Green light for energy savings

At an energy efficiency forum in Brussels, Royal Philips Electronics yesterday announced a number of energy efficient lighting solutions which could reduce costs, save energy and cut CO₂ emissions.

In view of the rising demand for energy and imminent climate change, Philips believes that by just switching from old to new technology, massive savings could be made. This could amount to €51bn in electricity cost per year, 273 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year, 800 million barrels of oil, or the output of more than 265 power plants.

In the announcement, Philips said it thinks the time is right and momentum is there to globally prepare for a gradual switch-over from incandescent bulbs to energy saving bulbs. Philips is starting this initiative in Europe by calling for a collective action between the lighting industry, governments and NGOs with a target time frame for a switch-over in Europe of 10 years.

‘Light consumes about 19 per cent of electricity, and the majority of light bulbs are based on old, energy inefficient technology,’ says Theo van Deursen, CEO of Philips Lighting. ‘We are increasingly seeing new lighting solutions being installed in road lighting and office buildings, and we now want to take the lead in accelerating the switch in the home by calling for collective action. Today we start this initiative in Europe, where we think the switch-over could take place within 10 years, and we will follow up with other regions taking into account regional differences and developments.’

The traditional, incandescent light bulbs are energy inefficient because 95 per cent of the energy consumed is wasted as heat. As approximately 80 per cent of all lighting in the home is still using incandescent light bulbs, the collective energy waste is enormous. By switching to new technology, an indirect CO₂ reduction of 20 million tonnes in Europe alone could be achieved. In the home, switching from incandescent bulbs to energy saving light bulb could achieve savings of up to €12 per light bulb per year for consumers.

In addition to the energy efficient light bulbs available today, Philips has also announced a new generation of retrofit halogen bulbs, called Edore. According to Philips, these halogen bulbs save 50 per cent energy when compared to incandescent bulbs.