A comprehensive perspective on the solid-state lighting market, mainly from European speakers and exhibitors but with some international participants, was provided at ForumLED, held in Lyon, France in December 2009. Lyon, France is home to Le Cluster Lumière (www.clusterlumiere.com), with 85 member organizations from throughout the lighting industry value-chain. Many French companies and organizations are actively involved in solid-state lighting, with energy efficiency high on the agenda.
In France, lighting is becoming the main energy consumer in office buildings, typically consuming 30-50 kWh/m²/yr, according to Christophe Martinsons of CSTB Grenoble. However, the next building code (RT 2012) will require total energy consumption (i.e. for everything, not just lighting) of 50 kWh/m²/yr for non-residential buildings from 2011, and for residential buildings starting in 2013. LEDs are “excellent candidates,” said Martinsons, to reduce energy consumption, particularly in combination with occupancy sensors. However, energy is not the only consideration. “Building occupants demand good products, well installed, and safe products that are safely installed,” he said, adding that standards will help LED lighting to meet these requirements. “However, Europe has not produced all the standards needed for LED lighting…yet.”
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