China: High quality means savings
China: High quality means savings
In an earlier issue (China - A Lighting Giant, IAEEL 3/94) we described the current lighting situation in China. We now can offer a special kind of estimate of the energy savings opportunities.
The potential for saving energy is usually thought of in terms of changing from one technology to another (e.g. magnetic to electronic ballasts). However, in developing countries there is often a rather different kind of potential, based on improving the efficiency within a given technology area. In a paper presented at Right Light Three, we examined the lighting situation in China in this way. Our analysis revealed large differences in typical lamp efficacies between Chinese and Western standards. For example, the average linear fluorescent lamp in China performs at about 40 lumens/watt, versus 65 lumens/watt in the West.
The potential for energy savings within each lamp technology area is significant. As shown in the table, elevating lamp efficacies typical of China today to those typical in Western countries would achieve savings of 15% to 60%, depending on the lamp type. Achieving efficacies representative of the best lamps available in the West would result in per-lamp savings of 45% to about 70%.
We estimate that shifting to lamps with performance characteristics typical of current western products could result in a savings of about 40% without changing the market share of the various lamp types, and a 60% savings by adopting the best commercially available lamps in the West. This does not include prospective savings from using new technologies, such as CFLs or lighting controls.
Absolute savings in the future will depend on factors not included in our investigation. Some will tend to push lighting energy use up (such as changes in lighting levels, population and building stock growth), and others will push it down (such as a structural shift towards a higher proportion of efficient lamp types and improved control technologies).
Evan Mills