PAR38 Replacement Competition
The PAR38 competition requirements call for exceptional performance by LED products that can meet the most demanding applications for reflector lamp beam performance, color quality, and energy efficiency. Products capable of meeting these specifications will be appropriate for retail displays, museums and galleries, hotel lobbies, and other settings requiring high-intensity spot lighting with excellent color rendering, while slashing energy use by 85% and lasting 10 times longer than halogen lamps.

Competition Requirements
The PAR38 competition requirements were retooled in 2012. The updated requirements include the same performance specifications detailed in the EISA legislation that established the competition. Key changes focus on:
- Revised domestic content requirements
- Addition of allowable tolerances for technical requirements
- Revisions to allowable luminous intensity distribution
- Requirement that entrants pay for initial photometric testing results conducted by DOE
- Reduction in the number of test lamps required, from 2,000 to 1,000
- Clarification of procedures for handling multiple entries
The new competition requirements supersede the original competition requirements issued in 2008.
L Prize Guidelines and Process Integrity
Backgrounder: L Prize PAR38 Competition Reopens
Backgrounder: Key Changes to the L Prize PAR38 Replacement Competition Requirements
