Mercury is an unhealthy material. Mercury is also essential to the operation or even the start up of almost every discharge light source. The use of mercury was banned by the ROHS directive in 2003, however, the use in lighting has been continued through renewing exemptions since then. The Environment Directorate of the EU have now allowed these exemptions to expire so lamps requiring mercury to function will no longer be able to be "placed on the market.”
Compact Fluorescent lamps >30W , including circular and square shapes, exemption expires February 2023
Compact Fluorescent lamps <30W >20,000 Hours life, exemption expires August 2023
Compact Fluorescent lamps emitting mainly UV , exemption expires February 2027
Special purpose Compact Fluorescent lamps, exemption expires February 2025
Double cap linear fluorescent, T2 and T12, exemption expires February 2023
Double cap linear Fluorescent, T5 and T8, exemption expires August 2023
Long Life double cap linear fluorescent, exemption expires February 2023
Cold Cathode and External Electrode Fluorescent lamps, exemption expires February 2025
This means the end for the fluorescent lamp, still the most common light source in general use. We haven't specified fluorescent lamps for nearly a decade so this is unlikely affect us to any extent, however for users of existing lighting installations, particularly where lighting controls are used, they become pretty much obsolete. There will be an opportunity to hoard stocks of fluorescent lamps and rapidly diminishing supplies will remain available for a while as wholesalers and importers unload their remaining stock but his is unlikely to persist as long as the availability of incandescent lamps have since they were banned.
High Intensity discharge have fared somewhat better. Generally these are used in much lower quantities than fluorescents and generally in more technical applications. The exemption for metal Halide lamps expires in February 2027 along with high output projector lamps, horticultural high pressure sodium and lamps for UV.
At the moment the Circular Economy is one of the biggest talking points in the lighting community. It would seem that this rather abrupt ban of the most common of light sources rather defeats the intention of keeping equipment working for its full life and also makes any attempt to re-use or re-manufacture a much greater challenge. Admittedly there are a lot of LED replacement fluorescent lamps available, however these are rather poor products and frequently are less energy efficient than the fluorescent lamps they replace. It is also often necessary to modify the wiring in the fitting to make them work. At any event they will not work with any control system or sensors.
Maybe this is the big opportunity for new businesses to enter the lighting refurbishment market. There will be an opportunity to remanufacture millions of fittings to retrofit good quality LED light sources. Even better if this can be done fast and on site to minimise disruption to building users. This however will not resolve lighting control issues for buildings that have not used DALI protocol.
Another consideration is the small and struggling businesses who will not be able to afford to replace their lighting systems. Also, commercial landlords who face massive costs to refit buildings at the end of a lease and are unlikely to be able to recoup those costs in increased rent. Possibly there is another circular economy opportunity in re-selling removed fluorescent lamps and equipment to those with short term needs to keep the lights on at minimal costs?
Whereas I have been very sad at the loss of incandescent lighting and also for demise of the art of neon bending and cold cathode lighting, I cannot say that I will feel a great artistic loss with the demise of the fluorescent lamp though I do feel sad for the inevitable loss of Dan Flavin's work particularly where it is integrated in the building.
Untitled (to the "innovator" of Wheeling Peachblow) 1966-68, daylight, yellow, and pink florescent light, 8 ft. square across a corner, © Stephen Flavin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
I do hope that this inevitably momentous change will be achieved through good lighting design briefs with the opportunity to make the best of new technology. It will be a real shame if building owners simply try and replace like for like when the opportunity is there for better lighting and introduction of lighting for wellbeing and not simply task visibility.
Kevan Shaw 7 March 2022