NEMA Welcomes New ENERGY STAR® Specification For Compact Fluorescent Lamps

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that it supports the March 7 announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of new requirements for screw-base compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to be qualified under the federal government’s ENERGY STAR® labeling program.

The new voluntary specification, which will take effect in December 2008, will require ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs to be even more energy efficient, to meet stringent requirements for color consistency, and to comply with a NEMA standard that caps maximum mercury content. The program also features a new third-party testing rule that aims to make sure the products that consumers are buying actually meet the requirements.

"Our CFL companies and NEMA staff have worked with DOE and other stakeholders for over two years on the new ENERGY STAR specification for CFLs," noted NEMA President and CEO Evan Gaddis. "Following on the new federal requirements for energy efficient lighting approved in the recent energy bill, this raises the bar even higher and represents another important step in the transformation of the lighting market toward more efficient sources."

NEMA states that its Lamp Section represents the leading manufacturers of CFLs for the U.S. market.