ICE To Promote Energy
Savings With Change To
Fluorescent Lamps
The Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE) is
proposing changing some
750.000 incandescent
light bulbs to
fluorescent compact
lamps, which consume
less energy. The change
will begin this year in
an effort to save on
energy.
Currently ICE can supply
the country with 2.000
megawatts of power and
demand is growing at
between 5% and 6%
annually. Illumination
on a national scale
represents 19% of the
demand. Energy used to
illuminates homes
represents 4% of the
national consumption.
Salvador López, director
of the Centro de Control
de Energía del ICE, said
that fluorescent
bulbs are more
expensive, however, the
initial investment will
be compensated by the
energy saving.
ICE estimates the
changeover to save some
30 megawatts of power
which converts into
us$17 million dollars
less in costs to produce
the energy.
Fluorescent bulbs cost
between ¢1.000 and
¢3.000 colones,
depending on the brand.
However, savings can be
as much as ¢2.000
colones per month based
on a 30Kwh per month
saving. The saving is
based on a home keeping
lights the on on average
five hours per day.
Part of the ICE plan is
to analyze all the
various bulbs on the
market and then certify
which lamps really offer
energy savings and will
place a sticker on the
label offering consumers
energy consumption
information.
ICE plans to launch an
information campaign
promoting energy savings
on February 11, at the
which time the "energy
efficient" lamps with
the stickers will be on
the market as well.
The program aim to
change the habits of
some 250.000 households,
which ICE has identified
as the number that would
be ready to invest in
the changeover.
López added that the
second part of the ICE
plan is to substitute
refrigeration equipment
in homes and businesses,
which represents 17.9%
of the total energy
consumption in the
country. ICE estimates
that 70 megawatts of
power can be saved
annually with the
implementation of the
second part of the plan. |
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