Tags: Consumer Electronics, Consumer Goods and Concerns
By Anna Valmero
TAGUIG CITY, METRO MANILA—By 2020, the local market for lamps using light emitting diode (LED) technology will grow to 50 percent, according to Philips Electronics and Lighting.
The global electronics firm also said local businesses are “becoming more aware” of the benefits of using LED lights and are eying projects to adopt LED technology for commercial and industrial purposes.
“From a single-digit market today, we are optimistic to achieve 50 percent conversion of traditional lighting sources into LED technology by 2020 via an aggressive awareness campaign on the technology’s benefits,” said Rico Gonzales, country manager for Philips Electronics and Lighting Philippines.
A building that uses LED lights can halve their electric bills for lights because LED light sources are five times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and most halogen lamps.
The shift toward greener spaces and the slew of green building standards being adopted in the country, is among other benefits seen by local businesses in addition to the outright cost savings in power use and electric bills, said Gonzales.
In the country, real-estate developers are applying for certification under Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), an internationally recognized green building standard.
Gonzales cited as example the newly opened coffee shop of Rustan’s Coffee Corp. (Starbucks Philippines) along 32nd Avenue in Fort Bonifacio that uses 100 percent LED lights from Philips in its bid to achieve LEED certification.
“More and more companies are realizing the long-term payback benefits of using LED lamps such as in 66 percent savings in monthly and annual electric bills that compensates for the relatively huge cash outlay during installation,” said Gonzales.
For example, an LED bulb costs P1,000 each but usually has a long life of 50,000 hours compared to the “best” long-life 50W halogen lamps that can emit light for only 6,000 hours.
Unlike traditional lighting sources, LED do not emit heat and thus help lower power use for air-conditioning, he added.
Longer life means less downtime for 24-hour establishments in terms of replacing their lights and longer use thus translating to cheaper cost of ownership in terms of power use, explained Gonzales.
“LED is the future of the lighting industry and with continued research we know we can surpass the efficacy of fluorescent lamps,” he noted, adding that incandescent bulbs may soon be “obsolete” in a decade.
LED lights do not emit ultraviolet and infrared rays that can damage paint, which makes LED lights ideal for use to preserve museum artifacts, he added.
On the consumer front, there is still a misconception on the benefits of LED, which remains a challenge for the sector, said Gonzales.
Most households are still concerned about the “huge capital outlay” in installing LED lamps and think it is “cost prohibitive.” He is positive, however, that with education campaigns, the consumer segment will pick up demand and help lower product prices based on the law of supply and demand.
“Although our market outlook for the country at 2020 is five years later than the global forecast that 70 percent of lamps will use LED technology by 2015, the Philippine market is a growth market for us,” concluded Gonzales.
Get more information about Philips Electronics and Lighting
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LED lights in general have become very popular in all kinds of applications. LED lights use less energy and last longer than traditional light bulbs.