Lamps Exempted from General Service Incandescent Lamp Standards

The information on this page pertains to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) analysis of and unit sales forecast for five lamp types, which was mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007).

Among the requirements of subtitle B of title III of EISA 2007 were provisions directing DOE to evaluate and publish within one year a benchmark unit sales estimate for five types of incandescent lamps (rough service lamps, vibration service lamps, three-way incandescent lamps, 2,601–3,300 lumen general service incandescent lamps, and shatter-resistant lamps). These lamp types were not made subject to the regulatory standards for general service incandescent lamps established by EISA 2007. Among the requirements of subtitle B of title III of EISA 2007 were provisions directing DOE to collect, analyze, and monitor unit sales of these five lamp types.

More specifically, section 321(a)(3)(B) of EISA 2007 amends section 325(l) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) by, in part, adding paragraphs (4)(B) and (4)(C), which direct DOE to do the following for each of the five lamp types in consultation with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA):

  • Collect historical unit sales data from 1990 through 2006.
  • Construct a spreadsheet model based on coincident economic indicators that closely match the historical annual growth rates of each lamp type to provide a neutral comparison benchmark estimate of future unit sales.
  • For each year from 2010 through 2025, collect unit sales data and compare the actual lamp sales in that year with the benchmark unit sales estimate to determine if the forecast has been exceeded.

If DOE finds that the unit sales for any of the five lamp types in a given year exceed the benchmark unit sales estimate by 100 percent (i.e., more than double the anticipated sales), then regulatory action on that lamp type will be initiated.