Emerging Lighting Science

Lead Performer: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) — Richland, WA   
DOE Total Funding: $7,500,000
Project Term: October 1, 2018 — September 30, 2021
Funding Type: Direct Funding

Project Objective

Emerging science on the effect of light on human physiology, both visual and nonvisual, has challenged some of the assumptions that drove early generations of solid-state lighting (SSL). In the visual realm, tradeoffs between luminous efficacy and lighting quality provide challenges for future generations of SSL. New developments in color science have led to new metrics, requiring new engineering developments. Glare is a visual response that also requires new metrics and new engineering approaches with SSL. Emerging evidence from the medical research community has linked lighting to nonvisual physiological responses, such as circadian entrainment and acute alerting effects. These nonvisual responses have spectral sensitivities that differ from those used to define the lumen, so that luminous efficacy and metrics related to lighting energy efficiency may be less relevant in the future.

The science indicates that addressing nonvisual needs may mean a need for more optical radiation and thus more energy use by electric lighting systems. Consequently, the energy use for these lighting uses is expected to be more than what might initially be assumed using lumen-based analyses for traditional applications that are based solely on task performance.

This project team will conduct collaborative research on lighting-related human visual phenomena, including color rendition, glare, temporal light modulation (flicker), and night visibility. The research will include lighting-related human nonvisual phenomena related to circadian and other behavioral and cognitive effects. This project will support the development of new metrics and methods of measurement for these phenomena and their relationship to light. Additionally, this project will quantify the expected impacts of these research topics on U.S. lighting energy use in related applications.

Project Impact

This project will ensure that future generations of SSL can address both energy efficiency and human physiological goals. Through this research on visual and nonvisual phenomena, the project team will inform next-generation SSL systems in order to optimize systems for minimum energy use while providing the appropriate intensity, spectrum, and duration of optical radiation to satisfy human visual needs.

Contacts

DOE Technology Manager: Erika Gupta
Lead Performer: Dr. Robert Davis, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

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