Light
Emitting Diodes (LED) are the latest and most exciting technological
advancement in the lighting industry in Jamaica.
LEDs
are small, solid-state technology used as a replacement for incandescent and
Fluorescent light bulbs. Because the convert electricity to light without
heating a metallic element like an incandescent bulb or via exciting a Noble
Gas to produce light, they are 90% more efficient.
LEDs light bulbs are designed differently than traditional incandescent light bulbs and are more rugged and durable than traditional incandescent light bulbs and are thus long lasting. They are also less fragile and dangerous than fluorescent lighting devices. LED's have other noteworthy advantages:
1. 60,000
hours, which is an exceptionally longer life span
2. Lower
energy usage
3. Reduced
JPS utility bills
4. Reduced
maintenance costs
5. Higher
safety handling especially around children
So
what is the level of adoption of LED light bulbs in Jamaica?
Government of Jamaica
and LED’s – 105,000 LED Streetlights by 2020
The
Government of Jamaica since 2014 (The
Jamaica Gleaner, 2014, January 7) has been encouraging
Jamaican to make the switch to Led Light bulbs (Bryan,
2017, October) but has had little success.
JPS Co (Jamaica Public Service Company) had aimed to complete the upgrade of some 25,000 streetlights in 2018 (Williams, 2018, February 6).
They
managed to surpass that amount reaching a target of 43,000 and aim to upgrade
another 25000 by the end of 2019 (The
Jamaica Gleaner, 2019, February 26).
The aim is to upgrade 105,000 streetlights by 2020, (Williams, 2018, May 17) possibly powered via solar or Wind power.
LED Light bulbs in
Jamaica – Residential and commercial lighting
LED
bulbs in Jamaica are currently divided into two broad categories based on how
JPS Co supplies electricity:
1. Residential
2. Commercial
Residential
lighting is main households in Jamaica, many of who cannot afford LED, even
with the removal of import duties and taxes (The
Jamaica Gleaner, 2014, January 7), so often they opt for
traditional Fluorescent bulbs.
Incandescent
bulbs are still being sold in Jamaica, as the is no ban albeit CARICOM
(Caribbean Community) is moving to implement a Caribbean-wide ban (The
Jamaica Gleaner, 2018, May 10) on incandescent bulbs.
Commercial
Lighting is slowly adopting LED, being as they traditionally used to use
Fluorescent lighting fixtures in their factories, businesses and warehouses.
Commercial Lighting involves a wide variety of applications such as:
1. Architectural
lighting
2. Automotive
3. Warehouses
4. Factories
5. Broadcasting
6. Electronic
instrumentation
7. Entertainment
and gaming
8. Industrial
automation and controls
9. Traffic
and safety & transportation
So
who controls the market for LED light bulbs in Jamaica?
LED Bulbs and Jamaica –
Chinese control 90% of Residential Lighting market
There are a few companies that sell LED light bulbs
wholesale and retail. These are listed as follows in the table below:
Company
|
Price of LED Lights
|
Address
|
Telephone Number
|
Website
|
Appliance Traders
Limited
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
35 Half-Way-Tree Road,
Kingston 5, Jamaica, W.I.
|
1-888-ATL-SERV
(285-7378), Toll Free (North America): 1-866-252-0059, Tel: (876) 926-3370,
Fax: (876) 920-7048
|
|
Fosrich Electrical
Sales
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
77-79, 10 Molynes
Rd, Kingston
|
876 937 5099
|
|
Active Home Center
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
84 Constant Spring
Rd, Kingston
|
(876) 755-0027
|
|
CESCO Limited
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
1A Molynes Road,
Kingston 10, Jamaica, West Indies
|
876-926-7252,
876-968-9485
|
|
Source Industrial
Sales & Servs Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
18B Lyndhurst Rd (5)
|
876-929-9622
|
|
Automatic Control
Engineering Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
31 DeCarteret Road
Mandeville Manchester
|
876-962-2773,
876-962-6386, 876-962-6387
|
|
Jamaica Microfilm
Incorp Co Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
Suite A *5 Balmoral
Avenue, Kingston 10 St. Andrew
|
876-929-9236
|
|
Enerbiz Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
Unit 7 30-32 Red Hills
Rd (10)
|
876-906-7685
|
N/A
|
Jamaica Public Service
Co Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
6 Knutsford Boulevard,
Kingston 5 Jamaica
|
876-929-2330,
876-926-3190, 888-935-5577
|
calljps@jpsco.com,
www.jpsco.com
|
TradeWorks Jamaica
Industries Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
4 East Bell Rd (11)
|
876-923-0809
|
N/A
|
Burton Steer Energy
Solutions
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
Shop 6 Catherine Hall
Plaza Montego Bay, St James Jamaica
|
876-630-7899
|
N/A
|
T N T Equipment
Engineering Servs
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
5 Columbus Drive
Kingston 20 Jamaica
|
876-933-5375
|
N/A
|
Geddes Refrigeration
Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
226 Spanish Town Road Kingston
11 Jamaica
|
876-923-6521,
876-923-6522, 876-937-4967, 876-937-4968, 876-937-4969, 876-757-2203,
888-991-5976
|
www.grlja.com
|
Highlight Electrical
Sales & Servs Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
133 Maxfield Avenue
Kingston 10 Jamaica
|
876-929-0454, 876-968-0208,
876-929-2207
|
highlightelect@gmail.com
|
Carib Hardware &
Electrical Supplies
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
40 West Street, Port
Antonio Jamaica
|
876-715-6412
|
www.everythingelectricalja.com/
|
Dilandy Import Auto
Parts
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
26 Half Way Tree Road,
Kingston 5 Jamaica
|
876-631-1494,
876-539-7798
|
dilandy.anderson@gmail.com
|
Stephenson's
Electronics Servs Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
54 Main Street, Ocho
Rios St. Ann
|
876-974-2645
|
www.stephensonselec.com/
|
Estech Energy Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
226 Spanish Town Road,
Kingston 11 St. Catherine
|
876-937-4967,
876-812-0151, 876-838-8692
|
www.estechja.com
|
Pegasus Traders Ltd
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
11 Bell Road, Kingston
11 St. Andrew
|
876-758-3338,
876-969-2213
|
www.pegasustraders.com
|
Colours Of Jamaica
|
JA$399 to JA$2085
|
Lot 14, Bogue Estate
Fairview, Montego Bay Jamaica
|
876-979-8319,
876-979-8557, 876-684-9253
|
coloursofjamaica@yahoo.com
|
These
companies are wholesale sellers of LED Bulbs and mainly import their LED from
China and collectively account for 90% of the LED Wholesale market in Jamaica.
Meanwhile the Residential lighting market for LED Light bulbs, which is mostly retail, is 90% controlled via import direct from China and Japan. Purchases by householders of LEDs are from wholesale and retail Chinese merchants in the supermarkets, roadside shops and vendors or in Downtown Kingston.
How to sell LED Light
bulbs in Jamaica - Add in free Alternative Energy solution
Jamaicans
are not really looking for LED light bulbs as many do not know the difference
between LED, fluorescents and Incandescent bulbs, being as they look
aesthetically similar.
Albeit
many may be making a switch towards LED’s as per the suggestion of the
Government of Jamaica (Smith,
A. 2019, May 9), cost is still a factor in the
purchasing decisions of the average Jamaican. The focus of many Jamaicans is on
cheap, low cost and long lasting lighting alternatives.
If
you plan to sell LED's in Jamaica, it is best to sell them at the same price or
lower than traditional light bulbs. Also, it would be best to include a way to
recharge the bulbs, preferably via a built in Li-Ion Battery or via a Solar or
wind powered system (Mian,
2019, June 2), essentially a form of free energy.
Once sold in a convenient low cost package, the Jamaican LED and Alternative energy market can easily be controlled, as LED's are yet to fully replace Fluorescent and Incandescent bulbs.
References
1. The
Jamaica Gleaner. (2014, January 7). Ministry Pushes LED Bulbs To Cut Energy
Bill. Retrieved from
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140107/lead/lead3.html
2. Bryan,
C. (2017, October). Jamaicans Urged to Use LED Lights. Retrieved from https://jis.gov.jm/jamaicans-urged-use-led-lights/
3. Williams,
R. (2018, February 6). 35,000 LED Street Lights to Be Installed this Year.
Retrieved from https://jis.gov.jm/35000-led-street-lights-installed-year/
4. The
Jamaica Gleaner. (2018, May 10). CARICOM Moving To Phase Out Incandescent Bulbs
By September. Retrieved from
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20180510/caricom-moving-phase-out-incandescent-bulbs-september
5. Williams,
R. (2018, May 17). Minister Williams Hails JPS Initiative to Install 105,000
LED Street Lights. Retrieved from https://jis.gov.jm/minister-williams-hails-jps-initiative-to-install-105000-led-street-lights/
6. The
Jamaica Gleaner. (2019, February 26). JPS To Upgrade 25,000 Streetlights To LED
This Year. Retrieved from
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20190226/jps-upgrade-25000-streetlights-led-year
7. Smith,
A. (2019, May 9). Jamaicans Encouraged to Take Steps to Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Emissions. Retrieved from https://jis.gov.jm/jamaicans-encouraged-to-take-steps-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
8. Mian,
Z. (2019, June 2). Electricity For The Poor, An Unconventional Approach.
Retrieved from
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/focus/20190602/zia-mian-electricity-poor-unconventional-approach
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