Philips to light up City with low-energy bulbs

 By Patrique Githinji

 Electronic firm, Philips, is set to conduct a low-energy street lighting trials in Nairobi.

Philips Electronic Eastern Africa General Manager, Tamer Abelghar, revealed the details at a meeting in Nairobi during a road show that showcased the firm’s products in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Kenya is one of the key markets we are targeting on our low-energy light emitting diode (LED) streetlights and floodlights,” he said.

 “Currently, we are conducting a trial programme in Nairobi.”

The project is aimed at improving energy-efficient street-lighting strategies for all cities in the region.

“Philips LED solution for street and roads can save up to 70 per cent of the energy consumed by existing outdoor lighting,” Abelghar said.

“We hope to develop a range of socially-acceptable, energy-reducing solutions while considering their wider social and economic impacts in terms of public perception, crime, accident and economic regeneration,” he said.

“We can create new low-energy lighting solutions which offer greater comfort, safer environments and improve everyday urban life.”

The products are tailor-made for specific markets.

Netherlands-based firm’s latest LED outdoor lightning solutions also provide city leaders with innovative platforms to deliver high quality white light in urban environment.

The technology is easily serviceable, enabling municipalities to upgrade luminaries’ onsite and switching older lighting technologies to LED with ease.

According to Abelghar, this optimises energy saving and lowers maintenance cost.

Local governments in Africa are increasingly replacing outdoor lighting with newer technologies.

Abelghar, however, said the prohibitive cost of LED lamps is slowing down the initiative.