Lighting installations cut carbon dioxide emissions
Over 3,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year have been saved through the installation over the last two years of lower-consumption lighting systems in commercial and industrial premises (including Allied Newspapers), with contracts already...
Over 3,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year have been saved through the installation over the last two years of lower-consumption lighting systems in commercial and industrial premises (including Allied Newspapers), with contracts already underway that would save a further 12,500 metric tons, lighting consultant Pierre Schembri said.
The savings have been made through the installation of fluorescent tubes that use between 40 and 50 per cent less electricity and which generate less heat. One company tested the system and found consumption was 64.3 per cent lower.
"This means companies use less electricity for lighting and to compensate for the heat generated, which reduces demand from Enemalta and in turn means it generates less carbon dioxide," Mr Schembri said.
Emission reduction has become a crucial issue as Malta needs to reduce its emission from the electricity sector by 27 per cent. As part of its obligations under the EU's emissions trading scheme, Malta requested an allocation of 2.96 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually until 2012. However, Brussels recently turned down the request and set a limit on Malta's emissions of 2.1 million tonnes a year. If Malta does not manage to reduce its emissions to the stipulated level, the penalty is around €100 per tonne, which - in the worst case scenario of forecast emissions - would work out to a staggering €410 million between 2008 and 2012, according to Canadian consultant John Balint, who is helping the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment to set out a strategy for Malta.
Only Enemalta's two power stations fall under the emissions trading scheme. In 2005, they generated 1.98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The new lighting system is based on fluorescent tubes known as the T5 system, designed in 1996, which use an electrical "starter" rather than the magnetic ballast used in the 30-year-old T8 system, which was banned by a 2005 EU Directive. The new tubes can be fitted directly into existing systems using an adapter, saving on the need to buy new fittings and dispose of the old ones.
Mr Schembri, who is acting as a consultant to Frank Borda Ltd, said that their Westinghouse Retrolux system is being increasingly used internationally as carbon emissions awareness grow. It has been installed in hundreds of Tesco stores in the UK while 32,500 adapters were fitted in Rome's underground.
The Curia is the latest entity to opt for the new T5 system for its premises with future plans to extend the system to other diocesan entities. This decision follows from the recent environmental audit carried out at the same Curia in Floriana and the Archdiocese of Malta commitment to safeguard the environment as much as possible.
The University has placed its third order and Enemalta has installed hundreds while St Vincent de Paul Residence has also opted for them.
Frank Borda Ltd has been in discussion with the government about tackling the rest of the public sector and public service, estimating that used over the course of a normal working week, these could add up to savings of up to 25,000 metric tons a year.
"Domestic users only turn on lights for a few hours every day. So although every little helps, it would not be enough to help reduce emissions to the extent required. However, commercial and industrial installations use lights for the whole day - and in some cases, round the clock. Our clients have electricity bills that run into hundreds of thousands of liri - and we estimate that lighting represents 5-7 per cent of the country's electrical consumption - which is more than a single multi-million lira power generating unit can produce," Mr Schembri said.
"Abroad, one metric ton of carbon dioxide is saved for every 22 tubes installed (over 3,120 hours of use per year); imagine what the government could save with its estimated 250,000 tubes!"
Mr Schembri said the payback period depends on the electricity tariff, which varies for industry and hotels, for example.
"So it could be as little as a few months or as much as 14 months," he explained.
Frank Borda Ltd is offering to offset the savings against the cost, meaning companies will buy the system over a four-year period without any capital outlay. This option has already been taken up by the Curia.
"The onus for reducing emissions lies with Enemalta, a wholly government-owned corporation. Despite the obvious advantages for government, we have as yet failed to make any significant inroads with the public sector, by far the biggest single user of energy-wasting conventional lighting systems in Malta. This is crucially important for us since it would lead by example and encourage more private sector take-up," Mr Schembri said.
The savings have been made through the installation of fluorescent tubes that use between 40 and 50 per cent less electricity and which generate less heat. One company tested the system and found consumption was 64.3 per cent lower.
"This means companies use less electricity for lighting and to compensate for the heat generated, which reduces demand from Enemalta and in turn means it generates less carbon dioxide," Mr Schembri said.
Emission reduction has become a crucial issue as Malta needs to reduce its emission from the electricity sector by 27 per cent. As part of its obligations under the EU's emissions trading scheme, Malta requested an allocation of 2.96 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually until 2012. However, Brussels recently turned down the request and set a limit on Malta's emissions of 2.1 million tonnes a year. If Malta does not manage to reduce its emissions to the stipulated level, the penalty is around €100 per tonne, which - in the worst case scenario of forecast emissions - would work out to a staggering €410 million between 2008 and 2012, according to Canadian consultant John Balint, who is helping the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment to set out a strategy for Malta.
Only Enemalta's two power stations fall under the emissions trading scheme. In 2005, they generated 1.98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The new lighting system is based on fluorescent tubes known as the T5 system, designed in 1996, which use an electrical "starter" rather than the magnetic ballast used in the 30-year-old T8 system, which was banned by a 2005 EU Directive. The new tubes can be fitted directly into existing systems using an adapter, saving on the need to buy new fittings and dispose of the old ones.
Mr Schembri, who is acting as a consultant to Frank Borda Ltd, said that their Westinghouse Retrolux system is being increasingly used internationally as carbon emissions awareness grow. It has been installed in hundreds of Tesco stores in the UK while 32,500 adapters were fitted in Rome's underground.
The Curia is the latest entity to opt for the new T5 system for its premises with future plans to extend the system to other diocesan entities. This decision follows from the recent environmental audit carried out at the same Curia in Floriana and the Archdiocese of Malta commitment to safeguard the environment as much as possible.
The University has placed its third order and Enemalta has installed hundreds while St Vincent de Paul Residence has also opted for them.
Frank Borda Ltd has been in discussion with the government about tackling the rest of the public sector and public service, estimating that used over the course of a normal working week, these could add up to savings of up to 25,000 metric tons a year.
"Domestic users only turn on lights for a few hours every day. So although every little helps, it would not be enough to help reduce emissions to the extent required. However, commercial and industrial installations use lights for the whole day - and in some cases, round the clock. Our clients have electricity bills that run into hundreds of thousands of liri - and we estimate that lighting represents 5-7 per cent of the country's electrical consumption - which is more than a single multi-million lira power generating unit can produce," Mr Schembri said.
"Abroad, one metric ton of carbon dioxide is saved for every 22 tubes installed (over 3,120 hours of use per year); imagine what the government could save with its estimated 250,000 tubes!"
Mr Schembri said the payback period depends on the electricity tariff, which varies for industry and hotels, for example.
"So it could be as little as a few months or as much as 14 months," he explained.
Frank Borda Ltd is offering to offset the savings against the cost, meaning companies will buy the system over a four-year period without any capital outlay. This option has already been taken up by the Curia.
"The onus for reducing emissions lies with Enemalta, a wholly government-owned corporation. Despite the obvious advantages for government, we have as yet failed to make any significant inroads with the public sector, by far the biggest single user of energy-wasting conventional lighting systems in Malta. This is crucially important for us since it would lead by example and encourage more private sector take-up," Mr Schembri said.