In article , dh@. wrote:
I heard that all incandescent bulbs will quit being produced and illegal to sell
in 2013. Is that true? I've also heard that some bulbs like the Par 38 outdoor
spots and floods might continue to be available. Is that true? Someone said they
thought pretty much all halogen bulbs will still be available... Can someone
there tell me what the truth actually is? What about entertainment bulbs, like
Par 64s and 56s, and aircraft landing lights...???
Not "all" incandescent light bulbs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-o...nt_light_bulbs
gives a reasonable overview.
The high points:
- The regs mandate a minimum lumens/watt requirement for bulbs in
various wattage ranges.
- The standards kick in over time... currently the U.S. standards for
100-watt bulbs will start applying in October of this year. Bulbs
of lesser wattages have later implementation dates... 40 watt bulbs
are the last ones to which this set of standards will apply (I
don't know the date). California has already implemented an
efficiency standard that has taken the standard 100-watt
incandescent bulbs off of the shelves, I believe.
- As I understand it, most halogen bulbs do meet the efficiency
requirements... a "100-watt equivalent" halogen bulb draws around
75 watts.
- "Light bulbs outside of this range are exempt from the restrictions.
Also exempt are several classes of specialty lights, including
appliance lamps, rough service bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, stage
lighting, and plant lights."
- A second tier of restrictions is scheduled to become effective in
2020, which will require all "general-purpose' bulbs to deliver at
least 45 lumens per watt (CFL and LED would comply, incandescent
and halogen would not). "Exemptions from the Act include reflector
flood, 3-way, candelabra, colored, and other specialty bulbs".
There are other regulations, in various areas, having to do with lumen
efficiency for outdoor area lighting (e.g. parking lot lights). I
read one article in a trade journal recently which indicated that
almost all new commercial outdoor area lighting being bid for these
days is LED - the reduced electricity cost and reduced maintenance and
improved color rendering (compared to mercury or sodium vapor) is
making it the go-to choice.
--
Dave Platt AE6EO
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