Fluorescent Lighting Standards in Vietnam
A report for the Vietnamese Government’s Energy Efficiency Program
Produced by
Australian Government Department of Industry
September 2013
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2
2. Tubular Fluorescent Lamps 2
2.1. Efficacy Requirements 2
2.2. Removal of Loopholes and Ambiguities 5
2.3. Other Issues 5
2.3.1. Scope 6
2.3.2. Other Requirements 6
2.3.3. Fast Testing Method 7
3. Tubular Fluorescent Ballasts 7
3.1. Terminology 7
3.1.1. Understanding of Terminology in Vietnamese Standards 7
3.1.2. Understanding of Terminology in European Regulations 8
3.1.3. Conversion of Vietnamese Terminology to European Terminology 8
3.2. Energy Efficiency Requirements 8
3.3. Incorporation of New Technologies 11
3.4. Removal of Loopholes and Ambiguities 11
Appendix A. TVCN 8249 Tubular Fluorescent Lamps Standard 12
Appendix B. European Ballast EEI Classifications 16
Tables
Table 1: Requirements for Lamp Characteristics in Vietnam and neighbouring countries 7
Table 2: Ballast requirements in Vietnam and neighbouring countries 10
Figures
Figure 1: Efficacy requirements for low colour temperature lamps 3
Figure 2: Efficacy requirements for high colour temperature lamps 4
Figure 3: Ballast Efficiency (BEEU) – EEI classifications and (converted) existing Vietnamese requirements 9
Figure 4: Example of ballast EEI labelling 10
VEESL Draft Report on Fluorescent Lighting Standards
Glossary and Abbreviations
Ballast Device connected between the power supply and one or more discharge lamps primarily to limit the current of the lamp(s)
CRI Colour rendering index
EEI Energy Efficiency Index classification system for ballast energy efficiency
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
Lamp Source of artificial optical radiation
Lm Lumen, the international measure of light output (luminous flux)
MEPS Minimum energy performance standards
Nominal / Rated value The manufacturer’s declared value for a lighting product
T5 Tubular fluorescent lamp of 5/8” diameter
T8 Tubular fluorescent lamp of 5/8” diameter
T12 Tubular fluorescent lamp of 12/8” diameter
W Watt
1. Introduction
The objective of this study is to provide technical advice in order to update the following existing standards for fluorescent lighting products in Vietnam:
· TCVN 8249 (2009) Tubular Fluorescent Lamps - Energy Efficiency.
· TCVN 8248 (2009) Electromagnetic Ballasts for Fluorescent Lamps - Energy Efficiency.
· TCVN 7897 (2008) Electronic Ballasts for Fluorescent Lamps - Energy Efficiency.
The lamp standard (8249) requires revision in order to remove ambiguities and update the standard to reflect market improvements in the efficacy of tubular fluorescent lamps.
The ballast standards (8248 and 7897) are now considered out of date as they specify MEPS for T8 and T12 ballasts only, whilst the market in Vietnam now includes T5 lighting systems.
This study examines the three TCVN standards and recommends improvements to prevent loopholes and accommodate new technologies. It identifies MEPS levels in neighbouring countries for these products and recommends MEPS levels appropriate for Vietnam.
It is strongly recommended that consultation with relevant stakeholders in Vietnam be undertaken (i.e. with technical persons familiar with the Vietnamese lighting market) before reaching final conclusions regarding these standards.
2. Tubular Fluorescent Lamps
2.1. Efficacy Requirements
Fluorescent lamps generate light by exciting a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp tube. Two categories of phosphor are typically used:
· Halophosphate, resulting in lamp efficacy of approximately 50-75 lm/W.
· Triphosphor, resulting in lamp efficacy of approximately 75-100 lm/W.
In recent years, the global fluorescent lamp market has changed such that triphosphor T8 and triphosphor T5 lamps now command a reasonable market share. Triphosphor lamps are however significantly more expensive than halophosphate lamps, due to the cost and scarcity of the phosphors used in their production.
Around the world, there is a wide range of MEPS efficacy requirements for tubular fluorescent lamps. Many developed economies have MEPS efficacy requirements of 80+ lm/W which only triphosphor lamps can meet. Information was discovered for a number of Vietnam’s neighbours which require MEPS for tubular fluorescent lamps: Thailand, China and the Philippines. Countries with no MEPS (or for which no MEPS information could be readily found) include Indonesia and Malaysia.
Figure 1 graphs the efficacy requirements for low colour temperature lamps (<4400K) for neighbouring countries and for Vietnam. Figure 2 graphs the same for high colour temperature lamps (≥4400K). Note that the China3 requirement is effectively the Chinese MEPS. Note also that the Philippines has a separate MEPS requirement for halophosphate and triphosphor lamps.
1
VEESL Draft Report on Fluorescent Lighting Standards
Figure 1: Efficacy requirements for low colour temperature lamps
Figure 2: Efficacy requirements for high colour temperature lamps
1
VEESL Draft Report on Fluorescent Lighting Standards
From observation of each of the above two figures we can make a general conclusion that the efficacy requirements can be divided into two discrete categories:
· Those that will require triphosphor lamps (or possibly very high quality halophosphate lamps):
o Thailand
o Philippines triphosphor
o Vietnam High, which is (roughly speaking) positioned in the middle of these three “triphosphor requirements”.
· Those that will require halophosphate lamps:
o China3
o Philippines halophosphate
o Vietnam MEPS, which is (roughly speaking) positioned in the middle of these three “halophosphate requirements”. Note however that the China3 line (effectively Chinese MEPS) appears very low for 5000-6500K lamps.
Data from the Vietnamese MEPS registration system (6 products registered) revealed that registered lamps had efficacies of between 56 and 65 lm/W.
With the above observations in mind, there are several options for Vietnam, and these are discussed below:
1. The Vietnam High efficacy requirement is well positioned relative to neighbouring countries. Thus it is not likely to benefit from changes to the current position, unless Vietnam has an appetite to change this requirement for other reasons, e.g. to “best practice”. This could involve harmonising with say Japan which has an 85 lm/W requirement for all tubular fluorescent lamps, or with Australia which has a stepped requirement from 66 to 85 lm/W depending on lamp power.
2. The Vietnam MEPS efficacy requirement could be changed as follows:
a. No change.
b. If Vietnam has an appetite to slightly increase MEPS, the requirement could be harmonised with say the Philippines halophosphate requirement, which is slightly higher than Vietnam. This would still allow halophosphate lamps to be sold (i.e. no significant cost increase) but would require these lamps to be slightly more efficient. Note however that, for tubular fluorescent lamps, an increase in lamp efficacy results in more light output, not less power (as is typically the case with CFLs and incandescent lamps). That is, 4-foot lamps remain at 36W but emit slightly more light. This can however mean that less lamps are required per room (“de-lamping”).
c. If Vietnam has an appetite to significantly increase MEPS, the MEPS requirement could be changed such that only triphosphor lamps can be sold, for example by changing Vietnam MEPS to be equivalent to the Vietnam High requirement or similar. Again, 36W lamps remain at 36W but they emit significantly more light, which can result in significant “de-lamping”.
2.2. Removal of Loopholes and Ambiguities
The Standard TCVN 8249 (2009) Tubular Fluorescent Lamps - Energy Efficiency, has been reviewed in order to remove loopholes and ambiguities. Appendix A contains suggested revisions to the standard.
2.3. Other Issues
The following sections respond to other issues raised by VSQI.
2.3.1. Scope
VSQI have requested examination of whether the current lamp scope of 14W to 40W is appropriate, particularly with respect to neighbouring countries. The current scope is described as follows:
Tubular fluorescent lamps with the capacity from 14W to 40W.
This scope will capture lamps of nominal length 2’ to 4’ (550mm to 1200mm lamps).
The current Vietnamese energy efficiency requirements are described in various categories, as per the following table (Table 1 of TCVN 8249) which is taken directly from the existing standard:
Capacity W / Energy efficiency lm/wColor temperature Tc <4 400K / Color temperature Tc ≥4 400K
Minimum / High / Minimum / High
From 14 to 20 / 58 / 72 / 55 / 70
Over 20 to 40 / 60 / 78 / 58 / 75
The scope of Vietnam and neighbouring countries energy efficiency requirements for tubular fluorescent lamps are as follows:
· Vietnam: 14W – 40W (2’ to 4’ lamps)
· China: 14W – 65W (2’ to 5’ lamps)
· Philippines: 10W – 65W (2’ to 5’ lamps)
· Australia: 550mm – 1500mm (2’ to 5’ lamps).
· Thailand: 16W to 80W (2’ to 6’ lamps).
Note that most of these countries’ lamp scopes are expressed as lamp power, with the exception of Australia, whose scope is expressed as lamp length in mm. It is however useful, for this study, to discuss lamps in terms of their nominal length in feet (‘) which helps us to more clearly understand exactly which types of lamps are being discussed.
With the exception of Thailand, Vietnam’s neighbouring countries all have a scope of 2’ to 5’ lamps. Vietnam may wish to include 5’ lamps in the scope of their MEPS, and this would require the addition of a new row to the current Table 1 of TCVN 8249, e.g. for lamps “Over 40W to 65W”.
However this need will also be affected by Vietnam’s preference for changes to the current lamp efficacy requirements (discussed in section 2.1), and particularly if they choose to harmonise with a neighbouring country’s requirements. For example, harmonisation with The Philippines’ requirements would suggest that Vietnam should adopt The Philippines’ requirements for 5’ lamps.
2.3.2. Other Requirements
VSQI have requested an examination of the need to include requirements for other lamp characteristics within MEPS, and the practice of neighbouring countries with respect to this issue. So far as we are able to ascertain (noting that some difficulties with language translation were encountered) the requirements for neighbouring countries are listed in Table 1.
Table 1: Requirements for Lamp Characteristics in Vietnam and neighbouring countries
Country / Min Efficacy / Min Lumen Maintenance / Min Lamp Life / Min CRI (Ra) / Colour Temperature (Colour Coordinates) /Vietnam / Yes / Min 80% after 2000 hrs / 8000 hrs / No / No
China / Yes / No* / No / No / ≤5 SDCM from target value
Philippines / Yes / Min 92% after 2000 hrs / 10000 hrs (halophosphate)
15000 hrs (triphosphor) / 70 (halophosphate)
80 (triphosphor) / No
Australia / Yes / Min ~87% after 5000 hrs / No / 79 / No
Thailand / Yes / Min ~90% after 5000 hrs / No / 80 / No
*mentioned in the MEPS standard, but seems only to require that lamps shall perform as claimed by the manufacturer, i.e. not required to meet a minimum absolute limit.
Again, it may be worthwhile for Vietnam to harmonise requirements with The Philippines. In addition, the Chinese requirement for colour temperature is also considered appropriate – this states that the colour coordinates must lie within a maximum distance from the target colour coordinates.
Note that the tests for CRI (Ra) and colour coordinates are simple and are typically conducted at the same time as efficacy testing.
Lumen maintenance testing does require significant time and cost to test. However, given that many other countries require a minimum value for lumen maintenance, Vietnam may wish to leave a lumen maintenance requirement in their standard for the time being, but then choose at a later date whether or not to undertake check testing of this requirement, i.e. depending on available Government resources and timeframes.
2.3.3. Fast Testing Method
VSQI have requested examination of the appropriateness of the “fast testing” method offered in clause 5.3 of TCVN 8249, which states that an on/off cycle of 0.5/4.5 minutes is allowable during life testing. This represents a duty cycle of 10%, which would mean that life testing to 2,000 (operational) hours would actually take 20,000 hours which is more than 2 years. Note that this is likely to be a typographical or translational error – the on and off values appear to have been swapped. The intended on/off values are likely to be 4.5/0.5 which represents a duty cycle of 90%.
The cycle of 4.5 minutes on (then 0.5 minutes off) is a much faster switching rate than the test method in IEC 60081 which requires an on/off cycle of 165/15 minutes (a duty cycle of 92%). Faster switching will tend to reduce the life of fluorescent lamps.
Almost all IEC member countries rely on the test methods in IEC 60081. As the (we believe intended) duty cycle of the current TCVN standard (90%) is similar to the duty cycle required in IEC 60081 (92%) there is no perceived advantage to allowing the “fast testing” method, and the faster switching will serve to disadvantage lamps tested in this manner. Thus it is recommended that this option be removed from the standard.
3. Tubular Fluorescent Ballasts
3.1. Terminology
3.1.1. Understanding of Terminology in Vietnamese Standards
The Vietnamese ballast efficiency requirements in Table 1 of TCVN 7897 and Table 1 of TCVN 8248 are described in terms of “Ballast Energy Efficiency Ratio” which we have shortened to BEERVietnam. There does not appear to be a clear definition for this ratio in the Vietnamese standards, thus we have assumed that its definition appears in clause 1.2.1 of TCVN 7541-2 which states:
Ballast Efficacy Factor = Ballast Factor / Ballast Input Power
That is, we have assumed that the “Ballast Energy Efficiency Ratio” (BEERVietnam) is the same term as “Ballast Efficacy Factor”. Thus:
BEERVietnam = Ballast Factor / Ballast Input Power
We have also assumed that “Ballast Factor” is equivalent to “Ballast Lumen Factor” as is used in European / IEC standards and regulations. This assumption is supported by clause 1.2.15 of TCVN 7541-2.
3.1.2. Understanding of Terminology in European Regulations
The European Regulation for Ballasts (245/2009 as amended by 347/2010) describes ballast MEPS in terms of “Ballast Efficiency” which is defined as follows (we have shortened to BEEU):
BEEU = Lamp Power / Ballast Input Power
3.1.3. Conversion of Vietnamese Terminology to European Terminology
It is useful to convert the Vietnamese requirements into the European metric, in order to compare with various other countries, for example China and Australia, which use similar terminology and calculations to Europe.