Con Edison Changes Rebate Eligibility for LED Tubes and CFLs

Effective September 1st, 2016, Con Edison has revoked rebate incentive eligibility for all Type B & Type A/B Hybrid Light Emitting Diode (LED) tubes that replace fluorescent tubes and LEDs that replace compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) from all programs.  Given that there are so many Type B LED options for pin based CFLs and biax lamps, the lack of rebates will impact customer purchase decisions beyond the LED tubes. This is a bellwether indicator of trends for potential other utility companies regarding incentives to replace the ubiquitous fluorescent tubes that illuminate the majority of commercial real estate around the world.

For more than 190 years, Con Edison has been building the energy and infrastructure needed to fuel and sustain New York City’s growth.  According to Con Edison’s website, the company is “An innovative, integral, and vital part of the communities we serve, we are proud of our role in New York's historic past, its dynamic present, and its bright future… Today, Con Edison remains one of the largest and most complex — yet most reliable — gas, steam, and electric power systems in the world, providing service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County.”

Industry insiders knew that this Con Edison change was coming for the past few months, and it is now official.

Type B LED tubes are those with an internal driver that require the bypass of the existing ballast with line voltage wired directly to the socket “tombstones” in common troffer, strip, vapor tight, or high bay fixtures.  Due to the potential hazard associated with this application type Con Edison has decided to revoke program eligibility along with A/B Hybrid LED tubes that are also internal drive LED tubes designed primarily as a Type A ballast compatible “plug & play” or “instant fit” solution that could then be converted to a Type B and direct wired if the ballast failed.  

GOOD NEWS  - THE TAKE AWAY:

Type C External Driver LED tubes are still eligible for Con Edison rebate incentives.

Lighting and engineering professional concur that Type C LED tubes provide key advantages:

1. External Driver LED tubes are Safer than Type B LED tubes that rely on high line voltage
2. External Driver LED tubes are More Energy-Efficient than type A LED tubes that rely on the inefficient ballast as the power source
3. External Driver LED tubes are Longer Lasting than Type A, Type B, and Type A/B Hybrid LED tubes, given that the damaging heat generated by the driver is separated from the diodes. Manufacturers of high performance LED tubes use deep fin aluminum as the heat sink to further cool the diodes and extend the life of the total system.

Con Edison is joining a growing national trend that will help steer end users in the right direction for safety, efficiency, and longevity.

Support Information:

The different types of internal and external driver LED tubes has creates some confusions in the marketplace. Last spring, to help clarify the options, Charlie Szoradi, CEO of Independence LED Lighting, wrote an in depth feature article published by LEDs Magazine. The article entitled, LED tubes approach mainstream adoption despite complexities, specifically outlines the advantages and disadvantages of different types of LED tubes relative to the drivers. Here is the article: http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-12/issue-4/features/led-tubes/led-tubes-approach-mainstream-adoption-despite-complexities.html