The goal of this project is to develop an energy-efficient retrofit/remodeling downlight system for both residential and commercial applications. The overall costs will approach the costs of the material and labor costs of existing incandescent downlighting systems. By utilizing an integrated systems approach, this system will reduce energy and operating costs by 60 to 75 percent.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) is leading the research and development work for this project.

The objectives of this project are to:

• Develop 2 to 4 energy-efficient "out of the box" downlighting systems working with one or more manufacturers targeted at both residential and commercial applications designed explicitly for the needs of the homeowners and contractors doing renovation/retrofits.
• Develop a plug and play wiring and installation system that simplifies the electrical connection and ceiling integration process for downlight.
• Develop a thermally robust lamp-ballast system by exploring the application of centralized and remote ballasting methods.
• Achieve photometric performance that matches or exceeds the illuminance of traditional incandescent downlights while using only a third of the power.
• Analyze and establish priority retrofit applications within the residential and commercial market sector.
• Determine the control and cost implications and technical features associated with dimming systems for both residential and commercial applications.

This project meets the PIER Goal of "Improving the Energy Cost/Value of California's Electricity" by reducing residential lighting energy costs where this technology is applied by 60 to 75 percent while improving lighting quality in existing homes and other downlighting applications.

This project also meets a secondary PIER goal of increasing the reliability of the electric system by reducing peak load demand. Installation estimates for downlight retrofit systems can be used as a baseline to evaluate the cost savings of the new design.