GCC urged to dim its lighting demand

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About 22% of the electricity used in the Middle East is consumed by lighting, which is a much higher rate than the rest of the world. Switching from conventional lamps to energy-efficient ones can result in an 80% saving in residential electricity consumption, said Louis Hakim, VP of Royal Philips Electronics and CEO of Philips Middle East.

“On 19 October 2009, Philips announced its voluntary decision to phase-out the sale of home-use incandescent lamps in the GCC as of September 2010, and made a call to make the switch to energy-efficient lighting with the aim of reducing carbon emissions.”

He added that cities as well have a crucial role to play in addressing global warming. “Therefore Philips will also call for action to ensure that renovation of existing infrastructure and buildings in cities is accelerated in the battle against climate change.”

If GCC consumers switch their homes to energy-efficient lighting solutions, this will already save up to US$400 million and 5.1 megatons in carbon dioxide emissions annually. This has resulted in Royal Philips Electronics announcing its participation as the Sustainable Lighting Partner during the Gulf Environment Forum in Jeddah from 7 to 9 March.

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Philips’ participation comes in line with making a significant thrust to advance energy efficiency in the GCC and the Middle East as a whole. “The time is now for governments, businesses and civil societies to decide how to combat climate change and secure our energy future,” said Hakim.

“It is not enough to only switch to energy-saving lights at home or create new, low-energy buildings. In fact, municipalities and companies can also make a difference right now, being able to significantly reduce energy consumption and carbon emission, in addition to overall costs. All this can still be achieved with better lighting solutions that will enhance people’s lives at work, in the city, on the road and at home.

“For example, in Europe, 75% of non-residential buildings like public offices and schools use old 1940s technology, and only 1% is using lighting controls. The current rate of renovation in offices is only about 7% per year, and street lighting is not more than 3%. At this pace, it will take 30 years to be able to reap the environmental and economic benefits; therefore it is essential to refurbish the existing facilities,” said Hakim.