UC Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering is launching the Solid State Lighting and Energy Center (SSLEC). The SSLEC, is the second phase of UCSB’s original Solid State Lighting Center, by broadening its capacity to include new research interests, including clean energy and energy efficiency, pivotal in the fight against global warming.

Industry members and UCSB faculty now have a form to collaborate among many disciplines—materials science, electrical engineering, chemistry and physics—to discuss the most challenging issues with solid state energy. The Center will focus on energy efficiency; solid state lighting; power switching; and clean energy, be developing new materials, devices for consumer electronics and energy.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan, has joined the SSLEC as its first industrial member, will give $2.5 million over the next six years to help fund the Center and its research.

Lighting consumes 22 percent of all electricity produced in American. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests over $98 billion in energy savings could be seen by 2020 if breakthroughs are made in solid-state lighting.  

For more information view: http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/news/131