S. Korea to Replace Fluorescent Lamps with LED Lights by 2027

Variety of fluorescent lamps are shown in this file photo. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Feb. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to replace all fluorescent lamps with LED lights over the next few years.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced Tuesday that a new policy will incrementally raise the minimum energy performance standards for fluorescent lamps.

According to the announcement, fluorescent lamps will be divided into three categories based on their sales performance, and the minimum energy performance standards for the lamps with the lowest sales will be raised twice until they reach technological limits.

By 2028, all international manufacturing and imports of fluorescent lamps that fail to meet the standards will be prohibited, banning them from the South Korean market.

With the new policy, fluorescent lamps will be replaced with some 13 million LED lights between 2024-2033.

This will help save 49,025 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy and cut 2,249,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the government said.

For consumers, replacing fluorescent lamps with LED lights will enhance efficiency by 50 percent and triple a light’s life span, retrieving the replacement cost in two years, the government said.

Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)