On Monday, November 14, 2022, ENERGY STAR issued a memo proposing to sunset its Lamps, Luminaires, and Ceiling Fan Light Kit programs. It’s not uncommon for ENERGY STAR to sunset product categories after DOE has issued appliance efficiency standards that eliminate most of the savings potential for an ENERGY STAR category. Such a DOE standards increase also eliminates savings potential for utilities, triggering an end to rebates for a category.

In this case it was the DOE 45 lpW general service lamp “backstop” that is causing ENERGY STAR to propose sunsetting the lighting categories. Here are the key take aways from ENERGY STAR’s proposal:

• ENERGY STAR is taking comments on the proposal and timeline through January 6, 2023.
• The proposal is to sunset ENERGY STAR for lamps, luminaires, and ceiling fan light kits effective the end of 2024.
• To stop accepting new certifications for these products at the end of 2023.
• To remove lighting requirements from the ENERGY STAR specifications for ceiling fans and ventilation fans, at the end of 2023.
• EPA believes many utilities will cease residential lighting rebates by the end of 2023.

The full EPA proposal memo is available here.

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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