December 20, 2022
DOE Proposes Stronger Light Bulb Efficiency Standards
"Proposed rule significantly raises the minimum lightbulb efficiency level, from 45 to over 120 lumens per watt for the most common bulbs."
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), proposed stronger efficiency standards for light bulbs, also known as general service lamps. According to the DOE announcement, the "proposed rule significantly raises the minimum lightbulb efficiency level, from 45 lumens per watt to over 120 lumens per watt (lm/W) for the most common bulbs."
Earlier this year, DOE implemented a near-term phaseout of inefficient incandescent bulbs. The proposed new rule will accelerate the transition away from compact fluorescent bulbs as well, toward more efficient and long-lasting LED bulbs that deliver significant savings and that the lighting industry is already embracing. DOE estimates that the new rule, if adopted within the proposed timeframe, will deliver consumer benefits of up to $20 billion dollars and conserve roughly 4 quadrillion British thermal units of energy in the 30 years after its implementation.
The DOE has issued a pre-publication Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) pertaining to energy conservation standards for general service lamps (GSLs).
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), directs DOE to initiate two rulemaking cycles for GSLs that, among other requirements, determine whether standards in effect for GSLs should be amended. EPCA also requires DOE to periodically determine whether more-stringent, standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. In this NOPR, DOE proposes amended standards for GSLs pursuant to its statutory authority in EPCA, and also announces a webinar to receive comments on its proposal and associated analyses and results.
One of the many standards proposed by DOE is to raise the minimum efficacies for Integrated Omnidirectional Long Product commonly referred to as 4-foot T-LED lamps. Based on the current standards, it seems that T-LEDs are subject to the same 45 lm/W backstop minimum efficacy that apply to lower lumen Edison-base LED lamps.
Here is the plan:
-
DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this NOPR until 75 days after date of publication in the Federal Register. DOE will send a follow-up e-mail once the notice publishes to announce the closing date of the comment period.
-
Interested persons may submit comments identified by docket number EERE-2022-BT- STD-0022, by email (GSL2022STD0022@ee.doe.gov), Federal eRulemaking portal (http://www.regulations.gov).
-
DOE will hold a webinar on Wednesday, February, 1, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
-
Click here to register for the webinar.
-
Foreign Nationals interested in participating in this webinar, must be screened by DOE Headquarters Security prior to being granted access. Please email Regina.Washington@ee.doe.gov to complete the necessary documentation at least two weeks prior to scheduled meeting date.
-
Additional webinar registration information, participant instructions, and information about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be published on DOE’s website: https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/public-meetings-and-comment-deadlines
DOE has published a Federal Register Final Rule pertaining to definitions for General Service Lamps (GSL) and General Service Incandescent Lamp (GSIL). On January 19, 2017, DOE published two final rules adopting revised definitions of GSL and GSIL, and other supplemental definitions, to go into effect January 1, 2020. (“January 2017 Final Rules”). Prior to that effective date, on September 5, 2019, DOE withdrew the revised definitions of GSL, GSIL, and the other supplemental definitions. Upon further review and consideration, on August 19, 2021, DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) proposing to amend the definitions of GSL, GSIL and the other supplemental definitions as previously set forth in the January 2017 Final Rules.
DOE responds to comments received on the NOPR in this final rule and adopts the definitions of GSL and GSIL and the associated supplemental definitions set forth in the January 2017 Final Rules as proposed in the NOPR.
