Ms. Jessica Minton, Senior Show Manager, Light Middle East 2010
Light Middle East is the region's leading exhibition and conference for architectural lighting; corporate lighting; retail lighting; theatrical lighting; internal and exterior lighting for urban spaces. It is the region's unique platform for exhibitors to network with one another and meet major clients, industry experts, leading lighting designers and architects involved in the delivery of major public and private development projects. A focused event where key industry decision makers, involved in the design and build of the region's major projects and initiatives, come to meet major international manufacturers and solution providers.
Q. You have been associated with the lighting industry for some time now, what are the significant changes that you have noticed in the region over time?
A. The lighting market in the Middle East region has been evolving over time. As organisers of Light Middle East, the regions only trade event for the lighting industry, we have had our fingers on the pulse of this market and have watched the market closely. Among the most significant developments that have come to our attention is the increasing push among regional consumers towards harnessing the latest technology. There has been a marked increase in demand for energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly products and solutions.
Q. Is the Middle East, in your opinion, a mature market?
A. The Middle East market overall is very much an emerging market. With economies in the region on a high-growth path, the demand for lighting solutions and products is still vibrant and with new technologies available even the more mature and saturated economies such as Dubai are facing tremendous opportunities in refitting and refurbishment as more existing facilities are in need of reducing their lighting bills and upgrading their lighting systems.
Q. You mentioned increased interest in environmentally-friendly products, in which way do you see it affecting the local market place?
A. Across the Middle East, we have noticed an increased awareness about Green Building Standards and the benefits of using environmentally-friendly products in the burgeoning construction industry. There has been widespread realisation of the importance of sustainable
development that is easier on the local environment. More and more developers in the area are now designing projects in line with LEED certification and other green building rating systems. To add to this, the government's mandatory green buildings code offers a range of strategies for better sustainability. Within the new framework, lighting companies are making a greater effort to minimise light pollution as well as to reduce energy consumption.
Q. Energy-efficient solutions are generally more expensive than conventional products; do you think that this is a hindrance to the adoption of new technologies?
A. While energy-efficient products and systems are generally more expensive in the initial installation and implementation, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial costs. There is increasing awareness among regional developers and consumers that by opting for more
environmentally friendly products, they will gain in economies of scale in the end.
Q. How important is lighting in the overall energy consumption picture?
A. Lighting is estimated to consume around 20 per cent of the total electricity consumption worldwide. This represents a significant chunk of the overall energy bill. But lack of awareness of the amount of energy consumed by illumination has meant that adoption of energy-efficient lighting systems has been slower than in other sectors.
Q. What are the factors that are now changing the attitude towards energy-efficient lighting solutions?
A. With concerns growing globally about energy consumption, carbon emissions, pollution and the associated factors that lead to climate change, coupled by the increasing costs of energy and the global economic slowdown, there has been growing interest in energy-saving and environmentally-conscious solutions, that are both easier on resources and represent significant cost saving. This shift in emphasis is being seen in the Middle East too, reflecting the worldwide trends.
Q. Can you estimate the cost benefit of adopting energy-efficient lighting solutions?
A. The savings in costs by installing efficient lighting solutions is enormous. According to research done by industry experts, adopting
energy-efficient lighting can cut the overall consumption bill by nearly 40 per cent overall or the equivalent of 1.8 billion barrels of oil.
Q. Given the obvious cost benefits, what are the hurdles to implementing these across the board?
A. The fact is that lighting has been a low-priority area for a long time. While it is estimated that 2/3rds of the world's installed lighting
capacity is old technology and needs replacing, there has been reluctance to initiate the change, due to the lack of perception of lighting as a major energy consumer. Lighting technology has changed tremendously over the last 10 to 15 years, if the older light fittings can be replaced with those using newer technology, not only will it represent huge savings but it will also cut carbon emissions considerably. The main hurdles to effecting change is the cost factor and short sightedness on part of the developers and project managers. The technology is out there, it just needs more acceptance. A concerted government drive would also help.
Q. What are the areas in which green lighting make the most impact?
A. Lighting in public and commercial buildings make up over 60 per cent of current global lighting usage. About 80 per cent of the installed lighting in this sector uses outdated technology and only 1 per cent of public and office buildings use any sort of intelligent control
mechanisms. Increased use of intelligent building solutions with in-built regulatory and control systems, combined with energy-efficient light fittings like LEDs can represent a considerable saving in the global lighting bill.
Q. Any other areas that play a significant role in global electricity consumption?
A. Office lighting, malls, hotels and street lighting are all areas that affect global electricity consumption considerably. A switch to more intelligent lighting solutions in retail outlets can represent up to AED 51.52 billion in savings worldwide. Similarly a switch to energy-efficient lighting systems can represent an estimated savings of AED 28.09 billion for the global hospitality industry. Switching to new technology street lighting can save local authorities about 60 per cent cost benefit annually. Domestic lighting solutions can represent the greatest saving to home owners and tenants. By adopting new technology like luminaires and efficient use of natural light, it is estimated that domestic lighting bills can be cut by up to a whopping 80 per cent.
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© Press Release 2010
