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Competition for European home lighting

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The amount of energy consumed by lighting could be reduced fourfold if European households were to replace their ordinary lamp bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). However, most of the luminaires currently available are suitable only for standard incandescent GLS lamps. In many Ñ but far from all Ñ luminaires, screw-based (or bayonet-based), integral-ballast compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) can be used. However, in many cases CFLs donÕt physically fit the luminaire, and even if they do, the light distribution may be unacceptable for the user.

The luminaire design competition constitutes an important step towards developing a market that offers solutions customized for energy efficiency while also providing good aesthetics and lighting quality. By encouraging fresh designs the competition aims at giving consumers a wider choice. Another important advantage with dedicated CFL luminaires is that the life-cycle cost is normally much lower than that of integral CFLs: The price of pin-based lamps is roughly half that of integral CFLs since the ballast needed to run the lamp is an integrated part of the luminaire instead of the lamp. In addition, once a consumer has purchased a dedicated CFL luminaire, there is no risk that an incandescent lamp will be used to replace a burned-out CFL since the former wonÕt fit. The drawback is, of course, that dedicated CFL luminaires will probably continue to be more expensive.

So why should the consumer buy them? The organizers of the competition challenge luminaire designers and producers to come up with designs that will retail at cheaper prices than most of the dedicated luminaires today. There is no overall program for achieving price reductions, such as rebate offers, although dedicated luminaires may very well become eligible for national or local programs. However, the competition rules specify two recommended retail price ranges for each of the five classes of luminaires (table, floor, ceiling, wall, and outdoor), which should help keep prices under control.

The technical specifications for the competition are extremely simple:
1) The ballast must be rated as one of the three best classes within the European Lighting Component ManufacturersÕ (CELMA) fluorescent ballast labeling scheme. In practice, this means that only electronic ballasts or the most efficient low-loss ballasts can be used.
2) The luminaires must be designed for either A- or B-rated lamps under the EU labeling scheme for Òhousehold lampsÓ. This means, in practice, that only pin-based CFLs or linear fluorescent lamps can be used.
3) The luminaire Òmust be fit for use in the residential sector.Ó

These simple requirements make it easy for residential luminaire manufactures and designers, who often have little knowledge of lighting technology, to grasp the technological requirements. However, one consequence of not choosing generic criteria is that other efficient technologies, such as metal-halide lamps, are excluded. Although metal-halide lighting is still a niche technology in the residential sector, it has great potential, especially in the some of the specified luminaire categories such as outdoor floodlights or alternatives to halogen torchieres.

The competition is open to European designers, luminaire manufacturers, and students throughout Europe. There are cash prizes for students, and marketing opportunities for professional luminaire designers and manufacturers are at stake. Entering the competition is free of charge, but persons or companies who wish to enter should register before July 30, 1999. Drawings and flatwork must be submitted by the end of 1999. Competition winners will be announced in April 2000 at the Euroluce lighting fair in Milan.

Nils Borg
Rules and registration forms can be found on the Competition web site at http://europa.eu.int/ en/comm/dg17/save.htm
or contact: Paolo Bertoldi, European Commission, DGXVII/C1 Tel. +32 2 295 2204 paolo.bertoldi@bxl.dg17.cec.be

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