EU Experts Approve Phase-out of Incandescent Bulbs
December 10, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The proposed regulation targets lamps typically used in households - in particular, incandescent lamps, halogen lamps and compact fluorescent lamps - by setting minimum energy efficiency and functionality requirements.
By enforcing the regulation of switching to energy-saving bulbs, EU citizens will save close to 40 terawatt-hours (roughly the electricity consumption of Romania, or 11 million European households, or the equivalent of the yearly output of 10 power stations of 500 megawatts). It will also lead to a reduction of about 15 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.
"This groundbreaking measure delivers a clear message about the EU's commitment to reach its energy efficiency and climate protection targets. By replacing last century lamps by more performant technologies, European homes will keep the same quality of lighting, while saving energy, CO2 and money," said Andris Piebalgs, EC energy commissioner.
The regulation takes into account consumer expectations in terms of aesthetics, functionality and health concerns. It progressively removes incandescent bulbs from the market in a way that allows manufacturers to adapt their production accordingly.
Consumers will still have the choice between long-life compact fluorescent lamps that currently yield the highest energy savings (up to 75% less energy than incandescent lamps) or efficient halogen lamps that are fully equivalent to incandescent bulbs in terms of light quality, providing between 25% and 50% energy savings.
Depending on the number of lamps installed, an average household switching from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps could make a net savings (taking into account the higher purchasing price of the lamps) of between €25 and €50 a year on its electricity bill. This means that €5 to €10 billion will be reinjected every year into the EU economy.
The new regulation will now be studied by the European Parliament. It is scheduled for formal adoption by the EC in March 2009.
The regulation is one of several eco-design measures that will be adopted by the EC over the coming months, targeting many more products, such as consumer electronics, white goods and heating appliances.
For further information, see the web page for the Eco-design Regulatory Committee.
Source: European Commission.