LED lighting technology provides large benefit for energy efficiency and high quality lighting for both the private and public service sectors. The LED technology is very different from former lighting technologies
and holds many possibilities for innovation. This can result in better working conditions and greater well-being e. g. through optimised luminaires, built-in lighting, flexible lighting control, luminaires where the user can change the spectral distribution and colour temperature,
mimicking of the outdoor lighting variation over the day, smart lighting and better use of daylight.
The efficacy of good LED solutions is more than 100 lm/W and the efficacy continues to increase year by year. The EU eco-design regulations 244/2009,
245/2009 and 1194/2012 include the LED technology but these regulations were written before the LED technology was mature and reached the present technical level. For the tertiary sector, a labelling scheme for luminaires and lighting systems is currently not available and the national adaption of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) provides only limited support for the design of energy efficient led lighting benefit in buildings.
A large part of the indoor lighting systems used in the private and public service sector are still based on inefficient technology in the form of T8 fluorescent tubes with electro magnetic ballasts and halogen lamps. It is beneficial that these technologies are replaced by LED lighting systems with effective control features. In an increasing amount of cases, it is also beneficial to replace T5 fluorescent tubes. In general, it is recommended to change both the luminaire and the lamp(s) instead of conducting retrofit of
existing luminaires, which often leads to challenges with change of the lighting distribution.
The development of LED lighting is ongoing at high speed where new and better products come to market every six months. International standards are still in progress. Many stakeholders have experienced that they came to choose a non-optimal LED lighting system due to lack of information and criteria for selecting the right solution.
Stakeholders within the tertiary sector request guidelines that can support innovative solutions, procurement criteria for selection of high quality efficient LED lighting systems and best practice examples. With the current dynamic development the criteria must be updated regularly, while general recommendations for good lighting design will hold for a longer period.