National & Global Overviews

Global Lighting: 1000 Power Plants (IAEEL 1-2/00) Globally, electric lighting accounts for more than 2 000 TWh electricity and 2 900 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) per year. The global lighting energy bill - electric and fuel-based lighting combined - amounts to some US $230 billion per year.

Fuel-Based Lighting in the Workplace (IAEEL 1-2/00) IAEEL recently reported on the use of fuel-based lighting in homes in developing countries . According to our current estimates, the household energy used for lighting by the two billion people without electricity is approximately 43% of that used to provide the 535 TWh of electricity consumed for residential electric lighting globally. Below, Evan Mills' photo essay from Asia provides a vivid picture of the people who work by fuel-based lighting.

Lighting Initiative For Poor Countries (IAEEL 2/98)The Global Environmental Fund's Efficient Lighting Initiative (ELI) will help focus industry and consumer attention on energy-efficient lighting in seven developing countries. The project has US$15 Million of funding, which should generate a much larger amount of commercial-sector investments in the supported countries.

Cutting African Peaks (IAEEL 2/98)The Efficient Lighting Initiative (ELI) is a central component of South-African Eskom's residential demand-side management campaign. The campaign seeks to reduce peak demand by 2 500 MW by 2010.

Commercial Lighting in India: The Need for Transformation (IAEEL 3-4/97)Energy-efficiency is of paramount importance for India, where a population of more than 975 million people, rapid increases in urbanization and manufacturing capacity; and the emergence of a new middle class have driven an explosive increase in energy consumption

China - A Lighting Giant (IAEEL 3/94) With nearly one-quarter of the World's population and the third largest economy (after the US and Japan), China has a hearty appetite for light and is already one of the world's largest producers and consumers of lighting products. Current growth in the lighting market will create an upward pressure on energy demand as well as associated costs and environmental impacts.

Moving the Thai Market: Promise and Perils (IAEEL 3/93) Thailand faces an annual growth in peak electricity demand of 15%. In new office complexes, inefficient lighting adds heat to already large cooling loads. A $180-million DSM plan is only the beginning of a huge task ahead.

Light from Glasnost (IAEEL 3/93) Increased communication and cooperation between the former Soviet Union and the West could help further the progress of energy-efficient lighting for both parties.

Hungarian Streets Hunger for Capital (IAEEL 2/93) Lack of capital is the greatest barrier to the introduction of efficient lighting technologies in Hungary, not a shortage of technologies or lack of knowledge, argues guest author Ian Brown.

Britain: Barriers and Opportunities (IAEEL 1/93) British electric utilities have yet to become active in promoting energy efficiency. One reason is that utilities are not allowed to recover program costs and lost revenues through their tariffs. But even making this possible would not be a remedy in this case.

Efficient Lighting Shines on Pakistan (IAEEL 1/93) The global trend towards more energy-efficient lighting is spreading to Pakistan. Audits of existing buildings have highlighted the very inefficient types of lighting equipment and design practices in use today and have identified a sizable savings potential.

A Trillion-Dollar Appetite for Electricity (IAEEL 1/93) The world's developing nations are projected to have a staggering trillion-dollar appetite for new electric power plants over the coming decade. Investing in raising the energy efficiency of lighting and other electric end-uses is a way to reduce the need for such large infusions of money.