President Trump’s April 18, 2017 “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order tasks the federal agencies to buy American made products, but there is not a federal “master list” for sourcing products from qualified American LED manufacturers. Energy-efficient LED lighting is relatively new and disruptive compared to many other product categories, and it is dynamically changing faster than many other product categories. Prime and sub-contractors looking to source qualified products for government bids largely have to use online search engines to explore their options. The search results are cluttered. As an example, searching Google for “Made in America LED lighting” yields over 52 million search results. Needless to say, online searches can create confusion for buyers.
Made in USA Luminaires (Fixtures and Bulbs) – Buy American Act (BAA) Compliant products are manufactured in the U.S. with substantial transformation of materials and over 50% domestic components. See BAA Compliance
Assembled in USA Luminaires (Fixtures and Bulbs) – While products without 50% or more domestic components are not BAA Compliant, the ones that are Assembled in the U.S. still create jobs for Americans, and some manufacturers may have certain products that meet this criteria as well as products that are BAA Compliant. Note: Certain government agencies may accept Trade Agreements Acts (TAA), such as the General Services Administration (GSA) which includes provisions for assembly vs manufacturing.
Lighting Sensors and Controls – Either BAA Compliant or Assembled in USA
Note 1: If manufacturers are listed as Made in USA with BAA Compliant products, and they have some products that are Assembled in USA, they provide clarifications accordingly.
Note 2: For the purposes of BAA Compliance in lighting, the definition of “substantial transformation” within any of the 50 U.S. states and territories is as follows per the Alliance: Placing diodes on printed circuit boards, plus the option of added material transformation via extruding, bending, or casting metal or plastics for any type for luminaires, sensors, or controls.
Reduce the clutter! American LED Alliance’s Directory helps U.S. government procurement officers and contractors source advanced LED technology that is authentically Made in USA. The Directory also includes the service providers and contractors that represent American made lighting within their respective business enterprises. As an example, if a procurement officer seeks lighting audits or installation services from a veteran owned business, HUBZone, 8(a), or other set-aside categories, the Directory is a resource to find the right service providers in the procurement process.
The Directory sub-sets include the following categories of which multiples may apply to any given contractor or service provider. The Leadership Council of the American LED Alliance understands that some U.S. manufacturers may also offer services, such as custom fixture engineering or others included below. U.S. manufacturers are not precluded from listings in the Directory under relevant contractor services. The Leadership Council reviews requests for the inclusion of additional service categories on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that these certifications are increasingly important for U.S. government contracting, especially as they may apply to the “Hire” aspect of the “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order.