The 21st Century’s Lighting Revolution: What is it all about? Part 4

One of the crucial assumption about this exaggerated claim made by NEMA colleagues representing the energy efficiency community is that the Department of Energy’s rolling back for energy savings in light bulbs is that it has established latest standards of the general service lamps. And the energy consumed by this lamps can now be measured and the savings it has brought. With DOE’s intention to legally rectify the illegal definition of general service lamps, this assumption is not accurate based on facts.

With this in mind, another faulty claim about the rollback is the wrong perception that consumers need to buy LED light bulbs for them to save more on energy consumption. They somehow push the consumer to actually purchase these bulbs. One of the colleagues from the community promoting energy efficiency said “[C]hanging consumer behavior is critical” to accelerating LED growth.”

NEMA can agree that there were cases where the market does not totally embrace and appreciate the ownership cost of the energy efficient appliance offsets. It is higher that the acquisition cost. However, the light bulb experience form the last four years make the thesis of general service lamps not reliable. The experience of the consumers with the CFLs from 10 years ago did not happen again.

The sales of the general service LED lamp almost hit rock bottom and now it exceeded the sales of halogen incandescent in the ratio of 2:1. There are many reasons for this event. (1) the manufacturers of the lamps come up with cost-efficient ways to make the bulbs price competitive; (2) the makers see to it that they made quality and innovative LED light bulb; (3) the market fully understand the energy savings and the cost of the product because of the improved informative packaging requirements for the retail-manufacturer collaboration and was able to give sales assistance in retail stores, and lastly (4) the state created incentive programs for people who will help consumers in educating what the LED bulbs is all about. This is supported by the EPA’s Energy Star Program.

NEMA and other light manufacturers has supported the consumer adaptation of the energy-efficient lighting. NEMA has done several technical standards that will help in the development of several activities to make sure that customer satisfaction with the LED lights are achieved. Making the market educated about the energy savings potential of an energy-efficient lighting helps them avoid market failure because of inability to educate the market.

The members have started to push the innovation for the LED lighting envelope and it has started to bring down the cost of producing the LED light bulb in such a way that it can achieve market acceptance. The current sales shows the undenying fact that NEMA members of the board started to drive the market into a more energy-efficient light installations in methods that was never thought of years back.