EU Mandates Digital Product Passport for Lighting
The European Union is moving forward with its Digital Product Passport (DPP) as part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR). The regulation will require transparent digital records for products, including lighting, detailing materials, repairability, and lifecycle impacts. Implementation is scheduled for early 2026, followed by an 18-month transition period for companies to comply.
- The Digital Product Passport will function as a comprehensive digital record, accessible via a QR code or similar data carrier on the luminaire, detailing information on its environmental impact, material composition, origin, repairability, and recyclability. A central, open-access database maintained by the European Commission will allow for easy comparison between products. - This regulation expands beyond just energy efficiency to include broader circular economy principles such as product durability, reusability, upgradability, and the presence of any substances that could inhibit circularity. It will also require companies to report the quantities and reasons for the destruction of any unsold goods. - For lighting designers focused on human-centric applications, the DPP could provide transparent data on spectral power distribution and color rendering, crucial for meeting standards like the WELL Building Certification, which prioritizes lighting's impact on circadian rhythms and visual comfort. - In the realm of smart lighting, the DPP is expected to detail a product's compatibility and integration capabilities with building automation ecosystems, including information on protocols like DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) which allow for individual luminaire control and data feedback. - The European Product Registry for Energy Labelling (EPREL) already covers light sources, and luminaires are anticipated to be included in the future, potentially using EPREL as a foundation for the DPP to avoid duplicative reporting for manufacturers. - While light sources are already covered by existing ecodesign rules, the final decision to make a Digital Product Passport mandatory for the entire luminaire will be determined in a forthcoming Lighting Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Delegated Act, with new rules expected to apply around 2028-2029. - Leading architectural publications that specifiers follow, such as Dezeen and ArchDaily, are actively covering the shift towards sustainable product regulations and innovative lighting design, shaping the discourse and expectations for architects evaluating new luminaires. - The ESPR replaces the 2009 Ecodesign directive, shifting from a directive that needed to be implemented into national laws to a regulation that applies directly and uniformly across all EU member states, a process that took over two years of legislative definition.
