U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Appliances & Commercial Equipment Standards

Fluorescent and Incandescent Lamps

This page describes rulemaking activities and regulations regarding energy efficiency for fluorescent and incandescent lamps.

**NEW** Oct 4 Meeting, Framework and NOPR in the Federal Register

Statutory Authority

Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6291 et seq.) (EPCA or the Act) established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, covering major household appliances, designed to improve energy efficiency. Amendments to title III of EPCA in the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT 1992), P.L. 102-486, established energy conservation standards for certain types of fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs), and authorized the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to amend these standards if such amendments were warranted. (42 U.S.C. 6291(1), 6295(i)(1) and (3)-(4)) The same amendments authorized DOE to adopt standards for additional types of general service fluorescent lamps if such additional standards were warranted. (42 U.S.C. 6295(i)(5))

On December 19, 2007, the President signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) (Pub. L. 110-140), which amends EPCA and directs DOE to undertake new energy conservation standards rulemakings. EISA 2007 also amends EPCA with regard to general service fluorescent lamps, incandescent reflector lamps, and general service incandescent lamps. A fact sheet describing provisions in EISA 2007 related to general service incandescent lamps is presented below. EISA 2007 requires the Secretary of Energy to develop a unit sales forecast for 2010-2025 for five lamp types exempt from the general service incandescent lamp standards. The forecast report and a spreadsheet of the models are available below.

In July 2009 DOE published a final rule amending standards for covered general service fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps. 74 FR 34080 (July 14, 2009). However, DOE did not amend standards for certain elliptical reflector (ER), bulged reflector (BR), or small diameter incandescent reflector lamps because it did not believe it had the authority to do so. Based upon a reexamination of its authority, DOE decided to conduct a separate rulemaking to assess energy conservations standards for these currently exempt products. Thus, the DOE has initiated the process to review, and possibly amend, energy conservation standards for certain ER, BR, and small diameter IRLs.

Energy Conservation Standard- ER, BR, and Small Diameter Incandescent Reflector Lamps

• Framework Document

Energy Conservation Standard-Fluorescent and Incandescent Reflector Lamps

• **NEW** Notice of Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document, Federal Register, September 14, 2011
• Framework Document for Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps, September 7, 2011
• Public Meeting October 4, 2011, (Webinar option available)
• Comment Deadline: October 31, 2011

Previous Rulemakings

• Final Rule
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Framework Document

Test Procedure

NOPR

• **NEW**Test Procedures for General Service Fluorescent Lamps, General Service Incandescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Federal Register, September 14, 2011
• Public Meeting October 4, 2011, (Webinar option available)
• Comment Deadline: November 28, 2011

Previous Rulemakings

• General Service Fluorescent Lamps, Incandescent Reflector Lamps, and General Service Incandescent Lamps Test Procedure; Final Rule, Federal Register, July 6, 2009
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Exclusion Determination - 120 V, 100 Watt R20 Incandescent Reflector Lamp for Spa Applications

Request for Information

• Request for information and notice of granting of petition for rulemaking a Request for Exclusion of 120 Volt, 100 Watt R20 Short Incandescent Reflector Lamp for Spa Applications From Energy Conservation Standards, Federal Register, 76 FR 55609, September 8, 2011
• Comment Deadline: October 11, 2011; find more information on how to submit comments for this Spa Lamp RFI here.
• Docket Number: EERE–2010– BT–PET–0047. Stakeholder comments are compiled on the regulations.gov website. To navigate to the comments page, select "Public Comments" in the Select Document Type box and enter the Docket Number in the 'Enter Keyword or ID' box

Unit Sales Forecasts for Five Lamp Types

• Notice of Data Availability

Certification, Compliance and Enforcement Requirements

The Department published a Final Rule on January 5, 2010, which adopts regulations to implement reporting requirements for energy conservation standards and energy use. The Final Rule also addresses other matters concerning compliance, certification and enforcement procedures. The Department published a Technical Amendment on January 28, 2010 that corrects cross-referencing errors in the final rule.

• Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement Requirements for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment Final Rule, Federal Register, 75 FR 652, January 5, 2010,
• Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement Requirements for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial and Industrial Equipment); Technical Amendment, Federal Register, 75 FR 4474, January 28, 2010

The Department provided guidance on July 1, 2011 concerning enforcement of EISA 2007 standards for candelabra base and intermediate base lamps.

Previous Federal Register Notices

• Fluorescent and Incandescent Lamp Test Procedure, Federal Register, May 29, 1997

Supplementary Information

• Standards prescribed in EISA 2007
• Fact Sheet: General Service Incandescent Lamp Provisions Contained in EISA 2007
• Fact Sheet: General Service Fluorescent Lamps
• Guidance: General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Color Rendering Indices

Contact Information

Tina Kaarsberg, Ph.D.
Lighting Standards Project Manager
202-287-1393