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Environmentally Preferable PurchasingLamps
Contents
This page includes information about buying preferable products. Join the Washington State Purchasing Cooperative to buy items via state contract (open to state and local government and many non-profit organizations). GOALS:1. To replace low energy efficient lamps with the highest efficiency fluorescent lamps available. 2. To reduce the amount of mercury in each bulb. 3. To ensure that fluorescent lamps are disposed of by the lamp recycler on state contract to prevent mercury release in the environment.
Product SummaryEnergy efficient lighting can save facilities a significant amount of money. However, most of this lighting contains mercury. There are three types of mercury-added lamps:
Success Stories
Benefits and Reasons to PurchaseEnvironmental and Health AttributesClimate Change - Screw-in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use approximately 75% less energy than equivalent incandescent light bulbs [1]. By lowering energy use, there are fewer demands on power plants, thus reducing greenhouse gas contributions to climate change. Energy Efficiency - Lighting accounts for about 40% of the energy used in most commercial buildings [2]. Lighting equipment can also be a primary source of heat gain and waste heat in buildings. Fluorescent lamps are a popular indoor light source in government buildings because they are 50-90% more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Further energy savings can occur by upgrading linear fluorescents to modern high-efficiency models. Product Longevity - A typical 75 watt incandescent bulb has a rated life of up to 750-1,500 hours, while an equivalent compact fluorescent bulb's rated life is up to 12,000 hours [3]. Modern linear fluorescent lamps, such as T8s and T5s (which use electronic ballasts), have rated lives ranging from 15,000 to 30,000 hours. Choosing long-life lamps - such as those with an XP, XL or PLUS designation - avoids costs associated with procuring, installing and recycling these items. This saves time, money, and reduces environmental impacts. Recyclability - Fluorescent and other mercury-containing lamps should be managed by certified businesses only, and the mercury removed and recycled. All mercury-containing lamps used by government agencies must be recycled. Toxic Chemicals - All fluorescent lamps and most high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain mercury, a heavy metal with highly toxic properties. Currently, about 500 pounds of mercury are released into the environment in Washington State each year from improper disposal of fluorescent lamps into landfills and incinerators [4]. This practice is one of the largest contributors to ongoing mercury pollution. Humans are exposed to mercury partly through consumption of certain types of fish. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) has issued several statewide fish consumption advisories due to mercury contamination. One in six women of childbearing age has unsafe levels of mercury in her blood, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [5].When lamps are recycled, mercury can be captured through careful extraction techniques and reused in other manufacturing processes. The mercury content of fluorescent lamps varies from around 3 milligrams (mg) in some CFLs and high-efficiency T8s and T5s, up to 100 mg in some older T12s, and up to 1000 mg in some high-wattage HIDs such as stadium lights. Any mercury-containing lamp sold in the US must have a label indicating that it contains mercury (Hg) but not how much. The most modern, energy-efficient lamps also tend to have the lowest mercury levels. Two major US lamp manufacturers have posted their lamps' mercury content data on the Internet. Both Sylvania and Philips Lighting offer online calculators designed to help architects, lighting specifiers, and facility managers meet the US Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings prerequisite for low mercury lamps. When replacing ballasts, note that many of the older models contain PCBs. Unless a ballast specifically states, "Does not contain PCBs," it should be assumed to contain this persistent toxic chemical and must be recycled or managed as hazardous waste. Laws and DirectivesEPP-related state laws and directives that apply to agency purchases of lamps.Revised Code of Washington RCW 70.95M.060 - This law directs the Department of General Administration (GA) to give preference to the purchase of products that contain the least amount of mercury necessary for the required performance. Executive Order 02-03: Sustainable Practices By State Agencies - This EO directs state agencies to modify their practices regarding the purchase of goods and services with goals of minimizing energy use, shifting to non-toxic materials, and expanding markets for environmentally preferable products. Executive Order 05-01: Establishing Sustainability and Efficiency Goals for State Operations - This EO directs state agencies to reduce their energy purchases by 10% using all practicable and cost-effective means including energy efficiency programs. Governor's Directive 04-01: Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs - This directive mandates that all state agencies discard spent fluorescent light bulbs and tubes to a lamp recycling vendor. "Low mercury" lamps including high-intensity discharge lamps must be recycled as well. How To BuyAvailability Energy Star-certified CFLs are listed in Sylvania's online catalog in a wide range of wattages, shapes and sizes, including A-shaped lamps that resemble a classic incandescent light bulb, globes, reflector floods, and decorative candelabra-style bulbs. Dimmable and three-way CFLs are also available. Additional Energy Star-certified CFLs are offered on state contract 11305 - Industrial Supplies & Equipment - Grainger. The recycling and disposal of used or “spent” lamps are provided for on State contract 11601. Customers can either have Ecolights pick up the spent lamps from their location or request a recycling kit to send spent lamps directly to the company. PerformanceMatching the right fluorescent lamp to the right kind of fixture and ballast helps ensure that it will perform properly and last a long time. When relamping, if the ballasts are compatible with the new lamps they do not need to be changed. Most fluorescent ballasts last about 10 years. Once a large number of ballasts need replacement, it is recommended that entire rooms or buildings are retrofitted with high-efficiency electronic ballasts and T8 fluorescent lamps. Otherwise maintenance workers would be challenged to determine the correct lamp for each ballast. Specifications
*Lighting products made by Osram Sylvania are shown because most of the products on the Washington State lamps contract are made by this company. High-efficiency T8s
The bottom row indicates the most environmentally preferable series. See Standards and Certifications to learn more about the elements of a good certification program and the characteristics of a reliable standards and certification organization. Cost
*CFLs are all bare bulbs. Higher wattage CFLs may be needed if covered bulbs are used. T8s Vendors on State ContractLamps and Ballasts: Lamp Recycling: Web Resources and CitationsWeb ResourcesCalifornia Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB): Fluorescent Lamps and Tubes. Consortium for Energy Efficiency INFORM, Shedding Light on Mercury in Fluorescents: A Workbook for Design Professionals US Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) US Department of Energy, Greening Federal Facilities Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers Citations
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Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
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