Energy Star Lamps V2.0 takes Effect

http://www.tedmag.com
By:Craig DiLouie

THE NEW ENERGY STAR V2.0 Lamp Specification (Lamps V2.0) became effective this month, raising the performance bar for lamps seeking Energy Star certification. The new specification was predicted to dramatically affect the availability of CFLs in current utility rebate programs.

The EPA’s Energy Star program recognizes and promotes energy efficient products that provide equivalent or superior performance as incumbent technologies. The voluntary labeling program covers many product types, including lamps and luminaires.

Many utility rebate programs favor Energy Starcertified products. In 2016, more than 370 U.S. utilities managed about 1,200 incentive and promotion programs, including Energy Star products. For lamps, that translates to about 95% of all prescriptive lighting rebate programs.

The EPA estimates that some 70% of CFLs shipped in 2014 carried the Energy Star certification. However, the new specification appeared likely to slash that number. An analysis of CFLs qualifying with the older Lamps V1.1 specification showed that none satisfied Lamps V2.0. Energy Star planned to archive a list of Lamps V1.1-compliant products that rebate programs could use to continue promoting CFLs. Nonetheless, utilities were expected to shift their funding from CFL to LED lamps, stimulating further demand for LED.

To qualify for Energy Star certification, a lamp must satisfy a list of performance criteria detailed in Lamps V2.0. This specification had several goals

  • Recognize the growing availability of more-efficient LED lamps as a chance to increase energy savings.
  •  Recognize color-tunable and connected lamps as an emerging category.
  • Reduce complexity and cost for certification

For all lamps, the EPA increased minimum required efficacy (lumens/ W) while adjusting performance criteria such as increasing lumen and color maintenance requirements for reliability and decreasing minimum required service life to reduce cost.

For example, in the omnidirectional lamps category, Lamps V2.0 imposes minimum efficacy of 80lm/ W (<90 CRI) or 70lm/W (90+ CRI), while reducing minimum service life from 25,000 to 15,000 hours.

For directional lamps, Lamps V2.0 imposes a minimum efficacy of 70lm/ W (<90 CRI) or 61lm/W (90+ CRI).

For decorative lamps, Lamps V2.0 increases the minimum efficacy to 65lm/W and adds ST lamps (those that mimic old-fashioned filament lamps). Additionally, the EPA developed a streamlined procedure for manufacturers to certify decorative luminaires simply by adding an Energy Star lamp.

Lamps V2.0 follows the V2.o Luminaires Specification, which became effective June 2016. That specification eliminated the distinction between res -idential and commercial luminaires, added certain surface-mounted LED retrofit products, and expanded the outdoor category.

For more information, visit https://www.energystar.gov

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