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Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | SubscribeqMqM | Next PageqqM qMMQmagsTHE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND ®fundingprogramsEPA releases first draft ofEnergy Star Lamps specThe US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) has published the first draft of theEnergy Star Lamps v1.0 specification atwww.energystar.gov/lamps. This is intendedto replace the existing Compact FluorescentLamps and Integral LED Lamps specifications.Comments or concerns about this firstdraft should be sent to lamps@energystar.govby December 9.The specification is described by the EPAas “technology-neutral” and includes a proposalto align lamp-life requirements acrosstechnologies by introducing a 10,000-hr minimumlifetime requirement (for LED lamps,this would be a 10,000-hr rated lumen maintenancelife).The specification is limited to lampsintended to be connected to the electricpower grid. It includes photometric performancerequirements, lumen maintenance andreliability requirements, luminous-intensitydistribution requirements, electrical performancerequirements, dimensional requirements,and lamp labeling and packagingrequirements for all lamp types included inthe specification.In December 2009, the EPA laid out a plan tointegrate the four existing Energy Star lightingspecifications into two, new, technologyneutralspecifications: Luminaires (light fixtures- www.ledsmagazine.com/news/8/5/23)and Lamps (light bulbs). EPA says that its goalwas “to better serve the consumer interest inidentifying energy-saving lighting products byensuring that performance requirements andtesting methods reward efficiency and quality,irrespective of technology.” In doing so, theEPA is also seeking to remove any overlap orcontradiction among specifications.For lamps, the EPA initiated a consultationprocess in March 2011, feedback from whichcan be viewed on the Lamps website (www. ____energystar.gov/lamps). This feedback focusedthe EPA’s attention on further improvementsto quality-related requirements rather thanincreases to the already-high efficiencyrequirements.The EPA has addressed consumer barriersto adoption by developing proposed improvementsto lamp start time, run-up time, colorconsistency, and reliability in high-heat andfrequent-switching applications. The EPA alsore-evaluated the lamp labeling and packagingrequirements in the existing specifications.The first draft also includes a proposal toalign lamp-life requirements across technologies,creating an “even playing field.” Specifically,the draft includes a proposal for a10,000-hr minimum lifetime requirement.The EPA says that product data shows thisrequirement to be readily attainable withCFLs. While the Integral LED Lamps specificationhas required a 15,000- to 25,000-hrminimum, “there are disadvantages to thisapproach which appear to be hindering adoptionof LED lamps,” said the EPA.Several lamps are excluded from the specificationincluding lamps that operate on anexternal ballast, driver or transformer; lampspowered by an internal power source, e.g.solar; lamps with other power-consuming featuresthat do not provide useful illumination;lamp technologies without industry-standardizedmethods of measurement; lampswith bases not detailed in ANSI standards;and Zhaga-defined LED modules. ◀China unveils plansfor incandescentlamp phase-outChina has unveiled its three-step planfor phasing out energy-inefficient incandescentlamps. The announcement onNov 4 caused a surge in the share price ofseveral LED companies, including Cree.According to the Xinhua News Agency,the phase-out will ban imports and salesof incandescent lamps in the followingcategories, as follows:• 100W and above: October 1, 2012• 60W and above: October 1, 2014• 15W and above: October 1, 2016Xie Ji, deputy director of the environmentalprotection department with China’sNational Development and ReformCommission (NDRC), said that the planshows China’s determination to pressahead in its efforts to save energy, reduceemissions and curb climate change.China is a major manufacturer andconsumer of lighting products and is theworld’s largest producer of both energysavinglamps (CFLs) and incandescentbulbs. In 2010, incandescent-lamp productiontotaled 3.85 billion units, anddomestic sales stood at 1.07 billion units,said Ji.Power consumption for lighting inChina accounted for 12% percent of thecountry’s total electricity use in 2010.The NRDC expects that the plan willenable China to save 48 billion kWh ofpower per year and reduce CO2 emissionsby 48 million tonnes annually.China’s phase-out ties in with legislationin other countries and regionsto stop using these products. Europe’sincandescent phase-out affected60W-and-higher lamps from September2011 (www.ledsmagazine.com/________news/8/9/1), while the US begins itsnationwide ban on 100W-and-aboveincandescent lamps from January 1,2012. ◀MORE: www.ledsmagazine.com/news/8/11/7 _______LEDsmagazine.com NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 17Previous Page | Contents | Zoom in | Zoom out | Front Cover | Search Issue | SubscribeqMqM qMM MQmags| Next Page q qTHE WORLD’S NEWSSTAND ®