Light on energy T
Using energy-effi cient LED lighting not only reduces consumption, but also cuts costs for both business and consumers. Kelly Dangoor of Orlight looks at some of the key issues facing the market
here is genuine concern that the UK may struggle to generate enough of its own power by 2015, with potential shortages and blackouts affecting consumers and industry throughout the country.
One obvious way in which we can all help on an individual and commercial level is by consuming less energy. This mantra is repeated, talked about, discussed and – in many cases – implemented. But is the lighting sector doing enough to address the vast amount of energy consumed by lighting installations on a daily basis throughout the British Isles? Is the government doing enough to assist lighting manufacturers in encouraging a more rapid take-up of the technology –both through subsidies and by reducing tax on energy-effi cient lighting products so that manufacturers can provide more cost-effective energy effi cient lighting solutions? More important, is there a target for manufacturers in terms of providing energy-effi ciency levels for lighting fi xtures and replacement lamps? Here we address some of the key questions affecting the LED lighting industry.
Are lighting manufacturers doing enough? Manufacturers are generally market led and, in general, the trend is to give customers what they perceive as being good value for money. However, manufacturers do not always take the time to educate customers in the marketplace. A prime example is the perception by some in the industry that higher consumption should automatically dictate a higher price. Lamp consumption is measured in watts and often, a consumer’s perception can be to expect to pay more for a product that consumes more. Of course, consumers should be looking primarily at the lighting product’s effi ciency and, more important, manufacturers should be educating them to do so. This could be a very simple process to implement, and basic information on
54 ECA Today September 2012
Power consumption does not always equate to light output. With LEDs, you must consider the lumen output per watt and in total, not only the wattage consumption, as other factors come into play
packaging – such as power used and light output – could help a consumer to determine how effi cient a product is. There should be a drive to advertise lumen output on packaging rather than energy consumption. Manufacturers should be encouraged to sell and market lighting products on this basis rather than on consumption.
About the author
Kelly Dangoor Kelly Dangoor is the managing director of Orlight.
Is government doing enough? There are many green initiatives to help save energy such as schemes to pay for insulation, more efficient boiler systems and other tax-deductible solutions that are deemed energy effi cient. Unfortunately, there appears to be huge confusion at the moment within HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about duty codes for effi cient LED products. An import duty is currently placed on LED lamps and LED lighting products based on the categorization of LED products as ‘machines’ by HMRC. However, these LED lamps and LED lighting products should, in fact, be classifi ed in the same way as incandescent lamps, TH lamps, CFL lamps and conventional lighting products that they are now replacing within the lighting sector. This duty is an unnecessary extra tax being placed on energy effi cient lighting solutions – it should be removed to encourage wider
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