Brussels, 18/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Wednesday 18 March of two eco-design regulations aimed at gradually removing inefficient incandescent light bulbs from the market, the European Commission kicked off the plan to phase the latter out by 2012, replacing them with low energy consumption or fluo-compact halogenic bulbs, known as LBC. During two meetings of the Ecodesign Regulatory Committee in autumn 2008, member states experts had approved Commission proposals aimed at improving the energy efficiency of household lamps and of street, office and industrial lighting products. The proposals were then forwarded to the European Parliament for consultation, before being formally adopted by the Commission on Wednesday.
The two regulations set energy efficiency, functionality and product information requirements for household lamps (incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps and compact fluorescent lamps) as well as for lighting products used in office, street and industrial lighting (fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge lamps and related ballasts and lighting). According to the Commission, these requirements will allow nearly 80 TWh to be saved in the EU by 2020, i.e. the electricity consumption of Belgium, or the equivalent of the yearly output from 20 power stations of 500 megawatts), which will lead to a reduction of about 32 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. The new regulatory provisions will, in addition, allow savings and reinjection of €11 billion annually into the European economy.
The two regulations take into account users' expectations in terms of aesthetics, functionality and health concerns. It progressively removes inefficient conventional bubs and other lighting products from the market in a way that allows manufacturers to adapt their production for efficient alternatives. Households will still have the choice between long-life compact fluorescent lamps that consume up to 80% energy less, and efficient incandescent bulbs of the halogenic kind fully equivalent to conventional bulbs in terms of light quality but providing between 25 and 50% energy savings. Depending on the number of lamps installed, an average household switching from conventional bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps could make net savings (taking into account higher purchasing price of the lamps) between €25 and €50 a year on their electricity bill. (E.H./transl.jl)