Ireland's still ploughing ahead with it regardless. Initially for bulbs rated 75W or more.
FAQs from the Irish Department of the Environment
Will householders have to replace all of their light bulbs at once?
Not at all. When standards come into force, it will mean that energy inefficient lightbulbs will no longer be available on the market. It will simply mean that when a light bulb comes to the end of its life, there will only be more energy efficient products available in Ireland to replace them.
When will the standards come into force?
The standard is being introduced in 4 phases and the first phase will start on 1 March 2009. From that date, manufacturers will not be allowed to supply bulbs covered by this phase to retailers in the Irish market. This would include bulbs with a rating of 75W or more (the specific bulbs are detailed in the consultation paper). However retailers will be allowed to clear existing stock of these bulbs up to the end of May 2009. The detail of the other phases is outlined in the consultation paper.
What if there is no energy efficient alternative to some of the lights in houses?
This consultation process will help to identify what difficulties, if any, there are with some lighting products and fittings. There is no intention to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards where there are no alternatives currently available.
Are some energy efficient light bulbs dangerous, as they contain hazardous materials like mercury?
Absolutely not. CFLs, which contain very small amounts of mercury, are manufactured to stringent safety standards. Lights containing mercury (fluorescent tubes) have been widespread in Ireland for more than 50 years. The Department cannot find any records or evidence of them having posed serious safety issues for the general public. Nevertheless, as CFLs are likely to become more widespread, the Department has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to draw up guidelines for people in the unlikely event of breakage of these products.
Is this all about promoting CFL bulbs?
No, in fact no particular bulb or technology will be specified. What will be introduced is an energy efficiency standard and it will be a matter for the industry to respond with products that meet that standard. It is probable that CFL bulbs will be part of the overall response but other technologies such as LEDs (light emitting diodes) may also form part of the response.
What about recycling?
The Department will work closely with industry on disposal issues. The bulk of energy efficient lightbulbs, including all CFLs, are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive (WEEE). This means that they can be disposed of at civic amenity sites free of charge. Used CFLs can also be returned to any outlet that sells them.
What about the quality of light? Is it not the case that energy efficient lighting produces poorer quality lighting than traditional bulbs, and that the bulbs flicker?
This is not the case. Good quality energy efficient lights produce the same light output as incandescent lighting. Flickering used to be a problem with traditional fluorescent tubes, but that is not the case with the current generation of CFLs. In addition, Tungsten Halogen bulbs look and function the same as incandescent bulbs.
What about price?
Will the public end up spending more on lighting?
They will actually be spending less. While energy-efficient alternatives are more expensive to buy initially, they save money in the long run. Good quality CFL bulbs can last ten times as long as ordinary incandescent tungsten filament bulbs. In addition, they use just one fifth of the electricity used to power an incandescent bulb.
What about medical conditions? Is it true that some energy efficient lighting has negative effects on people suffering from conditions such as epilepsy, lupus or migraine?
Again, this is an area covered by this consultation process, to establish if this is the case, and if any special measures are needed to cater for this. However, as per above, Tungsten Halogen Bulbs would seem to provide the answer if this is the case.
Is it true that CFL bulbs do not work with dimmer switches?
The Department understands that there is an issue in relation to dimming in the case of some CFL’s. Tungsten Halogen bulbs are fully dimmable.
Further details on Energy Efficient Domestic Lighting are available in the European Lamp Companies Federation document The European Lamp Industry’s Strategy for Domestic Lighting - Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
This was the public consultation document:
http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Atmosphere/FileDownLoad,18645,en.pdf
They basically invited submissions from anyone who was interested in making one.
