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Electricity Consumption for Lighting in the Average Dutch Household Development of an Accounting Method
Boudewijn Huenges WajerNetherlands Agency for Energy and Environment (NOVEM), The Netherlands René Kemna Van Holsteijn en Kemna, consultants and engineers, The Netherlands Abstract Probably the most difficult item to estimate in a household's total energy balance is electricity consumption for lighting. Not only are there considerable differences in the specific energy consumption of individual lighting fixtures per application, but it is also difficult to tell how many lighting fixtures there are in an average household and how long each light is actually on. The only way of obtaining reliable information is to carry out empirical research with a representative sample of families keeping a precise record of their use of lighting over a whole year. For the moment, it is uneconomic to conduct research on this scale, which means that available data on domestic energy consumption for lighting are incomplete. In order to create a complete picture of the electricity consumption for lighting in the average household, various methods of calculation are used, each based on assumptions with respect to human behaviour and the use of lighting in the home. This paper describes three different accounting methods currently employed and examines their advantages and disadvantages. The "remainder method" is economical, but inaccurate. The "technical and commercial analysis" is more accurate as regards the total electricity consumption in a country, but yields little detailed information on the actual use of lighting, The "empirical method" gives detailed figures on the use of individual lighting fixtures for a number of households on a number of days, but is a feeble basis for the estimate of the total electricity consumption for lighting of all households in a country over a whole year. An attempt is then made, on the basis of data from all three methods mentioned above, to devise a method of calculation which can be used for policy-making purposes. Finally, there is discussion of the application of this method of calculation when formulating energy-saving policies for the domestic lighting sector.
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