How does lighting have an impact on climate change and the consumption of resources? To establish a sound database, the SUMATRA project drew up life cycle assessments for various products and utilisation concepts. The consumption of resources was determined using the Abiotic Depletion Potential of the Elements (ADP) and the contribution to global warming with the Global Warming Potential (GWP). The SUMATRA life cycle assessments show the most important starting points for developing sustainable lighting solutions.

GWP calculations have shown that a luminaire over its entire life cycle generates approx. 1,000 kg of carbon equivalents. What is interesting: producing the luminaires is only responsible for 1% - 5% of the emissions. The largest share is generated during the usage phase via operation. This means the most effective way of reducing carbon emissions is to increase the efficiency of the luminaires and make use of light management.

The electronic components installed in the luminaires have a particularly big influence on the ADP. LEDs with bonding wire for example consume around 500 times more abiotic resources than flip-chip LEDs. The ADP can also be reduced via the control gear units: the fewer of these that are used, the more sustainable is the solution. For example, several luminaires can use one control gear unit. In continuous line trunking, the ADP is reduced if a control gear unit regulates luminaires of longest possible lengths.

As part of the research project, an especially sustainable prototype luminaire was developed as a demonstrator. It reduces the GWP by 15% and the ADP by up to 30% compared to a reference luminaire. The most important starting point here was the improved efficiency of the demonstrator, which was achieved without compromising in terms of quality and functionality.