Lighting

 
Under EU Regulation (EC) No 244/2009 with regard to ecodesign requirements for non-directional household lamps (lightbulbs), inefficient incandescent lightbulbs will be phased out throughout Europe with effect from the 1st September 2009 and will be replaced by more energy efficient alternatives such as halogen lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). This Regulation was agreed by Member States in December 2008. Please click here for more details on this EU regulation.
 
 

Natural / Daylight

Before you even consider electric lighting make sure you make maximum use of all available natural sunlight. Daylight provides a healthier indoor climate, can provide higher standards of visual comfort and makes for more enjoyable interiors. And that is apart from the energy savings and environmental benefits.

cartoon image showing how sunlight can help heat a home
  • Rooms should be furnished to allow daylight in, and activities for which daylight or sunlight are essential should be positioned near
    windows.
  • Furniture and other obstacles should not obstruct daylight penetration of the room. Net curtains hamper daylight penetration of a room.
  • Paint the surfaces of rooms, including ceilings, with colours of high reflectance to maximise the day lighting opportunities (and also the effectiveness of artificial light). Light colours can reflect up to 80% of incident light while deep / dark colours might reflect less than 10% of incident light.
  • Dirt on vertical windows can reduce performance by 10% and even more if the dirt is allowed to build up on roof-lights.

Artificial Lighting

Artificial light consumes a lot of energy but worthwhile savings can be made by sensible use of efficient electric lighting. Simply put, lights should remain off as long as there is sufficient daylight and the lighting should be as efficient as possible to meet the household requirements.

Artificial lighting levels should be kept as low as the activity permits. Generally the more intricate the task, the greater the lighting level required. On this basis living rooms and kitchens typically require about twice the lighting level of hallways. Studies need even more. As we get older most of us require more light to perform intricate tasks. Having several independently switched lights in a room allows the appropriate lighting level to be selected to suit the activity.

Use task lighting (e.g. desk or reading lamps) when required for locally high levels of light. A desk located away from a window may need additional artificial lighting while a desk near the window may often have more than sufficient daylight.

The EU Commission has launched a public consultation on a working mandate for a scientific opinion on health effects of artificial light. Click here to view

 

 

Image of someone switching a light off

 
Further information