The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the April 2013 edition of the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). This year’s new, streamlined edition provides a description of the activities the Department plans to undertake over the next several years to implement its SSL mission, and informs the development of annual SSL R&D funding opportunities.

Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, the MYPP reviews SSL technology status and trends for both LEDs and organic LEDs (OLEDs) and offers an overview of the current DOE SSL R&D project portfolio. Significant updates to the Technology Research and Development Plan include revised efficiency projections, priorities, task descriptions, and metrics to align DOE targets with progress made to date and industry trends. Light quality was added as a priority for LED core technology research, though recommended to be handled through consortia rather than DOE funding. Another added priority was OLED fabrication technology research. The definitions and metrics of all tasks were refined to provide greater focus on key barriers, and the state of the art for both technology and cost were updated, including different types of luminaires and a more global view of the adoption of SSL. The proposed R&D priorities were explored in two roundtables held in late 2012 as well as in breakout sessions held during the 2013 SSL R&D Workshop in Long Beach, CA.