Department of Energy announces new efficiency standards to end production and sale of high-energy incandescent bulbs. 2023: Ban on common incandescent bulbs takes effect in August.
Purchasing or using halogens and incandescent bulbs is not illegal. However, since they do not meet the federally mandated manufacturing standards, they will no longer be produced.
White House is looking to phase out CFLs by 2025, but some states aren't waiting that long.
In 2023, T5 and T8 fluorescent and compact fluorescent tubes (CFL) will be phased out in accordance with the European Commission's ecodesign and RoHS directives. The reason is to remove the most energy- and resource-demanding products from the market and the use of environmentally hazardous mercury.
Various governments have passed legislation to phase out manufacturing or importation of incandescent light bulbs for general lighting in favor of more energy-efficient alternatives. The regulations are generally based on efficiency, rather than use of incandescent technology.
In May of 2022, the Department of Energy issued new standards for lighting products. Starting August 1, 2023, the sale of incandescent and halogen bulbs will be banned. Due to a push toward energy efficiency, bulbs that produce less than 45 lumens per watt will be illegal to sell.
From September 2023 a range of halogen, fluorescent and low-performing LED bulbs will be removed from sale. As sustainability continues to drive regulatory developments, we can expect further changes to lighting standards as needs and technologies evolve.
Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.
Replacement options for 8-foot fluorescent tubes. Instead of dealing with breakage and storage issues, consider replacing 8 foot fluorescent tubes with other options. LED tubes are less fragile, or you can retrofit a fixture to two 4-foot tubes.
Direct-wire compatible T8 LED tube lights can be used in a T12 fixture, as long as the T12 ballast is either bypassed, or completely removed.
Department of Energy announces new efficiency standards to end production and sale of high-energy incandescent bulbs. 2023: Ban on common incandescent bulbs takes effect in August.
LEDs generally cost more, but the long-term savings are often worth it. Even though CFLs were initially known for consuming less energy, they are still not as energy efficient as LEDs. LEDs also reduce the cost of replacement lamps and maintenance time and fees. CFLs last around 8,000 hours.
CFL light bulbs vs LED
We have loved CFL and their efficiency for many years already and they have saved us tons of energy and money but, the LED era is here and that means more savings and no toxic substances around us. LED lights are capable of saving you around a 40% of energy when changing from CFL lights.
The new federal ruling requires general service lamps (GSLs) to meet a minimum efficacy of 45 lumens per watt. Without all of the lighting jargon, that means they must produce more light using less energy. Most of the incandescent and halogen products on the market today cannot meet that standard.
LEDs. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the new rock stars of the bulb world. A typical LED uses a fraction of the wattage required to power a bright incandescent bulb, and this makes LEDs dramatically more cost-effective over the long run.
Only a small portion of this energy was actually used to give us light. They have now been replaced with low-energy alternatives such as light emitting diodes (LED), compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs more commonly known as energy-saving light bulbs) and halogens.
Many LED tubes are "plug and play", meaning you can just install them like you would a fluorescent bulb. For this to be true, look for bulbs that are "ballast-compatible" meaning that they can use the ballast already installed in your fluorescent fixture to power the LEDs.
Is it necessary to remove the ballast to use an LED light? Depending on the light, the need for ballast may change as some require a ballast, and some can work efficiently without them. Although, some commercial fixtures like a T8 4ft LED tube or warehouse lighting fixtures can directly be connected to the wire.
LED tube lights are increasingly used to replace fluorescent lights. Compared to fluorescents, LED lighting lasts longer, is more energy efficient and uses no mercury. LED lights also offer superior light quality, with no flickering.
LED provides 70% more light. The beam angle of the LED replacement bulb is 110 degrees. This means that all of the light generated by the LED bulb is focused in the 110 degree area. The T8 bulb, on the other hand, has a beam angle of 360 degrees.
Lifespan – The average life of a T8 LED is 50,000 hours, versus only 30,000 hours for an average T8 LFL. Shatterproof (potentially) – Most T8 LED tubes are made with a shatterproof coating. With linear fluorescent, you either had to specially order shatterproof fluorescent lamps or use a tube guard which was costly.
In 2023, legislation will go into effect in the United States that will prohibit light bulbs with an energy efficiency of under 45 lumens per watt, which rules out most incandescent and halogen options commonly used today. This ban will mean it will no longer be legal to manufacture, import, or sell such bulbs.
Note: U.S. production will stop for 3-way and globe-shaped standard incandescent bulbs within the next three years, but they may still be on shelves in stores. Until inventory is depleted, consumers will still be able to buy these bulbs.
Rapid Start ballasts provide the coil heating required to get the longest life out of the lamps in typical operating cycles of 12 hrs./day.