The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced its first Gateway demonstration project in the US capital city. The DOE acted in cooperation with the Department of Labor (DOL) to install 19 LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaires in the DOL's Frances Perkins Building parking garage.

The SSL installation took place in May 2010, and preliminary tests show an energy savings of more than 75% relative to the prior garage lighting system. The savings come both from the LED lighting and motion sensors that can automatically dim or extinguish the lights when no cars are present. The DOE also proclaimed that the new system offers "greatly improved illumination quality – more uniform light and a heightened ability to discern colors."

VizorLED luminaires

The federal government is the largest energy user in the US and has been compelled to reduce use through objectives defined in the 2009 Executive Order Focused on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.

Roland Risser, Building Technologies Program Manager at DOE, said, “Federal agencies must lead by example, and DOE will continue to guide government-industry collaborations to implement high-performance LED products in appropriate applications.”

“Secretary Solis is eager to continue building on the Labor Department’s record of being an ‘Energy Star’ certified building. Though installing 19 LED light fixtures at the Frances Perkins Building may seem small, the 75 percent electricity savings is not, and serves as precisely the kind of energy leadership the President is requiring of all Federal agencies,” said Charlotte Hayes, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy in the Office of Administration and Management.

The latest Gateway demonstration project utilized VizorLED luminaires made by Philips Wide-Lite. The luminaire was one of the Best In Class winners in the 2009 Next Generation Luminaires competition.

Gateway is a DOE program that's administered by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The program uses demonstration projects to evaluate LED lighting a various commercial and residential application. Moreover, the DOE shares detailed results from the Gateway projects.