LED lighting surge dimmed by halogen lamp reprieve in Brussels

(guardian-, 25 Nov 2014) Delay to measures phasing out energy-guzzling halogen bulbs risks €8.6bn of energy savings being lost, efficiency groups warn.

Highly-efficient LED light bulbs are “years ahead” of price and performance expectations, but their energy-saving effects are being dulled by an EU proposal to prolong the shelf life of energy guzzling halogen lamps from 2016 to 2018, an inter-governmental report says.

The result could be €8.6bn (£6.8bn) of lost efficiency savings, according to Clasp , a leading efficiency standards and labelling group, which co-authored the test report by the Swedish energy agency, Belgian government and the European council for an energy efficient economy (eceee). (Download report from eceee's ecodesign page on domestic lighting | see eceee press release on the test report)

“The development of LED lightbulbs has been surprisingly fast and powerful,” said Nils Borg, a report author and ECEEE director. “This report is evidence-based, with recent samples, and it really puts a new light on the proposal to delay the phase-out of incandescents which I hope will now be revisited.”

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guardian-, 25 Nov 2014: LED lighting surge dimmed by halogen lamp reprieve in Brussels