State-owned power utility Eskom’s biannual Energy Efficient Lighting Design competition awards took place in Sandton, Johannesburg, last month, showcasing local environment-friendly designs by students, learners and professionals under the theme Celebrate 20 Years of Democracy.

The competition began as a pilot project in 1999 to introduce lighting designers to energy efficient technologies and motivate consumers to buy lampshades that complement energy efficient technologies, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), in the residential sector.

The three categories of this year’s competition drew 506 entries, with six finalists in each.

In Category A, second-year student Ashley Adami from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), in the Western Cape, won the first prize of R30 000 for her Nimbus design.

Another CPUT student, Minette Martiz, won the second prize of R20 000 for her Bamboozled Light design and Holly Hamlyn, of the Design Time School of Interior Design, in Cape Town, won the third prize of R10 000 for her Eternity Light.

CPUT won R10 000 for being the educational institution winner.

The winner in the professionals category – Category B – was Johannesburg function artist Stephen Pikus, who won R40 000 for his Bright Spark design.

Category C showcased designs from promising learners, and Stellenberg High School learner Megan Laughton, of Cape Town, was the winner of R10 000 in this category for her Shredded Lantern design.

The special winner of the category ‘the most promising previously disadvantaged individual’ was Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University student Esther Shaidi from the Eastern Cape for her Ubuntu Lamp.

Eskom senior GM Andrew Etzinger gave the keynote address at the awards ceremony and noted that the variety of styles and moods captured in the designs represented a veritable celebration of local talent.

He added that it was impressive to see how entrants harnessed the developments in technology to present solutions that took the South African context into account with its own set of constantly changing variables, from economics to tastes.

“This event is part of Eskom’s concerted effort to save the environment and be environment friendly. Despite financial challenges, this event popularly promotes energy efficiency and we will continue to fund it.”

The competition creates awareness among designers, manufacturers and buyers about energy efficiency and the need to incorporate it in a design before a house is built, Etzinger noted.

Through this initiative, Eskom hopes to create a new generation of energy efficient users who will demand energy efficient lighting in their homes.

CFL programmes have been used effectively globally, particularly in South Africa, to promote energy efficiency; they are also the cornerstone product for energy-saving programmes and have contributed between 20% and 50% of the total energy efficiency programme portfolio savings.

More than 60-million old light bulbs have been replaced with CFLs in South Africa.

However, Etzinger said LEDs had triggered a transformation of lighting technology with better energy efficiency and brightness, and were currently leading the energy efficient lighting revolution.

“Most designers in our competition followed the trend and incorporated LEDs in their designs, reflecting the importance of featuring cutting-edge technology. A saving of just 1 kWh means that one less kilogram of carbon dioxide is produced by a coal-burning power station and 2 kg of coal is saved,” he stated.

The increasing use of energy efficient lighting could make a significant difference in terms of costs and environmental impact, but it was only possible if consumers were prepared to make the change, said Etzinger.

He said that, through the competition, the incorporation of functioning LEDs in aesthetically pleasing designs would ensure that energy efficient lighting was the preferred option for consumers in all market sectors.