From A to G: The new EU energy labels for light sources

Even though the new Energy Label Ordinance (ELR for short) has also come into force for lighting products since September 2021, the new energy labels in Germany are still causing confusion. Where a light source previously received ratings such as A+++ or A++ for its energy efficiency, we often only find labels such as B or C today.

A becomes C – what are the new EU energy labels all about?

The EU regulation valid until August 2021 required labeling of the energy consumption of light sources with directed and non-directed light that had a luminous flux of more than 30 lumens. At that time, the scale for evaluating energy efficiency ranged from A++ (= high energy efficiency) to E (= very low energy efficiency).

With the new EU regulation, this scale was revised and lamps, LED modules and lights from which the light source cannot be removed without destroying it are now categorized into classes from A to G. A means a particularly high light yield per watt, G correspondingly a low one. The plus classes are therefore no longer available and class A also remains empty for the time being in order to increase the incentive for innovations and to reserve the top class for even more efficient technologies in the future.

Why are there the new EU energy labels at all?

The EU energy label has been revised for the second time since it was introduced in 1996. In the beginning, electronic products were categorized into energy efficiency classes A to G, as they are today.

The aim of the energy label was to make it easier for consumers to make purchasing decisions and to protect the environment by transparently labeling the energy efficiency of products. However, constant innovations over time meant that most of the electronic products could be classified in efficiency class A - it was difficult to compare different light sources, even though there were clear differences in the power consumption of different light sources within the same energy efficiency class.

For this reason, the EU energy label was revised for the first time in 2003 and a finer definition of light sources was made through the introduction of energy efficiency classes A++ to E. A similar development has been apparent since 2003: the latest lighting technology is leading to ever more energy-efficient light sources and differentiation is now becoming increasingly difficult. The result: the EU energy label for light sources will be revised again and the test procedure will be redefined and tightened.

Why is energy efficiency labeling no longer possible for RMD luminaires?

The new energy labeling regulations only apply to lighting products, including light sources such as LED modules and control gear. Lamps or lights, on the other hand, are regarded as complete electrical lighting apparatus and are explicitly excluded by the legislator - even though an energy label was also common for lights until the end of 2019. Accordingly, an energy efficiency label for all of our RMD lights is no longer possible, although our products would achieve top classes. Energy efficiency, cost savings and the protection of our environment are still part of our corporate philosophy. Together we want to continue to improve the efficiency of our lights and design sustainable lighting solutions through innovative lighting solutions and the use of the latest lighting technology.