No renovation without an upgrade of the lighting installations

Ad hoc measures and investment needed in PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan)

ASSIL Associazione Nazionale Produttori Illuminazione, ANIE Confindustria federated and ASSOLUCE of FederlegnoArredo – National Associations of Lighting industry – made a joint appeal to the local Ministries of Economy and Finance, of Economic Development, of Ecological Transition and Transport and Sustainable Mobility, to ask for priority of investments and promoting measures in the renewal and upgrade of lighting systems in the recovery plan. The Associations represent together over 225 Italian companies and more than 13.500 employees, with a global turnover of more than 3.5 billion euros. ASSIL and ASSOLUCE specifically asked for an adequate updating of the lighting system, so as a brand-new lighting project in buildings renovation, to ensure higher energy savings and a better indoor environment, thus significant advantages in terms of visual comfort, well-being and productivity.

Aldo Bigatti, President of ASSIL points out: “The most advanced lighting solutions contribute to an efficient redevelopment of indoor and outdoor lighting systems, generating economic savings in terms of energy consumption and maintenance of plants, both in the public and private sectors, thus guaranteeing significant advantages to the entire national economic system. Therefore, we wish that every investment dedicated to the technological renewal of plants, due consideration will be given to the importance of lighting. In particular to the potential linked to the correct design of systems equipped with advanced technologies capable of supporting the digitization process, contributing to the objectives of circular economy and, at the same time, generating economic savings”.

Carlo Urbinati, President of Assoluce explains: “The path towards that ecological transition that the government has interpreted and advocated in several voices by the highest European institutions cannot, in our opinion, be separated from actions aimed at making the redevelopment of public and private lighting systems, an indispensable part of the ecological transition itself. To date, there are numerous measures and facilities designed for the renovation of the building stock. They aim at energy efficiency and sustainability as drivers of the development of the post-Covid economy. Focusing also on better lighting, based on the use of performance technologies and control and management systems with important repercussions both in terms of energy performance and for the housing quality of the places, is an objective that we ask the government to include among its priorities. We will never be truly sustainable, regardless of light.”

As part of the plan for Europe recovery – as written in the letter sent by Assil and Assoluce – the restructuring has been identified as an essential engine for the recovery of the European economy after Covid-19;15 million workers are employed directly in the EU construction sector, creating 28% of the European industrial production. In this context, the European lighting industry – with Italy and Germany as relevant manufacturers – has innovative technologies and products ready for installation. Based on efficient technologies, control and management systems, better lighting plays a significant role in the building’s efficiency from an energy point of view. The same request came from the national lighting associations of the European States that – with ASSIL and ASSOLUCE – converge in LightingEurope, a European association representing more than 1.000 European companies, 80% of which are SMEs with a total workforce of over 100.000 people and an annual turnover of more than EUR 20 billion.

Here is the full text of the motion addressed to the European Government by the National Associations

No renovation without an upgrade of the lighting installations

“18 national associations and their European-level association, representing Europe’s lighting manufacturing companies (1000 companies, 80% of which are SMEs) urge you to put renovation, including of the lighting installations, at the heart of your national recovery and resilience plan. We ask you to prioritize investments and policy stimuli that will accelerate renovation and the upgrade of lighting installations. Renovation has been identified as a key driver for the recovery of Europe’s economy post Covid-19; 15 million workers are directly employed in the EU construction sector and the sector creates 28% of Europe’s industrial output. The renovation value chain is wide and diverse, investment in this action will create and maintain jobs and manufacturing in a number of different sectors (e.g. construction, electrotechnical manufacturing, materials). Europe’s lighting industry has the innovative technologies and products ready to install. LED lighting systems are more energy efficient and can lead to a reduction of CO2 emissions. Better lighting plays a major part in making a building more energy efficient. Did you know that LED-based lighting systems could additionally save the EU up to 48-56 TWh of electricity annually by 20502? This will also offer significant benefits to the occupant’s visual comfort, wellbeing, and productivity. Renovating our schools, our hospitals, our public buildings, our wider infrastructure will improve the quality of students, teachers, patients, or office workers’ lives and will contribute to reaching Europe’s climate targets. There cannot and should not be any renovation of buildings in Europe without upgrading the lighting installations.

To grasp the full benefits of better lighting, we recommend:

• A focus on non-residential buildings (public and commercial buildings), as already set out in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. We believe that public buildings should lead by example.
• The use of LED lighting, in combination with controls and sensors. A full renovation of luminaires should include LEDs, combined with controls and sensors, with a minimum Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) level. A simple replacement of a lamp should be avoided. Replacing luminaires or introducing a whole new lighting design should be stimulated, as this will lead to greater energy savings and a better indoor environment for occupants of buildings.
• A uniform and harmonised application of the Smart Readiness Indicator across the EU to maximise its energy savings potential and capture all the benefits it can bring to the wellbeing and performance of building occupants. Renovations should lead to a certain minimum SRI score – see recommendation below.
• The introduction of mandatory minimum requirements on Indoor Environment Quality. Instructions for lighting can be found in EN 12464-1.
• The design of safe indoor spaces that includes the installation of UV-C disinfection technologies, as a means not only to address the current COVID-19 pandemic but also more generally and in the longer term to help ensure healthy indoor environments.
• A mandatory emergency lighting risk assessment to be carried out for compliance with EN 1838 and the national regulations.

We urge you to make renovation projects a priority investment at the national, regional and local level. Each euro invested in renovation must deliver benefits in terms of energy efficiency, smartness and indoor environmental quality. The access to public financing must be subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions. An obligation to include lighting renovation to obtain full subsidy should be introduced:

Conditions to be fulfilled:

• Lighting should comply with EN 12464-1.
• Use of controls and sensors, with minimum SRI level (based on the second SRI technical support study):
• For lighting service 1 (occupancy control for indoor lighting), a minimum functionality level of 2 (automatic detection) should be required, as level 2 functionality is simple to implement and is based on established technologies that provide good additional levels of energy saving and user satisfaction as compared to level 1; and
• For lighting service 2 (control artificial lighting power based on daylight levels), a minimum functionality level of 3 (automatic dimming) should be required, as level 3 functionality is simple to implement and is based on established technologies that provide good additional levels of energy saving and user satisfaction as compared to level 2.
• UV-C disinfection technologies should comply with existing standards and guidelines – for further details see the Global Lighting Association’s UV-C Safety Guidelines.

We remain at your disposal to provide our technical expertise to shape these new instruments and investment plans.”