Lighting already accounts for 19% of global electricity consumption[1] and yet could consume 80% more energy in 2030 than it does today if we continue with current practices[2].
As the world’s leading lighting supplier, Philips has actively promoted the adoption of new lighting technologies worldwide for many years. It is now teaming up with Live Earth to stage a 24-hour, seven-continent musical event to reach more than two billion people on July 7, 2007 and inspire them to take simple steps to combat global warming. (www.liveearth.org)
Speaking in support of the United Nations’ World Environment Day 2007, Mr Vaartjes said energy-efficient technology, such as the now widely available compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), reduces the cost of lighting in three ways.
Environmental cost: energy-efficient bulbs use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and thus reduce carbon dioxide emissions resulting from burning fossil fuels for electricity generation. Greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global warming, the consequences of which are already visible in the shrinking Arctic ice cap, accelerating sea level rise, receding glaciers, more violent tropical storms, and altered growing seasons.
Consumer cost: energy-efficient lighting costs less to operate and maintain. CFLs are 80% more energy efficient than incandescent lamps, while providing the same light levels and lasting six to ten times longer. They also emit only a fraction of the heat of incandescents, allowing even greater summertime energy savings in buildings with air-conditioning.
Economic cost: cutting demand for electricity for lighting frees up capacity for industry and business. Globally, demand for energy is likely to increase by 53% between now and 2030; over 70% of this increase will come from developing countries, led by China and India, determined to sustain economic growth.[3]
“Switching to energy saving lighting alternatives is the simplest and most effective way that individuals, businesses, schools, communities and governments can combat climate change,” Mr Vaartjes continued. “We are increasingly seeing new lighting solutions being installed in road lighting, retail outlets and office buildings, but between 67% and 75% of the world’s lights still use old, inefficient technology[4] – some dating back as far as the 1950s.”
Energy-saving lighting alternatives
In the past five years, Philips has invested more than EUR 400 million worldwide in research and development of energy-efficient lighting solutions. This has resulted in attractive new technologies being developed, with more exciting possibilities on the horizon.
Compact fluorescents: Philips invented the CFL in 1980 and continues to improve the technology to enhance energy efficiency, switching speed and light quality, and to reduce bulb size and cost.
Compact halogen bulbs: Available later this year, new halogen bulbs can be retrofitted into normal fittings to provide energy savings of 50% over traditional household bulbs.
Light-emitting diode (LED) technology:Although LEDs do not yet offer sufficient light output for use in homes, the technology has great future potential. LEDs use only one-eighth of the power of traditional bulbs, and less than half that for CFLs, and last up to 50,000 hours. Philips researchers are working toward ambient intelligence in LED lighting to further reduce energy use, with light levels adjusting according to natural light levels and even to where people are within the room.
Philips is dedicated to meeting the world’s most pressing challenges, with a specific focus on energy efficiency since 1998. Building on what was then two decades of effort to optimize its environmental performance, it has since introduced more than 200 benchmarked Green Flagship products and steadily reduced energy consumption in its processes and across its product lines.
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