As LED in lighting is becoming widely used, we can see them in normal bulbs, or above our heads in the commercial spots, or in the garden lights around our courtyard, or in the street lights we pass by, etc. We may wonder what happens to the first bulb that Edison invented, which brought the first light in the dark - the incandescent bulb.

Nowadays, the incandescent bulbs are more and more replaced by CFL or LED lights. It's because the incandescent bulbs are energy-inefficient, it causes a lot heat emission and energy consumption which may lead to the severe condition of environment. More and more countries have gradually taken measures to restrict and forbid the usage of traditional incandescent bulbs and advocate new technologies such as LED to save energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

USA, from 2007, the Act of energy independent and security, signed by pre-present Bush, sets, for the first time, efficiency standards for “general service” light bulbs that will essentially phase-out the most common incandescent light bulbs by 2012-2014 and directs DOE to conduct two follow-on rulemakings to assess more stringent standards starting 2020 and 2025.

On April 25, 2007, Gary Lunn, the Natural Resources minister of Canada, made an announcement of planning to start the elimination of inefficient incandescent light bulbs in 2012.

Australian government said it will stop the manufacturing of incandescent bulbs in 2009 and prohibit the usage of incandescent bulbs and replace with energy-saving lights by 2010 at least. It’s the first country to carry out the schedule.

To reduce the energy consumption, the European Union has published the timeline of the restriction of selling incandescent bulbs gradually in 2008. It scheduled to forbid the sale of incandescent bulbs by the end of 2012. Member countries, such as Belgium, Portugal, France, took relevant measures.

Chinese government has carried out a timeline in August 2011 to forbidden the import and sales of general incandescent bulbs effective from 2012/10/1. The phase-out of incandescent bulbs was divided into five phases.

Taiwan, planed to start the ban of manufacturing incandescent bulbs in 2010, and start a comprehensive ban on the production in 2012.

Considering the strict energy storage situation, in 2008, Japanese government decided to ban the manufacturing and selling of energy-intensive incandescent bulbs and replace with CFL bulbs, incandescent bulbs will be absolutely out of market by 2012 was also requested. During the summer of 2012, as the shortage situation of electricity is becoming tense, the Japanese government had to carry out the restriction in advance.

The ban of incandescent bulbs have become globally for a better planet and sustainable development. And we can foresee the usage of LED as retrofit light sources in our indoor lighting, and outdoor lighting.