The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has issued a final rule related to energy standards for rough-service and vibration-service incandescent lamps. This rule codifies backstop provisions in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, establishing a maximum rated wattage of 40W and packaging limitation of one lamp per package when sold at the retail level. The effective date for the rule was January 25, 2018.
Energy legislation in 2007 established energy efficiency standards for 40-100W incandescent and halogen general-service lamps. Starting 2012 for 100W, 2013 for 75W, and 2014 for 40W and 60W, covered lamp types had to become about 30 percent more efficient or be prohibited from manufacture and import.
Among the five exemptions were rough- and vibration-service lamps, which continued to sell. However, if it was found, based on collected unit sales data, that sales of any of these exempted lamps crossed a target threshold, they would become subject to regulation. DoE evaluated data for these two lamp types and determined they did. As DoE did not undertake a new rulemaking for these lamp types within the required time, the legislation’s backstop requirements were triggered.
As a result, rough- and vibration-service lamps manufactured on or after January 25, 2018 must, according to the rule, “have a rated wattage not greater than 40 watts,” and “be sold at retail only in a package containing one lamp.”
Learn more here.
This article corrects a previous article in which it was incorrectly stated lamp sales did not cross the target threshold. This was in response to a news item received in an email that linked to a DOE page with outdated information. We apologize for the error.
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