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Communiqué

6th International CFL Harmonisation Initiative Stakeholder Progress,
Reporting and Planning Workshop
Xiamen, China: April 2-3, 2007

On 2-3rd April 2007, over 80 delegates from 13 economies attended the 6th International CFL Harmonisation Initiative Stakeholder Progress, Reporting and Planning Workshop in Xiamen, China. This forum was incorporated within the APEC Conference on International Lighting Initiatives to Reduce Trade Barriers and is the sixth in a series of such events first held in May 2005.

The goal of the International CFL Harmonisation Initiative (CFLI) is to increase the availability of higher quality, energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps around the world. Stimulating CFL sales will dramatically reduce the energy consumption of household lighting and abate greenhouse emissions. At the launch of the CFLI in Shanghai in May 2005, participants agreed to work toward:

• Creating a single international testing method to measure the performance characteristics of CFLs including energy efficiency;
• Agreeing discrete performance levels or “efficiency bands” to help align future efficiency schemes;
• Developing protocols to further enhance compliance of CFLs with stated performance;
• Informing the wider international lighting community of this work.

Significant progress has been made since this important initiative was launched 2 years ago, but added urgency is now placed on rapid progress by the CFLI in the light of recent announcements by a number of economies to phase-out lower efficiency lamps, creating an urgent need for the development of mechanisms to ensure CFL quality and to initiate debate on items such as mercury content. The Xiamen event reported the latest progress of all CFLI activities and acted as the focal point to endorse actions planned over the coming period.

Reporting of progress at the forum included:

Test Procedure Protocol

• Revisions to the IEC 60969 test procedure for CFLs proposed by the CFLI were submitted to the IEC in October of 2006 by the Australian IEC representative. Approximately 140 technical comments have been received on the draft from IEC representatives from around the world. These comments are currently under review with a revised committee draft document expected at the end of April.

Verification of Protocol

• Eight laboratories from around the world are undertaking testing of CFLs to verify the proposed revisions to the IEC protocol. Seven laboratories have completed the “100 hour” tests and five laboratories have completed the “2,000 hour” tests.
• Analysis of results demonstrates that much of the proposed testing protocol is clearly understood and can be effectively used by test laboratories. However, issues have been identified with testing voltages used; the point at which tests are deemed to begin; the point of lamp stability; and the interpretation of the data from the proposed starting time test.
• Analysis of the results also indicates that the geographical location or level of accreditation of the laboratories appears to have little impact on the comparability of results submitted.

Performance Specifications

• In response to comments received during the Washington CFLI stakeholder forum in October 2006 and the extensive consultation that followed, proposals were made for the terms of reference of a working group to develop 3 Tiers of CFL Performance based on a set of “standard” operating conditions. The lowest Tier would have few criteria defining performance. Additional “bolt-on” operating conditions would be developed to offer the opportunity to standardise specifications in differing environments.

Compliance Mechanisms

• Details were given of the development process of the overall proposed Compliance Framework and proposals made on the draft protocol for CFL scheme entry.

Extensive discussions on all aspects of the CFLI reporting and planned activities resulted in delegates agreeing on the following outcomes from the forum:

Test Procedure Protocol

• To increase input to the IEC committee reviewing the protocol (34A) through their national representatives of delegates, hence ensuring the revision process adequately represents wider interests, the CFLI committed to supplying names of all national delegates and to post the revised committee draft of the protocol as soon as it is available.
• For the CFLI to make a formal submission to the IEC at their meeting at the end of April 2007 based on laboratory results, analysis and feedback from the laboratories undertaking the protocol verification testing and comments received from other stakeholders.

Performance Specifications

• For the CFL manufacturers (led by the China Association of Lighting Industry) to make proposals for at least 2 Tiers of CFL Performance, the lower Tier defining a potential internationally acceptable minimum standard for CFLs, and the upper Tier defining a premium performance level. Proposals are to be made within 4-6 weeks of the close of the conference with a following period of widespread consultation among all stakeholders. Following a further round of revisions, finalised proposals for at least a 2 Tier CFL performance system may be agreed and submitted to the IEC by September 2007.

Compliance Mechanisms

• For the CFLI to continue to develop the compliance framework and to develop protocols for scheme administration and market supervision, and the exchange of data on CFL compliance and performance.
• Investigations will be made into economies that may agree to pilot the protocols. New Zealand agreed to examine the potential to apply the Initial Scheme Entry protocol in their jurisdiction.

In addition an agreement was signed between a number of CFL manufacturers and their representative bodies, CFL testing and certification centres, and the Asia Clean Development and Climate Programme. The agreement aims to work towards harmonisation of testing procedures and development of a common set of performance specifications for CFLs that can be voluntarily applied across the ASEAN countries and perhaps later more broadly across Asia.

Dates of further CFLI events are dependent on developments in particular project elements with provisional agreement reached for small forums on individual elements. A final forum is provisionally planned for March 2008 in Shanghai, China.

The Xiamen forum was financially supported by the Australian Greenhouse Office, the UK Government’s Market Transformation Programme and the Efficient Lighting Initiative.