US Environmental Protection Agency revises the ENERGY STAR specification for LED lamps

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the second draft of the ENERGY STAR Specification 2.0 (hereinafter referred to as "Specification V2.0") (hereinafter referred to as "Draft 2"), hoping to improve the Code V2 in June 2015. 0, and make it officially effective.

Specification V2.0's main goal is to improve the level of LED lighting efficiency, but EPA has agreed to appropriate lower requirements, so that consumers have more energy-saving lamps choice.

EPA began drafting specification V2.0 in October 2014 and hopes to complete it as soon as possible. Specification V2.0 pursuit of high light level, lamp type coverage is more extensive. In addition to the above objectives, EPA is also seeking to support LED lighting test methods, this test method will be open by the US Department of Energy (DOE). EPA also said draft 2 could improve the coordination between the Energy Star's specifications.

Ironically, the industry's comments on draft 1 made EPA compromise, reducing the need for high light efficiency levels. Draft 1 has pointed out that the minimum luminous efficiency of omnidirectional lamps is 70 lm / W, but this value drops to 65 lm / W in draft 2. Stakeholders in the lighting industry believe that such a high luminous efficiency level (70lm / W) will be omnidirectional compact fluorescent lamps excluded from the ENERGY STAR program, so EPA in the draft 2 to reduce the light efficiency requirements.

At the same time, draft 2 also reduces the luminous efficiency requirements for decorative lamps, but only for power less than 7W, light efficiency of 55 lm / W ~ 65 lm / W lighting. 7W or more lighting or to meet the original high standards. Stakeholders believe that lower luminous efficiency requirements can make more lighting standards, and ultimately encourage the wider use of energy-saving lamps, including LED lighting, thereby enhancing energy conservation.

Draft 2 also has some changes to the lighting technology, mainly for LED lighting products. For example, color adjustable products must be in the light efficiency of the lowest white light mode test light efficiency, the manufacturer also in the lamp color temperature reached the highest value of the lamp when the test. General LED lighting start time is set to 750 milliseconds, and for wireless networking LED lamps, start time can be extended to 1 second. In addition, the draft 2 requirements for intelligent connection lamps have also been reduced, the original request to be able to report its light intensity and color settings, and now only require reporting on / off status.

In addition, the requirements for energy-saving lamps are also subtle changes, EPA no longer requires CFL lamps color rendering index to R9> 0, but CFL lamp manufacturers still have to report the R9 value of the lamp.