The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced plans for a new consumer education initiative that will be timed to the upcoming changes in light bulb regulation. The initiative aims to provide greater awareness of the overall benefits of the legislative changes and new, “greener” technologies, such as LEDs and CFLs.
Millions of consumers will start paying more attention to the common light bulb as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), which requires incandescent light bulbs to become much more efficient to comply with EISA's new performance levels. These performance levels will be introduced on a staggered basis, beginning in 2012, with the phase-out of the popular 100W incandescent lamp, followed by the 75W, 60W, and 40W bulbs spread out over 2 yr.
The ultimate effect of eliminating inefficient light sources will be significant national energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint. However, without an effective consumer education process, these new performance levels could cause considerable confusion. More details on the consumer education initiative will emerge in the coming months as planning evolves, and DOE expects to formally launch the new initiative this fall.
Source: Department of Energy
