19 June 2012, Nairobi – The Electronics Company Royal Philips has announced that it will be installing 19 “Community Light Centres” at locations across Kenya by 2015.
These are areas of approximately 1,000 square metres or the size of a small football pitch and are lit using a new generation of energy efficient solar powered LED lighting.
Making the announcement Philips East Africa Director Roeloi Assies said that the concept of the Community Light Centres is to create areas of light for rural communities which live without electricity, thus effectively creating numerous opportunities for social, sporting and economic activities in the evening.
“Africa is starting a new reliable solar powered LED lighting revolution which will save energy as well as provide lights for those without electricity,” he said.
He said that dramatic advances are being made in the efficiency of LED lighting and this is going to speed up social and economic development across the continent.
The announcement was made during the Nairobi stop of Philips’ fourth consecutive pan-African Cape Town to Cairo road show, which showcases innovations and initiatives in Lighting and Healthcare that create a meaningful impact on people’s lives in Africa.
“The first Philips “Community Light Centre” will be opened on Tuesday at the Mathare Grounds, next to Mathare Primary School, opposite the Mathare Police Deport,” noted Assies.
Philips is currently installing more than a hundred “Philips Community Light Centres” across Africa.
The road show specifically highlights the benefits of Philips’ LED and solar lighting solutions which offer energy efficient, cost effective and reliable on- and off-grid illumination.
The aim is to demonstrate how new breakthroughs in solar powered LED lighting can enable social and economic development for rural communities.
– Capital FM
