RTI International is aiming to develop less expensive lighting for schools that also will be “color tunable” under a federal grant project announced Monday.

The project is one of nine funded in part by the Department of Energy that are intended to advance technology for use in solid state lighting (SSL). 

Cree also landed a grant in the latest DOE initiative.

RTI is contributing $150,000 as its “cost share” as part of the DOE program, which is worth $450,000.

RTI is working with private sector partner Flinelite on the project. Finelight develops energy-efficient lighting for classrooms.

According to RTI, the project “will develop and demonstrate the advantages of an LED-based tunable lighting system for use in classrooms. Research has demonstrated that a properly designed, color tunable lighting system can actually increase student’s attention levels and improve their scholastic performance.”

“The color tunable lighting system to be developed by RTI will not only adjust light intensity by dimming, but also change the color of light on demand,” RTI added in the announcement. “For instance, the light color can change from a warm white color to a cool white color when necessary.”

Lynn Davis, Ph.D., director of engineering research at RTI, is the project’s principal investigator.

“In many classrooms, students may be divided with some students involved with team activities in the back, others listening to a lecture at a white board in the front, and more students performing computer work. The lighting system must be easily adjustable to meet the needs of each of these varied tasks,” Davis said.

“Since electricity costs are frequently the second largest expense in schools, lighting systems must be energy efficient and cost effective. This is especially a challenge since classrooms are an active setting, often with multiple activities occurring at once, that place stringent demands on the lighting system.”