Afroz Khan, CEE, and Ron Runkles, NEMA

CEE’s Fourth Annual Industry Partners Meeting brought to fruition a concept introduced at that venue four years earlier—applying the NEMA Premium brand to efficient commercial lighting products. According to a memorandum of understanding endorsed by both organizations, the NEMA Premium brand will initially apply to qualifying electronic ballasts that meet CEE high-performance (HP) 32W T8 specification. Under the memo, CEE and NEMA may cooperatively extend this platform to other lighting products or systems over time. Prior to the agreement, the NEMA Premium brand applied exclusively to high efficiency motors.

CEE expects that this new agreement will help to alleviate market and supply-chain barriers that inhibit higher penetration of HP T8 systems nationwide. In late 2004, member organizations noted barriers that hindered the procurement and installation of HP T8 systems, which currently include ballasts and lamps. These barriers include higher first system cost, limited local and regional stocking of qualified ballasts, difficulties in identifying and procuring these products, and longer project lead times incurred when specifying high performance systems.

“While there was some initial concern with applying the NEMA Premium label to ballasts rather than the T8 system, industry and members alike agreed that lamps and ballasts are not sold and distributed together as a system,” said Afroz Khan, a CEE senior commercial program manager. “Ballasts are commonly packaged with luminaires, and so applying the NEMA brand to ballasts that meet CEE performance levels makes better sense from a supply chain standpoint. This approach is intended to reflect market realities and encourage adoption of more efficient commercial lighting nationwide.”

At the Industry Partners Meeting, Ron Runkles of NEMA provided a timeline of critical milestones for the NEMA Premium brand for ballasts. NEMA has targeted March 2008 for their launch date, and Runkles indicated that all manufacturers using the brand must agree to NEMA’s specified terms of use. Once they agree to terms, manufacturers may then begin their own individual marketing efforts.

Runkles also expressed that NEMA is interested in extending the label beyond ballasts to include additional technologies, such as exit signs, lighting controls, and luminaires. According to the memorandum of understanding, NEMA and the CEE Commercial Lighting Committee would review the merits of extending NEMA Premium to other commercial lighting technologies.

CEE will continue to work closely with NEMA on the rollout of the brand, and implications of this platform for member lighting programs. For more information on the CEE Lighting Committee or the NEMA Premium Ballast label, please refer to the CEE Web site.

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