Hi, today I stumbled across the new EU "ecodesign directive" which will replace the older regulations, starting on 1 September this year (without any public debate whatsoever). I could not find any thread on the forum regarding this - please excuse me if there already is one.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R2020

There seems to be little easy-to-understand information published about this. But there are new minimum efficiency requirements coming in two steps: the first on 1 september 2021, and one more step in 2023.

To find the maximum allowed power of a light source, you need to calculate equation (a) in section 1 of Annex II, using the parameters of the light source (CRI, Lumen output) and two constants from table 1 in the same section. For a normal 36 W, T8 tube with a CRI of 80 and 3300 Lumen, this is easily met if I did the math correctly, but from 1 september 2023, new values apply which will restrict the maximum power for a 3300 Lm T8 to about 30 W, effectively banning the normal triphosphor tubes.

Certain exceptions exist and less efficiency is accepted for special lamps (high CRI, non-white, studio lamps)

Is there more practical information of how this will affect other "traditional" light sources? How are T5 tubes affected? (I did not to the math there yet)
Or is there a forum thread already?

I was also wondering whether the new Ecodesign legislation would ban all remaining HID lamps as well for the EU market. Is it true that the UK is no linger subject to the Ecodesign legislation due to leaving the EU?

I was also wondering whether the new Ecodesign legislation would ban all remaining HID lamps as well for the EU market.

If I understand Annex II correctly, think a lot of quartz metal halide will go but ceramic will generally stay. Particularly because the directive punishes lamps with CRI < 80 quite a lot: with a CRI of 65, the lamp gets a "punishment factor" R of (65/80)/160 = 0,906 just for the somewhat low CRI (effecively meaning it would have to be ~10% more efficient than the same lamp making a CRI of 80). For example, a HPI-T Plus 400W 645 with 32000 lumen does not seem to meet the standard.

70 W HPS (SON from Philips) still meets the standard, and so does a 250 W after running the numbers. I think they are set so that high-performance HPS will still meet the standard. The punishment R factor levels of at 0.65 below CRI=25.

It seems that there is currently no plan to ban the T5 HE and HO series (14-80W, they seem to just about meet the requirements). However, the older 4-6-8-13 W classic T5s do not. I also cannot find an explicit exception for these (which is silly, nobody is going to light their home with a 4 W fluorescent!). So unless there is some exception that I didn't find, these will get banned already this year.

And of course, guess who gets a free pass...

Light sources do not include:

• (a) LED dies or LED chips;
• (b) LED packages;
• (c) products containing light source(s) from which these light source(s) can be removed for verification;
• (d) light-emitting parts contained in a light source from which these parts cannot be removed for verification as a light source;

The most significant impact of this regulation is the ban of T8 Triphosphor fluorescent lamps (for all except the 6-foot 70W which is more efficient).  However it remains to be seen if manufacturers will keep their T8 fluorescent production running just to produce one lamp length.  The T5 types are all efficient enough to survive.

The exemption for T12-IRS types with metal stripe will also come to an end, leading to the ban of the few remaining T12 tubes.

A few of the more exotic CFL / circline types will disappear.

The exemption for halogen R7s types in high wattages will end, leading to the obsolescence of all types except a few of the lower wattages.

For quartz metal halide there are several versions that will also go, but ceramic types are safe for as long as customers continue to buy them.  However having said that, the sales volumes are now going down so rapidly that ranges are already being rationalised and certain types are voluntarily being withdrawn, simply because it is no longer economically viale to keep them in production for such small quantities.

The most significant impact of this regulation is the ban of T8 Triphosphor fluorescent lamps (for all except the 6-foot 70W which is more efficient).  However it remains to be seen if manufacturers will keep their T8 fluorescent production running just to produce one lamp length. 

It seems to me that the other lengths will survive because the tightened requirements in 2023 specifically applies to the lengths 2, 4 and 5 ft. Not because of the efficiency of the 70 W 6 ft. This will also mean that the argon 3 ft / 30 W and the 15 W tube should survive, which is a strange situation considering that these are less efficient than the other types. But those are already uncommon compared to the other types, and 70 W is already a special order item at this point.

Looks like there is a connection between the EU directive and this: https://www.lighting-gallery.net/index.php?topic=11040.0
They completely ignored that the move to LED didn't caused energy saving but energy wasting.

Based on what I see happening, the ban will make no difference: These lamp formats are being withdrawn form the market so fast I doubt they will be any production left at the time the ban will take effect.
There is just not enough demand justifying the expensive maintenance of the production lines.
Mainly when the LEDs are getting cheaper and designs really competing with spectrum quality are becoming commercialized.

With the complexity of discharge gear (dealing with high voltage for ignition, or the filament heating for startup, generally complex startup sequences; vs just apply the current for LEDs and that is it) making it quite expensive, no advantage in light spectrum nor efficacy (I count the decent quality types, not the cheepeese garbage), there is not much benefit on buying new discharge gear with the ongoing overhauls, so no market there already for quite some time. And the existing discharge installations are now reaching their EOL so being overhauled, so the need for replacement lamps is vanishing and could be served by existing lamp stock.

That's exactly right.  There were many other proposals for bans when the new regulation was being drafted, but in the end they were left out because so many lamp types are expected to become naturally obsolete before the legislation could take effect.  As a result the new regulation focuses on many other areas than pure efficacy, and is targetted at improving the quality and performance of the remaining light sources, for instance with new metrics on flicker, power quality, and circular economy requirements.  Not to mention the huge step forward of finally also setting minimum performance standards for LED lighting fixtures!

Is it true that the UK is affected by this legislation?

Is it true that the UK is affected by this legislation?

To some extend. UK have left EU, but with a list of agreements, which still restrict some aspects.

But the thing is, the market forces don't care about that, so once there is only small demand, makers will just drop those products at all.

Hi, today I stumbled across the new EU "ecodesign directive" which will replace the older regulations, starting on 1 September this year (without any public debate whatsoever). I could not find any thread on the forum regarding this - please excuse me if there already is one.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R2020

There seems to be little easy-to-understand information published about this. But there are new minimum efficiency requirements coming in two steps: the first on 1 september 2021, and one more step in 2023.

To find the maximum allowed power of a light source, you need to calculate equation (a) in section 1 of Annex II, using the parameters of the light source (CRI, Lumen output) and two constants from table 1 in the same section. For a normal 36 W, T8 tube with a CRI of 80 and 3300 Lumen, this is easily met if I did the math correctly, but from 1 september 2023, new values apply which will restrict the maximum power for a 3300 Lm T8 to about 30 W, effectively banning the normal triphosphor tubes.

Certain exceptions exist and less efficiency is accepted for special lamps (high CRI, non-white, studio lamps)

Is there more practical information of how this will affect other "traditional" light sources? How are T5 tubes affected? (I did not to the math there yet)
Or is there a forum thread already?

Will the Philips TL-D 90 Graphica, TL-D 90 De Luxe, Food 79, Actinic BL, BLB, and colored TL-D lamps in 2’, 4’, and 5’ will also be banned in 2023?

The ban applies only to white light lamps - so including Deluxe and Graphica types.  Coloured and UV lamps are out of scope, as detailed in Article 2 and the list of exemptions under Annex III Section 3.

Blasted lamp bans, why can't people just be allowed the choice..? Maybe I wouldn't detest L*D so much if they'd just been sold as an alternative and not been forced on us in a world takeover 

Me, well I'll be using incandescents as long as I can still get supplies, then it'll be candles and oil lamps, unless they try and ban those as well 

The ban applies only to white light lamps - so including Deluxe and Graphica types.  Coloured and UV lamps are out of scope, as detailed in Article 2 and the list of exemptions under Annex III Section 3.

Will the 2023 ban affect the export of these tubes to non-EU countries?

I have seen that some Asian countries like China, Indonesia, and Singapore still have some European specification halophosphate T8 fluorescent tubes.