TTBS testing labs put bulbs in bad light

The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) revealed that all LED lights tested by its Energy Efficiency Lab failed to meet performance requirements for international standards, and 95 per cent failed to meet performance requirements.

These details were revealed at the end of the Quality for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (QSEC) project, which concluded on February 28.

The lab conducted testing on Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) and Light Emitting Diode bulbs (LEDs) since its inception in November 2022.

The lab tested 22 batches of LEDs and two batches of CFL lighting samples locally; and four batches of LEDs and one batch of CFLs from the region.

Speaking at the project closure event held at the TT Bureau of Standards auditorium, Macoya, Trade Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon expressed alarm at the QSEC results but said these results were similar in other areas in the region.

“In the regional piloting countries of Jamaica and Barbados, similar trends in testing outcomes were observed. In Jamaica, all tested LED and CFL samples failed to meet both labelling and performance standards. In Barbados, while there was an improvement in LED labelling compliance, with 50 per cent passing, all LED samples failed performance testing,” she said. “These statistics are indicative of a need to implement rigorous quality control procedures to ensure greater adherence to international standards for lighting products. To overcome these challenges, concerted efforts are required to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance product testing and certification processes and foster greater collaboration among stakeholders to create a more resilient and sustainable energy environment in the region.”

She said the ministry intends to enforce the national standard for the lights through the TTBS, with the lab testing all models of bulbs on sale in the local market.

The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the Caricom Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) and the Ministry of Planning and Development collaborated to establish the lab, which cost about $500,000.

TTBS chairman Lawford Dupres described the lab as a cutting-edge facility which positions TT as a regional centre for testing energy efficiency in lighting products.

Dupres said the energy efficiency lab was more than a testing facility but a catalyst that would play a pivotal role in energy consumption and consumer protection.

“Consumer protection is a top priority, and the energy efficiency lab plays a crucial role in ensuring that consumers have access to quality products,” he said. “The lab is helping to level the playing field for retailers and importers, who often find themselves competing against inferior products that undercut their efforts to provide quality goods.”

He said the TTBS plays a crucial role in the development of the country’s national quality infrastructure, which encompasses the policies, institutions and systems that support the maintenance and development of quality standards, testing and certification. He reminded the audience that the Government committed itself to enhancing the infrastructure to promote economic development, consumer protection and international competitiveness as outlined in the National Quality Policy for 2018-2030. He expressed the TTBS’ commitment to engage stakeholders and fulfil its mandate under the Standards Act of 1997.

“Standards play a vital role in the development of the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, and the level of awareness around these issues has been steadily growing since 2007,” he said. “We've seen a notable increase in energy efficiency awareness, and consumers are becoming more discerning. They want products that deliver on their promises, and rightly so.”

He said consumers’ heightened awareness makes it important for agencies that engage in consumer protection to “step up their game.”

In 2019, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced the distribution of LED bulbs in the 2019/2020 budget, in a bid to promote energy efficiency.

A total of 1.6 million light bulbs were made available for distribution to about 40,000 homes.