Look for New 'Nutrition' Label on Lighting Packaging

We have all seen nutrition labels on the food that we buy. Did you know that as of January 1 of this year there are also "nutrition" labels on standard-base LEDs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and incandescents? According to the American Lighting Association (ALA), the newly required information allows consumers to see key bulb characteristics to determine each bulb's brightness, longevity and efficiency. Regardless of where the light bulbs are sold--whether a home center, lighting showroom, supermarket or online--any general service bulb with a medium base is required to have the new label. It does not matter if the bulb is made in the United States or is imported from another country; the Lighting Facts label is mandatory. In a press release about the new label, ALA included a sample label from a CFL with the following information: Brightness, 870 lumens; Estimated Yearly Energy Cost $1.57 (based on 3 hours/day at 11 cents per kWh); Life 5.5 years; Energy Used 13 watts; and Contains Mercury.

ALA says labeling is critical with the other changes taking place this year--namely the transition away from higher wattage incandescents. Consumers familiar with lumens can compare and contrast bulb brightness easier thanks to the label. Martha Delgado, product marketing manager for Bulbrite, says, “Wattage was traditionally the best way to make your buying decisions when it came to selecting light bulbs in the past. However, now that more efficient bulbs can produce similar light levels while consuming less energy, the old theory that ‘The higher the wattage, the brighter the lamp’ isn’t true anymore.” To help consumers compare brightness from one bulb to the next, Delgado offers the following guide (watts are for incandescents; watts would be lower for CFLs, LEDs, etc., but lumens would be the same):

•    100 watts (listed on previous light bulb packages) = 1490-2600 lumens
•    75 watts = 1050-1489 lumens
•    60 watts = 750-1049 lumens
•    40 watts = 310-749 lumens
•    25 watts = 150-309 lumens.

“I tell people that the most important information is listed at the top, so while calories is usually the first thing people look at when buying food, brightness is the first piece of information they should consider when purchasing a bulb,” Delgado states.

In the lodging industry of course brightness is not the only consideration but color as well. For more information on lighting, visit the ALA's website and the Lighting section of Green Lodging News.