By amending the RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU, the EU Commission has stipulated that fluorescent lamps containing mercury may no longer be produced from August 25, 2023 at the latest. This also affects the T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes that are still widely used.
The luminaires already produced may still be used and sold, which means that they will probably be available on the market for another 1-2 years. Nevertheless, negative consequences for the use of these luminaires can already be expected in the short term:
- The prices for the lamps will presumably increase steadily
- Spare parts such as magnetic ballasts and electronic ballasts will be discontinued and will no longer be produced in the future.
- Fluorescent material will inevitably disappear from the market
That's why you should already plan the switch to sustainable LED lighting now!
1st alternative: LED retrofit solutions
The fastest and easiest solution is certainly the 1-to-1 replacement of existing lighting with LED lamps.
For example, you can replace a 58W T8 fluorescent tube with a high-quality LED tube with 20 to 30W. In addition to the favorable price, currently available LED tubes offer electricity savings of 55 to 75% compared to conventional lamps and a much longer service life of up to 70,000 hours. Moreover, if the luminaire is operated with a magnetic ballast, the replacement is very easy to carry out. Only the lamp and the starter need to be replaced.
For luminaires with electronic ballasts (ECGs), there are special LED tubes that are compatible with the pulsed voltage supply of the ECGs, but this solution involves a financial risk for the user. Since the luminaires are often more than 8 years old and the service life of the electrical ballasts is limited to 30,000 to 50,000 operating hours, the EBs may experience frequent failures in the short term after conversion to LED tubes. Since these special LED tubes can only be operated with a pulsed power supply, you will inevitably have to gradually replace all the ballasts. This is often associated with high costs and a great deal of effort. Furthermore, such LED tubes often have incompatibility with some EBs and are also significantly more inefficient than standard LED tubes for conventional ballasts.
Alternatively, one can opt for a conversion solution. In this case, an existing luminaire is converted for use with conventional LED tubes for magnetic ballasts by a specialist company, for example a master electrician, by means of rewiring. The installer of this "new luminaire" thereby becomes the manufacturer and must submit a new CE declaration and mark the luminaire accordingly as an installer. Many electricians shy away from this effort for liability reasons and lack of expertise, making it difficult to find a reputable supplier.
In addition, you must ensure that the same illuminance is achieved with the new LED lamp in order to comply with the workplace directive. Otherwise, the manager will be liable in case of accidents. Inferior LED tubes often have only a low light output. Such a LED tube of 1.5m length and a luminous flux of 2400 lumen can never replace a T8 fluorescent tube of the same length with 58W input power and a luminous flux of 5200 lumen!
2nd alternative: light renovation
A more sustainable alternative is to completely refurbish the lighting with specially adapted lighting solutions. Depending on the application, various LED luminaire types such as panels, diffuser luminaires or linear light systems may be considered here.
The advantages of this alternative are obvious:
- long-lasting sophisticated technology
- often dimmable
- additional savings potential due to sensor technology
- directional beam pattern possible; consequently better illumination for the type of application
Although the initial expense for the conversion is higher, there is a higher savings potential in the long run. LED luminaires often have a service life of up to 100,000 operating hours, and in addition to the 60-70% savings from switching to LED technology, sensor technology and dimming can save another 10-20% in electricity costs.
If particularly efficient LED luminaires with luminous efficacies exceeding 120 lumens per watt (140 lm/W for continuous row systems) are used, a BAFA grant is also available in Germany under the "Federal Promotion for Efficient Buildings" in the amount of 15% of the investment. This subsidy is not available for retrofit solutions.
We will be happy to advise you on the various options and suitable products from our range. We look forward to hearing from you.