In this issue we report on the Hanoi lites.asia meeting at the end of June; provide an update on the key outcomes of relevance to lites.asia members from the IEC project team meetings in Dornbirn in June; ask for comments on draft proposals for performance levels for CFLs and LEDs in tropical regions; and give details of the progress with the international convention on mercury and the potential impact on lighting products.
Hanoi lites.asia meeting leads to the proposals for collaborative projects
In one of lites.asia’s most interactive meetings to date, 31 representatives from 13 countries attended the fifth lites.asia workshop in Hanoi on 28 - 29 June 2012. The meeting explored compliance with standards and labels programmes, how governments and suppliers are communicating lighting information to the consumer, and gave the opportunity to see the most recent development in lighting standards and labelling in each participating country. In particular, the presentations detailing the compliance regimes in place throughout the Asia region stimulated significant debate.
As a result of these discussions, meeting participants reached agreement to investigate the feasibility of undertaking a number of collaborative projects:
- National labelling compliance surveys: National surveys to analyse current compliance with labelling regulations and to identify areas where compliance could be improved and the options to make these improvement happen.
- ‘Meeting the Suppliers’ events: Events to improve supplier knowledge of the detailed regulations for supplying lighting products to a range of Asian countries and the required actions to comply fully with these regulations.
- Training for testing laboratory staff: Increasing the capacity of a number of laboratories around Asia through delivery of a series of training programmes, staff exchanges and/or round-robins.
- Creation of a ‘Communications Library’: To provide readily accessible source information to enable stakeholders to review existing consumer guidance information on lamp selection, application and equivalence; how labelling and compulsory and voluntary packaging information is currently displayed; etc.
Development of options for implementation of these projects is ongoing with outline proposals expected within the next few weeks.
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Following requests at previous lites.asia meetings, draft proposals on potential Tropical Region Performance Criteria for LEDs were also proposed and discussed. These proposals are designed to provide the basis for countries in tropical climates to develop performance requirements for temperature and humidity levels outside the ‘typical’ IEC testing ranges. |
A background presentation related to the proposals is available here and draft proposals are available here and your comments are welcome. Please send any comments to us at before the end of July 2012 and we will attempt to develop revised proposals based on these comments.
If you would like further information or to view all the presentations made in the workshop, the program, presentations and supporting documents from the workshop can be obtained here.
IEC TC34 (lighting) project team meetings and LED workshop
Representatives from India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam received support from lites.asia to attend the IEC TC34 project team meetings and LED workshop held in Dornbirn, Austria on 11-22 June 2012.
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A further 22 delegates ‘attended’ the webinar which presented the key outcomes from these meetings affecting lites.asia members.
The presentation from the webinar (hosted by David Boughey from the Australian Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and Owen Manley from Lighting Council Australia), which summarised the proceedings of the LED project panel meetings, the LED workshop and the CFLi panel meeting, can be viewed here. |
Of particular interest to lites.asia members is the document 34A/PRESCO(MED)039, Life test compliance criteria for CFLi lamps, tabled at the CFL meeting. This is available here and is currently open for consultation. If you have any comments, they should be submitted through the National Committee for your country or sent to for collation and submission to TC34 through the Australian National Committee by the end of July 2012.
Your comments please – draft CFL technical specification for CFLs to be proposed to the IEC
Around the world, governments are making provision for a transition to energy efficient lighting such as CFLs in order to address pressing needs in terms of energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions. As part of this transition, there is recognition that all consumers are entitled to quality efficient lighting products that meet their needs and manufacturer claims. Minimum performance standards can help protect both the consumer and the reputation of CFLs as a quality, reliable efficient lighting product.
Where possible, harmonised performance standards can ensure that a broad range of products are available to consumers across a range of countries. Harmonised standards can also reduce the regulatory and compliance burden upon the makers of globally traded products. The availability of tiered performance specifications in a technical paper would provide guidance for countries developing their approach to minimum requirements for efficient lighting without having to ‘re-invent the wheel’ for each country.
At the request of members, lites.asia has developed draft performance levels for CFLs. We are planning to submit these proposed draft performance limits for consideration as a technical specification at the next meeting of the IEC in September 2012.
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These draft proposals are available here. If you have any comments on these proposals, please send them to us at before the end of July 2012.
Also, please advise your National IEC representative that these proposals are being made at the next IEC meeting and encourage them to support the consideration of the proposals for review by an IEC working group. |
Progress with international mercury convention and impact of lighting products
The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on Mercury (INC4) was held in Punta del Este, Uruguay, from 27 June to 2 July 2012. In relation to mercury-added products (including lamps/CFLs) and processes, discussions focused on options for the overall model of addressing products and processes in the mercury treaty, rather than discussing individual products and processes. As such, the status of lamps/CFLs within the treaty remains unresolved and will be one of the outstanding issues to be addressed at the fifth and final session of negotiations (INC 5) which will be held in Switzerland in January 2013. Whilst there is no planned inter-sessional work on products and processes ahead of INC 5, the INC Chair will consolidate a Chair’s text which would draw upon discussions at INC 4 and seek to provide an advanced basis for commencing negotiations at INC 5. This Chair’s text will become available closer to INC 5 on the UNEP website.
For further information on the global legally binding instrument on mercury click on the following links:
These proposals will be discussed further at the next lites.asia meeting, which will be held in New Delhi, India in October 2012. However, if additional information is required before this meeting, Australia’s participation in the treaty negotiations is being coordinated by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities – please contact (Director, Chemical Partnerships Section, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) who has kindly offered to assist with enquiries.
Dates for your diary...
Next lites.asia meeting
It is proposed that the sixth lites.asia meeting will be held in conjunction with Light India 2012 in New Delhi in October 2012. The precise dates are currently under discussion.
IEC TC 34 maintenance team meetings
24-27 September 2012, Beijing, China
The first Indian international lighting exhibition
5-8 October 2012 – New Delhi, India
3rd International Off-Grid Lighting Conference and Trade Fair
13-15 November 2012 - Dakar, Senegal