The Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, an international collaboration of 17 member governments and an initiative under the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), today announced the winners of its Global Efficiency Medal competition for super-efficient commercial LED lighting. Aura Light International, a Swedish manufacturer, won the international award, with Cree, Bajaj Electricals Ltd, and Aura Light International winning the regional awards. Manufacturers of winning products were honored at an awards ceremony at the International Conference on Energy Efficiency in Domestic Appliances and Lighting in Luzern, Switzerland.
The winning Aura Light planar luminaire, at 106 lumens per watt, is nearly twice as efficient as the traditional linear fluorescent luminaries commonly used in commercial spaces. According to the UNEP-GEF en.lighten initiative country assessment model (August 2015), if all fluorescent lighting installed in 2010 were replaced by products as efficient as the SEAD award-winning model, it would save 648 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity annually, or the equivalent of the total annual electricity consumption of Sweden, Mexico, and Spain combined.
SEAD announced the winners of the award for super-efficient household LED lighting in June 2015. These lighting competitions will help inform the recently announced CEM Global Lighting Challenge to accelerate the global phase-in of high-efficiency, high-quality, and affordable lighting products. The Challenge's race to "10 billion bulbs," if achieved overnight, would result in 735 Mt of avoided CO2 emissions, equivalent to the total yearly emissions of Germany.
"The global lighting industry has made significant strides in the last few years, with increasing availability and affordability of high-efficiency lighting for homes, streets, and businesses," said Gabrielle Dreyfus, the U.S. lead for the SEAD Initiative. "The Global Efficiency Medal competition will contribute to the CEM Global Lighting Challenge by recognizing those products and informing purchasing decisions"
SEAD also recognized products that demonstrated the greatest energy efficiency among those available for sale in each of the four competition regions: Australia, Europe, India, and North America, including: Australia, Lunaria LED Panel — Aura Light International; Europe, Lunaria LED Panel — Aura Light International; India, BZRSQL W3 XE NW — Bajaj Electricals Ltd; and North America, ZR22-32L-40K-10V — Cree.
This is the fourth SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competition. The first three competitions recognized the world's most energy-efficient flat-screen televisions, computer monitors, and electric motors. A fifth competition for flat-screen televisions is currently under way, with winners to be announced in September 2015. The SEAD Global Efficiency Medal competition is the only international awards program that identifies the most energy-efficient, top-performing equipment, appliances, and electronics demonstrating reduced electricity use.
