....ELI - Efficient Lighting Initiative.....:::

Argentina's total electricity consumption in 2000 was 67.6 TWh or about 1880 kWh per capita a year. Lighting was estimated to be 26% of the total. Of the lighting energy use of 17.5 TWh, 40% was in commercial and public buildings, 31% in the residential sector, 16% in street lighting, and 11% in the industrial sector. ELI focused its activities in the residential sector and in commercial and public buildings. A separate GEF project, the Argentina Street Lighting Program, addressed street lighting efficiency improvements.

The principal strategy for the residential sector has been increasing consumer
awareness of the potential for energy-efficient lighting, and specifically promoting screwbase integral compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Activities to this end have included a multimedia marketing campaign and an educational program for school teachers through which tens of thousands of school children were introduced to the benefits of energy efficient lighting.

Since CFLs are expensive, there is a first-cost barrier to their purchase.
ELI has successfully promoted the sale of CFLs with payment through electric bills or paychecks. ELI worked with municipal governments to develop special programs to
subsidize CFLs for low-income residents. Since energy-efficient lighting in the residential sector can reduce both energy consumption as well as peak demand, the promotion of CFLs can help delay the expansion of power supply—in an investments-trapped economy.

For public and commercial buildings, ELI has focused on specialized training programs and other activities directed to professionals, for them to incorporate efficient lighting in the design of new buildings and in remodeling projects. ELI has demonstrated that it is possible to simultaneously improve lighting conditions while substantially reducing energy use in several case-study buildings. This concept was further reinforced through the ELI Award for Energy-Efficient Lighting Installations, which provided recognition to designers and building owners, while providing additional examples of energy-efficient lighting. ELI has
also helped create a number of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) that provide efficient lighting services.

The budget for ELI-Argentina was u$s 2.165.100. ELI was implemented in Argentina by Edesur.