In 2022, the energy crisis has become a global issue, which has led to several governmental measures. How does this affect the Net Zero Emissions 2050 goals? One of the milestones identified by the International Energy Agency is the transition of the global lighting market to 100% LED solutions. Are the several targets related to this goal threatened by the current situation on the energy market? And, which steps can governments take to mitigate the effects of the crisis while keeping the well-being of the earth in mind?

Fighting the energy crisis and the climate crisis

What do the Net Zero Emissions goals and the current energy crisis have in common? Both of them have led to measures, which aim to reduce CO2 emissions, save energy resources and reduce operational costs. Lighting generates almost 20% of the energy costs, and there are several measures, which could be taken to reduce the environmental impact of lighting.

Step 1 – Replacing high energy-consuming fluorescent or halogen luminaires with TRILUX luminaires with innovative LED technology. This results in energy savings of up to 50%.

Step 2 – Implementing the LiveLink intelligent lighting infrastructure management system, which automatically reduces energy consumption by adjusting the luminaire intensity to daylight levels. By regulating the light intensity or switching the light off completely in areas with less traffic or in case certain areas are not used, additional energy savings of up to 30% can be reached.

"Since electricity prices keep rising, now is the best time to upgrade outdated lighting systems. At the moment, investments of which the ROI (Return on Investment) was calculated at 5 to 6 years, are already starting to generate savings after just 1 or 2 years. Along with the reduction in the consumed amount of KWh, the planet is also taking a breath thanks to the reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere", explains Paweł Boryś (Lighting expert at TRILUX Poland).

Politics and economics pave paths for the lighting industry

Governmental and intergovernmental policies are essential in accelerating the process of achieving Net Zero Emissions 2050 goals in the lighting industry. Without top-down actions providing restrictions and penalties, and educating and supporting on this topic, it will not be possible to achieve the set milestones. Which top-down steps can be taken to make sure that by 2050 every lighting installation consists of 100% LED technology?

 

"The first step is to implement "green procurement", which is a requirement for new investments. It obliges the installation of lighting based on 100% LED technology. The next steps are subsidies, tax credits and other financial incentives to accelerate the introduction of LED technology onto the market. It is also important to raise awareness among investors, such as public campaigns, which stimulate companies to choose the most optimal and functional solution consisting of important indicators such as appropriate luminous fluxes, color temperatures, or color rendering indexes. Regarding local and national energy plans focusing on building new constructions and modernizing existing ones, it is necessary to define and introduce limits on the maximum usable power encouraging the use of controls to optimize the lighting of the space," says Arkadiusz Lewenko (General Manager TRILUX CEE).