Power Supply Manufacturers: What is the Impact of the Energy and Security Act of 2007?
Power Supply Manufacturers Legal Use of Power
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) was signed into Public Law 110-140 on December 19, 2007. The potential impact of this legislative order was projected to have profound influences on the United States use of energy for the coming decades. Now in 2011, the one extremely important impact of of this law (lighting) is about to be fully enforced and as a result, power supply manufacturers are in a unique position to lead us into this energy efficient new age. As a matter of fact, the details of this law were so monumental, that the Alliance To Save Energy called it the most significant energy-efficiency legislation in the last three decades. Furthermore, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) estimated that EISA’s energy-efficiency provisions would reduce domestic consumption in 2030 by seven percent and carbon dioxide emissions by nine percent.
Perhaps one of the most noticeable effects of EISA will be in the field of lighting. For the first time, energy-efficiency standards will address general service incandescent lamps, known to the most of us as ordinary lightbulbs. EISA also set new standards for incandescent reflector lamps and metal halide lamp fixtures all of which power supply manufacturers can be a source for product and expertise.
Power Supply Manufacturers and General Service Incandescent Lamps
EISA will require efficiency increases on the order of 25-30 percent starting in 2012 for standard-shape, medium-base (“A-line”) lightbulbs. The EISA standards are expressed in terms of the maximum wattage that can be used to produce light output within a specified lumen range; power supply manufacturers cannot manufacture bulbs that do not meet the standards after the effective dates. There are, however, several types of special-purpose bulbs that are exempt – for example – appliance bulbs and those designed for “rough service” environments.
Power Supply Manufacturers and the EISA
Beginning in January 2012, the incandescent bulb phase-out will begin: 100W (2012), 75W (2013), and 60W and 40W models (2014). As stated above, power supply manufacturers are in a unique position to facilitate the public’s efforts to “go green” and adhere to this monumental legislation.
Power Supply Manufacturers: Educating the Public
Members of the electrical industry, power supply manufacturers and the government are now joining forces to publicize this key program to the marketplace in order to build perception and help users welcome the change and its potential implications. The reason for this campaign is because of such recent consumer surveys performed by GE Lighting that has uncovered that only one in four Americans are cognizant of the regulations and imminent phase-outs.
As a result, in order to garner the attention of a national audience, the DOE will present an array of public service announcements, beginning in the summer of 2011. In addition, the DOE will work closely with retailers, power supply manufacturers, and other members of the supply world in order to develop pointed announcements for use at direct sale sites since this is where buyers often make their purchase decisions.
