The final FY 2012 appropriations bill passed by Congress on Dec. 17 included a provision to roll back controversial light bulb efficiency standards set to take effect January 2012.
Despite media and other reports to the contrary, the new standards, enacted as part of a 2007 energy law, would not have banned incandescent light bulbs. They did, however, require bulbs to have 25 percent to 30 percent greater efficiency than today. This change would have effectively phased out less expensive incandescent bulbs in favor of more expensive compact fluorescents, LEDs and redesigned incandescent bulbs that meet the new standard. However, the funding bill prohibits the U.S. Department of Energy from implementing or enforcing the new standards this fiscal year.
This uncertainty has contributed to confusion in the marketplace, so apartment firms should be aware that the full range of lighting products continue to be available to them in the coming year when making design and purchasing decisions. A news story about lighting alternatives was published in the January 2012 issue of units magazine.