Incandescent light bulbs get the ax in China

China, following similar action by the United States and Europe, announced it will eliminate incandescent light bulbs over the next five years. It's a move that will not only help cut greenhouse gas emissions in the polluted nation, but could have a dramatic effect on the global energy efficiency lighting market as well.

The government will ban imports and sales of 100-watt and higher incandescent bulbs beginning Oct. 1, 2012, the Associated Press reported. The ban will be extended to 60-watt and higher bulbs beginning Oct. 1, 2014 and to 15-watt and higher bulbs in 2016.

China is one of the largest producers of incandescent light bulbs in the world, one-third of which are used domestically. And lighting is estimated to account for some 12 percent of China's total electricity use. Meaning, by the cutting out incandescent light bulbs, China will save 48 billion kilowatt hours of power a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 48 million tons, according to the AP.

Of course, there's the market impact as well. Chinese households will have to buy energy efficiency bulbs, meaning a huge opportunity for lighting companies, especially those that already have manufacturing facilities there.

[via: Associated Press]

Photo: Flickr user Laszlo-photo, CC 2.0

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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com