ENERGY STAR® Canada began in 2001 with lighting as one of its first and most recognizable product certifications. For more than two decades, ENERGY STAR certified lighting products have transformed the way Canadians think about and approach energy use in their homes and businesses.
From early compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) to the rapid adoption of LEDs, ENERGY STAR certified lighting became one of the most relatable ways to reduce energy use and helped inform purchasing decisions for consumers. At the same time, the program encouraged manufacturers and retailers to bring increasingly efficient, reliable, and affordable lighting products to market.
As of December 31, 2024, ENERGY STAR certification for most new lighting products has been formally retired, including lamps/lightbulbs and luminaires/fixtures. This milestone reflects a major success for the program as market transformation has been successfully achieved and highly efficient lighting is now commonplace.
Moving the industry forward, step by step
The main goal of the ENERGY STAR program has always been to inform consumers about the energy impact of their purchasing decisions while encouraging manufacturers and industry to advance technology and innovation in energy efficiency. In striving to achieve these objectives, ENERGY STAR plays a critical role in market transformation, alongside standards and incentives. By showcasing consumer preference for models with ENERGY STAR certification, the program has served as a motivation for manufacturers to continuously improve energy performance and bring higher performing products to the market.
This is exactly what was achieved in the lighting category.
Over decades, the ENERGY STAR program regularly raised the bar, slowly upgrading the specifications required for lighting certification. Each update reflected advancements in technology, pushing manufacturers to invest in innovation and deliver lighting products that used significantly less energy without compromising quality.
But we couldn’t have done it alone. Canada’s ENERGY STAR program was aligned with like-minded domestic and international partners to push the market forward, and together, transform lighting for the benefit of consumers.
Domestically, government, utility and retail programs across Canada played a significant role in accelerating consumer adoption of energy efficient lighting. Educational campaigns helped Canadians quickly understand the benefits of highly efficient lights, while rebates programs incentivized the adoption of high-efficiency products to bring savings to those who needed them most.
As high efficiency lighting grew more common, Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations began gradually phasing out the inefficient incandescent and halogen bulbs that had long dominated store shelves. Together, voluntary market leadership and mandatory minimum standards shifted the baseline from inefficient lighting to today’s high-performance products.
A transformed market
Today, highly efficiency lighting is now the norm, with most lighting products on store shelves or in household appliances offering high efficiency as a standard.
The ENERGY STAR program has determined that no additional cost-effective efficiency gains are expected for these products. In other words, the program has successfully achieved its purpose in the lighting category, contributing to a market transformation that no longer needs ENERGY STAR labels to distinguish efficient products.
This milestone represents years of collaboration with manufacturers and retailers, immense technological progress, and real-world savings for Canadians. The success of the lighting category stands as a model for what ENERGY STAR strives to achieve across the marketplace: not permanent labels, but permanent change.
ENERGY STAR Canada is happy to celebrate this accomplishment and will continue to raise the bar for other high efficiency products. Together, let's help Canadians save on their energy bills and work towards a brighter, more efficient future.