The Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued new energy standards for general-service fluorescent lamps. Craig DiLouie, host and author of the LightNOW blog (www.lightnowblog.com) posted his analysis of their impact.
The new rules, which put lumen/watt energy standards on 4-ft T8 and T5 linear, T5HO and 2-ft U-bend lamps, go into effect January 26, 2018. Previous regulations primarily targeted T12 fluorescent and eliminated 700 series T8 lamps.
“This round of regulation puts the hammer to full-wattage T8 linear and U-bend lamps,” DiLouie writes. “Interviews with manufacturers reveal that the likely net effect is many 4-ft. 32W T8 linear lamps, including extended-life versions, will be eliminated. The same with full-wattage 2-ft. T8 U-bend lamps.”
The T5 and T5HO 4-ft lamps should pass with minor changes, but the impact for the majority of the installed base of commercial and industrial lighting will mean a lot of building owners and facilities managers will need to adapt.
An appropriate course for T8 lighting system owners in the future is to consider switching from full- to reduced-wattage lamps or operate full-wattage lamps on a dimming control to earn a payback on what will likely be a higher purchase cost.
[…] This is a significant development in the lighting industry. DOE’s 2010 National Lighting Inventory estimated that 20 percent of all lamps in the commercial building sector and 44 percent in the industrial sector are 4-ft. T8. In 2010, DOE estimated that there were 532 million 4-ft. linear T8 lamps and 14 million T8 U-bend lamps installed in commercial and industrial buildings in the United States.
To read the full ruling, go to the DOE website, energy.gov: Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps (PDF)
Read DiLouie’s full article on the LightNOW blog: A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW DOE FLUORESCENT LAMP RULES
