Why we’re here: The $230–billion global lighting energy bill

Evan Mills, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA

Keywords

energy efficiency, fuel-based lighting, developing countries, greenhouse gas emissions, global lighting energy demand, IEA, international energy agency

Abstract

This paper presents the first global estimate of lighting energy use, costs, and associated greenhouse-gas emissions. Based on a compilation of estimates for 38 countries representing approximately 63 % of the world’s population, we develop a model for predicting lighting electricity use for other countries where data are lacking.

The corresponding lighting-related electricity production for the year 1997 is 2016 TWh (21103 Petajoules), equal to the output of about 1000 electric power plants, and valued at about $185 billion per year. Global lighting electricity use is distributed approximately 28 % to the residential sector, 48 % to the service sector, 16% to the industrial sector, and 8 % to street and other lighting.

The corresponding carbon dioxide emissions are 1775 million metric tonnes per year. Lighting electricity demand in the 23 International Energy Agency (IEA) countries represents approximately half of the world’s total lighting use.

Our parallel examination of global fuel-based household lighting suggests that it represents an amount of primary energy of 3600 PJ ($48 billion), equal to 115 % (160 %) of that used to provide household electric lighting in all IEA countries.

Although one in three people obtain light with kerosene and other fuels, representing about 20 % of global lighting costs, they receive only 1 % of the resulting lighting energy services.

While collecting end-use energy data is arguably not a high national priority in most countries, this lack of attention is particularly problematic in this instance given that lighting is usually a preferred target for energy savings campaigns and policies. Without such data, precise scenarios of future lighting electricity demand cannot be developed. Improved work in this area seems merited given our estimated global savings potential of $75–115 billion/year.