Five months remain. The focus now is on planning the transition.
For facilities that still rely on mercury or metal halide illumination, the end of the EU RoHS exemption is becoming a practical planning issue. Replacing established equipment takes budget, time and coordination. With the exemption ending on 24 February 2027, there are now around five months to decide how the transition will be managed.
The issue is well understood. The next step is deciding how to respond.
Over the past year, laboratories and facilities have had time to review the guidance, check FAQs, use cost calculators and assess what a move away from mercury-based illumination could mean for their microscopy systems.
That preparation remains useful, but with around five months until the exemption ends, practical decisions now need to follow. Budgets may require approval, replacement systems need to be selected, and shared facilities may need to schedule installations around existing workloads.
Existing light sources won’t simply stop operating on 24 February. However, the market around mercury-containing lamps is changing as the exemption ends, so leaving replacement planning until supply becomes difficult may create avoidable disruption.
Many facilities will already be aware of the deadline without having finalised a replacement plan. At this stage, turning that awareness into a practical timetable can reduce the risk of rushed purchasing decisions later.
Running costs are an important part of the comparison
Capital cost is only one part of an illumination decision. A September 2026 Green Light Laboratories study used real-world energy measurements at the Wolfson Bioimaging Facility, University of Bristol, to compare a 120 W metal halide system with CoolLED pE-300lite and pE-400max LED Illumination Systems.
Green Light Laboratories comparison of metal halide with CoolLED pE-300lite and pE-400max LED Illumination Systems.
The figures also account for running costs and replacement lamps, while LED systems remove the routine requirement for bulb changes. Those factors can be relevant when assessing the longer-term cost of ownership.
The full September 2026 Green Light Laboratories report contains the methodology, assumptions and complete results.
Read the full reportSource: Green Light Laboratories, Fluorescence Microscopy: Light Source Running Costs, September 2026. Results are based on the systems, operating assumptions, electricity tariff and bulb costs used in the study. Actual savings will vary by facility.
Consider the full cost over the life of the system
Replacing an established illumination system can create practical concerns around cost, compatibility, installation and downtime, particularly in facilities that have used the same setup for many years.
Where mercury or metal halide illumination is still in use, the exemption deadline brings replacement planning into focus. The Green Light Laboratories figures indicate that, for the systems and assumptions tested, LED illumination used substantially less energy, required no replacement bulbs and produced lower projected running costs over 25,000 operating hours.
There is still time to plan the change carefully, but facilities that need approvals, purchasing or installation scheduling may benefit from starting that process now.
Plan Your Mercury-Free Transition
Countdown to EU RoHS exemption end date
The EU RoHS exemption for mercury in fluorescent lamps comes to an end on 24 February 2027.
Start planning now to reduce uncertainty around bulb supply, downtime and future system support.
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