Light sources (lamps) are the largest Ecodesign product group in terms of installed units. In 2020, almost 11 billion lamps were in use in Europe, which is more than 24 lamps per EU27 citizen. Although a single light source uses a relatively small amount of energy compared to other Ecodesign products, the huge quantity of installed products makes lighting the third largest energy consumer (following industry components and space heating), covering 8% of the primary energy accounted in EIA for year 2020. The various Ecodesign studies distinguish many different lamp types, but EIA summarises their data in the six main groups explained below (LED, HID, LFL, CFL, HL (tungsten) and GLS).
Source: estimations from the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report 2023
Light Source Types
LED - Light Emitting Diode
Light emission derives from electrons that fall back from a high-energy state to a low-energy state, emitting the difference in energy as a photon (a small quantity of light). Emission occurs in a solid material consisting of very thin (microns) semi-conductor layers (‘solid state lighting (SSL)’. In 2015: 80-140 lm/W. Expected > 200 lm/W in future.
HID - High-Intensity Discharge lamp
Creates an electric discharge arc between two electrodes in a quartz or ceramic tube-like enclosure that contains a gas and metal salts. Provides high-intensity light from a small space. Often used in street lighting. High-pressure mercury lamps phased-out by Ecodesign in 2015. High-pressure sodium lamps (characteristic orange light, not suitable for indoor use) have efficacy 90-140 lm/W. Recent metal-halide lamps produce white light with efficacy 80-120 lm/W.
LFL - Linear Fluorescent Lamp
Use technology similar to CFL, but are straight tubes with electric connections on both sides. Available in different lengths (e.g. 0.9, 1.2, 1.5 m) and in different diameters (e.g. T8: 25 mm, T5: 16 mm), often applied for office lighting. Older models (T12 and T8 halo-phosphor) now phased-out by Ecodesign. LFL T8 tri-phosphor have efficacy around 80 lm/W (operating on old electro-magnetic ballast). Still widely used, but many substituted in recent years by modern LFL T5 with an efficacy of around 90 lm/W (operating on more efficient electronic ballast).
CFL - Compact Fluorescent Lamp
In a fluorescent lamp an electric current passes through a gas containing some milligrams of mercury vapour. Excited by the current, this vapour emits an ultraviolet light, that is converted to visible white light by a phosphor coating on the inside of the glass tube (fluorescence). In CFLs the tube is U-bent or a spiral, allowing a compact design that can substitute GLS or HL. Efficacy 50-70 lm/W. CFLs have a warm-up time.
Tungsten (Halogen, HL)
The modern version of the filament lamp. The filament is contained in a small capsule (often placed inside a larger bulb) that is filled with a halogen gas. This extends the lifetime and allows a slightly higher efficacy. HL are available in mains-voltage or low-voltage. Typical efficacies 12 to 20 lm/W. Halogen lamps were popular as substitutes for GLS, but Ecodesign imposes the phase-out of many types in the coming years (2016-2018).
GLS - General Lighting Service
The classical ‘Edison’ filament lamp. When an electric current is made to pass through a thin metal wire (the ‘filament’), the metal opposes the current flow (electrical resistance) and as a result heats up and starts to glow (becomes ‘incandescent’), emitting electro-magnetic radiation of which a small part is visible, called light. Dominated sales until 2008-2010, but now phased-out due to Ecodesign. Efficacy around 10 lm/W.
Energy labelling and ecodesign do not apply to lamps or luminaires (although a label previously applied until 25 December 2019). A luminaire is a complete electric light fixture that distributes, filters or transforms light from one or more lamps (for example, a table, wall or ceiling lamp).
Source: estimations from the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report 2023
Scope
The following table shows some examples of products in scope and out of scope:
| In Scope | Out of Scope |
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Check the complete list in the Regulation.
Ecodesign Requirements
Rules on ecodesign for lighting products are mandatory for all manufacturers and importers wishing to sell their products in the EU.
From 1 September 2021, the Regulation for ecodesign requirements for light sources and separate control gears (EU) 2019/2020 repeals and replaces Regulation (EC) 244/2009, Regulation (EC) 245/2009 and Regulation (EU) 1194/2012.
Energy Label
Following the rescaling of the EU energy label for light sources from 1 September 2021, the new labels use a scale from A (most efficient) to G (least efficient). Because of the constant improvement in energy efficiency, most products under the original label had risen to A+ or A++ - and so a rescaling was made in order to be clearer to the consumer about which are the most efficient products on the market. The labels provide information on the product’s
- energy efficiency class
- energy consumption
The European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) offers detailed information on models placed on the EU market by scanning the QR code featured on the new energy labels. The database provides information such as the luminous flux, color temperature and cap type.
Understanding the Lighting Energy Label
Notes on Energy Label
- The label is also available in monochromatic version.
- The label can be printed as part of the packaging. For more details please refer to the regulation and go to Annex III - Label for light sources.
Highlights
More efficient lighting products will also allow Europe to save up to 34 TWh of electricity per year by 2030, and will prevent around 7 million tonnes of CO2 from being emitted every year.
In December 2021, the Commission adopted new rules ending the use of mercury in lamps that will bring more energy savings and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Facts & Figures
This graphic shows the estimated sales, stock, energy consumption (primary, electric or fuel), greenhouse gas emissions, consumer expenses and business revenues for years 2010 and 2030. The estimated values inside the graph bars are those from the EIA ECO-scenario, i.e. they include the effects of ecodesign and energy labelling measures.
The difference with the business as usual (BAU) scenario without these estimated measures is shown next to the graph bar. These figures indicate the estimated savings obtained due to the measures.
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Product: Light Sources Measures: Regulation (EU) 2019/2020, Regulation (EU) 2019/2015 |
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SALES (x million units)  |
STOCK (x million units)  |
ELECTRICITY (TWh/a)  |
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GHG-EMISSION  |
CONSUMER EXPENSES  |
REVENUES  |
Source: estimations from the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report 2023
Expected Savings
Residential Lighting Electricity, EU27 Total
For 2030 it is expected that 6.4 bln lamps will be installed in the EU27 residential sector (32 lamps per hh), consuming 27 TWh/a electricity (132 kWh/a/hh). This is 75% less than in 2005, while the number of installed lamps per household increased by 62%. Over 96% of these lamps is expected to be LED. Without measures the 2030 electricity consumption would have been around 51 TWh/a. HL and CFL have higher lifetimes than GLS. In households, LEDs have lifetimes of decades. The shift from GLS, first to HL and CFL, and now to LED therefore implies a much lower need to replace lamps. This resulted in a collapse in sales quantities of lamps for the residential sector, from 1.3 bln units/a in 2005, to 1.1 bln in 2015, and expected 0.2 bln in 2030.
Lamp manufacturers are trying to compensate this by offering new features: smart lamps allowing remote dimming and colour control (through internet or from mobile devices), acting as WiFi transmitters, integrating audio and sensory functions, etc. In 2005 residential consumers spent 17 bln euros (incl. VAT) for lighting their homes (97 euros/hh), of which 2.7 bln euros for light source acquisition and 14.3 bln euros for electricity costs. In 2015 this rose to 18.4 bn euros (96 euros/hh), of which 6.2 bln euros for light source acquisition and 12.2 bln euros for electricity costs. In 2030 total residential expenses for lighting are expected to decrease to 7.7 bln euros (38 euros/hh), of which 1.1 bln euros for acquisition and 6.6 bln euros for electricity (based on PRIMES 2020 Reference projections for electricity prices).
SAVINGS ON ENERGY
Source: estimations from the Ecodesign Impact Accounting Overview Report 2023
Useful Links
Ecodesign Guidelines - LightingEurope
The best LED lamps on the European Market (2023) | topten.eu
The best LED spots on the European Market (2023) | topten.eu
The best office luminaires on the European Market (2023) | topten.eu
Energy Label: What it is, how to understand it and where it appears (comparadorluz.com)
Suppliers
Lead filament lamps (yellow) are sold for decorative/atmosphere purposes only, this is why no labelling is needed.
Suppliers of light sources shall ensure that:
(a) each light source which is placed on the market as an independent product (i.e. not in a containing product) and in packaging, is supplied with a label, printed on the packaging, in the format as set out in Annex III;
(b) the parameters of the product information sheet, as set out in Annex V, are entered into the product database;
(c) if specifically requested by the dealer, the product information sheet shall be made available in printed form;
(d) the content of the technical documentation, as set out in Annex VI, is entered into the product database;
(e) any visual advertisement for a specific model of light source contains the energy efficiency class of that model and the range of energy efficiency classes available on the label, in accordance with Annex VII and Annex VIII;
(f) any technical promotional material concerning a specific model of light source, including technical promotional material on the internet, which describes its specific technical parameters, includes the energy efficiency class of that model and the range of energy efficiency classes available on the label, in accordance with Annex VII;
(g) an electronic label in the format and containing the information, as set out in Annex III, is made available to dealers for each light source model;
(h) an electronic product information sheet, as set out in Annex V, is made available to dealers for each light source model;
(i) upon request by dealers and in accordance with Article 4(e), printed labels to rescale products are provided as a sticker, of the same size as the one which already exists.
Suppliers of containing products shall:
(a) provide information on the contained light source(s), as specified in point 2 of Annex V;
(b) upon request by market surveillance authorities, provide information on how light sources can be removed for verification without permanent damage to the light source.
The energy efficiency class shall be calculated in accordance with Annex II.
Source: Regulation on energy labelling for light sources (EU) 2019/2015
Dealers
Dealers shall ensure that:
(a) At the point of sale, each light source which is not in a containing product bears the label provided by suppliers in accordance with point 1(a) of Article 3, with the label or the energy class being displayed in such a way as to be clearly visible, in accordance with Annex III;
(b) in the event of distance selling, the label and product information sheet are provided, in accordance with Annexes VII and VIII;
(c) any visual advertisement for a specific model of light source, including on the internet, contains the energy efficiency class of that model and the range of energy efficiency classes available on the label, in accordance with Annex VII;
(d) any technical promotional material concerning a specific model of light source, including technical promotional material on the internet, which describes its specific technical parameters includes the energy efficiency class of that model and the range of energy efficiency classes available on the label, in accordance with Annex VII;
(e) existing labels on light sources at points of sale are replaced by the rescaled labels in such a way as to cover the existing label, including when printed on or attached to the package, within eighteen months after the application of this Regulation.
Source: Regulation on energy labelling for light sources (EU) 2019/2015
Policy
Ongoing legislative work
Please check the ongoing initiatives on the Have your say portal.
Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 of 1 October 2019 laying down ecodesign requirements for light sources and separate control gears pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EC) No 244/2009, (EC) No 245/2009 and (EU) No 1194/2012 (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, pp. 209-240)
Regulation (EU) 2019/2015 of 11 March 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to energy labelling of light sources and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 874/2012 (OJ L 315, 5.12.2019, pp. 68-101). More info on Delegated Act.
Disclaimer: please pay attention to possible updates/changes as indicated in the Official Journal (green dot)
Useful Links
Regulation (EU) 2017/1369 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2017 setting a framework for energy labelling and repealing Directive 2010/30/EU (OJ L 198, 28.7.2017, pp. 1-23)
Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products (OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, pp. 10-35)
Commission Communication: Transitional methods of measurement 2014/C 22/02
Restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment directive (RoHS)
Regulation (EU) 2021/340 amending Regulations (EU) 2019/2013 to 2018
Regulation on ecodesign requirements for light sources (EU) 2019/2020
Regulation (EU) 2021/341 amending Regulations (EU) 2019/424, 1781 and 2020 to 2024
Regulation: EU energy labelling regulation for lamps and luminaires (EU) 874/2012