Manufacturer Application Overview

Welcome to the Designlights™ Consortium’s Qualified Products List (DLC QPL). LED fixtures on this list may be eligible for state and utility energy efficiency program incentives. Since the demand for LED fixtures is growing at a rapid pace, utilities want to be assured they are promoting high quality LED fixtures. We require similar ENERGY STAR qualifications for all lighting applications currently included in the US DOE ENERGY STAR criteria; we are working closely with the ENERGY STAR program as new applications and product types are added. Read on to see whether your product belongs on the DLC QPL list, and how to proceed.

1. What is the Designlights™ Qualified Products List (DLC QPL)?

A bi-national list of qualified products that meet the specifications and provide the necessary information for energy efficiency program administrators to use internally to determine whether the LED fixture qualifies for possible incentives.

The purposes for developing this Qualified Products List was to push high quality energy efficient LED product on the market. Its categories focus on those product types not currently covered by ENERGY STAR. If and when ENERGY STAR chooses to cover a category that is already covered by DLC, DLC will start to phase out the product category.

2. What are the Differences and Similarities Between the ENERGY STAR Criteria and DLC QPL?

1 See the DOE ENERGY STAR SSL web site for more information
2 See the Technical Requirements Table for a list of categories covered by DesignLights™.

3. How are DLC QPL’s specifications created and how does DLC determine the product categories?

Specifications are jointly created by the contractor and a steering committee (DLC Members). The contractor gathers existing data from the steering committee as well as other resources to produce a draft specification. The contractor submits the draft specification and it is reviewed and approved by the steering committee. Product categories are prioritized according to market demand and evidence of energy-savings.

4. What Must Manufacturers Do to Place Products on the QPL?

In order to have your fixture added to the QPL you need to apply for listing. The application process is managed on the DesignLights™ web site. Follow the instructions on the site. You will need to provide data very much like that required by ENERGY STAR. (See the DOE Manufacturers’ Guide v.2.0 for an explanation of their application process.) As with ENERGY STAR you will need to provide specific test results based on IESNA approved procedures and approved labs (specified in DOE Manufacturers' Guide)

You will provide the following:
I. Manufacturers’ Product Sheet
II. Test data from approved labs (specified in DOE Manufacturers' Guide)

LM-79 Test Report containing
--light output and efficacy data
--color data (CCT and CRI) attached
--electrical data (Input Voltage, Input Current, Power, Power Factor)
LED package LM-80 Test Report (Component Performance Option) or Luminaire LM-79 Test Reports (Luminaire Performance Option)
For lifetime determined without LM-80 data: Alternative Lumen Maintenance Test Report and Lifetime determination statement (explanation of alternate method)
In-situ LED case temperature Test Report
IES photometrics file

Follow the instructions, they’ll guide you through proper submittal, and the application fee.

5. Do You Accept Product Families?

We will accept an applicant’s request to consider a group of fixtures “product family”. In doing so on the application you must identify the worst case. Our contractor will first have to understand and agree with your explanation of why and how the family is valid, and that the designated ‘parent’ is a worst case. An example of the variations that we will accept in fixtures are 1) drive current and 2) color temperature. We will only accept the highest drive current and/or lowest CCT value. Examples of non-valid-groupings, such as different zonal lumen densities which would not count as the ‘worst case’.

6. What is the Benefit of Having Your Fixture on the QPL?

For the manufacturer the benefit is having your fixture available for consideration for customer incentives from utility programs in the Northeast, Mid-west, Northwest, and California. The main benefit here is that you need to submit the necessary data only once for programs located throughout DLC member territories.

For utility program administrators, having your fixture listed on the QPL decreases the time needed for reviewing manufacturer’s data individually and assures them that your LED fixture is a quality product that will perform over its rated life.

For customers, having your fixture listed indirectly protects them from disappointment. Products that have passed proper testing are more likely to perform over their rated lives, as customers expect.

7. What is the Application Process?

The Manufacturer Application Process Page outlines the steps for you. Once you have submitted payment, the contractor will review your application(s). The estimated turnaround time is two weeks depending on the number of applications received and completeness of them.

The contractor will contact you if your application is incomplete and ask that you resubmit within the time given by our contractor. If you choose not to resubmit your application within X days we will consider your application as a FAIL. If you resubmit your application later than the appropriate time given there will be a fee of $500.

The end result for the fixture is given a pass or a fail. Once the contractor has completed the review of your application, an email notification will be sent to you with the results of your product stating if you have passed or failed. If you failed there will be an explanation followed by the result.

8. What is the Cost to Apply?

The fee is $500 per fixture. There is no additional cost for approved family of fixtures. This fee covers the administer of the application, analysis and review of the data.

9. What Will Program Administrators Do with the List?

Program administrators will use the QPL in different ways. They will use the list’s tabulated results to calculate the fixture’s cost effectiveness in accordance to their program criteria and guidelines. (Generally the cost of the fixture must be less than the value of the lifetime savings that it achieves).

Some utilities will conduct prescriptive programs where they will offer incentives for a particular type of fixture. These program administrators will use the QPL to populate their rebate application forms.

Other energy efficient programs will review LED products as a ‘custom’ measure. As a custom measure a project must pass a specific benefit costs test. The data from the QPL will assist the program administrators in evaluating these projects.

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