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Concept
Phase-out of incandescent light bulbs
Summary
Various governments have passed legislation to phase out manufacturing or importation of incandescent light bulbs for general lighting in favor of more energy-efficient alternatives. The regulations are generally based on efficiency, rather than use of incandescent technology. However, it is not unlawful to continue to buy or sell existing bulbs, which are unregulated.
Brazil and Venezuela started the phase-out in 2005, and the European Union, Switzerland, and Australia began to phase them out in 2009. Likewise, other nations are implementing new energy standards or have scheduled phase-outs: Argentina, and Russia in 2012, and Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, and South Korea in 2014. A ban covering most incandescent bulbs in the United States took effect in 2023.
Objections to replacement of incandescent lamps for general lighting mainly include the higher purchasing expense of alternative light bulbs. To mitigate the cost effects of these concerns, various programs have been put into place, ranging from subsidies for lamps, to improved standards for measurement of performance and for labeling of products. Manufacturers developed fluorescent lamps with reduced mercury content compared to original designs, and recycling programs are intended to prevent mercury release. New lamp types offer improved starting characteristics, and dimmable types are available.
The light from an incandescent source is similar in character to that from a Planckian "black body" in spectral distribution, that is, the bulb, as the filament heats up, produces light from wavelengths throughout the visible spectrum. Alternative light sources use phosphors or combinations of mono-chromatic LEDs (red, blue, and green) to produce "white" light, giving significantly irregular spectral distributions that can create color casts in photography and differences of color matching when compared to incandescent light or daylight.
Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp with improved efficiency over regular incandescent lamps.
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