A listing of major areas of expertise at LBL, illustrated with specific projects.
For information on how to tap the lighting expertise at LBL,
please contact Evan Mills via phone (510) 486-6784, fax (510) 486-5394,
or email at emills@lbl.gov.
Publications from our Lighting Systems Research Group
Last up-date 2/13/96
| Research & Development | |
| Electronic Ballasts | Assisted industry in commercializing this important technology beginning in the late 1970s. Francis Rubinstein |
| Compact Fluorescent Lamp Applications | Working closely with the lighting industry on improving the energy and optical performance of CFLs and fixtures. Michael Siminovitch |
| Sulfur Lamp | Working with industry to improve performance and broaden the field of applications for what may become the most efficient "full-spectrum" light source available. Francis Rubinstein |
| Advanced Incandescents | Technical support in development of energy-efficient incandescent alternative (halogen infrared technology)--for US and overseas markets. Francis Rubinstein |
| Goniophotometer | Automated facility for performing photometric analyses of luminaires. Michael Siminovitch |
| Light Guides, Fiber Optics, and High-Performance Uplights | Development, testing, and demonstration of novel methods for distributing light from high-output, efficient point-sources. Michael Siminovitch |
| Integrated Envelopes | Design and demonstration of innovative systems for integrated automated control of window shading and electric lighting systems for optimal use of daylight. Steven Selkowitz |
| Research Facilities | |
| Integrating Sphere | Measurement of total light output from any lamp type. Michael Siminovitch |
| Dirt Depreciation Chamber for CFL Fixtures | Measurement of reduced light output as luminaires gather dirt from the surrounding environment. Michael Siminovitch |
| Lamp Construction Laboratory | Glass-blowing facility for developing new lamp designs. Francis Rubinstein |
| Sky Simulator | Computer-instrumented artificial sky for conducting detailed daylighting studies using scale models. Steven Selkowitz |
| Luminaire Thermal Performance | Equipment and data collection facilities for quantifying the loss of light output from fluorescent sources operating under non-optimal thermal conditions. Michael Siminovitch |
| Analysis of Human Factors | |
| Visual Performance Studies | Definitive research on the role of rods (normally associated with nighttime vision) in performing visual tasks in the indoor environment; potentially fundamental implications for how the lumen is measured and the design of lamps for optimal efficiency and visual performance. Francis Rubinstein |
| Quantifying Glare | Developing methodologies for quantifying glare in the indoor environment; important to the design of new efficient lighting systems that the market will accept. Robert Clear |
| Design Tools | |
| RADIANCE | A unique ray-tracing software tool that draws photorealistic and photometrically accurate renderings of hypothetical lighting designs. Greg Ward |
| LEER | Tool for easily and accurately quantifying the actual energy and light-output resulting from the combination of thousands of commercially available lamps, ballasts, and fixtures. Francis Rubinstein |
| DOE-2 | The world's most widely used whole-building energy simulation program. Includes artificial and daylighting features. Fred Winkelmann |
| Superlite | Software for quantifying daylight distributions in hypothetical indoor environments. Steven Selkowitz |
| Design Assistance & Demonstration Projects | |
| Lighting Retrofits in Our Own Facilities | LBL's Facilities Department operates an In-House Energy Management Group which has performed state-of-the-art lighting retrofits in most of our Laboratory's 200 buildings. These staff are also available (via the Applications Team) to participate in projects outside the Laboratory. Dale Sartor |
| Energy Edge Evaluation | Conducted an energy and economic evaluation for one of the most significant commercial building demonstration projects; included special attention to daylighting, occupancy sensors, and energy management and control systems applied to lighting. Mary Ann Piette |
| Federal Aviation Administration Audits | Conducted energy audits of a wide variety of FAA building types; energy savings potential estimates, including lighting. Geoffrey Bell |
| General Services Administration Controls Study | Conducting large-scale state-of-the-art demonstration of a wide variety of innovative lighting control strategies in a large office building. Side-by-side tests will result in comparisons of performance, cost, and cost-effectiveness. Francis Rubinstein |
| Retrofit Options Study | Critical assessment of a range of lighting retrofits including the applicability of specular reflectors. Steve Kromer |
| Greening of the Whitehouse | Performed the lighting and daylighting design for a high-visibility "green" renovation project at the Whitehouse and associated buildings in Washington D.C. Steven Selkowitz |
| Collaboration With Industry | |
| CFL Fixtures Workshop | Organized intensive two-day workshop on accelerating the commercialization and deployment of more efficient compact fluorescent lamp fixtures for the residential sector; involved 60 participants representing all stakeholder groups (utilities, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, non-governmental organizations, government, etc.). Evan Mills |
| Product Development and Testing Assistance | Provide technical support to a large number of lamp and fixture manufacturers. Using research facilities, diagnose performance problems with existing technologies and provide guidance for product improvement. Michael Siminovitch |
| Energy & Economic Analysis | |
| COMMEND | Commercial End Use Forecasting Model --With EPRI, designed next generation end use model for commercial and industrial lighting. Developed national database by lamp and by ballast, including alternative technologies, market shares, and operating characteristics. Jon Koomey |
| REM | Residential Energy Model -- Developed national end use forecast for residential lighting. Jon Koomey |
| Commercial Sector Conservation Supply Curve | Developing a detailed assessment of the lighting conservation potential in the U.S. commercial sector, with a cost-based ranking of dozens of applicable energy-saving measures. Jon Koomey |
| Residential Sector End-Use Characterization and Conservation Potential | Developed the best-available description of lighting energy use in the residential sector; used to make savings potential projections. Richard Brown |
| Federal Procurement of Efficient Lighting Products | Analysis of lighting products energy efficiency to help develop DOE-recommended criteria for purchases by Federal agencies and by States and other levels of government--including lamps, ballasts, compact fluorescents, task lighting, exit signs, controls. Jeff Harris |
| Utility Issues & Demand-Side Management | |
| Database on Energy-Efficiency Programs (DEEP) | Prepared the best-available evaluation of commercial lighting DSM programs across the United States, documenting that in all cases they were more cost-effective than producing electricity. International version (INDEEP) under development. Ed Vine |
| California Compact | Active Board member in this organization of the residential lighting program managers from all California utilities; joint development and evaluation of innovative residential lighting DSM strategies. Evan Mills |
| International Topics | |
| Illumex | Technical support for groundbreaking CFL market development project in Mexico; an early GEF-funded efficiency project. Ashok Gadgil |
| Lighting in China | Published first-ever assessment of the lighting market and efficiency potential in China. Evan Mills |
| Lighting Audit Tool for Mexico | Developed commercial sector lighting audit tool for use in Mexico. Jayant Sathaye |
| LPROGNOS | Developed lighting demand forecasting tool for the Netherlands government, to be used for policy analysis. Barbara Atkinson |
| Codes and Standards Development | |
| Standards Analyses for U.S. Commercial Sector | Comprehensive analysis of energy savings, economic, and environmental impacts of prospective mandatory standards in the U.S. (e.g., fluorescent lamp ballasts). Jim McMahon |
| HID Lighting | Technical analysis of efficiency options that could be included in standard-making proceedings. Barbara Atkinson |
| Evaluation of Luminaire Efficiency Rating System | Evaluation of luminaire rating activities implemented under the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Barbara Atkinson |
| Information Products | |
| Lighting Design Guidelines | An extensive guide to a broad range of energy-efficient lighting design issues. Francis Rubinstein |
| "Right Light" Conferences | Co-organize biannual conferences covering international dimensions of energy efficient lighting (technologies, programs, policies, markets, etc.) Attended by ~250 people from 40 countries. Evan Mills |
| Technology Assessments | Variety of written reports on virtually all important efficient lighting technologies and applications. Francis Rubinstein |
| Light & Engineering | Membership of editorial board of this international lighting journal. Published in English and Russian. Evan Mills |
| World Wide Web | Comprehensive publications lists available on-line; various on-line articles; index of lighting products and services available over the Web; developing on-line lighting analysis tools. Evan Mills |