White House Says “No” To Inefficiency

Incandescent bulbs may very well become a thing of the past in a mere few years, thanks in part to the White House. Signed by President Bush on December 19 of 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was big step for energy efficient lighting. Beginning January 1st of 2012, 100W lamps must be 30% more efficient than they are today or else be banned from manufacture and import. Beginning January 1st of 2013, the same will apply to 75W lamps, and beginning on January 1st of 2014, 40W and 60W lamps will be obliged to comply. At first blush, this act spells a mere “shaping up” of current lighting technology; it does not suggest a revolution of any kind. However, these mandates do indicate a nose for the greater issue at hand: energy conservation. Just because it will still be perfectly legal to sell 40W incandescent lamps in 2014 (as long as their 30% more efficient than they are now) does not mean it will be economically viable. As we have covered in a previous article, LED bulbs that are as bright as 50W halogens are already capable of paying for themselves four times over in energy and replacement savings. As this information increases in volume and more people are enlightened, incandescent lights will fall by the wayside, victims of their own inefficiency. Thus, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is a subtle but sure gesture designed to guide economic forces that will (so it seems) inevitably result in the widespread adoption of energy efficient lighting.

The act also states firmly that by 2020, lighting efficiency at large must increase to at least 45 lumens per Watt. Luckily for people who like to be on the cutting edge, a large number of our LED lights are specifically designed for general illumination and are rated at 70 lumens per Watt. Who wants to wait 12 years to start saving money and energy that is possible to start saving today with bulbs like the PAR-20?

LED*Waves – Saving the world, one bulb at a time.