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CALiPER Testing Laboratories

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 LEDs 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. 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. With an NVLAP process for LM-79 accreditation now available, CALiPER testing will still be conducted by qualified, verified, and contracted independent testing laboratories, and CALiPER will also recognize all laboratories that obtain NVLAP accreditation for solid-state lighting testing.

CALiPER Testing Laboratories

Laboratories Qualified, Verified, and Contracted for 2009 CALiPER LM-79 Testing and LM-79 Testing for ENERGY STAR® for SSL

Independent testing laboratories that participate in CALiPER testing must be pre-qualified based on a number of factors and must satisfactorily complete round-robin testing verification following IES LM-79 testing standards for integrating sphere and/or goniophotometric testing of SSL luminaires and lamps. Prequalified labs must enter in a contract for CALiPER testing (renewed annually). Additional CALiPER testing may also be performed at NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) or at PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) as needed.

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Laboratories Performing Integrating Sphere Testing for CALiPER

Laboratories Performing Goniophotometry Testing for CALiPER

Laboratories Qualified, Verified, and Recognized for LM-79 Testing for ENERGY STAR for SSL

In addition to the above laboratories, CALiPER also recognizes all laboratories which successfully acquire NVLAP accreditation for LM-79 testing. NVLAP accreditation involves a rigorous process demonstrating technical competence, quality control, proficiency testing, and laboratory impartiality and objectivity. To meet industry needs for the interim period during which laboratories are seeking NVLAP accreditation for LM-79 testing, laboratories that are currently accredited under the NVLAP Program for other (non SSL) Energy Efficient Lighting (EEL) Products may submit to CALiPER for interim qualification and CALiPER round-robin testing.

To be qualified by CALiPER without being contracted for performing CALiPER testing, laboratories must be currently accredited under the NVLAP Program for Energy Efficient Lighting (EEL) Products for (a) testing the electrical, photometric, colorimetric, and life-performance characteristics of incandescent, fluorescent and/or high-intensity discharge lamps; or (b) testing the photometric characteristics of luminaires (lighting fixtures); they must be in the process of submitting an application for NVLAP accreditation for testing the electrical, photometric, colorimetric, and lumen maintenance characteristics of solid-state lighting luminaires; and they must successfully complete CALiPER round-robin testing and associated reporting for LM-79 testing. Laboratories that meet these conditions will be qualified and recognized for LM-79 testing and listed here.

Laboratories Qualified by CALiPER to Perform Integrating Sphere Testing

  • GE Consumer & Industrial – Lighting Product Testing Laboratory (PDF 35 KB) – Cleveland, OH
  • OSRAM Sylvania Metrology & Analytic Services (PDF 59 KB) – Beverly, MA

Laboratories Qualified by CALiPER to Perform Goniophotometry Testing

  • GE Consumer & Industrial – Lighting Product Testing Laboratory (PDF 35 KB) – Cleveland, OH
  • OSRAM Sylvania Metrology & Analytic Services (PDF 59 KB) – Beverly, MA

Pre-Qualify Your Laboratory

Pre-qualify your laboratory (PDF 108 KB) to participate in CALiPER testing. Or, if your laboratory is currently accredited under the NVLAP Program for Energy Efficient Lighting (EEL) Products and you wish to obtain CALiPER qualification for LM-79 testing while awaiting NVLAP accreditation for SSL testing, please contact calipersupport@pnl.gov.

Pre-qualify your laboratory (PDF 45 KB) to participate in stress testing.

Additional Testing Laboratories Working with CALiPER

The following laboratories are currently in the process of working with CALiPER, or obtaining CALiPER qualification in one form or another, or have been qualified in past years but are not currently contracted for CALiPER LM-79 or long-term testing.