SEAD Announces Competition to Identify World's Most Energy-Efficient Lighting

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an ambitious effort to reduce energy use on a global scale, the Clean Energy Ministerial's Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative announced a competition to recognize the most energy-efficient lighting around the world. SEAD Global Efficiency Medals will be awarded to the most energy-efficient lamps and luminaires on the market as well as to new technologies that push the boundaries of efficient lighting available today.

Increased deployment of energy-efficient lighting could have a tremendous global impact. According to the International Energy Agency, grid-based lighting accounts for almost 20% of world electricity consumption. The total energy consumed each year by all lighting sources is responsible for 1,900 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions—equivalent to 70% of the emissions produced by light passenger vehicles worldwide. In 2006, the cost of providing lighting service globally was USD $360 billion, or roughly 1% of global gross domestic product (GDP).

By recognizing and promoting the world's most energy-efficient lamps and luminaires, the SEAD competition will spur greater innovation among manufacturers and help buyers make informed purchasing decisions that can lower energy bills.

"Lamps and lighting fixtures are used every day in homes, office buildings, and small businesses, but consumers may not be aware of how buying the right products can save both energy and money," said Graham Pugh, Director of International Climate Change Policy and Technology in the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of International Affairs. "This competition will help consumers identify top-performing products and allow manufacturers distinguish themselves as producers of them."  

Manufacturers are invited to nominate their products through 3 October 2014. Prospective winners will be required to provide samples of each entry for verification of energy efficiency claims. Winners will be announced in February 2015 and honored at an international awards ceremony in early 2015. SEAD Global Efficiency Medals will be awarded to several categories of lighting products that demonstrate the greatest energy efficiency in each of four regions—Australia, Europe, India, and North America. Overall international winners will also be named for the most efficient lighting product in each category.

SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competitions encourage the production and sale of super-efficient equipment, appliances, and electronics, focusing on products with significant global energy consumption and energy savings potential. The efficient lighting competition is the fourth in this global awards program; the first three competitions recognized the world's most energy-efficient flat-screen televisions, computer monitors, and electric motors. In 2015, the SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competitions will recognize additional products, including revisiting energy-efficient televisions, with attention to power-consuming features such as networked standby.

For more information about the lighting awards, visit www.superefficient.org/lightingawards.

SEAD is an initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial, a high-level global forum to share best practices and promote policies and programs that encourage and facilitate the transition to a global clean energy economy. www.cleanenergyministerial.org

SEAD is also a task within the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation. The Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) serves as the administrator for the Global Efficiency Medals competition. For more information, visit http://www.superefficient.org/.

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SOURCE SEAD Initiative