Press Releases

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center (LRC) will hold a three-day, hands-on seminar to teach industry professionals about incorporating light emitting diodes (LEDs) into lighting applications. The LED Lighting Institute features workshops and lab sessions about rapidly evolving LED technology, lighting design, and optical modeling, while using the newest LED products on the market.

"Attendees enjoy the opportunity to work in the lab with senior LRC researchers to learn about applications and system design techniques," said Dan Frering, LRC manager of education. "The program culminates with the participants designing and building their own LED fixtures."

The upcoming session will highlight the use of LEDs in new applications and will showcase how these versatile light sources can be successfully designed directly into the infrastructure of buildings.

"Participants in the LED Lighting Institute learn about the latest in LED technology, as well as the methods and standards for measuring and quantifying performance," said N. Narendran, Ph.D., director of research and head of the Solid-State Lighting Program at the LRC. "Students will compare and analyze products for various applications, creating realistic expectations that will help advance the acceptance of LED lighting."

The LED Lighting Institute has gained notable support from sponsors who see the benefit of LED lighting education, including Color Kinetics, GELcore, Lumileds Lighting, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Nichia America Corp., Opto Technology, OSRAM SYLVANIA, PolyBrite International, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Upon completion of the LED Lighting Institute, students receive an LRC Continuing Education Certificate in LED Lighting. More than 300 people from around the globe have completed the course. The program is held in the spring and fall of each year, and enrollment is limited to 30 students. For more information or to register for the September session, visit the LED Lighting Institute web site.

What others are saying about the LED Lighting Institute

Makarand "Chips" Chipalkatti, Ph.D., OSRAM SYLVANIA: "I believe that technology is changing the rules and practice of lighting, as nothing has since the first electric bulb. While this is clearly going to be a challenge for practitioners, the LED Lighting Institute is helping to ease the transition. It is a good place to learn what is new, get hands-on experience, and to share in the knowledge of others. I don't see it as a one-time event but as a continuous education and update process."

Chris Bohler, Ph.D., GELcore: "LEDs have significantly penetrated a number of markets including automotive lighting, mobile appliances, signals, and signage to name a few. However, with this visibility also comes misconception in regards to LED and LED systems operation and performance." He added, "LRC's LED Lighting Institute offers a very important venue for end-users, designers, specifiers, and manufacturers to familiarize themselves, in a hands-on environment, with the capabilities of an LED, both at the package level as well as integrated into a system. Educating the industry and the public at large is the means by which solid-state lighting will gain greater acceptance."

Michael J. Scholand, Navigant Consulting, Inc.: "I thoroughly enjoyed my learning experience at the LED Lighting Institute. In class, we studied a broad range of pertinent topics from theory and basic science to applications, and even a hands-on construction lab. The lecturers gave us a broad understanding of LED strengths and weaknesses, as well as identifying applications where LEDs are competitive today and where they may be in the future."