Welcome to the Connexion T12 Phase Out Resource Center. Connexion has amassed an extensive repository of resources to enable our clients a better understanding the legislation and its impact on their facilities. Armed with this knowledge, we hope that you have the facts necessary to make smart, educated decisions. Further down this page are numerous downloads and other various media addressing the T12 phaseout as well as the incandescent lamp phase out.
Effective July 14, 2012, production of most T12 florescent lamps will be phased out, as mandated by the 2009 Department of Energy General Service Lamp legislation. Given these changes, along with the elimination of many T12 magnetic ballasts - and the lucrative incentives being offered through local utilities (ComEd) and the DCEO should compel many Illinois facilities to look into lighting upgrades now, while these incentives last. Be sure to ask us about the available Federal energy savings tax credits through EPAct2005.
The supply and financial impact to facilities The National Lighting Bureau (NLB) estimates that as many as 500 million (soon to be obsoleted) T12 lamps are still installed in commercial, industrial, institutional, and other non-residential lighting systems nationwide. The specific types of T12 lamps that will begin disappearing in July 2012 include:
Most F40 and F34T12 lamps and almost all FB40 and FB34T12 U-lamps
All 75W F96T12 lamps
All 60W F96T12/ES lamps, with the exception of a few 700/SP and 800/SPX lamps
All conventional 110W F96T12 HO lamps that deliver fewer than 10,120 lumens
All 95W F96T12/ES/HO, unless they can provide at least 8,740 lumens
According to the DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lighting in industrial and commercial buildings accounts for close to 71 percent of overall lighting electricity use in the U.S. and consumes nearly 35 percent of the electricity used in the nation's commercial buildings - and still much of this lighting is inefficient linear fluorescents. Amongst all energy efficient measures available to a commercial facility, lighting being one of the biggest energy hogs offer the shortest payback and strongest return on investment (followed closely by HVAC measures).
From a supply chain perspective Facilities currently using conventional T12 fluorescent systems will need to update their systems sooner rather than later if for no other reason to ensure a supply of replacement ballasts, sockets and lamps when needed. Decreased supply of T12 components will also drive higher costs. This decreased supply is a particular concern for facilities, considering that nearly 30 percent of all fluorescent lamps sold in the United States are T12s. It's worth noting that in addition to the fluorescent lamps affected by this legislation, the electromagnetic ballasts that are most commonly used for 4-ft.- and 8-ft.-long T12 fluorescent systems were also impacted by this legislation and have not been manufactured for sale in the U.S. since July 2010.
From a cost saving perspective In a typical T12 to T8 4-lamp retrofit application, depending on the actual lamp and ballast combination used, you can realize a 35 to 45% reduction in energy usage. With these typical savings examples it becomes a simple matter to quantify the cost of waiting. Elsewhere on this site we address the typical paybacks you can expect from lighting upgrades and available incentives. It's also important to remind that with more efficient lighting comes lower cooling costs. Less efficient fixtures emanate heat which can be significant enough to cause an extra load to cool, raising the cost and energy usage to cool a building. Lower maintenance costs are also a significant benefit. Newer more efficient lamps last much longer than their predecessors. They require fewer replacements and, therefore, fewer trips and time by maintenance crews up the ladders or expensive reach-trucks to replace lamps. If you decide on a wait-and-see strategy you will likely incur increased costs in keeping existing lighting systems operating efficiently, and you will continue to miss the opportunity to realize significant energy savings - and reduction in daily operating costs. Key financial benefits to explore:
Utilities in more than 30 states continue to offer rebates for energy saving lighting equipment and/or reductions in energy consumption.
The federal Commercial Buildings Tax Deduction offers an accelerated tax deduction up to $0.30-$0.60/sq.ft. for lighting upgrades under its Lighting Rule (www.lightingtaxdeduction.org).
Several corrective actions are available If your facility is still operating with these older, less efficient T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts, you can make an immediate impact by any of a number of upgrade or retrofit alternatives. These include replacing the existing magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts; modifying the fixtures to accept T8 lamps and electronic ballasts; and replacing the existing fixtures altogether, relying on more efficient T8 or T5 units with electronic ballasts, or, if appropriate, an entirely different technology.
Regardless of which path you take to upgrade, remember to implement these basic lighting design best practices:
Match the amount and quality of light to the performed function.
Install task lights where needed and reduce ambient light elsewhere.
Take full advantage of energy-efficient lighting components, controls, and dimming systems.
Maximize the use of daylighting
The differences in linear fluorescent lamps Most of the T12 and standard T8 fluorescent lamps that will be eliminated can be replaced with more efficient T8 lamps equipped with electronic ballasts. These alternatives are up to 40 percent more energy-efficient than the older products, they last longer, and offer better color rendition. T8 lamps are thinner and are manufactured using less rare earth materials than T12 lamps which in turn, reduces environmental impact during production and at end-of-life disposal. Given the innate lumen differences between T12, T8 and T5 lamp types, delamping or a reduction in the total number of fixtures (needed to produce the same lumen output) can be part of a larger upgrade strategy. For example, in most cases, a two-lamp luminaire using T5 high output (T5 HO) lamps produces more light than a three-lamp luminaire using T8 lamps.
Standard T8 lamps are the same length (48 in.) as standard T12 lamps and can fit in most T12 lampholders. The existing lampholders should be checked and replaced as needed during retrofits. Standard T5 lamps are shorter in length (46 in.) than T12 lamps (48 in.) and in most instances are not as easy to retrofit in existing fixtures as T8 lamps.
More about Lumens T12 lamps lose about 14% of their light output over the first 40% of its life, whereas the T8 only loses only 5% of its light output. After the first 40% of life, the standard T12 lamp produces 2,300 design lumens and the T8 produces 2,660 design lumens. Both T5 and T5 high output (T5 HO) lamps maintain a higher light output than T12 and most T8 lamps. Manufacturers claim that T5 and T5 HO lamps retain more than 95% of light output at 8,000 burning hours (40% of rated average life). There are of course other criteria other than the a lamp's design lumen output to consider when upgrading, such as, work environment, task lighting needs, daylighting opportunities, ROI goals and more. Not only is a lighting upgrade fiscally sound, a properly designed system enables improved aesthetics, increased productivity, and has even been proven to have positive effects on physical and emotional well being.
Your connection to the facts and technical expertise Our energy and lighting design teams have been helping commercial businesses and public sector entities stay in front of this supply chain issue by providing the correct technical solutions that deliver significant energy savings and strong ROI while providing improved light quality. We are available to assist in you in any or all aspects of your lighting upgrade. Order the Connexion T12 Upgrade Guide
Looking for a quick, easy way to see if the lamp you're using is affected by the Phase Out? Osram Sylvania has put together a great online tool to enable fast results to your specific lamp inquiries:
Click on the image below to access their online search
Philips Lighting has a similar online tool:
Click on the image below to access their online search
Key Downloads Addressing the Legislation, Affected Lamps and Timeline :
DOE’s proposed efficacy standards for most fluorescent lamps-Final Ruling The Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing that pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), it is amending the energy conservation standards for certain general service fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps. DOE is also adopting new energy conservation standards and amendments to its test procedures for certain general service fluorescent lamps not currently covered by standards...
2012 DOE Regulations (Philips Lighting presentation) This Presentation answers: Why is the Department of Energy (DOE) regulating linear fluorescents? What is the DOE regulation? What fluorescent lamps are affected? How many fluorescent sockets are in the US Market? And What are the options?
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 A Summary of Major Provisions The Energy Independence and Security Act (P.L. 110-140, H.R. 6) is an omnibus energy policy law that consists mainly of provisions designed to increase energy efficiency and the availability of renewable energy. This report describes the key provisions of the enacted law, summarizes the legislative action on H.R. 6, and provides a summary of the provisions under each of the titles in the law.
DOE Opportunity for Energy Savings Through Improved Management of Facility Lighting The seven sites we visited used, to varying extents, outdated and inefficient fluorescent lights, commonly known as T12s. These lights were introduced over 40 years ago and were replaced by T8 technology in the 1980s. Since that time, T8 technology has advanced rapidly. Despite demonstrated and well known energy reductions of up to 40 percent associated with the latest fluorescent lighting technology, the Department's facilities continued to make widespread use of T12 technology.
Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps; Proposed Rule
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment, including general service fluorescent lamps (GSFL) and incandescent reflector lamps (IRL), and the statute also requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to subsequently determine whether more stringent, amended standards for GSFL and IRL would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy.
Making sense of the available technology, incentives and energy savings.
In 2007, the U.S. Congress adopted energy efficiency standards for new screw-based light bulbs. Beginning in 2012, these standards will phase out the inefficient incandescent light bulb that dates back more than 125 years, and require new bulbs to use 25 to 30 percent less energy.
As there are more than 4 billion screw-based sockets in the United States, the transition to more efficient light bulbs will provide significant, wide-reaching benefits. More so than with the aforementioned fluorescent lamp regulation, the incandescent ruling ushers in a wide array of lamp choices; LED, compact fluorescent (CFL) and halogen. Unfortunately along with these choices comes all the usual marketing hype; unrealistic lamp-life claims, redundant technologies and confusion in the marketplace. LED lamps have certainly garnered the most market attention. In order to enable informed decisions on your LED lamp choices, we have put together a special resource page expressly addressing the LED market.
Connexion's Energy Solution team has helped many Chicago area businesses make the transition from inefficient T12 and incandescent lamps to more cost effective, energy friendly technologies - all while capitalizing on all standard and limited time incentives. Please use the contact form on this page to learn more.
Below is our list of resources addressing the E.I.S.A. Incandescent mandates:
Incandescent Lamp Phase Out: Resources
Frequently Asked Questions: Lighting Choices to Save You Money
How the E.I.S.A. Ruling Impacts Incandescent Lighting
The Energy Independence Security Act of 2007 (E.I.S.A.), is forcing innovation to an old standard for the good. The E.I.S.A. standards call for better performing and more efficient lighting. That means that starting in 2012 (2011 for California’s accelerated schedule) inefficient lighting options will be phased out in place of more energy efficient options. The goal is that all sockets will be filled with energy efficient options by 2014. Here’s an exact breakdown of the E.I.S.A standards:
Rated Lumens
Max Rated Wattage
Min Rated Lifetime
Effective Date
1490-2600
72
1,000
1/1/2012
1050-1489
53
1,000
1/1/2013
750-1049
43
1,000
1/1/2014
310-749
29
1,000
1/1/2014
The law is not banning incandescent lighting, it is just creating a standard for lighting that traditional incandescent lamps do not meet. The government is creating this standard for lighting, because it is in the public’s best interest. These standards are ensuring the quality and safety of the public, just like they have on many products on the market today.
These new lighting standards are phasing out the blubs that you have come accustom to, but they are offering a lot more options that fit the energy efficient standards. Here are some options to keep in mind when shopping for light bulbs to meet the new requirements; the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb, the LED, and Halogen bulbs. There is no need to panic, all of these new lighting options are optimized for specific applications and will provide you with energy efficient lighting that will look great in you specific space.
NRDC: Shedding New Light on the U.S. Energy Efficiency Standards For Everyday Light Bulbs In 2007, the U.S. Congress adopted energy efficiency standards for new screw-based light bulbs. Beginning in 2012, these standards will phase out the inefficient incandescent light bulb that dates back more than 125 years, and require new bulbs to use 25 to 30 percent less energy.
NEMA's The 5 Ls of lighting The 5 Ls of Lighting provides a brief overview of the fundamental information about the new lighting energy efficiency standards that roll out nationwide starting January 2012 and that began in California in January of this year. The five Ls in the title stand for location, lumens, light bulbs, label, and law. NEMA encourages media, utilities, retailers, and government to use the framework of The 5 Ls of Lighting to educate the American public about the transition to more energy-efficient lighting.
Visit the NEMA Cast Page In this six-part series we will discuss what consumers need to know concerning the transition to energy efficient lighting. This introductory podcast will be followed by one podcast focusing on each of the 5 Ls of lighting. Download the Podcast
Frequently Asked Questions: EISA In response to the many questions about EISA and how it will affect customers, Lighting Facts has developed FAQs to help partners navigate the new requirements.
The True Lamp Cost Fact Sheet With the changes in standards and advancing technologies with light bulbs, it is important for consumers to understand efficient light choices, including the energy and money savings associated with LEDs and CFLs. Lighting Facts developed a fact sheet to help explain the true cost of a light bulb, which goes beyond that price paid at the register.
The 2011 Consumer Reports Guide to Lightbulbs "Contrary to what you might have heard, you can still buy most incandescent lightbulbs. But we’ve found few reasons you should. Our tests of 26 compact fluorescents and 10 light-emitting diodes found that though the newest bulbs might not be perfect, they last longer and use less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs, and many of the problems of earlier versions have been overcome..."
Guides
According to the DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lighting in industrial and commercial buildings accounts for close to 71 percent of overall lighting electricity use in the U.S. and consumes nearly 35 percent of the electricity used in the nation's commercial buildings - and still much of this lighting is inefficient linear fluorescents. Amongst all energy efficient measures available to a commercial facility, lighting being one of the biggest energy hogs offer the shortest payback and strongest return on investment (followed closely by HVAC measures).
Facilities currently using conventional T12 fluorescent systems will need to update their systems sooner rather than later if for no other reason to ensure a supply of replacement ballasts, sockets and lamps when needed. Decreased supply of T12 components will also drive higher costs. This decreased supply is a particular concern for facilities, considering that nearly 30 percent of all fluorescent lamps sold in the United States are T12s. It's worth noting that in addition to the fluorescent lamps affected by this legislation, the electromagnetic ballasts that are most commonly used for 4-ft.- and 8-ft.-long T12 fluorescent systems were also impacted by this legislation and have not been manufactured for sale in the U.S. since July 2010.
In a typical T12 to T8 4-lamp retrofit application, depending on the actual lamp and ballast combination used, you can realize a 35 to 45% reduction in energy usage. With these typical savings examples it becomes a simple matter to 
If your facility is still operating with these older, less efficient T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts, you can make an immediate impact by any of a number of upgrade or retrofit alternatives. These include replacing the existing magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts; modifying the fixtures to accept T8 lamps and electronic ballasts; and replacing the existing fixtures altogether, relying on more efficient T8 or T5 units with electronic ballasts, or, if appropriate, an entirely different technology. 
Our energy and lighting design teams have been helping 
In 2007, the U.S. Congress adopted energy efficiency standards for new screw-based light bulbs. Beginning in 2012, these standards will phase out the inefficient incandescent light bulb that dates back more than 125 years, and require new bulbs to use 25 to 30 percent less energy. 
