DuPont announced that it has been awarded a $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a two-year project to develop a solid-state lighting source using low-cost organic light emitting diode (OLED) solution-processing manufacturing techniques.

The project will leverage DuPont’s experience in OLED development for displays, while tailoring the technology to the unique requirements for solid-state lighting, an advanced technology that can significantly reduce energy consumption compared with incandescent and fluorescent lamps.  Solution-processing is a cost-effective technique for the manufacture of OLEDs due to its lower capital investment, reduced fixed costs and efficient use of materials.  The benefits are seen through manufacturing large areas at low cost while delivering completely new, highly efficient lighting concepts.

The project also reflects DuPont’s recently announced commitment to focus on meeting four emerging global trends, one of which is decreasing dependence on fossil fuels.

According to the Next Generation Lighting Industry Alliance, over 20 percent of U.S. electrical energy in 2009 is used for lighting.  The U.S. domestic market for lamps, ballasts, lighting fixtures and lighting controls is $15 billion and $75 billion, globally.  Solid-state lighting technologies, which include OLEDs, have the potential to save 348 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity by 2030 compared with traditional light sources.