With South Africans facing the challenge of reducing electricity consumption, the biennial Eskom Energy Efficient Lighting Design Competition, to encourage the integration of energy efficient lighting in architectural, engineering and interior design, received a record number of school entries and the second-highest number of entries overall in the history of the competition this year.
The competition closed last month and received 506 entries by designers, architects, engineering professionals, entrepreneurs, hobbyists and students who took on State-owned power utility Eskom’s challenge to integrate energy efficient light sources into design solutions.
The final judging will take place at lighting and electrical solutions Radiant Lighting, in Johannesburg, on 28 October. Eskom will announce the winners on 30 October.
Each entrant assembled a working lighting fixture designed specifically for energy efficient light bulbs.
“We are delighted by the large number of high-quality entries that offer new options and creative design solutions for energy efficient lighting in the future,” says member of the Eskom Energy Efficient Lighting Design Competition (EELDC) steering committee Enock Zikalala.
He adds that the competition also encouraged and inspired designers, architects and engineers to integrate energy efficiency into their work for the rest of their careers.
Students had to design lighting fixtures for residential use. The winner will receive R30 000 and the runner-up R20 000, with the student in third place receiving R10 000. There is also a cash prize of R10 000 for the institution at which the winning student is enrolled. The six top regional finalists will each win a Lenovo 7" Android tablet.
Professionals competed in the Innovative Energy Efficient Lighting Design category and the winner will receive R40 000, with the six top regional finalists each receiving R5 000.
The Most Promising Young Designer, a category in which learners from secondary schools and independent colleges between the ages of 14 and 20 can compete, will win R10 000. The six top regional finalists each win a Lenovo 7" Android tablet. There is also a cash prize of R10 000 for the institution at which the winner is enrolled.
During the first round of on-line judging, a panel of judges selected the finalists based on criteria, such as aesthetics, innovation, uniqueness, cost effectiveness, manufacturing, marketing, job-creation potential and overall energy efficiency.
The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Celebrate 20 years of Democracy’. Many designers used natural fibres, coarse textures and beads in luminaries with an ethnic or environmental theme, while others have opted for high-technology lamps using wire, metal, granite and glass.
Other materials included tiles, bottle caps, polystyrene, seashells and wood. Some bold designs incorporated energy efficient lighting as part of a decorative item, such as part of a painting.
Designers used compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in their designs, making full use of the versatility offered by a variety of shapes, colours, sizes and warmth of CFLs and light-emitting diodes.
In addition to designing and building the working prototype, entrants had to prepare a budget, submit a sketch and a photograph of each entry, and comply with strict safety and quality standards.