What is your favorite type of lighting? Choices on the market today include incandescent, fluorescent, LED (light emitting diodes) or HID (high-intensity discharge). These lighting choices offer a wide range of colors and solutions, not to mention they create a wide array of lighting trends. All of that aside, chances are you answered incandescent. Right? Most Atlanta homeowners prefer the soft yellow lighting produced by incandescent light bulbs, not to mention they prefer the low cost and the affordability of the incandescent bulb.

Well, it is time to research new alternatives to your favorite bulb. Legislation passed by our government and other countries around the world calls for the phase out of incandescent light bulbs by 2014. You’ll hear people refer to it as the incandescent light bulb ban, although the goal of the legislation is to encourage the use and technological development of more energy-efficient lighting alternatives, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LED lights. Technically, the United States is not banning incandescent light bulbs; however, it has set minimum efficiency standards for lighting which most traditional incandescent bulbs will not be able to meet.

The minimum standards will be phased in between 2012 and 2014. Here’s what to expect:

• January 2012, efficiency standards will start with 100-watt bulb
• January 2013, efficiency standards hit the 75-watt bulb
• January 2014, efficiency standards end with 60 and 40-watt bulb

Light bulbs outside of this range are exempt from the restrictions. Also several types of specialty lights are exempt including appliance lamps, rough service bulbs, 3-way bulbs, colored lamps, and plant lights.

Another fact to keep in mind is that new packaging requirements in the U.S. will change the way we shop for light bulbs. Instead of buying a “72 watt light bulb,” we will now purchase a “1500 lumens light bulb” or “2500 lumens light bulb.”

A second tier of restrictions will become effective in 2020. This will require all general-purpose bulbs to produce at least 45 lumens per watt (similar to current CFLs). Exemptions from the Act include reflector flood, 3-way, candelabra, colored, and other specialty bulbs.

How will these changes in lighting affect lighting trends and Atlanta new homes? Have builders already started to incorporate compact florescent bulbs into their lighting plans? We’d love to know.  Please comment and let us know your thoughts and plans for lighting in the future.

Resources:

Phase out of incandescent light bulbs – Wikipedia