incandescent phase out | Pegasus Lighting Blog

Next Phase Of EISA: Losing The 75-Watt Incandescent

Jan 242013

Stock Photo Shattered Light Bulb Next Phase Of EISA: Losing The 75 Watt Incandescent
As of January 1, 2013, the second phase of EISA has taken effect, banning the import and production of 75-watt incandescent light bulbs.

For those unfamiliar, EISA stands for the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. President Bush signed this act during his second term, and it aims to do the following:

Move the U.S. toward greater energy independence and security
Increase the production of clean, renewable fuels
Increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles
Promote research on and set up greenhouse gas capture and storage options
Improve the energy performance of the Federal Government
Increase U.S. energy security, develop renewable fuel production, and improve vehicle fuel economy

One of the main goals enacted by this legislation is to raise appliance and lighting efficiency standards, which is what has brought about the incandescent light phase outs. These older incandescent lamps just don’t meet the mark.

Last January, we said goodbye to the 100-watt incandescent lamp, and now the 75-watt has followed. It’s likely you’ll still see them in stores in coming months, but with the ban on importing or manufacturing these lights, the supplies we already have will dwindle and eventually run out. Now, a light bulb must use 53 watts or less if it emits the equivalent lumens of a 75-watt incandescent light.

These new standards are technology neutral, so any kind of light bulb can still be sold, as long as it meets the efficiency requirements. Continue reading »

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How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Household A Lamps

Light Bulbs No Responses »

Sep 042012

PinExt How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Household A Lamps

A light 224x300 How To Cope When Your Favorite Light Bulb Gets The Shaft: Household A Lamps
Love your light bulbs like they’re going out of style? Bad news: some of them actually are. As of January this year, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) began its push to phase-out inefficient incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen light bulbs.

This is the first in a three part series to help you find the perfect replacement for almost any discontinued light bulb. In this post we’ll review the incandescent phase-out, which household A lamps are on the way out, and the benefits of various replacements. In the next two posts we’ll probe new territory, learning about discontinued reflector lamps and fluorescent light bulbs, why they’re getting the boot and how to handle the changes…

Discontinued Household Lamps

General service incandescent lamps (the run-of-the-mill medium screw base light bulbs) have already begun to disappear, and will continue to do so for the next few years (excluding only certain lamps). This phase out will probably affect the general public most directly, since these lamps are so popular, but it’s also one of the easiest changes to adapt to. The new regulations have raised the standards for rated life and lumen output, and have set a ceiling for how many watts a single lamp can use. The iconic incandescent A lamps just don’t cut it.

Here are your new standards:

Lamp	Date Discontinued	New Lumen Range	New Max Watts	New Min Rated Life	Replacement Options
100W A19	Jan 1, 2012	1490-2600	72W	1000 hours	Halogen, CFL, (and LED coming soon)
75W A19	Jan 1, 2013	1050-1489	53W	1000 hours	Halogen, CFL, and LED
60W A19*	Jan 1, 2014	750-1049	43W	1000 hours	Halogen, CFL, and LED
40W A19	Jan 1, 2014	310-749	29W	1000 hours	Halogen, CFL, and LED

*A heads up: 60W B10 chandelier and 60W G25 globe light bulbs are also getting the boot on 1-1-14, but you can also replace them with halogens, CFLs, and LEDs.

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How To Replace a 60W Incandescent Light Bulb: The Ultimate Guide

Light Bulbs No Responses »

Mar 192012

PinExt How To Replace a 60W Incandescent Light Bulb: The Ultimate Guide

Chances are, you have a few 60 watt frosted incandescent light bulbs in your home – they are very commonly used in table and floor lamps. Here’s the thing: There are other light bulbs out there that last longer, consume less energy, and provide up to 95% of the light output.

Plus, today’s standard 60 watt incandescent light bulbs will be phased out in the near future (January 1 2014, to be exact). We created an infographic laying out your options to replace that light bulb:

replacing that 60 watt light bulb How To Replace a 60W Incandescent Light Bulb: The Ultimate Guide

When you’re considering cost, take into account the expected lifetime! Paying $25.70 every 23 years for one LED A19 is less expensive than paying $3.25 each year for a Halogen A19. The total for that Halogen A19 light bulb (and all its replacements) adds up to roughly $74.75 over 23 years.

Want to embed this infographic on your own site or blog? Great! Here’s the embed code:

<img src=”http://images.pegasuslighting.com/infographics/replacing-that-60-watt-light-bulb.png” width=”750″ height=”1003″>
<br><br>
<a href=”http://www.pegasuslighting.com/replacing-60-watt-light-bulb.html”> Replacing That 60-Watt Light Bulb: A Cheat Sheet</a> created by <a href=”http://www.pegasuslighting.com”>Pegasus Lighting</a>.

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Protesters of the Incandescent Light Bulb

Thoughts on Light 1 Response »

Feb 102012

PinExt Protesters of the Incandescent Light Bulb

shattered misconceptions Protesters of the Incandescent Light Bulb

There has been some public resistance to EISA 2007 (also known as the “incandescent phase out”) and what it means for light bulbs.

This is arguably the first monumental shift in the way people will light their homes since the early 1900’s, when Edison’s invention replaced gas lamps. It got me to thinking – what was it like when Edison’s incandescent light bulb first hit the market?

I came across an interesting article in Bloomberg and found out that 100 years ago the general public was very reluctant to start using those new fangled incandescent light bulbs in their homes.

In 1910, thirty years after the incandescent light bulb became available, 90 percent of American households were still using gas lamps - and it wasn’t because electrical contractors weren’t available.

The main protests from consumers in the early 20th century were safety, aesthetics, and cost.

The safety concerns in Edison’s time revolved around electricity. An Italian scientist named Luigi Galvani studying muscle contraction in the late 18th century had concluded that “animal electricity” stored in the muscles was the same as the electricity used to power a lamp. Therefore, he claimed adding artificial electricity to your home would have detrimental physical effects. Women wondered if the lights would bring on freckles. There was an idea that the spirit had electrical properties, so people thought that ghosts, hypnotism, and telepathy were all the result of electricity outside of the body. Continue reading »

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Has Congress Put the Stop Sign on Incandescent Legislation?

Lighting News 2 Responses »

Dec 212011

PinExt Has Congress Put the Stop Sign on Incandescent Legislation?

stop sign Has Congress Put the Stop Sign on Incandescent Legislation?

Julie Muhlstein, a reporter for Washington’s The Herald, described the recent developments with the incandescent lighting legislation well: Political football.

Whether you think incandescent lighting should be phased out for inefficiency or you believe light bulbs are none of the U.S. government’s concern, you’ll agree that the aftermath of EISA 2007 has been heated.

First, a repeal bill called the Better Use of Bulbs Act attempted to eliminate the efficiency standards set to begin in 2012 altogether. The BULB Act did not pass, but it gathered support from a large group of people vehemently opposed to lighting legislation. In response, the Department of Energy launched a nationwide advertising campaign touting the benefits of efficient light bulbs. One of the ads depicted a couple throwing valuable items (a TV, a bike, an electric guitar, etc.) off the side of a cliff. The DOE drew a parallel to throwing away money on wasted electricity.

The final play in this game was last week’s bill that denied funding to implement the efficiency standards. Technically, come January 1, the traditional 100-watt incandescent light bulb may no longer be manufactured or imported in the U.S. because it does not meet the efficiency standards put in place by EISA 2007.

However, the Department of Energy cannot enforce that law, as enforcement funding has been denied for the next nine months.

See what I mean? Political football. What do you think about the recent developments with EISA 2007?

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In-The-Know About January 1, 2012

Lighting News No Responses »

Nov 172011

PinExt In The Know About January 1, 2012

question In The Know About January 1, 2012 There has been a lot of coverage on this blog about the upcoming incandescent light bulb phaseout. Back in January, I wrote a post titled Are You One of the 36%?, pointing out that only 36% of Americans were aware of the upcoming phaseout. A whopping 64% had heard nothing about the legislation, and 80% did not know that traditional 100-watt light bulbs would no longer be available after January 1, 2012.

The Department of Energy has been hard at work spreading the word, and so have lighting manufacturers and retailers like us.

Well, a new poll from Osram Sylvania found that those efforts have paid off! A majority of Americans (55%) are now aware of the federal legislation.

However, according to the poll, most Americans are still hazy on the details.

Do you feel comfortable about the upcoming changes? Do you have questions? Ask away!

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My Search for a New Light Bulb

Light Bulbs 13 Responses »

Sep 192011

As most of us now know, the traditional incandescent light bulb invented over 100 years ago is being phased out over the next couple of years. To learn more about the incandescent phase out, or if you are like “What?!”, make sure to check out our coverage on the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) – aka “the incandescent phase out”.

Whether or not you agree with the law, and there are plenty of opinions both for and against, it is coming. In fact, the first phase starts this January 2012 when the 100-watt incandescent light bulb will no longer be able to be manufactured or imported. In January 2013 it will be the 75-watt light bulb and in January 2014, the 60-watt and 40-watt light bulbs.

So, knowing this is coming, and knowing that I have a lot of light bulbs in my house that will need to be replaced, including 100-watt ones, I decided to start exploring my options and figured I would share them with you.

What did I learn?

There are options available now.
There is no one option for me. I will be using different technologies based upon my needs and wants.
GE makes a very cool hybrid light bulb which is part halogen and compact fluorescent that I am now using.
There are halogen replacements for incandescent light bulbs…did not know this.
Philips has a very cool, very awesome, somewhat expensive, LED light bulb called AmbientLED. I wish I could afford many of these because they work very, very well.

Now on to the story…

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Political Pulls with Energy Efficient Lighting

Lighting News No Responses »

Jul 212011

PinExt Political Pulls with Energy Efficient Lighting

doe ad chicken Political Pulls with Energy Efficient Lighting

Department of Energy photo from the national consumer education campaign

The efficiency standards for light bulbs set into place by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) have been a topic of debate in the political arena recently.

First, the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act, H.R. 2417, sought to repeal the portion of EISA 2007 requiring incandescent light bulbs to become 25 to 30 percent more efficient. The BULB Act did not pass in the House of Representatives.

Last Friday, the House approved an amendment that denies funding to implement the federal light bulb efficiency standards.

On Tuesday, the Department of Energy launched a new advertising campaign touting the benefits of efficient light bulbs. It seems to be a timely response to Friday’s amendment.

The DOE’s public service announcements include print and television ads. Here’s one of the videos to be aired: Continue reading »

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Light Bulb Bill Put To the Test Today

Lighting News No Responses »

Jul 122011

PinExt Light Bulb Bill Put To the Test Today

shattered misconceptions Light Bulb Bill Put To the Test Today

Update (7/13): The BULB Act did not pass in the House of Representatives. The vote was 233 in favor of the repeal and 193 opposed. Since that didn’t constitute a two-thirds majority, it did not go on to the Senate.

As the incandescent phase out approaches, with today’s standard 100W light bulb set to face new efficiency standards beginning in January 2012, a Republican-sponsored bill is seeking to halt the changing standards before they even happen.

The repeal bill, called the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act, H.R. 2417 (BULB Act), would eliminate the portion of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) that requires incandescent light bulbs to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient.

Supporters of the BULB Act say that mandating efficiency standards in light bulbs will limit consumer choice and result in unnecessary government intervention.

Perhaps supporters of the BULB Act have not heard about the many replacement options for inefficient incandescent light bulbs? Or the fact that this legislation will save U.S. households a great deal of money in energy costs (about $15.8 billion per year)?

The U.S. House of Representatives was expected to vote yesterday on the repeal bill, but the vote has been delayed until at least today.

A two-thirds majority vote will be required for the repeal bill to continue on to the Senate.

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