In late 2011, said Magan, the EC will publish a Green Paper on SSL to explore the barriers to SSL adoption, and to put forward policy suggestions. Input is required from now until early 2011, and Magan called on everyone to contribute to the process. Another activity is that, by 2012, Member States will be required to include specifications for total lifetime costs (rather than initial purchase costs) for all public procurement of lighting installations.
The EC will also support SSL demonstration projects via the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP). The plan is to have a small number of large-scale projects that will help raise awareness of SSL as well as demonstrating the technological capabilities. The project will receive 50% funding, and should have participants from throughout the value chain. Proposals will be sought in the first half of 2011, and the projects are expected to start towards the end of the year.
The EC also funds research, and there is a current call for proposals related to Organic and Large Area Electronics and Photonics (including OLEDs). Forthcoming research actions will include one on manufacturing (including OLEDs) and one on core and disruptive technologies, which will include LEDs. More details are at http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/photonics/. The EC is also starting to look ahead to its 8th Framework Programme (FP8) for research, starting in 2014, and needs “visionary input in lighting, photonic and organic electronics,” said Magan.
