The prestigious DARPATech Awards for Excellence are conferred bi-annually to honor outstanding achievement by companies and individuals involved in DARPA research projects and fulfilling DARPA's motto of "Bridging the Gap, Powered by Ideas." Energy Focus received the award for technology bridging the gap between inefficient traditional light sources and advanced high efficiency lighting systems. The company's advanced lighting technology honored by DARPATech doubles lighting system lifetimes without affecting performance and the technology is currently being performance-tested in real world environments aboard two Navy ships at sea.

In the award citation, DARPA noted, "Fiberstars Inc. created a breakthrough technology that has the potential to innovate lighting systems across the Department of Defense. The arc source multilayer technology not only improves the quality of light in existing systems, but also reduces operational costs by extending the lifetime of lighting components.

The Fiberstars technology was developed as part of the DARPA High Efficiency Distributed Lighting (HEDLight) program that is designed to change lighting systems on US military platforms and increase the deployability, maintainability and survivability of those platforms. Fiberstars' technical accomplishments were key to the successful accomplishment of the HEDLight program's goals."

"Receiving the 2007 DARPATech Award for Excellence is particularly exciting for us," said John Davenport, CEO of Energy Focus, "because it represents the pinnacle of achievement in the development of advanced defense systems. For the U.S. Navy, high efficiency, maintenance free lighting translates into clear benefits in terms of lowered fuel dollars, extended ship range, and manpower freed up from changing light bulbs. Our team has developed a truly exceptional product that is rapidly finding customers in the military and beyond."

"DARPA funds hundreds of research projects each year," said Roger Buelow, CTO of Energy Focus, "and to be recognized as a DARPATech Award recipient is truly gratifying. Four years ago we were at the 23rd DARPAtech convention talking about the future possibilities of this technology. Today, we're showing that the vision is becoming a reality."

Energy Focus, as a member of the DARPA sponsored Very High Efficiency Solar Concentrator Consortium (VHESC), was also nominated for a 2007 DARPATech Award for "Excellence for work in developing materials, processes and optics to speed the solar industry's development of higher efficiency solar cells." Specifically, Energy Focus is investigating ways the company's patented technology and trade secrets can be applied to deliver direct sunlight to solar cells. Recently demonstrating a world record 42.8% conversion efficiency, the consortium is on track towards achieving VHESC's goal of more than 50% efficiency in a photovoltaic (PV) device.

DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and missions.

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