) LEDs, with some even calling for amber LEDs, which are about 40% less efficient compared to standard white LEDs. More effective solutions to concerns about sky glow and light pollution are to decrease total light output, eliminate up-light, and use controls to dim the lights during low-use hours, all readily feasible solutions with LED systems. The objective of this area of research is to optimize intensity, distribution, spectrum, and connected controls for outdoor lighting for energy efficiency and lighting quality.

Agricultural use of lighting is expected to grow rapidly over the next decade, in part due to enabling technology benefits and capabilities of solid-state lighting (SSL). In horticultural and animal agriculture applications, human visual response is not the primary concern. Instead, plant and animal responses to optical radiation are the primary concern. SSL systems that have been optimized for maximum luminous efficacy may not serve these emerging applications in the most energy-efficient manner. In horticulture and agriculture applications, the amount of light needed for maximum benefit and productivity is likely to exceed the amount of light typically needed for human visual tasks. Consequently, the energy use intensity for these applications is expected to be more than that for traditional applications that are centered on human vision. A lack of standardization in performance metrics and measurement methods inhibits the implementation of new, optimized solutions for these lighting applications. This research will enable future SSL systems to be optimized to minimize energy use while maximizing the desired benefits in these applications.

Project Impact

Research on exterior lighting aims to decrease outdoor lighting energy use at least 75% by 2030 through increased luminaire and application efficiency, including optimized intensity, distribution, spectrum, and connected controls. Currently, the implementation of new, optimized solutions for lighting in horticulture, animal agriculture, and related applications is inhibited by a lack of standardization in performance metrics and measurement methods. This research will support the development of the metrics, methods of measurement, and recommended practices for horticultural and animal production lighting using SSL systems that optimize spectrum, intensity, distribution, timing, and duration.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Erika Gupta
Lead Performer: Bruce Kinzey, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

Related Publications