Ban on fluorescent tubes: what it means for replacement

What has changed

The European RoHS directive restricts the use of mercury in electrical products. Fluorescent tubes contain mercury and were covered by an exemption for many years. That exemption lapsed in 2023 for the most widely used types: linear T5 and T8 tubes and compact fluorescent lamps without an integrated ballast.

Since then manufacturers may no longer place these lamps on the EU market as new products. Stock already held by wholesalers could still be sold, but that stock is now running out. The result: loose fluorescent tubes are becoming scarcer and more expensive, and for some lengths and colour temperatures there is simply no supply left.

What this means for existing installations

The ban applies to placing on the market, not to use. A luminaire fitted with fluorescent tubes may keep running for as long as the lamps work. You do not have to strip anything out.

The problem starts with the first failed tube. If no matching replacement can be sourced, part of the room stays dark. In a warehouse or car park, where lighting has a safety function, that is not an option. This is therefore the moment to plan replacement as a project rather than tube by tube.

Three ways to replace

In practice there are three routes:

• LED retrofit tube in the existing luminaire. Quick and cheap, but the old luminaire, the lampholders and the ballast stay in place. The ballast usually has to be bypassed, and after that conversion the responsibility for the safety of the luminaire generally rests with whoever carried out the conversion, no longer with the original manufacturer.
• New LED linear luminaire. The complete luminaire comes out and an LED linear luminaire goes in, often on the same fixing points. This gives the highest light output per watt, full warranty and the option to dim or add sensors.
• LED high bay in tall spaces. In halls of 6 metres and above, a row of fluorescent luminaires can often be replaced by fewer high bays with a targeted optic. That saves installation time and cabling.

What it delivers in figures

A conventional luminaire with two 58 W T8 tubes draws roughly 110 to 140 W including the ballast. An LED linear luminaire with comparable light output sits at 40 to 60 W. That is a saving of well over half, before any dimming is applied.

Modern LED luminaires achieve 140 to 180 lumens per watt. The TRIVO linear luminaires deliver 140 to 150 lm/W, the ATRIA high bays up to 180 lm/W. On top of that, these luminaires carry a warranty of up to 5 years, whereas a fluorescent tube is typically due for replacement after 15,000 to 20,000 operating hours.

The right choice for each space

• Car parks, livestock buildings, car washes and the food industry: choose a waterproof linear luminaire. TRIVO is IP65 or IP69K, through-wired and opens without screws, so you install a row of luminaires quickly. Available from 20 to 60 W, also with DALI-2 or a built-in sensor.
• Offices and retail: choose a light line with low glare. LINEA has UGR<21, joins seamlessly in white or black and is available as surface-mounted or pendant, optionally with indirect uplight. For office work the guideline is 500 lux on the working plane.
• Warehouses, production halls and sports halls: choose a high bay. ATRIA delivers 75 to 240 W as a UFO, linear above racking or flat with UGR<21. For storage 100 to 200 lux is common, for production work 300 to 500 lux.

How to approach a replacement project

First take stock of the number of luminaires, the mounting height, the IP requirement and whether dimming is needed. On that basis, have a lighting calculation made, so you know for certain that the new design meets the standard values, often with fewer luminaires than today. From 100 units we work with project prices and we deliver from European stock within 5 working days. Lichtplein sells to businesses only.

Frequently asked questions