Global Efficient Lighting Centre

The Global Efficient Lighting Centre (GELC) – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Energy Efficient Lighting was launched in partnership between the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the National Lighting Test Centre (NLTC) in 2011. GELC is a non-profit organization running as an independent third party. It is a specialized and accredited facility that provides lighting testing, training, quality control, capacity building, and standard development advice support to the developing and emerging countries. It has been established to promote the rapid development of efficient lighting technologies around the world.

Staffed by experienced lighting experts, the GELC supports developing and emerging countries with:

1) Quality Control: provide technical suggestions for the development and implementation of high-efficient product quality inspection mechanism at national, regional and global level; entrusted by governments of developing countries and state institutions to develop quality inspection control; support the development of lighting product quality and its comparative testing;

2) Laboratory capacity building: provide developing countries with professional and technical suggestions to establish national or regional lighting laboratories and quality management systems, provide technical support in terms of laboratory facility selection and suggestions for better obtaining or purchasing;

3) Training: execute training plans in terms of quality management systems of high-efficient lighting; conduct training in terms of sampling technique, testing and result analysis; conduct on-site training for manufacturers of developing countries in terms of the improvement of production technology of high-efficient products; conduct demonstration training and study groups for government officials, lighting designers and other stakeholders in terms of energy-saving lighting technology;

4) Applied research: conduct research on high-efficient lighting technology (such as LED and OLED) of developing countries and newly-emerging nations, coordinate analysis technique standards; conduct research on evaluation methods on lighting application, lighting standards/specifications, and establishment of standard system for developing countries;

5) Technical advisory and information sharing: provide state and national institutions with technical support by issuing quality and performance results of lighting products through the establishment of a neutral platform; share the development state of technology, information related with developing countries and policy and management development of global high-efficient lighting.