U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Market-Based Programs

CALiPER Testing Laboratories

graphic showing a photo of a testing lab and photos of nine SSL products

A Note About CALiPER and Laboratory Accreditation

CALiPER is not a testing laboratory or an accreditation organization. The DOE established the CALiPER program to provide accurate and comparable data on LED products by arranging for reliable independent testing and data reporting of commercially available products. The CALiPER program established a process for qualifying testing laboratories to do this testing during the period when appropriate test standards such as LM-79 were under development and not yet covered by nationally recognized accreditation processes. CALiPER qualification of laboratories included verification of laboratory competence, equipment, and experience, along with round-robin testing on a regular basis.

Because of the inherent nature of absolute photometry and SSL products, LM-79 testing may be subject to significant measurement uncertainty. Calibrated reference samples which can improve measurement traceability do not exist at this time to address the particularities of spectral distributions, intensity distributions, and electrical characteristics of SSL products, so a carefully conceived proficiency testing program is necessary to ensure confidence in the testing process. CALiPER round-robin testing was used as an initial mechanism to increase credibility of LM-79 testing across different laboratories and led subsequently to the development of a more rigorous proficiency testing program, developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to identify and reduce measurement uncertainties in LM-79 testing.

Beginning March 5, 2009, the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), which provides third-party accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories, started accepting applications for solid-state lighting (SSL) test methods (LM-79 and LM-80) as part of the Energy Efficient Lighting Products laboratory accreditation program. The NVLAP LM-79 accreditation process is detailed in a published NVLAP handbook and includes a carefully constructed sequence of proficiency tests to meet the requirements of ISO 17025 Section 5.9 to ensure confidence and credibility of the testing process. With the rigorous NVLAP process for LM-79 accreditation now available, as of 2011 CALiPER will no longer be conducting its own round-robin testing and qualification of laboratories.

How to Become a CALiPER-Qualified Laboratory

Laboratories Qualified, Verified, and Contracted for 2011 CALiPER LM-79 Testing

How to Become a CALiPER-Qualified Laboratory

To be listed as a CALiPER-qualified laboratory for SSL testing, laboratories must submit proof of the following:

  • LM-79 accreditation from an accreditation body that has Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) in place with international oversight traceable to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The LM-79 accreditation must specify the subsections of LM-79 testing covered by the accreditation.
  • Because LM-79 accreditation is fairly recent and new to most accreditation bodies, and to ensure confidence in the accreditation process, a document describing the LM-79 accreditation process must be published or provided by the accreditation body.
  • Because LM-79 testing requires specific new competencies, the accreditation bodies performing accreditation to LM-79 must publish or provide documentation ensuring that quality assessor teams for LM-79 accreditation include experts that have the requisite experience and competence with regard to absolute photometry and SSL testing (in particular with regard to section 2.2.3 of the ILAC Guidelines on Qualifications and Competence of Assessors and Technical Experts, articles 2.2.3.1 and 2.2.3.2 concerning estimation of measurement uncertainties and analysis of proficiency testing needs and results).
  • Because of the challenges involved with maintaining measurement traceability for a wide range of SSL products and the potential for measurement uncertainty in SSL testing in general, the accreditation must include or be accompanied by proof of proficiency testing (addressing challenges such as particular spectral distributions, remote phosphors, particular intensity distributions, and particular electrical characteristics of samples). Also, as defined in ISO/IEC Guide 43 on proficiency testing, the accreditation process for LM-79 must include periodic repetition and revalidation of proficiency testing (through a documented and regularly scheduled round-robin testing and verification process). The proficiency testing requirement may be fulfilled through the M.A.P. LM-79 service available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

At this time, the NVLAP LM-79 accreditation process is known to fulfill all of the above specific requirements, including proficiency testing and handbooks describing lighting testing accreditation processes. This page will be updated if other thorough accreditation processes addressing LM-79 testing are identified by CALiPER.

Laboratories Qualified, Verified, and Contracted for 2011 CALiPER LM-79 Testing

Independent testing laboratories that participate in CALiPER testing must meet the above criteria for accreditation for IES LM-79 testing standards for integrating sphere and/or goniophotometric testing of SSL luminaires and lamps. Appropriately accredited independent testing labs must enter in a contract for CALiPER testing (renewed annually). Additional CALiPER testing may also in some cases be performed at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) or at PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory), or at appropriately accredited manufacturer laboratories.

Laboratories Performing Integrating Sphere Testing for CALiPER

Laboratories Performing Goniophotometry Testing for CALiPER

Other Laboratories Accredited, Verified, and Recognized for LM-79 Testing for CALiPER

In addition to the above laboratories, CALiPER also recognizes testing from other laboratories which successfully fulfill the requirements for LM-79 accreditation detailed above (including proficiency testing). These labs do not currently perform testing for CALiPER typically because they do not perform third party testing or because they are not located in the US.

  • At this time, stemming from NIST and NVLAP engagement within the LM-79 standard development process and with CALiPER program since 2006, only the NVLAP LM-79 accreditation process is known to fulfill all of the above specific requirements for ensuring confidence in LM-79 testing. NVLAP provides a searchable directory of accredited laboratories to find laboratories which already have NVLAP LM-79 accreditation; however, care should be taken to ensure that laboratories have received accreditation for the appropriate subsections of LM-79. A list of laboratories which currently have NVLAP accreditation may be found in the NVLAP Directory of Accredited Laboratories. Under "Search On-Line Directory," enter "LM-79 s03 s09 s10" and click on "Google Search" to get a listing of laboratories with complete LM-79 accreditation. Alternatively, you may scroll down and click on "Energy Efficient Lighting Products," but note that this will provide a listing of all labs with any form of energy efficient lighting accreditation, so you must check the details of each listing to determine whether they are qualified for LM-79 and if so, whether that includes sphere testing and/or goniophotometry.