New Fluorescent Lamp Standards Eliminate Widely Used Lamps

On October 31st of last year, new fluorescent lamp standards took effect that eliminate some of the most widely used lamps in commercial buildings. Under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the old standby T-12, cool-white, F40 lamp can no longer be manufactured or imported into the U.S. Lamps must now have a minimum color rendering index (CRI)—a measure of light quality—of 69 and an efficacy of 75 lumens per watt. Many companies will switch to T-8 lamps with tri-chromatic phosphors, which are more efficient and provide higher-quality light.