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Efficient lighting can lessen your impact on the environment while saving you money:

  • Lighting is the most cost effective way to save electricity and reduce energy bills.
  • Lighting can sell your home by enhancing its best features.
  • Lighting accounts for up to 10% of residential electricity use- about $1 Billion per year in power bills.
  • Lighting is part of the permanent home décor creating a lasting impression.
  • A typical home in the US produces more air pollution per year than the average car.

Federal and State Lighting Regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and many state Departments of Energy (DOE) recognize the potential energy savings from lighting and are beginning to mandate the use of efficient products.  By 2012, the incandescent bulb Thomas Edison created over 130 years ago will be banned from the United States.  It is incredible to think in our ever-changing technology based world, a product we use and rely on every day has not changed for over a century.  This will not be the case much longer. 

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 mandates the following:

Effective January 1, 2009

  • 150-500 watt probe-start metal halide eliminated
  • Electronic ballasts and pulse-start magnetic ballasts comply

Effective January 1, 2012

  • Eliminates manufacture of most general-service incandescent lamps
  • All general-service lamps (including CFL, LED, incandescent or halogen) must
    • have minimum color rendering index (CRI) of 80 if not ‘modified spectrum’
    • minimum CRI of 75 if ‘modified spectrum’
    • Lumen ranges for modified spectrum lamps are 25% lower but with the same maximum wattages
    • proven minimum efficiency of (30% improvement over today’s lamps):

Rated Lumen Ranges

Maximum Rate Wattage

Efficacy (Lumens/Watt)

Incandescent efficacy today

 

 

 

2600

150w

17.33

1490-2600

72w

21-36

1600

100w

16

1050-1498

53w

20-28

1100

75w

14.67

750-1049

43w

17-24

800

60w

13.33

310-749

29w

11-26

450

40w

11.25

The Oregon DOE has mandated the following on all new construction homes built in the state.

  • N1107.2 High-efficiency lighting systems.
  • A minimum of 50% of the permanently installed lighting fixtures shall be fitted with compact or linear fluorescent or other lamps with a minimum efficacy of 40 lumens per input watt.

The Washington DOE has mandated the following on all new construction homes built in the state.

  • 505.3 Outdoor Lighting.
  • Luminaires providing outdoor lighting and permanently mounted to a residential building or to other buildings on the same lot shall be high efficacy luminaires.

Exceptions:
1. Permanently installed outdoor luminaires that are not high efficacy shall be allowed provided they are controlled by a motion sensor(s) with integral photocontrol photosensor.  
2. Permanently installed luminaires in or around swimming pools, water features.
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