The ban on the 100 watt incandescent bulb is now in effect.
As of January 1, 2012 the law says you cannot manufacture or import into the United States any General Service Incandescent Lamp that is above 72 watts having a light output of 1490 - 2600 lumens and a minimum service life of 1,000 hours.
That means the $0.50, 100 watt, standard incandescent light bulb is now banned.
What has emerged to take its place is a $5.00, 72 watt, halogen bulb stuck inside a standard incandescent light bulb shape. I guess it's that shape so you don't notice that less light output now costs you 10 times more.
Of course there is also the mercury containing 23 watt CFL bulb but that still costs about $4.00 to $5.00 too.
In the tutorial Incandescent Lighting Ban I'll explain a bit about the realities that are starting to set in about the standard incandescent light bulb ban and the frantic media hype trying to convince you it's not happening.
Comments
I am definitely with you on this one Bob…
The ban proposers like to say
“new requirements do not ban traditional incandescents, but require that they use 72 watts or less.”
1. It is effectively a ban on incandescent technology for ordinary lamps, given the 45 lumen per W end regulation standard (2007 EISA legislation phase 2, after 2014).
No known incandescent can meet that requirement, including today’s touted halogen replacements (typically 22-25 lumen per W).
Besides, as you say in you tutorial, replacement incandescents are different anyway, in light quality
(whiter, hotter) as well as costing much more for marginal savings, which is why neither politicians or consumers like them much !
2. Notice, as you rightly quote, the 72W requirement is only for
1490-2600 lumen bulbs
In other words:
The regulation is actually based on Brightness.
Hence the anomaly that DIM regular 75W bulbs are still allowed in 2012 !
In fact: Any DIM 100W bulb is also allowed
(some long-life 100W incandescents can be below 1490 lumens, eg as marketed by Aero and others, lifespan and brightness being tradeoffs)
http://freedomlightbulb.blogspot.com/2012/01/usa-regulation-absurdity-dim-100w-bulbs.html
I am definitely with you on this one Bob…
The ban proposers like to say
“new requirements do not ban traditional incandescents, but require that they use 72 watts or less.”
1. It is effectively a ban on incandescent technology for ordinary lamps, given the 45 lumen per W end regulation standard (2007 EISA legislation phase 2, after 2014).
No known incandescent can meet that requirement, including today’s touted halogen replacements (typically 22-25 lumen per W).
Besides, as you say in you tutorial, replacement incandescents are different anyway, in light quality
(whiter, hotter) as well as costing much more for marginal savings, which is why neither politicians or consumers like them much !
(continued)
Light bulbs don’t burn coal or release CO2 gas.
If there is a problem – deal with the problem.
Energy savings is always good:
But energy saving is not the ONLY reason to choose a bulb to use,
and regulations are a bad way to save energy as well, as it turns out.
Overall US energy savings from a switchover are a fraction of 1%,
on US Dept of Energy stats and surveys, referenced
http://ceolas.net/#li171x
also how home savings are less than supposed
and describing more relevant electricity generation, grid and
consumption savings.
pjoe,
You make an interesting observation in that the law does open the door an allowing a bureaucrat to control the rules and make the lighting regulations more restrictive after 2014 and beyond.
(6) STANDARDS FOR GENERAL SERVICE LAMPS.—
‘‘(A) RULEMAKING BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2014.—
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 1, 2014,
the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking procedure
to determine whether—
‘‘(I) standards in effect for general service
lamps should be amended to establish more stringent
standards than the standards specified in
paragraph (1)(A); and
‘‘(II) the exemptions for certain incandescent
lamps should be maintained or discontinued based,
in part, on exempted lamp sales collected by the
Secretary from manufacturers.
‘‘(ii) SCOPE.—The rulemaking—
‘‘(I) shall not be limited to incandescent lamp
technologies; and
‘‘(II) shall include consideration of a minimum
standard of 45 lumens per watt for general service
lamps.
Then in 2020, they drop the nuclear bomb and make incandescent technology illegal with the 45 lumen per watt requirement, leaving only CFL and LED lighting options to meet the standard.
(v) BACKSTOP REQUIREMENT.—If the Secretary
fails to complete a rulemaking in accordance with
clauses (i) through (iv) or if the final rule does not
produce savings that are greater than or equal to the
savings from a minimum efficacy standard of 45
lumens per watt, effective beginning January 1, 2020,
the Secretary shall prohibit the sale of any general
service lamp that does not meet a minimum efficacy
standard of 45 lumens per watt.