The Laws of Lighting
I’m a rule follower. I quite like the structure rules and laws impart to my existence. I might not always agree with the minute details of every mandate I encounter, but I find the most peaceful solution is to just cooperate and respect the guidelines set forth by people I hope have only my best interest at heart. Considering the current topics of the day, you might easily assume I am talking about face masks or physical distancing. Well, guess what? I’m talking about buying light bulbs!
If you didn’t already know (and why would you?), there are many laws, mandates, and even bans governing the types of light bulbs manufacturers can produce and consumers can purchase. More seem to be popping up every day. While each individual state can currently draft its own set of laws (or not), all of it began with the enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, a federal piece of legislation that, among other things, set performance standards and initiated the phase out of incandescent light bulbs. One of the goals of the Act was to “increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles;” detailed in Sec. 321 of Subtitle B (trust me, you don’t want to read it), is the call to increase lighting efficiency by at least 25%. Meaning, in short, that many traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs, or GSLs (general service lamps) were going to fade from the market since they consumed so much energy to provide their light. Also within this section are enactment dates and phase-in dates with the years of 2014, 2018, and 2020. But as with any new law, there have been amendments and modifications through the years, overseen by the Department of Energy (DOE). While many of the strictest enforcements were to go into effect for all states in 2020, in late 2019 the DOE decided to preempt (or release) all states from enacting those restrictions. So, many states did nothing. In fact, most states currently have no restrictions on bulb efficiency. But stay with me here . . . some states did enact regulations. And many more are on deck to follow suit.
California, for instance, has some of the most rigid restrictions, prohibiting the sale of ANY GSL that does not provide at least 45 lumens per watt. Other states that lean to the side of maximizing energy efficiency are Nevada, Massachusetts, and Washington, with restrictions on certain types of GSLs. While the EISA does not address the high-CRI linear fluorescent lamps like T12s and some T8s, some states (Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont, to name a few) have enacted their own bans on those products, again because of their high-energy draw.
More states and districts including Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Oregon, have legislation pending to restrict the use of light sources that gobble up energy. Most new laws and bans will have compliance dates in the future, likely one to two years out, so migration to higher-efficiency sources doesn’t need to be immediate—but it should be on your radar. If you’ve got renovation or new construction projects on the horizon, start making the transition now. Then you won’t be playing catch-up with the rules at a later and probably more inconvenient date.
Looking ahead, with the DOE continuing to work on new definitions and recommendations, we can expect that laws and mandates will continue to evolve. A federal law that would create standards for all states could come as soon as 2025. For now, be sure to check specific state and local agencies with regard to lighting laws.
There are so many newer, more efficient products nowadays, including a vast selection of compliant LEDs on 1000Bulbs.com, it should be a piece of cake to follow the new rules—and seize the opportunity to save one of our most valuable commodities: energy.
Call one of our friendly lighting experts at 1-800-624-4488.
