Regarding China’s lighting exports, new EU smart lighting regulations are about to be implemented

The EU's Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) is the EU's core regulation to promote decarbonization and improve energy efficiency in the building sector. According to regulations, all EU member states must transform the contents of the directive into national laws before May 29, 2026.

Chinese lighting export companies need to pay close attention to this. According to the new EPBD regulations, all new commercial buildings in the EU must be forced to install automatic lighting control systems and building automation systems. Intelligent lighting has transformed from a value-added option in the past to a rigid standard for new commercial projects.

Specifically, export companies need to meet the following three technical thresholds:

1. Lighting products are no longer isolated items. They must have core attributes that can be networked and integrated, and can be seamlessly connected to the overall intelligent management system of the building to achieve dynamic dimming, energy consumption monitoring and intelligent management and control based on human activities and natural lighting.

2. Standardized adaptation must be completed at the technical level, focusing on docking with the EU's "Smart Readiness Index" (SRI) and global communication protocols such as Matter to ensure the interconnection of lighting products in a multi-system and multi-brand environment.

3. The driver must comply with the D4i Gen 2 standard. It not only needs to have the basic DALI dimming function, but also needs to meet the energy consumption measurement and fault diagnosis capabilities stipulated in the DALI Part 250–253 standard. In addition, the driver must be installed independently, use pluggable terminal blocks, and must not share the heat dissipation path with the LED module. ‌‌

For a large number of domestic companies that still focus on traditional or simple smart lighting, the new regulations are undoubtedly a strict entry threshold. If the product cannot complete the upgrade of intelligence and system integration, even if the traditional performance indicators meet the standards, it will be blocked from the EU new commercial construction market and face the risk of being eliminated from the mainstream procurement list.