Instructions:

Signed into law October 24, 1992, by President Bush, the National Energy Policy Act (EPACT) is designed to reduce the nation's energy bill by some $250 billion over the next 15 years. Energy used for lighting, the primary focus of the bill, could be slashed up to 50 percent, reducing the aggregate national electricity usage by 10 percent.

EPACT mandates energy efficiency standards for lamps in terms of efficacy, measured in lumens per watt (LPW), and color rendering index (CRI), the ability of a light source to render colors accurately EPACT has established minimum LPW and CRI standards, which will eliminate those fluorescent and incandescent lamps that provide the least amount of light for the highest use of energy. This will affect most full wattage 4-foot, 2-foot U-Bent, 8-foot slimline and 8-foot high output lamps. Lamps with very good CRI and special service fluorescent lamps have been excluded from the Act. Due to the high CRI of incandescent lamps (100), stringent efficacy standards have been set. These standards will eliminate many popular R and PAR types, including the R-30, R40 and PAR-38. Lamps with a diameter of less than 2.75 inches, such as the R20 and PAR-16, are exempt from the Act, as are ER and BR lamps. Some of the dates after which lamps not meeting the LPW and CRI requirements cannot be manufactured include:

April 30, 1994 - F96T12 and F96T12/HO

October 31, 1995 - General Service Fluorescent (4 foot bi-pin greater than 28 watts).

October 31, 1995 - General Service Incandescent PAR and R (115-130 volt) lamps whose maximum diameter is greater than 2.75 inches.

EPACT also requires standards to be written for High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps by October 24, 1996, and updating of the standards for fluorescent and incandescent lamp by October 24, 1998.

Most energy-saving (34 watt) fluorescent T-12 lamps meet the minimum requirements set forth in the Act, however, now even more efficient lamps are being manufactured. These include the T-8 envelop lamps and the small (diameter) compact fluorescent lamps, which can replace incandescent lamps.