Twelve years from now, the light bulb we’ve grown up with will be all but history. The new energy bill, which is expected to become law, phases out the 125-year-old bulb in favor of a new generation of energy-efficient lights. These new compact fluorescents and halogens, as well as emerging products such as light-emitting diodes and energy-saving incandescent bulbs will most likely cost consumers more but return their investment in a few months.

It’s all part of a general consumer trend that is evolving toward “sustainability” or “Green.” These are words we hear all the time, and their definitions are so muddy that it can be very confusing. An innovative product is Sustainable or Green if (and these can be used in combination):

The product itself is environmentally-friendly and/or non-toxic.
You can recycle and/or re-use the packaging and containers.
The product is manufactured in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Shipping and distribution of the product minimizes the environmental impact.
 
Sustainable in its environmental usage refers to the potential longevity of vital human ecological support systems, such as the planet’s climatic system, systems of agriculture, industry, forestry, and fisheries, and human communities in general as well as the various systems on which they depend.  In consumer terms, “sustainable” refers to something that does not harm the environment or people.

The light bulb trend is definitely a Green trend because of the energy we as consumers will save.  By the year 2012, the standard will require all light bulbs to use 25 to 30 percent less energy than today’s products. The phase-in will start with 100-watt bulbs in January 2012 and end with 40-watt bulbs in January 2014. By 2020, bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient. The new rules will save consumers $40 billion in energy and other costs from 2012 to 2030, avoid construction of 14 coal-fired power plants, and cut global-warming emissions by at least 51 million tons of carbon annually

Today’s compact fluorescent bulbs already meet the 70 percent efficiency standard, and burns six times longer than the incandescents. It also saves about $5 a year in electricity costs, paying for itself in as little as four months.

This trend is opening doors for innovative new products to emerge. Home Depot has started selling a $5 Philips halogen that doesn’t emit the yellowish tints that can characterizes fluorescents, and it can easily be used with a dimmer. General Electric says it’ll develop an incandescent that uses 30 percent less energy than today’s bulbs by 2010. Also in the pipeline: light-emitting diodes that cost much more but last about 12 years.

By phasing out traditional incandescent light bulbs, the U.S. would cut light bulb electricity use by 60 percent by 2020. The light bulb standard alone will cut Americans’ electric bills up to $18 billion annually.

This is just one example of how the new energy bill will have consumers seeing green. After the holidays I’ll blog about other trends and changes you’ll be seeing in the near future.