Inefficient Incandescent Bulbs Will Be Banned in Taiwan From 2012

Taipei, June 5, 2008 (CENS)--Incandescent bulbs failing to meet the energy-efficiency standard set by the government will be banned in Taiwan from 2012, a move which will create substantial business opportunities for power-saving lights on the island, said the Bureau of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), yesterday (June 4).

The Bureau of Energy is scheduled to publicize the energy-efficiency standard for incandescent bulbs by the end of this year. It estimated that some 22.5 million incandescent bulbs will have to be replaced with power-saving or LED (light emitting diode) lights, with the business opportunity estimated at NT$2-3 billion.

Incandescent bulb is one of the 11 items which will be subject to the requirement of minimum energy-efficiency standards successively starting from 2009, with the other 10 including air conditioner without windpipe, refrigerator, ballast of fluorescent light, other light tube, low-voltage single-phase induction generator, low-voltage three-phase induction generator, power-saving bulb, PL light, and dehumidifier.

Yiin Chii-min, economics minister, pointed out that Taiwan can save 4.2 billion kilowatt-hour of power annually, in addition to cut CO2 emission by 2.67 metric tons, by replacing incandescent bulbs with power-saving lights.

The Bureau of Energy noted that the replacement of incandescent bulbs can produce the largest energy-conservation effect, since lighting-use power consumption accounts for 28% of the total power consumption of the residential and commercial sectors, the second largest item trailing only the power consumption of air conditioners at 30.5%. The move will also create substantial business opportunity, as one power-saving light costs NT$100-150, compared with NT$20-30 of incandescent bulb, and the cost of LED light is even higher. However, the higher cost of power-saving light can be easily recovered, so long as it is used five hours a day.