BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados government is reminding businesses, householders, and the general public that the final phase of the Control of Inefficient Lighting Act goes into effect on Monday.
The Control of Inefficient Lighting Act passed in July 2021, provides for the phased elimination of the importation, sale, and manufacture of inefficient electrical lamps, with the authorities noting that the phased elimination began on January 1, last year.
They said the fifth and final phase will commence at the start of January 1 next year with a prohibition on the manufacture, sale, distribution, and retail of any electrical lamp that emits less than 55 lumens per watt.
”This phase-out process is an integral element of the Barbados National Energy Policy and is focused on reducing the cost of energy in Barbados while increasing energy security and mitigating the adverse effects of energy consumption on the local and global environments,” the Energy Division said, adding that it should be noted that energy-efficient lighting could represent about a third or 33.333 percent of potential savings of electricity for residential, commercial, and public consumers.
“These savings have been estimated at between BDS$16.6 million (One BDS$=US$0.50 cents) and BDS$30.8 million annually depending on crude oil prices,” the Division said, noting that saving 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 percent renewable energy and carbon neutral island-state by 2030”.
It said that energy-efficient lighting technologies are among the most viable energy efficiency interventions available and have the shortest payback periods.
“They are also relatively low cost and easy to implement. Modern lighting technology enables less energy consumption without compromising brightness or quality.”
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