What Is The Energy Act?

Nov. 8, 2010 - PRLog -- The new rules regarding energy efficient standards issued in 2009 by the Department of Energy will take effect on July 14, 2012. These new, more stringent regulations will effectively eliminate products on the market with the lowest costs and efficiency and will make standards more strict for each lamp type. They primarily affect commercial fluorescent lamps, incandescents, and halogen reflector lights. Products that fail to meet the new criteria will no longer be allowed to be manufactured within the United States. Most 4′ linear and 2′ u-shaped  T12 lamps, many 8′ T12, and some lower color rendering 4′ T8 lamps will be excluded from the marketplace.

Non-compliant products may still be available after July 14, 2012 because distributors will not be prohibited from selling them until inventory is gone. Some important exceptions to the new regulations include fluorescent lamps with a CRI rating of 87 and above, lamps designed for cold weather use, and ultraviolet lamps. The new rules also exempt 50W and lower wattage BR 30, BR 40, ER 30, ER 40 lamps; 45W and lower wattage R20 lamps; and 65W BR30, BR40, and ER 40 lamps. Commonly used for indoor hopitality, small business and residences, these exemptions are also due to expire in July 2013. In the future, existing structures will likely convert to a T 8 lamp or retrofit to T8’s or T5’s and the market is expecting a shift to that and other upcoming technologies. Other options include low voltage halogens, self-ballasted ceramic metal halides, compact fluorescents and LED lamps.

The new standards also cover reflector lights with the result that many incandescent and halogen lamps will be eliminated in favor of more energy efficient infra-red coated halogen bulbs. All 130V products used in 120V systems to double the service light of the bulb will also be taken off the market. For applications requiring equivalent performance, infra-red coated lamps provide superior light quality, easy dimming, instant ON, maximum beam etc. However, not all the infra-red coated lamps will survive and will be replaced by infra-red “plus” lamps or silver reflector infra-red coated bulbs. The newer, more efficient lighting will ultimately produce more benefits such as higher color rendering and longer service life leading to a reduced carbon footprint and lower energy costs.
Manufacturers have 3 years to come up with new, affordable product options. Many new products are currently on the market. As the new fluorescent guidelines impact choices for new and existing facilities, Priority Lighting carries a full line in the latest innovations in lighting and fixtures, as well as the latest retrofitting products in “go green” technology. Our team is available to assist with answering any questions and to offer advice about the product choices that best meet the needs of our customers.

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