Why is the minimum efficiency requirement raised to class B for clear (transparent) lamps only in 2016?
This is done in order to ensure continuous supply of lamps for all applications and luminaires. As of today, class B can only be achieved by halogen lamps that come with integrated transformers. These lamps are very new on the market, they do not exist yet with higher lumen outputs (the highest are equivalent to 60W incandescent lamps). Also, because of the size of the integrated transformer, the lamps may be incompatible with some luminaires. For the moment, it is therefore necessary to allow class C lamps on the market, which can be mains voltage halogen lamps without integrated transformer, that can be available in all lumen outputs and in all sizes. As these mains voltage halogen lamps are also rather new products currently sold in small numbers, industry needs to make investments to enlarge their production to supply the market after the incandescent phase-out. However, if the class C halogen lamps were to be phased out earlier than 2016, it would not be worthwhile for the industr
