BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The first of five phases to eliminate inefficient lights in Barbados will begin in the new year with the prohibition on the importation of any electrical lamp which emits less than 15 lumens per watt.
Acting Project Director of the Project Monitoring and Coordination Team in the Ministry’s Energy Division, Delano Scantlebury, said the phase-out process, starting on Saturday, is an integral element of the Barbados National Energy Policy which is aimed at reducing the cost of energy in Barbados.
The policy he added, also seeks to increase energy security and mitigate the negative effects of energy consumption on the local market.
“It should be noted that energy-efficient lighting could represent about a third of potential savings of electricity for residential, commercial and public customers. These savings have been estimated at between BDS$16.8 million (USD$8.4 million) and BDS$30.8 million (USD$15.4 million) annually depending on crude oil prices,” Scantlebury stated.
“Saving on electricity through efficient lighting will benefit everyone in Barbados. Most importantly, it will help us get closer to our country’s goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable energy and carbon-neutral island-state by 2030,” he added.
Alluding to the benefits of energy-efficient technologies, the Acting Project Director noted that energy-efficient lighting technologies were among the most viable energy-efficient interventions available and had the shortest payback periods.
Further, Scantlebury reasoned that such lighting solutions were low-cost, easy to implement and enabled less energy consumption without compromising brightness or quality.
He reminded the public that switching to efficient light bulbs would assist householders to save money on their electricity bills.
“If you replace 100 incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient LEDs, this could mean savings of almost BDS$7,000 (USD$3,500) per year and your investment can be recovered in just over two months. Please be reminded that we need all Barbadians and visitors to play their part in order to achieve our national goal of 100 per cent fossil-free island-state by 2030,” Scantlebury underlined.
Meanwhile, Chief Technical Officer (Specifications) at the Barbados National Standards Institution, Fabian Scott, in endorsing the move, said the organization developed standards, testing parameters and certification procedures governing the efficient lighting technology.
He said the new Control of Inefficient Lighting Act was “simply trying to move the marketplace to a position similar to other marketplaces where you have a technology that is going to save consumers money”.
“…. We are hoping that our stakeholders will see the opportunities here, not only for increased brightness for those of us who need to see better. You are going to be saving money and you also have a technology that is long-lasting and more quality built. The incandescent bulb will most likely last eight months in a year, the other technology will last several years so, ultimately, over the years you will be saving money,” Scott stressed.
The Control of Inefficient Lighting Act that was passed in July will see the phased elimination of the importation, sale and manufacture of inefficient electrical lamps in the country.
