Are you still using T12 fixtures in your facilities? They are all too common in commercial lighting applications in the US. In fact, according to NEMA, 115 million 4' T12 lamps were still sold in the US last year. T12 technology has been the work horse in US lighting for 70 years and can still be found in stores, offices, schools, and warehouses across the country. These systems are very inefficient; needlessly forcing customers to waste money on their utility bills.

 

In an effort to lower the energy demand in the US, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires manufacturers to stop producing magnetic ballasts for most T12 fixtures after June 30, 2010. The standard lamps for these fixtures will also stop being produced in July 2012. While these dates might seem far off, you should look to upgrade dated facilities now.

 

By performing a simple retrofit of a T8 lamp and ballast, you can quickly save 30% or more in energy while providing better light quality and reducing maintenance costs. In many cases, generous rebates are available across the US, which can often reduce the payback of the investment to less than 2 years. In fact, many utilities are starting to offer "T12 Round-ups" which provide even better incentives for customers willing to make the switch from T12 to T8. Once the supply of old T12 ballasts dwindles, utilities may be less likely to offer significant rebates for upgrading to T8 because of limited supply of T12 replacement ballasts.

 

 

Click here for more information on how rebates work for lighting upgrades.