When President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 on Dec. 18, 2007, he put lamp manufacturers on notice that inefficient incandescent lamps, including standard “A” lamps that have been around for more than 100 years will not meet tougher efficiency standards in this landmark bill. Bans on incandescents were being considered by several states before the President signed this bill into law. In addition to the new incandescent efficiency standards, the law requires federal buildings to use energy-efficient lighting systems by the end of 2013 and will promote green building technology in federal facilities.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, D.C., the law will require incandescents to use approximately 25 percent to 30 percent less energy than today's most common incandescent bulbs by 2012 to 2014 (phasing in over several years) and at least 60 percent less energy by 2020. The initial targets can be met by advanced incandescent lamps, which the major manufacturers are introducing to the market.
In related news on the energy front in Washington, D.C, the U.S. Department of Energy has established regulations that require federal buildings to achieve at least 30 percent greater energy efficiency over prevailing building codes. According to a report on www.energycentral.com, these standards are mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) and apply to new federal commercial and multi-family high-rise residential buildings, as well as new federal low-rise residential buildings designed for construction that began after Jan. 3, 2007.