RTCR 376:2000. Regulation for fluorescent lamps (tubes and ballasts) 1 OBJECTIVE OF THIS REGULATION To define the minimum energy efficiency (eficiencia energética) values that rectilinear, compact, and circular fluorescent lamps must have under the framework of the Law for the Regulation of Rational Use of Energy, Ley Nº 7447.
2 SCOPE OF APPLICATION 2.1 This regulation applies to rectilinear and U-shaped fluorescent tubes and their ballasts; to circular and compact lamps, including replacement tubes, adapters, and models with built-in ballast.
2.2 Exceptions: for special application tubes of the Gro-lux, Blacklight, and Germicidal type, the technical requirements specified in this Regulation do not apply.
3 REFERENCES NCR: 26 1994 Metrology. International System of Units (SI). Legal units of measurement.
Regulation of the Law for the Regulation of Rational Use of Energy (Ley Nº 7447). Decreto Nº 25584 National Appliance Energy Conservation Amendments of 1988. United States 4 DEFINITION OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS For the purposes of applying this regulation, the following shall be understood as:
4.1 Electromagnetic adapters for compact fluorescent lamps: These are devices designed to facilitate the replacement of an incandescent lamp with a compact fluorescent lamp; externally it consists of an E27 thread for fixing in common lampholders and a G23 base or similar, to receive a compact fluorescent lamp; internally it contains an electromagnetic ballast. Constructively, it must comply with the corresponding electrical safety standards, since its main users are people not specialized in electrical techniques.
4.2 Ballast: Auxiliary element required by light sources that operate by the circulation of an electric current in a gas. The necessary current limitation can be obtained by purely electromagnetic or electronic means. It must provide the voltage and current values indicated by the lamp manufacturer: a current whose crest factor (factor de cresta) fc (relationship between the peak current and the RMS current), does not exceed the values stipulated by the corresponding standards; harmonic content of the line current below the standards cited in each case; its own consumption and operating temperature must be as low as possible (and compatible with the thermal class of its components).
4.3 Bulb Diameter: In lighting, the unit of diameter of the glass bulb that generally envelops and protects the discharge arc tube is adopted as the eighth part of an inch, equivalent to 3.18 mm. Thus, a T8 tube is equivalent to 8 eighths of an inch, i.e., 25.4 mm, and a T12 to 38.1 mm. The use of lamps whose diameter is less than or equal to T8 shall be promoted, since their efficiency is higher, they provide greater luminaire output, contain fewer contaminants, and at the end of their useful life, the amount of contaminants to be eliminated is smaller, such as phosphors, mercury, glass, etc.
4.4 Efficiency of a ballast (eficiencia de un balasto): Not all electrical energy drawn from the mains is transformed into light. A part is lost in non-visible radiation, heat in the lamp, etc. The ballast needs a certain amount of energy for its operation, which is mostly dissipated into the environment as heat. It is also called own consumption (consumo propio) and is measured in watts.
If such a value is not specified, it can be obtained as the difference between the line power and the power delivered to the lamp(s).
Its sole indication is not enough to measure its energy efficiency, as it may have low own consumption (high efficiency), but does not allow the lamp to operate according to the manufacturer's specifications (emits less light, or emits more but lasts less, or produces electromagnetic interference, etc.).
4.5 Efficiency of a luminaire (eficiencia de una luminaria): It is the relationship between the luminous flux that emerges from the luminaire and that emitted by the light source(s) housed inside it. As it is the quotient between two luminous fluxes and the first is less than the second, it is expressed as a percentage (%).
4.6 Efficiency of a compact fluorescent lamp (eficiencia de una lámpara compacta fluorescente): It is the relationship between the initial luminous flux emitted in lumens (lúmenes) and the line power in watts. Its unit is lm/W.
4.7 Efficiency of a light source (eficiencia de una fuente luminosa): Indicates the performance with which a specific light source converts electrical energy into light energy. It is obtained by dividing the luminous flux in lumens by the power in watts, without taking into account the losses of auxiliary equipment, if any. Its unit is lm/W.
4.8 Ballast factor (factor de balasto): It is the relationship between the luminous flux emitted by a lamp when it is operated by the ballast under analysis, and a reference or standard ballast.
4.9 Ballast efficiency factor (factor de eficiencia de balasto, BEF): It is the result of dividing the ballast factor by the input power (W) to it.
4.10 Crest factor of a wave (factor de cresta de una onda): It is the relationship between the peak value and the RMS value, which for a pure sinusoidal wave has a value of the square root of two (1.414).
4.11 Power factor (factor de potencia): It is what is applied when the waves considered are polyharmonic and is defined as the relationship between active power and apparent power.
For the case where the voltage wave is sinusoidal and that due to the action of a non-linear load, only the current is deformed, it is accepted:
since the RMS voltage value E is equal to its fundamental E1 and where:
I1 is the RMS value of the fundamental component font-family:"Verdana!important","Verdana"'> I is the RMS value of the entire non-sinusoidal current wave COS j1 is the power factor P is the active power S is the apparent power 4.12 Compact fluorescent with built-in ballast: Tube-ballast assembly forming a single unit, without replacement parts.
4.13 Luminous flux of a lamp (flujo luminoso de una lámpara): It is the quantity of light that a lamp produces, its unit of measurement being the lumen (lúmen) and is abbreviated as lm.
4.14 Initial luminous flux: It is what a lamp emits after 100 hours of use operating with reference or standard auxiliary equipment and measured under laboratory conditions.
4.15 Average, maintained, or design luminous flux: It is the quantity of light that the lamp emits when it reaches approximately 40% of its useful life. When not otherwise mentioned, luminous flux should be understood as the average luminous flux (flujo luminoso medio).
4.16 Minimum average life (vida media mínima): Time in which half of the lamps in a batch subjected to a continuous operation regime fail.
5 SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS The abbreviations used in this regulation are:
5.1 A Amperes 5.2 BEF Ballast efficiency factor (Factor de eficiencia de balasto) 5.3 THD Total harmonic distortion (Distorsión de armónicas total) 5.4 fp Power factor (Factor de potencia) font-family:"Verdana!important","Verdana"'>5.5 Hz Hertz 5.6 CRI Color rendering index (Índice de reflexión de color) 5.7 lm/W lumens per watt (lúmenes por watt) 5.8 UL Underwriters Laboratories 5.9 V volts 5.10 W watt 5.11 Wh watt-hour 6 CLASSIFICATION Fluorescent lamps are divided into three groups:
- a)Rectilinear and U-shaped Those classified according to:
- I)the tube diameter and length, and II) the power consumed Both for tubes and for ballasts.
- b)Circular Those classified according to:
- I)the power consumed Both for replacement tubes, adapters, as well as for models with built-in ballast.
font-family:"Verdana!important","Verdana"'>c) Compact Those classified according to:
- I)the power consumed Both for replacement tubes, adapters, as well as for models with built-in ballast.
font-family:"Verdana!important","Verdana"'>7 SPECIFICATIONS 7.1 Rectilinear fluorescent lamps The technical characteristics that ballasts for rectilinear fluorescent tubes must meet are specified in Tables No. 1 and No. 2.
Table No. 1 Ballasts for T12 tubes
| Lamp type | F20T12 (20 W) | F40T12 (40 W) | F96T12 (75 W) | F96T12HO (110 W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 610 | 1219 | 2438 | 2438 |
| Minimum BEF (1 lamp) | 2.60 | 1.81 | 1.00 | 0.60 |
| Minimum BEF (2 lamps) | 1.55 | 1.05 | 0.57 | 0.39 |
| Minimum BEF (3 lamps) | 1.10 | 0.60 | - | - |
| Minimum BEF (4 lamps) | - | 0.50 | - | - |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD%) | £ 33% | £ 33% | £ 33% | £ 33% |
| Minimum Power Factor % | ³ 90 | ³ 90 | ³ 90 | ³ 90 |
| Origin label including: | ||||
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Voltage (V) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Frequency (Hz) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Current (A) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| No. of tubes to control | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Note: The BEF is calculated by dividing the ballast factor (expressed as a percentage) by the input power.
The number of lamps in parentheses is the maximum for which the ballast was designed.
Table No. 2 Ballasts for T8 tubes
| Lamp type | F17T8 (17 W) | F32T8 (32 W) | F96T8 (59 W) | F96T8HO (86 W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length (mm) | 610 | 1219 | 2438 | 2438 |
| Minimum BEF (1 lamp) | 4.00 | 2.50 | 1.50 | - |
| Minimum BEF (2 lamps) | 2.00 | 1.30 0. | 0.70 | 50 |
| Minimum BEF (3 lamps) | 1.80 | 1.00 | - | - |
| Minimum BEF (4 lamps) | 1.40 | 0.70 | - | - |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD%) | £ 33% | £ 33% | £ 33% | £ 33% |
| Minimum Power Factor % | ³ 90 | ³ 90 | ³ 90 | ³ 90 |
| Origin label including: | ||||
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Voltage (V) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Frequency (Hz) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Current (A) | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| No. of tubes to control | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Note: The BEF is calculated by dividing the ballast factor (expressed as a percentage) by the input power.
The number of lamps in parentheses is the maximum for which the ballast was designed.
The technical characteristics that rectilinear and U-shaped fluorescent tubes must meet are specified in the Table No. 3.
Table No. 3 Fluorescent tubes | Length mm/in and | Tube Watts | Minimum CRI | Minimum efficacy | Minimum average life | Data printed on the tube Country | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tube type | nominal | | (lm/W) | Hours | Brand | of origin | Model | | 1219/48 med. | >35 W | 69 | 75 | 9000 | Required | Required | Required | | bi-pin | =35 W | 45 | 75 | | | | | | 610/24 or | >35 W | 69 | 68 | 15000 | Required | Required | Required | | U-tube | =35 W | 45 | 64 | | | | | | 610/24 med. | 20 W | 45 | 60 | 7500 | Required | Required | Required | | bi-pin | | | | | | | | | 2438/96 | >65 W | 69 | 80 | 7500 | Required | Required | Required | | slimline | =65 W | 45 | 80 | | | | | | 2438/96 high | >100 W | 69 | 80 | 10000 | Required | Required | Required | | output | =100 W | 45 | 80 | | | | | 7.2 Circular fluorescents The technical characteristics that models with built-in ballast must meet are specified in Table No. 4 Table No. 4 Circular fluorescent lamps with built-in ballast
| Specified lamp type | £ 22 W | >22 W |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lm/W | 40 | 50 |
| Minimum average life (hours) | 7500 | 7500 |
| Total harmonic distortion (THD%) | £ 90 | £ 90 |
| Power factor (%) | ³ 55 | ³ 55 |
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required |
Table No. 5 Circular fluorescent lamps - replacement tube
| Specified lamp type | £ 22 W | > 22 W |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum lm/W | 35 | 45 |
| Minimum average life (hours) | 7500 | 10000 |
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required |
Table No. 6 Ballasts and adapters for circular fluorescent lamps (all power)
| Specified lamp type | Circular |
|---|---|
| Total harmonic distortion (THD%) | £ 90% |
| Power factor (%) | ³ 55 |
| Origin label including: | |
| Brand (indelible) | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required |
| Voltage (indelible) | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required |
7.3 Compact fluorescents The technical characteristics that replacement tubes for compact fluorescents must meet are specified in Table No. 7.
Table No. 7 Replacement tube
| Specified lamp type | <7W | 7W-9W | >9W-13W | >13W-18W | >18W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum lm/W | 40 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 62 |
| Minimum CRI | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Average life (hours) | 8000 | 8000 | 8000 | 8000 | 8000 |
| Origin label including: | |||||
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Voltage (indelible) | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required | Required | Required | Required | Required |
Note: The lm/W value is calculated based on the tube power only.
The technical characteristics that ballasts and adapters for compact fluorescents must meet are specified in Table No. 8.
Table No. 8 Ballasts and adapters for compact fluorescents (all power)
| Specified lamp type | compact |
|---|---|
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD%) | £ 90% |
| Power factor (%) | ³ 55 |
| Origin label including: | |
| Brand (indelible) | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required |
| Voltage (indelible) | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required |
The technical characteristics that models with built-in ballast must meet are specified in Table No. 9 Table No. 9 Compact fluorescents with built-in ballast
| Specified Lamp Type | <10W | 10W-15W | >15W |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum lm/W (lum/watts) | 40 | 45 | 55 |
| Minimum CRI | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| Minimum average life (hours) | 8000 | 8000 | 8000 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD%) | £ 90% | £ 90% | £ 90% |
| Power factor (%) | ³ 55 | ³ 55 | ³ 55 |
| Origin label including: | |||
| Brand (indelible) | Required | Required | Required |
| Country of origin (indelible) | Required | Required | Required |
| Power in watts (indelible) | Required | Required | Required |
| Voltage (indelible) | Required | Required | Required |
| UL certification or equivalent | Required | Required | Required |
Note: The lm/W value is calculated based on the sum of the ballast power and the tube.
7.4 In the event of importing or manufacturing fluorescent luminaires with ballast or lamp and ballast included, each of these parts must comply with the values stipulated in Tables No. 1 to No. 9.
7.5 Natural or legal persons who manufacture, assemble, or import fluorescent lamps, whether rectilinear, their ballasts, circular, and/or compact, whether as a set or adapter and tube separately, which do not comply with the technical requirements stipulated in Tables No. 1 to No. 9, shall also pay the surcharge on the selective consumption tax indicated in Ley Nº 7447 and its amendments.
7.6 The values of the energy characteristics regulated in this Regulation shall be reviewed each year for updating.
font-family:"Verdana!important","Verdana"'>8 SWORN STATEMENT (DECLARACIÓN JURADA) 8.1 For manufacturing or assembly and for nationalizing equipment, authorization must be obtained from MINAE in accordance with Articles 62 and 63 of the Regulation of Ley Nº 7447, either through the Registry (Registro) (Article 67 of the Regulation of the Ley Nº 7447) or the sworn statement (declaración jurada), mentioned in said articles.
8.2 If the equipment data is not found in the Registry, a sworn statement must be submitted with the indicative data of the energy characteristics that allow its efficiency to be determined, obtained based on the sources established in Article 65 of the Regulation of Ley Nº 7447.
8.3 The sworn statement must contain the following minimum data:
I. Name of the importing, manufacturing, or assembling person or company
II. Corporate name
III. ID or legal ID number
IV. Address
V. Telephone
VI. Fax
VII. Post office box
VIII Legal representative
IX. Place to hear notifications within the judicial perimeter of the city of San José
X. Name of the good
XI. Brand
XII. Model
XIII. Number of units imported or manufactured
In addition, data regarding their energy efficiency must be included, specifically:
Table No. 10 Technical data required in the sworn statement for manufacturing, assembly, and/or nationalization of fluorescent lamps | Characteristic | Ballasts | Straight and U-shaped tubes | Circular | Compact | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | T12 | T8 | | Replacement tube | adapter | with built-in ballast | Replacement tube | adapter | with built-in ballast | | Length | - | - | x | - | - | - | - | - | - | | BEF | x | x | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | THD | x | x | - | - | x | x | - | x | x | | Fp | x | x | - | - | x | x | - | x | x | | Lm/W | - | - | x | x | - | x | x | - | x | | CRI | - | - | x | x | - | x | x | - | x | | Hz | x | x | - | - | x | x | - | x | x | | W | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | V | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | | A | x | x | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | | Useful life | - | - | - | x | - | x | x | - | x | | UL | x | x | x | - | x | x | - | x | x | Notes x: indicates data is required -: data is not required 9 NAMEPLATE DATA AND CONSUMPTION NOTICE 9.1 The equipment must have a nameplate containing the data directly related to energy efficiency and consumption, in accordance with what is established in Article 68 of the Regulation of Ley Nº 7447.
9.2 The nameplate or label must have the following minimum data:
I. Title: "ENERGY LABEL" (ETIQUETA ENERGÉTICA)
II.Equipment type: fluorescent tube (rectilinear, U-shaped, circular, compact), ballast, adapter (for compact or circular fluorescent) and circular or compact fluorescent lamp with built-in ballast.
III. Brand
IV. Model
Regarding energy characteristics, the following data must be included:
Table No. 11 Data to include on the nameplate according to equipment type | Characteristic | Tubes: rectilinear, U-shaped, replacement for compact and circular | Ballasts (for T12 and T8) | Adapter for compact or circular | Circular or compact fluorescent lamp with built-in ballast | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | THD * | - | x | x | x | | Fp * | - | x | x | x | | Luminous flux | x | - | - | x | | Lm/W * | x | - | - | x | | W | x | x | x | x | | Minimum life * | x | - | - | x | Notes x: indicates data is required - : data is not required *: Indicates that the regulation value for the equipment according to point 7 Specifications, and the value for the specific equipment must be presented In addition, the following must be specified:
I. Natural or legal person who prepared and placed the nameplate
II. Legends stating the following at the bottom of the nameplate
- "The information contained on this label is for you to compare the energy performance of this good with other similar ones offered in the national market. These characteristics have been determined through controlled methods in the laboratory, therefore they may vary according to conditions, handling habits, and the condition of the equipment." For inquiries, call 192 or write to P.O. Box 126/2120, San Francisco, Guadalupe, fax 257-2434." "IMPORTANT" "REMOVING THIS LABEL BEFORE PURCHASE OF THE GOOD BY THE FINAL CONSUMER IS A VIOLATION OF LEY Nº 7447"
III.The nameplate may be a paper, cardboard, plastic, or metal label adhered to the good, as long as the sale to the public is made with the product packaged, it must be adhered to the packaging.
The content must be in the Spanish language. The appearance and legibility must be maintained until after the good is delivered to the final consumer.
9.3 Nameplate model to be used.
9.3.1 Ballasts and adapters for circular and compact fluorescent lamps ENERGY LABEL (ETIQUETA ENERGÉTICA) TYPE OF BALLAST (OR ADAPTER) BRAND: MODEL:
NOMINAL POWER IN W TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION PERCENTAGE FOR THIS UNIT (%) TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION PERCENTAGE MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED FOR THIS TYPE OF UNIT (%) BALLAST EFFICIENCY FACTOR (BEF) POWER FACTOR OF THIS UNIT (%) MINIMUM RECOMMENDED POWER FACTOR FOR THIS TYPE OF UNIT NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSON WHO PLACED THIS NAMEPLATE OR LABEL The information contained on this label is for you to compare the energy performance of this ballast with other similar ones offered in the national market. These characteristics have been determined through controlled methods in the laboratory, therefore they may vary according to conditions and usage habits and the condition of the equipment.
Inquiries at telephone 192, P.O. Box 126/2120.
IMPORTANT REMOVING THIS NAMEPLATE BEFORE YOUR PURCHASE BY THE FINAL CONSUMER IS A VIOLATION OF LEY Nº 7447 Note: Minimum nameplate dimensions thirteen cm long by thirteen centimeters wide It must be adhered to the box or sales shelf in a visible place 9.3.2 Fluorescent tubes: rectilinear, "U", replacement for circular or compact.
ENERGY LABEL (ETIQUETA ENERGÉTICA) TYPE OF FLUORESCENT TUBE BRAND: MODEL:
NOMINAL POWER (W) TUBE DIAMETER (mm) TOTAL LUMINOUS FLUX (lm) LUMINOUS EFFICIENCY FOR THIS UNIT (lm/W) MINIMUM RECOMMENDED LUMINOUS EFFICIENCY FOR THIS UNIT (lm/Watt) NOMINAL USEFUL LIFE OF THIS UNIT (hours) MINIMUM RECOMMENDED NOMINAL USEFUL LIFE (hours) NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSON WHO PLACED THIS NAMEPLATE OR LABEL The information contained on this label is for you to compare the energy performance of this fluorescent with other similar ones offered in the national market. These characteristics have been determined through controlled methods in the laboratory, therefore they may vary according to conditions and usage habits and the condition of the equipment.
Inquiries at telephone 192, P.O. Box 126/2120 IMPORTANT REMOVING THIS NAMEPLATE BEFORE YOUR PURCHASE BY THE FINAL CONSUMER IS A VIOLATION OF LEY Nº 7447.
Note: Minimum nameplate dimensions thirteen cm long by thirteen centimeters wide It must be adhered to the box or sales shelf in a visible place 9.3.3 Compact and circular fluorescent lamps with built-in ballast ENERGY LABEL (ETIQUETA ENERGÉTICA) TYPE OF LAMP (compact or circular) WITH BUILT-IN BALLAST BRAND: MODEL:
NOMINAL POWER (WATTS) TOTAL LUMINOUS FLUX (lm) RECOMMENDED AVERAGE LIFE (hours) AVERAGE LIFE OF THIS UNIT (hours) LUMINOUS EFFICIENCY OF THIS UNIT (lm/Watt) RECOMMENDED LUMINOUS EFFICIENCY FOR THIS UNIT (lm/Watt) TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION PERCENTAGE OF THIS UNIT (%) TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION PERCENTAGE MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED (%) POWER FACTOR OF THIS UNIT (%) MINIMUM RECOMMENDED POWER FACTOR (%) NATURAL OR LEGAL PERSON WHO PLACED THIS NAMEPLATE OR LABEL The information contained on this label is for you to compare the energy performance of this ballast with other similar ones offered in the national market. These characteristics have been determined through controlled methods in the laboratory, therefore they may vary according to conditions and usage habits and the condition of the equipment.
Inquiries at telephone 192, P.O. Box 126/2120.