Residential Lighting Consumption and Saving Potential in the Enlarged EU

Lighting is present in every household and represents a considerable share of the electricity consumption for residential sector in the European Union and Candidate Countries. Although, most citizens are well aware that lighting is important part of their electricity consumption, they are still unaware or reluctant to adopt efficient lighting technologies. Most citizens are not aware that many types of traditional (and some new) lamps they use have very low efficiency and that large amount of energy and money could be saved by installing more energy efficient lamps, without loosing any lighting service. The European Commission investigated energy consumption and energy savings in lighting since the beginning of the nineties, when launched a number of studies and pilot projects under the SAVE programme on lighting in the residential and tertiary sector. This studies have resulted in a number of polices and programmes adopted to reduce lighting consumption. At the same time a number of successful governmental and utility driven programmes took place in most Member States to promote efficient lighting. These activities have resulted in a substantial market transformation in some Member States. However, there is still a large cost-effective saving potential of at least 11,5 TWh per year in the enlarged EU (or 12,6 TWh per year by including Romania and Bulgaria). This does not include the additional savings that will be introduced by new promising technologies such as LEDs. The present paper provides updated information on the lighting consumption in the residential sector, the penetration of efficient technologies and the first estimate of the saving potential, if new and innovative polices and programmes are introduced. In particular the role of promotional campaigns, efficiency requirements, building codes, and white certificates are discussed. Last but not least the paper calls for the collection of more accurate end-use data to assess in a more accurate manner the still available saving potential.JRC.H.8-Renewable energie