Following the LED revolution it can be argued that the lighting industry has played a significant part in meeting the necessary targets to decarbonise our economy. LED sources can offer two to three times the energy efficiency of their fluorescent counterparts, and significantly more against the most inefficient sources such as halogen and incandescent.
The longevity of LEDs compared to traditional sources eliminates the need for periodic lamp replacement further reducing the carbon footprint of LED luminaires over their lifetime by eliminating both the lamp wastage and the manpower historically invested in continuous lamp replacements around the country.
Given that lighting is estimated to consume 15% of all electricity globally it is no surprise that inefficient light sources are often targeted by governmental bodies as a key aspect of energy saving and carbon reduction. Phase out of traditional light sources can however be an inconvenience for users with a high percentage of fluorescent or halogen sources installed on their estates so it pays to be aware of the dates at which spare lamps will no longer be available, and what the options are to update lighting both to gain the efficiency savings of LED and to ensure that your lighting can be easily maintained in future.
Lamp phase out dates
Please note that the following are only the dates for phase out that were known at the time of publishing this article, at present these bans typically effect halogen and T8 fluorescent lamps, however it is likely in future they will be extended to T5 fluorescent lamps and sources such as HID High Intensity Discharge.
An important point to note is that the cut off dates set by the government for phase out of a lamp dictate that no lamps manufactured after that date may be sold. However lamps that were already in the supply chain can continue to be sold to allow stock to be sold through, this typically means there is a small time lag between the cut-off date and lamps no longer being available. It is also important to understand that there are typically exemptions to the ban for niche applications where an incandescent or halogen source may be the only suitable solution, examples of this may be for photographic and stage lighting applications amongst others, however selling such lamps manufactured after the cut-off date for general lighting purposes is prohibited.
The UK government currently lists the following dates after which the lamp types listed may no longer be placed on the market:
October 2021
- Self-ballasted compact retrofit lamps caps B22, E27 etc
- Linear halogen R7s lamps exceeding 2,700 lumens
- 12V Halogen reflector lamps MR11/GU4, MR16/GU5.3 etc
- Lower performing LED lamps
August 2023
- T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps with a life time greater than 20,000 hours (shorter life span lamps to be phased out in February 2023)
September 2023
- T8 Linear fluorescent lamps 2ft, 4ft and 5ft
- Mains voltage halogen capsules with G9 cap
- 12V halogen capsules with G4/GY6.35 cap
Retrofit gear trays
The obvious solution should you be affected by a lamp phase out is to invest in new LED luminaires which will typically provide a substantial lifetime cost reduction, both in energy consumption and maintenance, compared to fluorescent and halogen luminaires. In many cases this is the best solution, however in some instances it may be advantageous to speak with a manufacturer capable of producing a customised retrofit solution to suit your existing luminaires. Retrofit LED trays are designed to install inside the existing luminaire housing replacing the lamps and optics of the original luminaire, but allowing the luminaire housing to be retained saving cost over a complete luminaire and minimising disruption during installation. When undertaken by a reputable manufacturer such systems will be designed into the luminaire ensuring compliance with all the requirements of the CE mark and to ensure that no electrical components within the luminaire are thermally stressed thereby ensuring longevity. Retrofit trays can easily be designed to incorporate a wide range of wireless controls and emergency systems enabling substantial energy and maintenance savings without having to modify infrastructure.
Generally where the luminaire housing constitutes the majority of the overall luminaire value retrofit LED gear trays tend to be a highly cost effective solution. Good examples are vandal resistant products, high value architectural luminaires, luminaires which were manufactured at high cost to suit unusual ceiling systems or in applications such as operating theatres and custodial areas. Retrofit LED gear trays are also commonly used where the infrastructure of the building cannot be disturbed for reasons ranging from listed buildings through to the presence of asbestos. Retrofit gear trays can often help resolve a number of practical and cost challenges, as well as reducing the environmental impact compared to complete new luminaires, and should always be considered where quantities are adequate to justify a bespoke commission.
Retrofit LED lamps
A tempting solution is to turn to one of the many retrofit LED lamps on the market which can be used in place of T8 fluorescent lamps. In theory these provide an easy and low cost solution that allows you to continue operating the existing luminaires without concern for the phase out of the original fluorescent lamp the luminaire was designed for.
There are however several potential pitfalls with such an approach that should be considered before going ahead with an LED conversion of this type:
- Depending on the design of the replacement lamp some rewiring of the luminaire may be required in order for the replacement LED lamp to operate correctly, the labour time to install retrofit LED lamps may exceed the labour to install a complete luminaire so the full costs of such an approach needs to be considered.
- Many dimming, sensor and emergency systems may be incompatible with LED lamps, it is important to ensure that these essential safety features and energy savings controls systems will not be compromised through installation of an LED lamp.
- LED lamps typically only cast their light in a single direction as opposed to a fluorescent lamp which casts its light in all directions, it is unlikely that an LED replacement lamp will work correctly with the luminaire reflectors as intended with the original design and there is a high likelihood that the light distribution will be adversely affected once the conversion has taken place. This may compromise the lux levels and uniformity of your installation creating health and safety risks.
- The CE mark on your existing luminaire has been applied based on the original fluorescent design, this ensures that the luminaire operates as intended thermally and ensures that electromagnetic interference is within permissible limits. By replacing the lamps with new electrical components this CE mark is invalidated and without a complete retest of the luminaire containing the LED lamps there can be no guarantee that the luminaire is compliant with the required standards.
- In many cases the lumen output, efficiency and longevity of LED lamps can be inferior to a new LED luminaire resulting in reduced lux levels, poor energy savings and an ongoing need to change lamps. Although retrofit LED lamps may provide a quick and low cost solution initially, when lifetime costs are considered a new LED luminaire is likely to be lower cost and more energy efficient when multiple lamp changes over lifetime are factored into the equation.
