Smangus brightening up

The energy-saving lighting could also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Bureau of Energy

Once called the “dark village,” the Smangus Tribe area in Hsinchu County has become a shining example of Taiwan’s illumination renovation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Saturday.

Ahead of World Earth Day tomorrow, the Smangus demonstrated advanced illumination concepts and equipment such as LED lighting devices that are eco-friendly and conserve energy.

One of the last areas in Taiwan to be connected to electrical supplies, the Smangus village relied on standard fixtures that consumed a lot of energy and caused occasional blackouts.

The Bureau of Energy, Taiwan Power Co and the Industrial Technology Research Institute recently decided, however, to turn the remote village into a model for illumination, replacing the old devices with electricity-saving bulbs.

The heads of the tribe stressed that the renovation could improve both the stability of the electricity supply and energy conservation and said the change was in line with the philosophy of their ancestors, who lived in tune with nature.

The bureau noted that the new fixtures lowered electricity bills, and saved on the costs of building infrastructure for the neighborhood, while maintaining the original landscape by integrating the high-tech lighting with the natural environment.

Adopting similar energy-saving lighting devices around the country could potentially save between 30 percent and 80 percent of the 26 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity used for illumination annually, which represents about 12 percent of Taiwan’s total electricity consumption of 221.4 billion kilowatt-hours, the bureau said.

“The energy-saving lighting could also help reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” the bureau said.

To realize such savings, the ministry has worked to promote both the energy efficiency and standards for energy-saving products, while launching a green revolution in illumination this year, the bureau said.

These efforts include assisting local public and private organizations to replace incandescent lamps, which consume more energy, and promoting the use of energy-saving LED products.