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NLB Highlights DOE Report on Energy Savings from LED Lighting

Dec. 13, 2016
The amount of energy the United States consumes for illumination will be 75% less than what it otherwise would have been had light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting not entered the market, says the National Lighting Bureau

By 2035, the energy saved by switching to LED light sources will be equal to ALL the energy now consumed by 45 million U.S. homes. The amount of energy the United States consumes for illumination will be 75% less than what it otherwise would have been had light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting not entered the market, says the National Lighting Bureau (NLB), Shepherdstown, WV, citing findings detailed in Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications, a biennial report prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The NLB is making the report available free on its website.

In the report, DOE predicts that annual lighting-energy savings in 2035 will amount to 5.1 quadrillion BTUs (5.1 quads). The cumulative value of the 2015-2035 lighting-energy savings will amount to $630 billion, as continually more LEDs are specified for new and existing U.S. installations. In fact, by 2020, various forecasts estimate that LED lighting will be used in about 30% of all U.S. lighting installations and will comprise as much as 80% of lighting sales.

“The Department of Energy has done an admirable job in spurring the development of LED lighting,” said NLB Chair Jim Yorgey, technical-applications manager for Lutron Electronics, in an NLB release about the study. “Just ten years ago, few people were predicting anything close to the success now being enjoyed. The versatility and quality of LED lighting, its energy efficiency, its controllability, its environmental compatibility, its long life, and continually more attractive pricing have all contributed to LEDs’ growing popularity.”  

Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications