Energy Efficiency

Energy Frontier Research Center for Solid-State Lighting Science

Lighting consumes roughly 22 percent of United States electricity, a roughly $50 billion per year cost to the U.S. consumer. Solid-state lighting (SSL) is an emerging technology with the potential to reduce that energy consumption by a factor of 3–6 times. Despite a decade’s enormous progress, however, SSL remains a factor of 5–10 times away from this potential. Sandia’s Solid-State Lighting Science (SSLS) Center, a DOE Office of Science (SC) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), will accelerate advances in this fundamental science by exploring energy conversion in tailored photonic structures. Drawing on Sandia’s long history of SSL R&D, and working closely with its university and industry partners, the SSLS EFRC will

• work to understand the mechanisms and defects in SSL semiconductor materials that presently limit the energy efficiency;
• investigate conversion of electricity to light using radically new designs, such as luminescent nanowires, quantum dots, and hybrid architectures; and
• study energy conversion processes in structures whose sizes are even smaller than the wavelength of light.

Energy Efficiency News

Sandia’s Dr. Jeffrey Tsao Is Recognized as an Asian-American Engineer of the YearDr. Tsao, a Distinguished Member of Sandia’s Technical Staff in the Semiconductor and Optical Sciences Department, is one of eight distinguished engineers upon whom this award was conferred this year by the AAEOY organization. He received this honor for, “sustained contributions to compound semiconductor materials and device science and exemplary contributions to solid-state lighting technology.” [...]

SSLS Exhibit at Explora MuseumEFRC scientist Jeff Tsao, in conjunction with Sandia Erik Spoerke and UNM scientist Patrick Johnson, volunteered at Explora Museum over the weekend. The three scientists participated in a program event hosted by Explora called Portal to the Public, whose goal is to, “Engage in experiential activities with scientists that are your neighbors in the c0mmunity.” [...]

Jonathan Wierer to Present at Illuminating Engineering Society-Albuquerque Section MeetingOne of our SSLS scientists, Jonathan Wierer, is presenting at the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)-Albuquerque section meeting. The goal of IES is to, “improve the lighted environment by bringing together those with lighting knowledge and by translating that knowledge into actions that will benefit the general populace.” His talk titled, “Latest SSL work at Sandia [...]