The Department of Energy today announced plans for a new consumer education initiative that will be timed to the upcoming changes in lamp regulations. The initiative will provide greater awareness of the overall benefits of the legislative changes and new, “greener” technologies such as LEDs and CFLs.
Joining DOE at the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Market Introduction Workshop in Philadelphia for today’s announcement were representatives from GE, Philips, Cree and Sylvania, as well as major retailers including The Home Depot, Costco Wholesale and Grainger. These partners are already on board to work with DOE in this effort.
Millions of people will start paying a lot more attention to the common light bulb in the coming months, thanks to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The end result will point consumers towards more efficient lighting alternatives, such as CFLs and LEDs, in addition to more-efficient screw-in halogen lamps that comply with the Act. These performance levels will be superseded by an even more stringent set that take effect in 2020.
The ultimate effect of phasing out inefficient light sources will be significant national energy savings and a shrunken carbon footprint. However, without an effective consumer education process, these new performance levels could cause considerable confusion. Since most people are used to selecting light bulbs on the basis of their wattage–which, for efficient technologies like SSL is not an accurate indication of light output–DOE is preparing to team with the lighting industry and its market channels to increase consumer understanding of metrics such as lumens.
More details on the new consumer education initiative will emerge in the coming months as planning evolves. DOE expects to formally launch the new initiative this Fall.
