Economic, environmental and health co-benefits of the use of advanced control strategies for lighting in buildings of Mexico

Abstract

Merida, Mexico, is a city that spends 17% of its electricity for lighting purposes. This electricity comes from thermal power plants that use fossil fuels. These emit a large amount of particulate matter, around 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), which can penetrate deepest lung parts (alveoli), causing cardiovascular disease. Mexico has a policy (NOM-028-ENER-2010) that establishes the minimum efficiency for lighting in buildings. However, lighting is often used inappropriately (e.g. daytime or when there are no people using them). One solution for this problem is to use control device technology of multiple types (combination of daylight, motion and presence sensors). However, these strategies have not been fully implemented in Mexico, mainly due to the high cost of commercial control devices. This study aims to know the lost co-benefits when control devices are not implemented for lighting cost reduction, such as: energy saving (kw-h/yr), electricity bill reduction (USD/yr), PM2.5 emission reduction (μg/m3), cardiovascular death reduction (death/yr) and cardiovascular death cost reduction (USD/yr). For those reasons, it is recommended that energy policy decisions regarding building lighting efficiency include the implementation of control devices. Moreover, such policies should be preceded by research studies focused on detailed device cost, co-benefits and socio-economic analysis.