Experts have long advocated energy-saving LED lights in industries, as lighting accounts for around 30 per cent of the electricity used in our energy-starved country. Besides, innovations in LED lights have opened up new avenues for its applications in other areas, especially in the garments industry—the golden goose of Bangladesh. A recent study has revealed that the use of LED lights instead of fluorescent ones in the industry can reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent and expenses by 30 per cent. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) conducted a project titled ‘Promotion of Energy-Efficient LED Lighting in Garments Industry’. It demonstrated the energy-saving potential of LED lights, even after taking into account the minimal lighting standards required for precision work at garments factories. As the project’s technical partner, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) conducted a baseline study to assess the lighting demands of the project’s partner, Karim Textile of Purbani Group.BUET designed the specifications for replacing the existing energy-intensive T-5 and T-8 tube-lights (fluorescent) with more energy-efficient LED lights. The study found that compared over more than six months for the same number of operating hours, LEDs consumed 57 per cent and 33 per cent less energy than T-8 and T-5 tube-lights respectively. Although LED lights are more expensive, the cost offset period was just over a year. The study also revealed that more than 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per annum could be avoided if the existing 3,613 tube-lights (of that industry) are replaced with LED lights. Md Ziaur Rahman Khan, professor of electrical and electronics engineering at BUET, told The Independent that LED technology has evolved a lot over the last few years. Among many other features, the efficacy of LED lighting has also increased to make it the most attractive choice for energy-efficient lighting, he said. Efficacy is the ratio of the amount of light (luminous flux) produced by a lamp (or another light source), usually measured in lumens, to the amount of power consumed to produce it, usually measured in watts. “Most of the commercially available T8 lamps in the country have efficacy in the range of 80–100 lm/watt,” said Khan, adding that the efficacy of the new LED lamp has a minimum efficacy of 90 lm/watt. Al Mudabbir Bin Anam, senior adviser for the Sustainable Energy for Development (SED) programme of GIZ, told The Independent that the aggregate energy consumption of the country’s garments industry is 3,627 GWh/year. By replacing T-8 lights with LED and other efficient lights, efficiency of about 50 per cent can be achieved, said Anam. The cost offset period is about one to 1.5 years, he added. He added that in many cases, energy-efficient technologies are relatively easy and fast to implement, technically proven and financially viable. If properly implemented, the investment costs are recovered within reasonable periods through energy and cost savings, he said. “Yet, projects with convincing economic returns remain unimplemented. A major cause for this is the lack of effective energy-efficiency delivery mechanisms,” he said. To bridge this gap, the Energy Services Company (ESCO) model has been formed, which acts as an appropriate catalyst to implement energy-efficiency projects across energy-conscious countries, Anam said. “The baseline study on LED lighting was conducted under the ESCO model,” he said, adding that it has been successful. Another previous study, also conducted under BUET-GIZ collaboration, found that more than 70 per cent of the buildings in the garments and textiles sector are poorly constructed, resulting in 30 per cent extra electricity consumption. Many buildings need extra cooling because of inappropriate metal roofing that radiates heat. Others need extra electric lights because poor design means a lack of natural lighting, which can worsen cooling problems. The study also found that the humidity range was above 85 per cent in many factory buildings, while the global permissible limit is 60 per cent. The study suggested that green retrofitting would help reduce energy consumption and yield a higher output for the readymade garments (RMG) industry. It would also minimise the negative environmental impact of the existing textile and garments factory buildings. The study also pointed out that most of the garments factories suffer from high thermal gain—that is, rise in temperature—because of rooms of inappropriate dimensions, and that noise, ventilation and other factors affecting workers’ comfort are not considered during their construction. This hampers workers’ efficiency. The study, carried out at a number of RMG and textile factories, found 46 per cent of the workers suffer from chronic headaches and 27 per cent from severe eye pain because of inadequate lighting. Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, former president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), admitted to The Independent that the use of LED lighting and green retrofitting would be beneficial for industries in the long run. “Incidents of garments buildings catching fire, causing loss of life and property, occur every year. A certified green factory building with LED lighting will not only ensure better ventilation, fire safety, and air quality, but also easier maintenance and use of non-fire-prone equipment,” he said. Some of the renowned RMG manufacturers in the country have already introduced green factories to reduce harmful emissions and improve energy efficiency. They recycle by-products and conduct proper waste management, he added.
