Lighting industry representatives, researchers and local politicians gathered at a forum on sustainable lighting at the Thorn Academy of Light in Spennymoor, Co Durham, on 24 July to discuss a way forward for low carbon lighting solutions and how the North East is positioning to become a global leader in the field.
The lighting industry representatives told Lib Dem Euro-MP and energy efficiency expert Fiona Hall that they wanted to see a holistic approach which took into account energy standards for appliances, building requirements and consumer behaviour.
In the European Parliament, Hall is the lead negotiator for the Liberal and Democratic group on the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. She is therefore directly involved in determining new energy efficiency standards for renovations to the existing housing stock.
Hall said: "The biggest gap in energy efficiency legislation is that it mainly addresses standards in new buildings. But to get big reductions in CO2 emissions from buildings we also need to tackle the existing stock, 80% of which will still be standing in 2050.
"Lighting has previously not played a very big role in energy efficiency legislation even though it accounts for approximately 14% of energy consumption in Europe. Current legislation on lighting only focuses on energy saving products. But just as an efficient heating system is more than just a good boiler, efficient lighting is not just about individual lamps. A lot of the potential savings come from the way lights and light fittings are installed and matched up, and from the control systems used. Human error in failing to switch off lights can be overcome by an intelligent energy saving control system which automatically switches off or dims unnecessary lights."
Thorn Lighting, which is currently developing paper-thin solid state lighting, is actively seeking common standards across the EU and tough targets on energy efficient lighting.
Miles Pinniger, lighting consultant, explained: "It's absolutely essential to direct future legislation at the existing building stock. In order to meet the reductions in CO2 emissions required to tackle climate change we need to ensure that existing public and commercial buildings in particular are forced to replace their inefficient light installations with energy saving lighting systems."
Hall added: "In the autumn the European Commission will introduce its new action plan on energy efficiency. I will be looking to ensure lighting is treated along the same lines as heating and cooling, with the emphasis on a whole-system approach in order to maximise energy saving."