Phillips’ new LED solutions could be a part-solution for Africa’s Energy Crisis
0With Africa’s energy issues and power problems spanning decades with inadequate results achieved, more funds have gone into research and individuals and corporations have been faced with the need to come up with sustainable solutions. World’s Lighting giant, Phillips has disclosed that Africa could save up to N1.63 trillion ($10 billion) in energy costs annually, more than 50 million tonnes of carbon and the equivalent output of 35 power stations, if the continent were to switch its existing lighting, currently run on diesel and fuel.
The research made by the company stated that the costs of running on fuel and diesel were very high and new LED solutions were therefore needed to save more money. The Senior Communications Manager, Phillips stated that it was possible to provide sustainable light for some 600 million Africans who currently live without good electricity if LED solutions were combined with innovations in the battery and solar generation spheres.
The research also revealed that more than three quarters of lighting in the whole world was used by the commercial and industrial circles than for domestic usage and that reducing the energy usage through LED lighting would save up to 80 percent of energy in many applications and 40 percent for all lighting.
Eric Heutinck, General Manager, Philips Lighting , MAGHREB and West Africa said “We have now reached a tipping point in the development of high quality light emitting diodes (LEDs) which can be used for general lighting in almost all applications. Quality LEDs offer part solutions to some of the key issues we face today, including energy crisis, climate change, resource scarcity, safety in our cities and an enhanced sense of health and well being.’’
He added that current LED lighting solutions can deliver very high energy efficiency, long life, design flexibility, controllability and colour – all of which are essential to creating solutions which will improve lighting.
Philips predicts that by 2020 about 75 per cent of the global lighting market (value) will be LED based, a figure derived from both current sales data, including thoughts around future trends. Figures supporting a rapid switch to LED lighting are that lighting currently consumes an average of 19 per cent of global electricity production with a great majority based on older less efficient technologies developed 1970.
Many global initiatives are currently being taken by companies, governments and NGOs to speed up the rate of switch. The rate of adoption however borders on other factors such as affordability, further cost price reductions, quality of lighting and project sustainability.
