European EnLight research program aims to reduce indoor LED lighting energy consumption by 40%

Germany consumes approximately 500 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually, of which lighting accounts for about 12%. If incandescent fixtures can be continuously replaced with more energy-efficient LED technology, 11.5 TWh, or 20% of lighting electricity, can be saved—equivalent to the annual output of one large power plant. Funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), 7 members of the German "EnLight" (Energy Efficient and IntELligent Lighting Systems) program will research how to further reduce the energy consumption of current LED lighting systems by another 40% over the next 3 years. Program members from industry and research institutions have provided 5 million euros in research funding, approximately 45% of the total, with other funds coming from the BMBF (4.1 million euros) and the European Union (2 million euros).

　　The EnLight program in Germany is led by Infineon, with members including German luminaire manufacturer BJB GmbH & Co KG, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (German research institute), LED luminaire/lighting control component manufacturer Insta Elektro GmbH, NXP Semiconductors GA GmbH, Osram AG, and RWTH Aachen University. Targeting indoor LED lighting energy-saving solutions, the EnLight program aims to maximize the effectiveness of LED lighting through innovative LED lighting modules, including LEDs and drivers. The research scope also includes changing socket standard specifications—for example, the E27 incandescent socket currently in common use in Europe is not designed for lighting management systems, although such systems are very important for energy savings.

　　Another goal of the EnLight program is to develop programmable controllers and innovative sensors for smart LED lighting solutions. In addition, intelligent wired and wireless networks for LED lighting systems will be developed to make full use of energy and save up to 40% of electricity. This research program will also explore entirely new lighting functions; according to EnLight research, future LED light sources will be able to automatically adjust brightness in response to ambient light. The German members' research is part of the European "EnLight" program, jointly executed by the European ENIAC (European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council), led by Philips, bringing together 30 members from 6 countries. Through this collaboration, Europe will further strengthen its world-leading position in the field of lighting systems.