EU Moves to Phase Out Incandescent Bulbs
The sale of conventional incandescent lightbulbs is expected to become illegal in the European Union by September 2012.
Incandescent bulbs are very inefficient. They produce light by causing a filament to become white hot. In this process, 97% of the energy used by such bulbs is lost as waste heat.
At a meeting in December, experts from all 27 EU member states agreed to begin phasing out incandescents from September 2009.
Initially, all 100 watt bulbs will be withdrawn, along with all lower wattage products which fail to meet tough efficiency standards – such as coloured or opaque bulbs.
A complete ban will come into force two years later. Consumers will have no choice but to buy more efficient alternatives, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), low voltage halogens – and LEDs.
The plan is not yet law. It still needs to be scrutinised by the European Parliament and by energy ministers from the member states. However, if they do not raise any objections, it could be on the statute books by the end of March.
According to the EU’s energy commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, the measure forms a vital part of a Europe’s strategy to address climate change.
“By replacing last century lamps by more performant technologies, European homes will keep the same quality of lighting, while saving CO2, energy and money”, he says.
According to EU estimates, the move will save up to 40 tetrawatt hours of electricity a year. In simple terms, that’s enough energy to power 11 million homes.
In the short term, the European Commission expects consumers to replace their conventional bulbs with either CFLs or efficient halogens.
Neither option, however, is truly ideal. CFLs are highly efficient, but they take time to warm up, and contain small quantities of toxins such as mercury.
They have also been linked with health effects such as migraines in people who are sensitive to ultraviolet light.
Halogens, meanwhile, produce strong light, without the drawbacks of CFLs, but they simply aren’t as efficient either.
The most promising emerging technology, according to the Commission, is the light emitting diode.
LEDs, it says, “are likely to become true alternatives to CFLs very rapidly”.
In fact, good quality household LED lamps are already being produced and are expected to become widely available within months.
For consumers, the transition is unlikely to be entirely smooth.
Incandescent bulbs are very cheap. The alternatives are currently more expensive. However, prices are expected to come down as production of efficient bulbs increases.
Moreover, the European Commission believes that even if those higher costs are taken into account, consumers should still make net savings of 25-50 euros per year.
Meanwhile, governments elsewhere are taking similar steps.
The United States is to phase out most incandescent bulbs between 2012 and 2014, while Australia, Brazil and Canada will be introducing their own bans over the next few years.
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