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According to the Department of Energy (DOE) there are almost a billion T12 fluorescent tubes left in American ceilings. (See page #35 of this DOE Report released January 2012). A billion tubes is a gigantic number, and the Federal Government may have scheduled the ban before the recession hit or with expectations of a faster recovery by now. The ban has significant financial implications for businesses. How Many T12s are out there? 39.5% are T12s with 941,335,000 tubes. 48.1% are T8s with 1,148,222,000 tubes, and 12.4% are T5s or Miscellaneous with 295,842,000 tubes.
A new private sector program is designed to help businesses meet the July 14th Department of Energy Ban on the one billion T12 fluorescent tubes. Pennsylvania based Independence LED Lighting is a leading U.S. Manufacturer of energy efficient LED Tubes that has launched a comprehensive $10 Million CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting program. The incentive covers the cost of banned T12 tubes, proper disposal of the toxic tubes and ballasts, and an LED Lighting Retrofit Return on Investment (ROI) Assessment. The incentive is for U.S. businesses that choose to retrofit with Independence LED Tubes, which are three times more energy efficient and last three times longer than the obsolete T12s. To further assist qualified business owners, Independence LED provides $0 down financing programs providing net savings from the flip of the switch. The program runs through 12/31/2012
With the ban covering over 30% of American linear lighting. The cost burden of the ban could reach $18.75 billion, given needs for new 'legal' tubes, ballasts, and installation. (See the cost breakdown in the T12 BAN IMPACT ). "In just 30 days, this ban will have significant financial implications for American businesses. The 'CASH for CLUNKERS' Cars and Appliances programs made an impact, so we decided to roll out a program to our customers for LED lighting efficiency retrofits," states Charlie Szoradi, Chairman and CEO of Independence LED. "Now, our 'CASH for CLUNKERS Lighting' and cash flow positive financing works well with available utility company incentives and Federal tax benefits to make clear business sense for replacing T12s with LEDs today. Since the government has not offered cash for T12 clunker lighting, we took the private sector initiative to step up to meet this challenge."
Energy reduction tactics overall with a solid ROI can help businesses save money and also drive jobs. This may serve as a tipping point in the adoption of LED Tubes over their fluorescent predecessors and create needed jobs this summer and beyond.
