Businesses, householders, and the general public are reminded that the fourth phase of the Control of Inefficient Lighting Act will commence on Saturday, July 1, 2023.
This reminder has come from acting Project Director in the Project Monitoring and Coordination Team, Ministry of Energy and Business, Delano Scantlebury, who stressed the importance of energy efficient lighting, saying it would benefit the entire island.
Mr. Scantlebury continued: “The fourth of five phases will commence on July 1, 2023, with a prohibition on the manufacture, sale, distribution and retail of any electrical lamp which emits less than 40 lumens per watt, and a prohibition on the importation of any electrical lamp which emits less than 55 lumens per watt.
“This phase-out process is an essential element of the Barbados National Energy Policy and is focused on reducing the cost of energy here, while increasing energy security and mitigating the negative effects of energy consumption on the local and global environments.”
The Control of Inefficient Lighting Act was passed in July 2021, and provides for the phased elimination of the importation, sale and manufacture of inefficient electrical lamps. This phased elimination started on January 1, 2022, and continues until January 1, 2024.
The Project Director said energy efficient lighting could represent about a third of potential savings of electricity for residential, commercial and public consumers. He pointed out that the annual savings had been estimated between BDS$16.6 million and BDS$30.8 million, depending on crude oil prices.
“Savings on electricity through efficient lighting will benefit everyone in Barbados, but 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,” Mr. Scantlebury indicated.
He added that energy efficient lighting technologies were among the most viable energy efficiency interventions available, and had the shortest payback periods.
“They are also relatively low cost, and easy to implement. Modern lighting technology enables the consumption of less energy without compromising brightness or quality,” he surmised.
For more information on the Control of Inefficient Lighting Act, the public may go to the Division of Energy’s website.