"Most businesses are reluctant to cover the expense of the initial shift to LED. Although within 2-3 years the financial savings could be felt, the initial cost could be 5 times higher than for conventional bulbs," said Sinta Marino, green marketing and product manager at PT Phillips Indonesia.
"We started selling LED bulbs about 10 years ago. But their popularity has only grown in recent years," he said. "Surprisingly, buildings actually contribute the most to the greenhouse effect, rather than air pollution from transportation," Marino added.
Marino stated that a full shift to LED lights and other energy-efficient lighting installations, including the use of solar panels and light sensors, could save 50 to 80 percent of energy consumption. With the presence of around 33,911 rooms in star-rated hotels in Bali, Marino said that if every room used LED lights, they could save around Rp 2.9 billion (US$300,150).
Bali, especially its southern part, is home to 2,260 star-rated and non-star rated hotels, with a total of 56,971 rooms.
As an avid promoter of green tourism in Bali, former tourism minister I Gede Ardika, who is now a member of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics at the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said: "Saving energy and water and other scarce resources, as well as reducing the production of waste, are among the ways to realize sustainable tourism in Bali."
Pointing out the urgency for hotels in Bali to implement concrete efforts by taking certification through the Tri Hita Karana tourism award, Ardika said: "Green hotels will be able to provide a better quality of service to their customers. Of course, such efforts may not see instant results. It takes time."
At present, PT Phillips Indonesia promotes a solution program called Turnkey Projects and Services to ease the initial cost of business entities, especially hotels in Bali, in their efforts to fully shift to LED lights.
The program basically offers companies like malls, hotels, factories and even administration agencies that provide street lighting, the opportunity to install LED lighting systems and pay for the bulbs in installments over 2-3 years. One of the companies taking part in the project since 2010 is Margonda City mall in Depok West Java.
"From its previous monthly electricity bill of a couple of billion rupiah, it could save up to Rp 700 million, some of which is then used to pay the installments," said PT Phillips Indonesia's marketing manager Danny Hardadi Gunadi.
