By Scott Patterson

The requirement and impact on the consumer side:

The phase out of incandescent light bulbs begins on the January of 2012, the new standards require all light bulbs to be at least 25 percent more efficient whether it is domestically manufactured or imported. On the package it should label clearly its brightness and explain it life expectancy, energy efficiency and annual operating cost. The efficiency standards will only begin to take its effect on 100 watt incandescent light bulbs on January 1 and will gradually make its effect onto 75 watt and 60 watt on January 13 and 14 respectively. Retailers are allowed to sell their remainder incandescent light bulbs as long as they are not manufactured or imported after the regulation being imposed.

The old incandescent light bulbs, the original Thomas Edison light bulbs, are inefficient and waste reportedly up to 95 percent of its energy as heat. This is also why it gets hot and can be hazardous on touch. The congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007, which requires the new bulbs to be at least 25 percent more efficient in terms of electricity cost per lumen of light produced.

Sufficient light bulbs cost more, but can save your electricity bill in the long run. A typical 75 watt traditional incandescent light bulb priced at less than 1 dollar cost about $12.50 annually to use. A 75 watt equivalent LED light bulb (use only 17 watt) priced from $25 to $40 and cost about $3 annually to use and are typically warranted to have a lifespan longer than 20 years.

Information on the color temperature of these new light bulbs is specified on its packaging in temperature scale unit using kelvin. Lower number on the Kelvin scale meaning the light is warmer and yellowish while higher the number means the light is cooler and bluish, a traditional incandescent light bulb with a tint of yellow is measured on a Kelvin scale to approximately 2,700 to 3,000 k.

Lumen is also a specification that one should pay attention to when it comes to choosing new bulbs. Different from the traditional specification of wattage required, lumen measure a bulb’s brightness. An old 100 watt incandescent light bulb produces about 1,600 lumens, and a 40 watt incandescent light bulb produce approximately 450 lumens, needless to say the higher the lumen the brighter the light produced.

The Energy Efficiency Act

The Energy Efficiency Act marks the end of incandescent light bulbs. Gradually incandescent light bulbs will disappear from our grocery, convenient stores. In fact, the more popular variety of light bulbs, the 40 and 60 watt light bulbs will have couple more years before being affected by the new efficiency standards. Law makers in the United States are trying to push its nation toward a more energy independent and secure country.

With the new Energy Efficiency Act in effect, however, most of specialty lights will not be affected, that being said to including twinkle lights and more. “What consumer needs to get out of this new implemented policy is to understand the viable light alternatives” said a LEDinsdie representative. These options are high-efficiency incandescent bulbs, CFL (compact florescent) bulbs and LED (Light emitting-diodes) bulbs.

This is a change in customer behavior, for the first time customer need to think about how to purchase the right light bulb for their specific lighting purpose.

Energy efficient incandescent bulb, also known as halogen bulbs, these improved bulbs are about 28 percent more efficient than the traditional incandescent light bulbs, just efficient enough to pass the new regulation. However, they cost much less at purchase, a pack cost around $5 at your local stores. These improved new incandescent light bulbs also look almost identical to the traditional mushroom-like Thomas Edison Light bulbs. Some customers tend to be more accepting of this option.

CFL light bulbs, on the other hand, are about 75 percent more efficient than the traditional incandescent light bulbs, and can last up to 10 years on average. CFL light bulbs are in comparison more expensive the traditional incandescent light bulbs, but their prices are dropping fast. According to a recent survey conducted by LEDinside, CFL sales mainly suffered from its light appearance and bulb shapes, delay in response when switch on.

CFL lighting manufactures are arguing that these issues are being improved with newer CFL light bulb models. One last concern that has been exaggerated by the media is the trace amount of mercury containing inside of each CFL light bulb. It is true that the amount of mercury contains in a CFL is less than that of an old-fashioned thermometer. “The amount of mercury containing inside a CFL light bulb is in fact less than the amount resides inside a deep sea Tuna fish” Said Ed Crawford, CEO of Philips Lighting.

Still the CFL light bulbs require special recycling, some retailer are trained and prepared to do the recycling for CFL light bulbs. Some cleaning up tip on how to handle a broken CFL light bulb can be find on the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) website: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html. 

LED light bulbs can be 85 percent more efficient and last up to 25 years

LED light bulbs can be 85 percent more efficient and last up to 25 years. LED is also the most expensive alternative of these three options at purchase. An Energy Star qualified LED light bulb can cost ranged from $25 to $40 each. But this front cost can be compensated with the money saved on electricity bill in the future to come, not to say that the LED light bulb might even outlive the home where you installed these new lights. LED light bulbs come in a variety of shape and sizes and are extremely sufficient for directional lighting.

According to LEDinside, LED light sources are by far the well-received light source. They have a dimmable feature, are mercury-free and energy-efficient, and have a life span of up-to 25 years. LED light bulbs are the light of future.