| Q: |
Why Lighting FactsCM? |
| A: |
The rapid growth of solid-state lighting (SSL) has resulted in an increasing number of new products on the market for various lighting applications. While many of these products showcase the energy-saving potential and performance attributes of LED lighting, under-performing products are also appearing in the market. Such products threaten consumer adoption and could significantly delay widespread acceptance of this new technology. This occurred in the early days of CFLs, slowing market acceptance of these products. To avoid this problem for solid-state lighting, DOE urges luminaire manufacturers to pledge to report accurate and consistent product performance results through the Lighting Facts program.
Others in the supply chain—retailers, distributors, lighting designers and specifiers, utilities, and energy efficiency organizations—may also take the pledge to use products from participating manufacturers.
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| Q: |
Why should a retailer or distributor take the pledge? |
| A: |
By pledging to support Lighting Facts, you differentiate your products and your company. Your pledge indicates that the products you sell perform as promised, thereby increasing customer satisfaction and reducing the number of returns. |
| Q: |
Does the Lighting Facts label assure a high-performance product? |
| A: |
No. The label reports performance, but with the metrics it supplies, the label enables you to compare products to determine which ones meet your performance requirements. In the absence of competitive products, you may want to evaluate a product based on the ENERGY STAR criteria. |
| Q: |
How do I use the Lighting FactsCM label? |
| A: |
Use the Lighting Facts label to compare products to manufacturer claims and other similar products. The label shows performance results for each product in five areas:
- Lumens measure light output. The higher the number, the more light is emitted.
- Lumens per watt (lm/W) measures efficiency. The higher the number, the more efficient the product.
- Watts measure the energy required to light the product. The lower the wattage, the less energy is used.
- Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) measures light color. "Cool" colors have higher Kelvin temperatures (3600–5500 K); "warm" colors have lower color temperatures (2700–3000 K). Cool white light is usually better for visual tasks. Warm white light is usually better for living spaces because it casts a more flattering light on skin and clothing. Color temperatures of 2700 to 3600 K are recommended for most general indoor and task lighting.
- Color Rendering Index (CRI) measures the effect of the lamp's light spectrum on the color appearance of objects. Incandescent lighting is 100 on the CRI.
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| Q: |
Which products can be labeled? |
| A: |
The label may appear only on LED lighting, which includes self-contained replacement lamps and full luminaire products, not packaged LED devices. |
| Q: |
How is manufacturer-reported data verified? |
| A: |
To verify the data on a Lighting Facts label, manufacturers are required to submit a copy of the actual IESNA LM-79 test report by name. Refer to the Label Reference Guide for more information.
DOE monitors the accuracy of reported product performance on a sampling basis, through its CALiPER testing program. |
| Q: |
Is there any cost to participate? |
| A: |
No. The program is free. |
| Q: |
There's already an ENERGY STAR® program. Why does the industry need Lighting Facts? |
| A: |
Lighting Facts and ENERGY STAR were both developed to make energy-efficient purchasing decisions easier and more transparent, but the programs operate in different ways:
- ENERGY STAR sets a minimum performance level for qualifying products and is designed to help consumers differentiate among products based on efficiency. The ENERGY STAR label can be applied only to a limited group of general illumination LED lighting products.
- Lighting Facts provides essential information to help luminaire manufacturers and others in the supply chain validate their product performance claims. The Lighting Facts label can be applied to any participating general illumination LED product
- Both programs are voluntary, and any ENERGY STAR partner may also take the pledge.
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