The government launched a nationwide program yesterday to
subsidize the use of 150 million energy-efficient lighting
products, in a bid to reduce electricity consumption by 29 billion
kWh by 2010.
The green drive was jointly launched by the Ministry of Finance
and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
A circular posted on the NDRC's website said the government will
offer a 30 percent subsidy on wholesale purchases and a 50 percent
subsidy on retail sales of energy-saving light bulbs.
It did not, however, specify the quantity of bulbs that will
qualify for the subsidies.
The government said it will subsidize manufacturers who bid the
lowest supply price for the program.
Wang Jianguo, deputy manager of Panasonic Lighting Products Co
Ltd, told China Daily in Beijing yesterday: "With the
government subsidy, we'd like to lower our price to attract more
consumers."
Manufacturers of energy-efficient lighting products must comply
with national energy-saving requirements and have well-established
aftersales services, the NDRC said.
A list of approved manufacturers and the price of their products
will be decided through an opening bidding process, it said.
Liu Qianguang, vice-director of the energy-saving and
environmental protection center under the Beijing municipal
commission of development and reform, said: "Beijing is taking the
lead in this nationwide energy-saving campaign and will launch a
program to promote the use of 5 million energy-efficient lighting
products by 2010.
"In the past three years, Beijing has promoted the use of 1.8
million energy-efficient bulbs," he told China Daily
yesterday.
"This has reduced power consumption by 39 million kW, a saving
of 28 million yuan ($3.9 million)."
Liu said the capital's energy-efficient lighting drive covered
the subway network and all of the elementary and middle schools in
urban areas.
The program will be launched in welfare institutions,
universities, supermarkets and shopping malls this year, he
said.
"As the next step, we intend to get more citizens involved," Liu
said.
Beijing resident Wang Yeping said yesterday she had not bought
any energy-efficient bulbs because they were too expensive.
"The energy-efficient bulbs are about 10 to 15 times more
expensive than ordinary bulbs," she said.
But energy-efficient bulbs last for up to 12,000 hours, much
longer than normal bulbs, a researcher surnamed Yang who works at
the energy-saving and environmental protection center, said.
(China Daily January 23, 2008)
