which is the target of this legislation is more complicated to retrofit

It seems that government is focused on tackling the most powerful light sources rather than those that have viable or available alternatives. A 150W incandescent bulb is much more complicated to replace than a 40W bulb for example but government chose to phase out the higher power product led high bay light. With halogens, the GU10 equivalent may have been more a more sensible target, as these are prone to failure and can be easily switched out, the MR16 which is the target of this legislation is more complicated to retrofit.

There are two alternatives to the 12 V, 50 W, halogen MR16; compact fluorescents (CFLs) and LEDs. CFLs operate at between 12-14 W but as well as the issues around mercury release, also require the replacement of existing fittings due to their greater overall size. In contrast, LEDs can be directly retrofit into a halogen fitting and operate at a low 7W. LEDs also offer a considerable extended lifetime of up to 30,000 hours operation, compared to around 9,000 hours for CFLs or 2,500 for halogens.

The fact is, however, that LEDs are more expensive as an initial purchase. It would be a mistake to try to produce LED lamps that are at a similar price point to halogens because the two technologies represent fundamentally different approaches to lighting. Price matching LED lamps would only result in poor quality light output and premature failure, which in turn would mean low-levels of customer satisfaction and acceptance. Education is needed around these differences to avoid simple point-of-purchase price based decisions.

Yes, top end LEDs can now replace halogens, but are replaceable lamps really the way forward? Proper communication and education is needed around the overall value of product lifetime and reliability and this led linear high bay light requires a fundamental shift in thinking. It’s time to stop moving from one bulb to another in a drive to be more sustainable. We need to stand back and fundamentally re-think the way we light our buildings.