2012 looks to be a year where we will see some significant changes in the lighting regulatory landscape.

We will see the new requirements for the UK Building Regulations to be issued in 2013. It is no very likely that these will be based on the LENI. At last we will have a measure for lighting energy use that does consider aspects such as daylight availability and the hours that lighting is actually used. We will also finally see the European Ecodesign regulations for reflector lamps. This has been debated and “consulted” on extensively in the past 3 years however the EU has failed to come up with a realistic regulation. Last year saw further technical meetings and a draft that should be reasonably close to what we will end up with. We should be happy that the low voltage incandescent lamps is still going to be with us for the foreseeable future. There just is not a viable replacement for the MR16 and what is available for the AR111 is rather restricted and does not meet the beam characteristics and light output particularly for the very narrow angles and higher outputs where these lamps excel.

2012 will also see the beginning of consultation on the first revision of the Ecodesign regulations for domestic lamps part 1, aka the Incandescent Lamp Ban. It is vital that the Lighting Design Community engage with this process and do not get left out like we did at the beginning of the first round of this legislation. From what we have seen and learned it is now vital that we secure the future of the Halogen energy saver lamp. At present we are beginning to see the problems I and others have forecast with the disposal of CFLs. We are also seeing increasing numbers of people with non specific photosensitive disorders coming forward. These people can not live with CFLs or LEDs and so far there is insufficient research to understand what this apparently broad range of disorders are caused by though all seem to be able to live with incandescent light.

Well as we say in Scotland “Hae a Guid New Year!”

Kevan Shaw