Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, New Cairo Authority, lighting manufacturers attended half-day workshop
New technologies, regulations and need for proper testing addressed at the event
UL, the global independent safety science company, participated in a lighting safety, testing and regulations workshop recently held in Cairo.
Egypt is embarking on an energy efficient transition pathway, which targets more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective methods for using energy. The government’s plans include replacing the lights in all government buildings, public spaces and street lights. The Ministry of Electricity is also looking into adopting lighting rotation systems for major roads and squares, increasing lighting capacity in existing street lights and removing any unnecessary lighting.
Witnessing the rising importance of energy efficiency and management, UL conducted the successful half-day event titled ‘Safety and Energy Efficiency Regulations for LED Lighting, from International to Egypt Requirements’ at the Dusit Thani LakeView Cairo hotel.
Held on October 29th, the workshop which gathered more than 60 experts was attended by officials from the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, New Cairo Authority and Electric Power Systems Eng. Co (EPS) as well as leading consultants, technical regulation specifiers and manufacturers including Shaker Consultancy Group, Engineering Consultants Group SA and DAR Al Handasah.
UL experts met with officials and company representatives to discuss at length the latest generation of global lighting regulations and how these apply to the Egyptian market and lighting manufacturers based around the country.
UL explained the importance of being up to date with current requirements, which cover specific issues such as energy efficiency, safety and installation.
The company’s experts also outlined recent changes to the rules and regulations surrounding the use of new technologies, including LED lighting, and best practices employed by companies around the world.
The workshop was well-attended by local manufacturers who develop products for the domestic market and for export across the region and globally. Delegates were given a clear and detailed breakdown of the necessity to comply with international and industry norms and the benefits this can bring to businesses.
In a series of detailed presentations, UL briefed the participants about international lighting regulations for outdoor and indoor lights and highlighted the need for proper and rigorous certification of all goods and equipment to ensure effectiveness.
UL’s Lighting Performance and Energy Efficiency Testing service provides the lighting industry with objective and independent confirmation of a product’s performance. Extensive tests are carried out, including simulating the anticipated everyday product usage in controlled laboratory settings.
Ahmed Eldidi, regional development manager, speaking at the event, mentioned: “The recent workshop in Egypt was a chance for officials and manufacturers to engage with experts from UL. The Egyptian market has been witnessing an increased awareness in the importance of locally manufactured products that comply with international standards to cater for the increased demand created by the construction boom in the country.
“Industry workshops are an extremely useful way to share knowledge. As international regulations are changing and being updated, it is vital that firms be aware of the most current best practices in order to offer a superior service to their customers and maintain a competitive edge over other companies in their field.
Walter Parmiani, principal engineer for IEC/EN Standards Lighting division at UL, said: “The half-day workshop offered officials access to the very latest information, which will prove extremely useful to their operations across Cairo and Egypt.
“Delegates benefited from being brought up to date on the latest procedures and regulations that have been brought in to cover the use and installation of new lighting products. They also learned how proper certification can benefit their business by making them aware of superior, and inferior, products on the market.”
The benefits of UL’s independent product performance testing include guaranteed compliance with international standards, as well as providing companies with product data compiled by an objective and trusted source.
