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Domestic lighting product roadmaps

As part of our work on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), we are developing ten product roadmaps to reduce the environmental impacts across the life cycle of a range of priority products. Lighting is one of these products.

Why lighting?

In line with current evidence and EU Product Policy, energy-using products  are a priority product category. Such products are a category of non-transport related products, which are significant energy users and sold in high volumes in the EU. Examples include:

  • heating and lighting
  • electric motors
  • domestic and office appliances
  • consumer electronics
  • air conditioners

In line with the EU Eco-design of Energy-using Products Directive, environmental performance improvements will be required for these products, including lighting products, over a phased period.

Scope of the roadmap

A roadmap on lighting focused on internal domestic lighting and covering: lamps, lamp ballasts, light fittings and lighting controls was considered.

Commercial and street lighting are outside the scope of the roadmap, as is external domestic lighting (such as garden lighting).

Given that there are a number of interventions at a UK and EU level to remove the least sustainable lighting technology, incandescent lamps, from the market, and that the life-cycle impacts of energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) is widely known, it was decided that a longer –term focus on new and emerging lighting technologies should be considered

Production and consumption impacts and trends

Environmental impacts
  • 18 TWh consumed in 2005, predicted to rise to 21 TWh by 2020
  • 9 MtCO2 emitted in 2005
  • compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use approximately 25 percent of the energy used by an incandescent lamp to produce the same light
  • disposal of lamps at end of life is also an issue, particularly for CFLs, which contain mercury
  • LED lighting, particularly when LEDs are integrated into a luminaire, are predicted to have less of an impact than CFLs in five years’ time, assuming developments in the technology continue.
Consumption trends
  • currently an average of approx 25 lamps in each house in the UK - this is expected to increase over time
  • there has been a healthy growth in the number of CFLs replacing less efficient tungsten filament lamps. However, this has been partly offset by a trend for tungsten halogen lighting.
Impacts of ultra efficient lighting
  • A life cycle assessment was carried out in Spring 2009 for lamps that are predicted to be classed as 'ultra-efficient' and intended for domestic (household) usage, including lamps based on LEDs, T5 fluorescent lamps and ceramic metal halide.
  • Taking account of technical advances that are projected to take place over the period to 2014 a comparison was made with the life-cycle impacts of CFLs and incandescents. It is clear that, assuming improvements in the technology will continue, LED lighting will become a more sustainable lighting solution.
  • The evidence study (PDF 750 KB)
Current activities

A report detailing the current status of the roadmap has been prepared.

Further information

Page last modified: 21 October 2009