To prepare for the marketplace, any potential new technology must undergo a process of research, development and demonstration. That is the aim of the Group IV - EnCana - SDTC Solid State Lighting Project. This project is planned to unfold over a three-year period and has been made possible through funding from the EnCana Environmental Innovation Fund (EEIF) and from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (STDC). The project goals involve continued development of Group IV’s technology and then the design, production and demonstration of silicon-based solid-state lamps.

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In the course of this project, Group IV Semiconductor plans to further develop the materials and the fabrication process with the National Research Council’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre while continuing to advance the core technology with McMaster University. Success with those activities will lead to development of prototypes of silicon-based light engines that show viability for use in the commercial manufacture of energy-efficient solid-state lamps. These will then be refined for demonstration in actual lighting installations to prove performance to commercial and end-user expectations. At the same time, Group IV continues to build partnerships with product developers and other industry players who will in future play an important role in realizing novel solid-state lighting products and solutions.

EnCana Corporation, through its EnCana Environmental Innovation Fund (EEIF), is providing funding for this project to support the development and demonstration of Group IV's SSL technology. EnCana is a leading oil and gas producer in North America. The Fund was established in January 2004 to finance projects that support the development, demonstration and, ultimately, the commercialization of innovative, environment-oriented technologies that relate to the energy sector.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is providing funding to a consortium led by Group IV, with McMaster University, to develop and demonstrate lamps using silicon thin-film emitter technology. SDTC is an arm’s-length foundation established by the Government of Canada to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies: solutions that address issues of clean air, climate change, clean water, and clean soil to deliver environmental, economic and health benefits to Canadians.