ECO-GLO in news

A global switch to efficient lighting systems would trim the world's electricity bill by nearly one-tenth. That is the conclusion of a study from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which it says is the first global survey of lighting uses and costs.

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website

Graceland University's SIFE team is trying to change the world ones again, and this time Thomas Edison might be proud of what they are trying to change - the light bulb.

The dozen Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) who comprise the Edison Project, as they call it, explained Tuesday at the Lamoni Community Forum that by replacing the short-life, energy-hungry light bulbs that we all use with long-life, energy-miser Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), we can help protect the environment, we can save lot of energy, and best of all, in the long run we can save ourselves a lot of money.

While 90% of CFLs are now produced in China, there are more than 33 different national standards and labeling schemes to regulate and classify them. The International CFL Harmonisation Initiative has benchmarked CFL quality and performance in seven Asian economies in order to analyze and understand key market issues and trends related to the testing, regulation, trade, and quality of CFLs.

Background
In order to provide a snapshot of the global CFL industry and the specific issues facing individual markets, the Australian Greenhouse Office commissioned an international market review in seven Asia-Pacific economies. The list of economies studied represents a range of income levels and economic development, and it also includes the world's most populated countries: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

ENERGY STAR Wednesday, December 21, 2005 2:59 PM
Subject : [Second draft of the ENERGY STAR criteria for CFLs - Version 4.0

ENERGY STAR Partners and Stakeholders:
Attached for your review and comment is the second draft of the ENERGY STAR Criteria for CFLs - Version 4.0 (as of 12/21/05). This draft was developed from formal comments and feedback gathered during the first comment round. There are two criteria topics that were not revised or expanded on in the second draft and the Department of Energy (the Department) would like to take the opportunity to provide details on current activities and plans:
Elevated Temperature Testing for CFL Reflectors: At this time, the elevated temperature section of the criteria has not been updated. The Department is working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and industry to modify the elevated temperature testing for reflectors requirements and sections and will provide updated information in the next iteration of the criteria.
Mercury and CFLs: Some partners and stakeholders suggested establishing a maximum mercury content requirement within the ENERGY STAR criteria for CFLs - Version 4.0. The Department and EPA feel at some point it may be appropriate to include a maximum mercury amount for ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. However we believe there needs to be a good amount of process around determining the appropriateness and feasibility of any given level. We are willing to participate in a "round table" process (outside of the ENERGY STAR criteria revision) with industry to see whether a consensus can be reached, and address a potential maximum mercury requirement in the next revision to our lighting program requirements.

The London workshop will mark the next important step on the road to rationalize technical specifications for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) around the globe. The workshop is the third in a series of bi-annual meetings that will provide transparent reporting to all stakeholders on the progress of the International CFL Harmonization Initiatives; but more importantly will set the agenda for the coming 6 months activities.