LightingEurope and LAI

LIGHTING

Lighting key to EU’s renovation renaissance

Spearheaded by the Renovation Wave Initiative (RWI), the EU intends to double the rate of building renovations in Europe over the next 10 years. In doing so, it aims to not only ensure that the EU meets its climate objectives, but also help reignite Europe’s economy for a post-pandemic world.

An important component of the RWI is a targeted revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the EU’s main instrument for improving the energy efficiency of its building stock. LightingEurope, the voice of the lighting industry, sees this revision as an excellent opportunity to accelerate the uptake of innovative, LED-based intelligent lighting systems. By its membership of LightingEurope, Lighting Association Ireland (LAI) is driving home this message to the Irish marketplace.

Considering the important role lighting plays in delivering energy savings, creating safe and quality indoor environments, and spurring economic recovery, LAI believes that all building renovations must include an upgrade of the lighting installations.

Lighting accounts for approximately 20% of the total cost-effective electrical energy savings potential in nonresidential buildings. Furthermore, properly designed and well-coordinated lighting systems are one of the most cost-efficient ways of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Including intelligent lighting systems in the EPBD would significantly increase a building’s energy savings and help reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, according to a study prepared for the European Commission, LEDbased lighting systems could save the EU up to 29 TWh/y of electricity by 2030 and up to 56 TWh/y by 2050. That is why both LAI and LightingEurope recommend the use of LED lighting in combination with controls and sensors. In addition, they argue that such system solutions should have a minimum Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) level, with the SRI being applied across Europe to maximise its potential for energy savings.

With people spending approximately 90% of their time indoors, there is a growing demand for indoor comfort and wellbeing. LED-based intelligent lighting systems help ensure a more comfortable indoor environment, allowing users to dynamically adapt light to their specific needs. For instance, students in a classroom with bright white lights score 14% higher than students working in a poorly-lit one.

Including lighting systems in the EPBD will help improve the visual comfort, wellbeing and productivity of building users. As such, LAI advocates for the introduction of mandatory minimum requirements on Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ).

The current pandemic has reinforced discussions around how to create spaces where individuals can coexist and collaborate with minimal risk to their health. Short wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) is an established disinfection technology that is proven to be effective in combating micro-organisms and viruses. Consequently, LAI and LightingEurope advocate for the design of safe indoor spaces that include the installation of UV-C disinfection.

Igniting conomic ecovery

Last but not least, including intelligent lighting systems in the EPBD will also accelerate the uptake of innovative lighting technologies and future investment. This in turn will play an essential role in helping Europe’s lighting industry – 80% of which are SMEs – recover from the economic consequences of the pandemic. To help foster this uptake, LightingEurope recommends that access to public financing and subsidies be subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, such as the inclusion of lighting renovation.

The energy, health and economic benefits of smart lighting systems are clear. Only by ensuring that there is no renovation without an upgrade of the lighting installation in the EPBD will we ensure that Europe experiences a renovation renaissance … and not a wasted opportunity.

See also www.lightingeurope.org