A systematic method for evaluating the effects of efficient lighting project in China

The efficient lighting project, aiming at developing and promoting energy-efficient lighting products, has been initialized in China since 1996. The use of energy-efficient lighting products is one of the best and most cost-effective ways of reducing lighting energy consumption. Great attention has been put into this project and effects have been made nationwide. But no effective evaluation system has been established yet, which makes the summary of experiences and lessons less systematic and the improvement of future work quite difficult. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process, this paper established a new evaluation system of promotion effects after taking the public policies and practical situation in China into consideration. Aspects of environment, economy, adequacy, and technology were considered comprehensively in the evaluation system to score the promotional effects. The efficient lighting project during the 11th Five-Year period (2005–2010) in China was examined to prove the feasibility of the evaluation method. A “proper” level was finally rated based on the evaluation results, which meant that the promotion of the study case was fruitful on the whole. Benefits such as the evident improvement of energy efficiency and the weak points of producing enterprises were both discovered. Relevant to the problems and experiences, suggestions for the future work were also proposed for the efficient lighting project in China.