DOE Releases 2020 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization Report: Key Insights and Trends

Image 12

The 2020 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization (LMC) is the fourth report released by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Program, with the previous one based on 2015 data. These reports provide estimates of the installed stock and energy use of general illumination lighting products in the U.S., aiming to support effective DOE lighting research and development planning.

This report answers three main questions:

  1. How many lighting products of each technology were installed in the U.S. in 2020, and where?
  2. How much energy was consumed by light sources in 2020?
  3. How did U.S. lighting market characteristics change from 2015 to 2020?

The study categorizes lighting technologies into seven groups: incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent (CFL), linear fluorescent, high-intensity discharge (HID), light-emitting diode (LED), and others. It evaluates 33 types of lighting products, detailing average wattage, operating hours, and total installed inventory.

In 2020, the residential sector dominated with 80% of all lighting installations (6.5 billion units), while the commercial sector had 1.6 billion units. Residential lighting accounted for 31% of energy consumption due to lower operating hours, whereas the commercial sector, with higher total light output and operating hours, consumed 69% of the 244 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity used for lighting. LED installations have significantly increased, now representing 48% of the installed base in both sectors. The report indicates that LED adoption is driven by decreasing costs, performance benefits, and efficiency incentive programs.

Read the report: 2020 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization | Department of Energy

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • Tony Wang of WAC to Enter ALA Lighting Hall of Fame

    Tony Wang of WAC to Enter ALA Lighting Hall of Fame

    The founder of WAC Lighting and its affiliated companies will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the upcoming ALA Conference in Tucson. The American Lighting Association (ALA) has announced that Tony Wang, chairman and founder of WAC Group, will be inducted into the ALA Lighting Hall of Fame during the 2026 ALA Conference on Tuesday, September 29 in… Read More…

  • The NYC Section of the IES Names Winners of Thesis Awards

    The NYC Section of the IES Names Winners of Thesis Awards

    The annual awards recognize students for their academic work and their creative exploration in lighting. The New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNYC) has announced the recipients of the 2026 IESNYC Thesis Awards. Recognizing exceptional academic work and creative exploration in lighting, the annual awards celebrate emerging professionals whose contributions are shaping… Read More…