Lighting energy consumption trends and conservation opportunities in U.S. buildings

James R. Brodrick, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, United States Department of Energy, USA
Edward D. Petrow, Lincoln Technical Services, Inc., USA
Michael J. Scholand, Navigant Consulting, Inc., USA

Keywords

inventory, market, United States, lighting technology, energy, end-use sectors, lumen service, lighting research and development (LR&D), US DOE

Abstract

Electric lighting of buildings in the United States consumes nearly 20% of the nation’s primary electricity and is second only in magnitude to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. This installed lighting base is generally inefficient and is characterized by relatively low performance especially when compared to other building systems. While substantial opportunities for improving overall lighting system efficiency exist, the pathway to achievement of this goal is less clear. Lighting research and development conducted by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE), Office of Building Technology, State and Community (BTS) addresses this national issue and aggressively pursues a number of broad research areas that promise to yield significant increases in overall lighting system efficiency.

Implementation of a successful program in lighting energy conservation depends upon a detailed assessment of energy consumption trends by lighting technology. The results of several years of research are presented that describe electricity consumption by market sector, application and lamp type. Following this lighting market assessment and identified energy conservation opportunities, an overview of the DOE’s ongoing lighting research and development (LR&D) program portfolio linked to the market assessments is provided. Individual program contributions toward achieving ambitious lighting energy conservation goals are described. The BTS portfolio includes research in three broad areas: (1) lighting source research, (2) electronics, fixtures and controls and (3) human factors. An overview of each technical objective is provided, as well as a timeline for achieving specific energy conservation goals.