The Alliance for Solid-State Illumination Systems and Technologies (ASSIST), an industry-sponsored organization, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The group, formed in 2002, has an international makeup and brings together interested parties from different areas within the lighting community to discuss issues related to solid-state lighting (SSL) and LEDs. ASSIST members include manufacturers such as Acuity Brands Lighting, Bridgelux, Cree, GE Lighting Solutions, Osram Sylvania, Philips Lighting, Sharp, Toshiba, and WattStopper; government entities such as the Federal Aviation Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; academic institutions such as the Lighting Research Center (LRC); and public benefit groups such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Members of ASSIST meet on a regular basis to discuss issues and areas in need of further research. The group utilizes the expertise of the LRC’s researchers and that institution’s facilities. Since the inception of ASSIST, strides have been made in establishing definitions and test methods for LEDs and LED luminaires, creating a portfolio of demonstration projects, and providing educational resources such as seminars and white papers. Critical to these initiatives is the “ASSIST Recommends” series of guidelines (the most recent paper published discusses LED light source flicker) and the LRC’s bi-annual, three-day LED Lighting Institute, the first independent, research-based university workshop on the subject of LEDs, which has hosted more than 500 participants to date. For a full overview of ASSIST members and activities, and of the LRC SSL program, go to bit.ly/TsbnPs.
Said Nadarajah Narendran, LRC director of research and director of the SSL program: “Going forward, ASSIST intends to maintain its collaborative approach to overcoming market transformation barriers. This will include knowledge creation and dissemination, demonstrating applications where LED lighting shows better performance and value, creating innovative concepts for using LEDs, and educating those with an interest in this next-generation technology.”
