The European Design Competition for Dedicated CFL Fixtures: A Successful Example of Market Transformation

Abstract

Market research has indicated to achieve durable market transformation and increase the use of CFLs in the residential sector, it is essential to develop and market attractive and well designed CFL dedicated lighting fixtures. To this end a major European design competition for designers, students and fixture manufacturers has been launched at the beginning of 1999. The main challenge for competition participants is to produce innovative and attractive design solutions aimed at the residential market for lighting fixtures dedicated to pin-based CFLs. The key technical design feature is that fixtures embody the ballast for the CFLs, thus making the retrofit of an incandescent lamp impossible. One of the main expected results of the competition is to boost the market for pin-based CFLs, nowadays almost not present at points of sale for residential customer, because there are almost no domestic fixtures able to take them. The competition has attracted a very large number of participants, representing 19 European countries, and about 200 designs have been proposed, including very well know designers and the largest European lighting fixtures manufacturers. The winning models have been be shown at the largest European fair on domestic lighting, Euroluce in April 2000. The competition will be followed by a European-wide marketing and promotion campaigns for winning models, planned for the fall 2000.