A local company which makes a new type of very efficient lighting is getting some federal money to help with their research and development efforts.
The company is called "OLEDWorks,” and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter says the U.S. Department of Energy is giving them $2 million to help accelerate their efforts toward commercializing this technology.
OLED lighting is much more efficient than traditional incandescent lights, or even the newer compact fluorescent lighting. But it is still not where it needs to be in terms of cost to be used in the home. Right now, the local firm, which was started in 2010 by some former Kodakers, is manufacturing the lighting at its operation off Lyell Avenue for use in commercial applications, including places like health care facilities.
Company Chairman Dave DeJoy says this lighting can be made very thin, and it hardly gives off any heat, and that means it can be used in a lot of places.
"Think about where lights are used, they're used everywhere, backlighting, there's all kinds of tasks that lighting is used for so, thin, low-glare, unobtrusive light could be used to light any kind of dark space."
Rep. Slaughter notes that there are a number of companies in the Rochester area involved in various kinds of optics and related technologies.
'Today there are more than 60 optics companies operating within a 20 mile radius of Rochester. We're home to a world class laser lab at the University of Rochester, and groundbreaking research is being conducted on campuses throughout our area."
OLED Works now employs about 20 full time people and they hope to add 50 to 100 workers over the next couple of years.
