SOLID STATE LIGHTING - Lighting the way for Britain
Furness and the North West are hubs for solid state lighting design and manufacturing.We are using the "Lighting the Way for Britain" lobby to encourage investment in the technology In the north west of england there are 120 firms, 92% being small or medium sized, based in the region delivering photonics products. Sub-regionally the industry composition is:-
· Cumbria: 15 firms employing 663 people, generating £51m turnover.
· Lancashire: 34 firms employing 914, generating £144m turnover.
· Manchester/Merseyside: 110 firms employing 3,806 generating £377m turnover.
· Cheshire: 29 firms employing 618 with a combined turnover of £88m.
· Within Furness, companies produce SSL for use in mass transport, military, medical, hazardous use and architectural markets amongst others.
Solid state lighting is a pivotal emerging technology . As long ago as 2006 Lord Sainsbury identified it as a key future technology for Britain, with a major role to play in delivering improved energy efficiency for UK industrial, public sector and domestic consumers, whilst reducing their energy costs. It offers one of the best ways of helping UK deliver on its energy efficiency targets.
Here you can read about its significance in 2010,folowed by some of the applications local firms are making.
“Lighting the Way for Britain” invites Government to provide a Green Deal stimulus for local jobs
NJO are one of a group of 15 Cumbrian solid state lighting (SME sized)manufacturers that export. Together they employ 663 people generating £51m revenue. “Lighting the Way for Britain” is a local initiative to generate “sustainable growth, driven by the private sector”(1)by supporting strategic development of the indigenous solid state lighting industry which delivers LED lighting.
DECC’s “Annual Energy Statement” (DECC,27 July 2010)says “reducing the amount of energy we use is the cheapest way of meeting our climate change and energy security objectives..it also reduces energy bills and provides investment which supports the development of the low carbon economy and green jobs” – A Green Deal is advocated. The Coalition Government’s new “A Strategy for Sustainable Growth” says “the growth we need.(is)..different from the past” ..(it must)....” develop our exports.”LED lighting contributes to delivery of Britain’s Energy Coast stimulus.
We, as a local enterprise partnership, working with industry partners see solid state lighting as being a home grown opportunity for Britain to create “green high value jobs.” Solid state lighting also offers lower energy bills for all consumers. It is part of the “cheapest, cleanest, fastest energy source – energy efficiency”(2) , a pivotal emerging technology.
Britain must seize the opportunity now to support its solid state lighting industry’s growth into a market leader through support from the Coalition Government or risk being left behind by other countries where strong government support is being offered .
We urge the Government “to create the conditions” (1) within which the UK based solid state lighting businesses “are performing to their maximum capacity”(1) creating green jobs. It and the public sector can stimulate demand and accelerate deployment of solid state lighting by:
- switching to solid state lighting to reduce their own emissions and costs
- using targeted financial support for a series of demonstrations in the public sector estate, in major public buildings
At present Government are focused mainly on insulation and smart meters as part of its “Green Deal”, Solid state lighting incentives need to be put on a par them. DEFRA’s (Market Transformation Programme) DECC and BIS can create the conditions for growth of this sector.
Energy efficiency measures using solid state lighting will reduce consumption, improve energy security. Lighting in the UK uses 20% of the total UK energy (66Twh) . 48Twh goes on commercial lighting , dominated by fluorescent technology.(3) Energy demand reductions of between 26-43% could be achieved for UK by 2050 using solid state lighting. By 2021 it could have 70% market share.
The UK and global market potential is significant. Market trends need accelerating. In UK an anticipated large scale switch to LED domestic lighting alternatives from halogen or compact fluorescent lighting could result in energy consumption falling 25% by 2020.
(1) Investment in our Productive Capacity go Drive Growth, page 8, page 14 – “A Strategy for Sustainable Growth, Department of Business, Innovation & Skills, July 2010
(2) President Barack Obama, 22 April 2010
(3) DEFRA
The Technology Strategy Board are supporting a limited number of competitions to encourage new solid state lighting production prototypes for use in domestic and office environments, the funding is modest in comparison with what our competitors overseas are doing.
UK markets could see the sector dominated by imports supporting jobs overseas because overseas nations see the great potential of solid state lighting. (as has occurred with the offshore wind industry off our Cumbrian coast - Belgian, Italian German, Dutch and Danish suppliers dominate).
The global solid state lighting opportunity is immense as the market is growing at an annual rate of 30.9%. It is forecast to be $1.3bn by 2013 and $60b by 2017.(5)
By 2018 solid state lighting will account for 32% of the global lighting market.
DEFRA point to China as being a hotbed of development of solid state lighting products. With the USA in the lead, China, Italy, Korea, Portugal, Germany and Australia all realise the significance of solid state lighting.
India’s National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council is set to “establish the country as a major hub for the (solid state lighting) technology and encourage domestic manufacture”. We need to do the same here.
- “Lighting the way for Britain” means lower energy bills for all consumers with initiatives such as DEFRA’s advice that “there is potential for a subsidy (post 2012 Supplier Obligation) to create incentives for consumer take up of LED lamps.” (4)
- DECC’s advice of 27 July to “replace all lights with today’s best practice LEDs by 2050 and help reduce energy demand by 35% by 2050 and for commercial lighting LEDs could...reach 90%of the stock by 2050” (5)
LEDs will eventually replace halogen and tungsten lamps and could replace many CFL lights-“ UK’s Low Carbon Transition Plan” of 15 July 2009 concluded, ”central government and the public sector must lead the way in reducing their own emissions using targeted financial support to support a series of demonstration sites across the public sector estate, in major public buildings..including accelerated deployment of ultra efficient solid state lighting”- this would be Lighting the Way for Britain.
We would therefore welcome your help to arrange a meeting with Ministers to set out where demonstrations could take place what they could cost; what product and green job development support could be offered;how solid state lighting should be part of the Green Deal.
(4)Market Transformation Programme – LED Eco Design Innovation Road Map, DEFRA 2007
(5)Pathways to 2050 ,DECC 27 July 2010
OXLEY shelter lighting (below) just one of the Furness solid state lighting products available - helping our armed forcesThe significant cluster of photonics businesses in the NW Electronics firms like Furness based Oxley Developments, Forge Europa, Marl, SH Lighting, Lumier and McGeoch create a framework to deliver well funded actions to create ‘green’ NW jobs.
The new Oxley LEDs are a completely new range of flat, durable, low profile, LED-based lighting and include customer-driven superior engineering features that address field issues no other LED light can. In documented field deployments around the world, the Oxley LED lightshave quickly demonstrated advantages over traditional lighting that go far beyond being a simple alternative to energy inefficient and bulky fluorescent and incandescent lighting fixtures.
The presence of a sizable set of firms in Cumbria creates agod starting point.
Porterbrook hails trial of Marl LED technology
 » £140,000 pilot program successfully completed
» 20 million kWh saving estimated for nationwide roll-out
In Britain, the Government state that “significant energy demand reductions of between 26% and 43% can be achieved (by 2050) primarily through energy efficiency measures adding “accelerated development of low-carbon technologies could reduce the cost of meeting the 2050 (carbon reduction) target by £36bn over 2010-2050”. SSL is part of the solution.If Britain is able to substitute just half or a third of its halogen, compact fluorescent and incandescent lighting with solid state lighting, it could significantly reduce energy consumption. We foresee significant opportunities for use of solid state lighting applications in:
Industry – especially process plants.
· Offshore lighting on oil and gas platforms where fluorescent tubes are bulky, costly to store and hazardous to handle and prone to failure.
· Public buildings, streets and commercial sites.
· Transport hubs – airports, ports, car parks.
Solid state lighting can save energy in lighting our streets, buildings, bridges, airport runways, ports, car parks, mass transit transport facilities, military and medical installations and help deliver the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.
Solid State Lighting’s Advantages
Solid state lighting, despite higher initial installation or retrofit costs than for conventional lighting, brings numerous benefits particularly “through life” cost savings. SSL’s unique characteristics include:-
· 50-70% less energy consumption than conventional or compact fluorescent lights.
· Durable, reliable, long life compact lighting (30- 50,000 hours).
· Lower energy bills for all consumers.
· Lower “through life” maintenance costs and reduced replacement requirements than with incandescent, halogen or compact fluorescent lighting.
· Cool white, tightly controlled, colour, temperature, vivid lighting easily dimmable.
· Directional light – focused on where it is needed.
· ‘Instant On’ - no waiting time until full illumination is achieved.
· Enhanced safety – less risk of breakage, no breakable glass or filaments and mercury free bulbs, no IR/UV emissions.
· Reduced night sky light pollution and potential for ‘mood lighting’ to improve productivity
Read the summary of our lobby paper and the lobby action plan and what solid state lighting will mean for Britain below:
i. Summary
i.i “Lighting the Way for Britain” will give Britain a bright future. In this paper we argue that Britain must lead the way in adopting solid state lighting (SSL) solutions that create ‘green’ jobs whilst reducing energy costs for all consumers.
i.ii Government and industry are invited to support “Lighting the Way for Britain” – an affordable stimulus package for the development and adoption, particularly in the public sector, of energy efficient solid state lighting that is made in Britain.
i.iii By supporting the creation of a large market for SSL we can grow an indigenous solid state lighting design/manufacturing industry thereby creating green jobs.
i.iv Solid state lighting will reduce the cost of energy bills for all consumers the easiest way possible by improving energy efficiency.
5. Action Plan – For Government, the Public Sector and Industry (extract)
6.1 It is in the UK’s national interest to secure energy supplies and reduce dependence on imported energy. The easiest way of doing this is by improving energy efficiency. Stimulating take up of solid state lighting will significantly reduce energy use and bills for all consumers.
6.2 Lord Mandelson in introducing the Low Carbon Industrial Strategy said that “We must act to remove barriers to market.... make sure finance is available for innovation and growth”(20) to enable Britain to win a lion’s share of the coming $60billion (by 2017) global solid state lighting market. We therefore invite the Government and all political parties to:-
· Articulate fiscal and policy support for investment in solid state lighting development using a national strategy to guide market entry and stimulate introduction of solid state lighting. We advocate a Lighting the Way for Britain programme to assist the UK’s transformation into a low carbon economy, by significantly improving energy efficiency using solid state lighting rather than relying on intermittent renewable energy generation.
· Raise awareness of solid state lighting’s potential, benefits and drive the adoption of solid state lighting particularly through public sector investment in a way that stimulates growth of the UK solid state lighting industry and green jobs.
· Fund academia, industry and large scale “gateway” demonstration projects to build up field experience, demonstrate the benefits of solid state lighting, share results of solid state lighting installations involving manufacturers, users and utilities partners. For example a “Light Years Ahead” initiative using Forward Commitment Procurement, allowable by HM Treasury, could showcase the benefits of solid state lighting in universities, colleges and schools.
· Designate the Furness areas in Cumbria as a Low Carbon Economic Area delivering solid state lighting to help deliver the UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy(3) and to support the region’s ‘Lighting the Way for Britain’ initiative.
· Encourage DECC and RDAs to use their funds to stimulate growth of the use of indigenous solid state lighting when they fund new investment or by supporting companies to manufacture SSL products.
6.4 Supporting these proposals will power the way towards using solid state lighting to:-
· Strengthen Britain’s energy security and reduce dependence on foreign or intermittent energy sources.
· Reduce the burden of energy bills for all consumers, especially disadvantaged people.
· Increase the energy efficiency of buildings, street illumination and industry.
· Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and hazardous waste disposal.
· Make places greener, safer and better lit.
· Spur the creation of a significant domestic UK solid state lighting industry offering green jobs.
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