Sri Lanka will host the first energy efficient lighting Center of Excellence in South Asia with the funding assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Regional Center for Energy Efficient Lighting (RCEEL) will serve as a research hub to develop new lighting technology to be used in Sri Lanka and South Asia. Rebecca Cohn, USAID Mission Director, and Dr. Krishan Deheragoda, Chairman of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the project on February 24.

RCEEL is the first in a series of energy efficiency Centers of Excellence to be established in countries across South Asia. The Sri Lanka-based center will bring public and private enterprises together to focus on energy efficient lighting that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, be more cost-effective, increase consumer accessibility to energy, and promote energy efficiency throughout the region.

USAID, the development agency of the U.S. Government, has committed up to $800,000 (Rs.91.16 million) through its South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy (SARI/Energy) program. Funding will be used for limited start-up costs, with a focus on creative initiatives to design, test, and manufacture high quality lighting products that benefit underserved communities and increase access to new technologies.

In addition, the Lighting Research Center at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, a leading energy research university, will provide technical knowledge, training, and guidance to RCEEL.