International. Halogen bulbs will not be able to be manufactured or sold from September 1, 2018, when a European regulation comes into force that aims to favor the use of more efficient and sustainable LED technologies.
According to directive ErP (EC) 244/2009, as of September 1, 2018, halogen lamps that have been manufactured after August 31 can no longer be manufactured or sold. Since autumn 2009, energy-inefficient light sources have gradually disappeared from the market, in accordance with European regulations, to favour the use of more efficient and sustainable LED technologies.
Initially, the regulations will mainly affect lamp manufacturers and distributors. The new ErP Directive applies exclusively to the manufacture and "placing of products on the market" throughout the territory of the European Union. This means that, although the lamps are not manufactured in the European Union, lamps that have been manufactured after August 31, 2018 cannot be imported, so the stored stock of halogen lamps with non-directional light will fall from September 1, 2018, continuously, until all stored lamps are exhausted.
However, a consumer study conducted by Ledvance reveals that one in two consumers in Europe are unaware of this ban and that 67% are unaware of its consequences. In fact, up to a third of respondents still include in their shopping lists old lighting technologies such as halogen (29%) or incandescent (27%) lamps.
It is striking that the degree of knowledge of the ban on halogen lamps is related to age, education and income. Thus, the results of the international study show that in Europe 54% of respondents had never heard of the imminent "goodbye to halogen bulbs". If we add the number of people who heard something about it but were unaware of its consequences, that figure increases by 13 percentage points to 67%. 62% of those who were not aware of the "ban" are in the 50-60 age group. And 57% who had not heard of the next stage of the ban, considered their knowledge about lighting systems to be good or at least adequate. In contrast, awareness of the issue in the 18-39 age group and among those with high incomes and high levels of education is particularly high.
What are the lamps that will disappear from the market
Halogen "classic lamps" that emit an omnidirectional light, such as the typical standard lamps, ornament and candle, will not be able to be marketed from September 1. Most of these lamps have the commonly used bushing E27 or E14 and provide generic lighting.
Which halogens will not be affected by the ban
The items that will be excluded from the regulation correspond to special use products, such as oven lamps that cannot be replaced with alternative technologies that save energy. Other products to which the regulation does not apply are certain types of halogen lamps with R7s bushing, such as the Osram Haloline, or G9 such as the Osram Halopin, manufactured by Ledvance.
THE LED as a replacement
The goodbye to halogen lamps means that, starting next autumn, professionals must rethink their purchases and opt for the large number of LED alternatives that are available on the market.
