Since 2008 Philips Middle East, headquartered in Dubai, has been working with the hotels in making energy scans of their hotel facilities, giving recommendations on how to improve their energy efficiency by a simple lamp replacement, without changing the fitting or fixture. Commonly used products like incandescent light bulbs can easily be replaced by energy saving lamps, called compact fluorescent lamps with integrated transformer. This replacement will immediately save 80 per cent on energy consumption, reducing the CO2 by 41kg per year per lamp. Philips Ambiance range has been created for hospitality and homes, since they save energy without disturbing the ambience in the room. Another popular lamp in hotels is the halogen reflector, or dichroic, which can directly be replaced by the Philips MASTERLine ES. This switch saves 40 per cent on energy consumption and cost, also lasting 2-3 times longer, which dramatically reduces maintenance, saving time and money. An electronic transformer (e.g. Philips ET-S) is strongly recommended to ensure that the specified lifetime is reached and energy saving of the total light system is guaranteed. Since last year we have reached the next step in energy saving measures:
LED technology... With retrofit lamps like MASTERLED 7W replacing a 35W halogen reflector lamp, or 40W incandescent light bulb, significant energy can be spared.
Occasionally, a so-called mockup room is installed with the proposed energy efficient lighting solution to check the acceptability of the total atmosphere.
In comparison to the rest of the world, how important is this area regionally in your overall operations in terms of growth prospects, turnover and market share?
For Philips, hospitality is becoming a professional segment with a cross Product Division approach (Lighting and Consumer lifestyle) with dominantly sustainable solutions. With a leading position in the lighting industry to increase energy saving, and a high position on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Sustainable solutions are one of Philips core competences. With the growing need of energy efficient solutions in this hospitality segment in the Middle East, it is vital to become a key supplier of energy efficient lighting and consumer lifestyle solutions in the region's hotel industry.
Are your clients primarily hotels or other commercial developers? Are there differences in the ranges of products you supply between one type of client/segment to another?
The hotel segment is a growing professional segment, which we serve next to office, industry, retail and outdoor. Each asks for a different approach and different products/solutions. Where road lighting mainly uses high pressure sodium lamps, offices ask for fluorescent lighting solutions and fashion shops are moving from halogen towards compact discharge lamps. What they all have in common is the increasing need for energy efficient solutions.
In terms product imports of all types, this region is notoriously price conscious and often capitulates to cheap imports from South East Asia that may not have the quality benchmarks set by Phillips. How do you counter unfair competition?
Because of limited knowledge and awareness in the Middle East towards lighting, it is difficult to recognize and appreciate the difference between one lamp and another. So logically consumers purchase the cheapest lamp as long as it fits. Only after usage they experience that lifetime is short, light output is fades fast or lamps simply change colour. To ensure consumers purchase the right product to prevent disappointment, we are setting up training programs and workshops in hotels and other segments. After which, those this who attended the course are better prepared to take the right decisions about their lighting, recognizing the difference between the initial cost of a lamp and the value of lighting. After all, the cheapest lamp is actually the most expensive lighting solution.