The "New Light" project in northern Hoa Binh province is proceeding smoothly, along with other projects to improve local roads, clinics, and the sports and cultural centre as part of the national new rural area construction programme. The Vietnam Economic News reports.

The project has involved with lighting systems at local schools, health centres, office buildings, cultural and sports centres, and post offices where mainly used incandescent bulbs or T10 fluorescent lamps mounted directly on the wall without lampshades. Therefore, the brightness was lower than standards from 300-400 percent while the electricity used for lighting was calculated approximately equal to the maximum permissible level of standards.

The Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask Company provided Nhuan Trach Commune 100 lamps and sets of lighting equipment to improve the lighting performance at local schools, health centres, and sports and cultural centre.

Previously, the Nhuan Trach Elementary School was fully illuminated by power consuming incandescent bulbs just reaching luminance rate of 100 LUX, lower a lot compared to the 300 LUX standards. When these bulbs were replaced with energy-efficient T8 fluorescent lamps, these schools can increase power savings up to 64 percent. The luminance rate reached 350 LUX, ensuring vision for students.

The sports and cultural centre in the commune was previously unlighted but now has been installed with two sets of 250W lamps, six sets of 150W lamps, and two sets of 70W lamps, with total installed capacity is around 1850W.

Particularly, the office building of the Nhuan Trach commune’s People’s Committee, previously lighted by power consuming T10 fluorescent lamps with iron ballast and without lampshades has now been installed with FS-40/36x2 M10 and T8 Deluxe fluorescent lamps, increasing lighting efficiency by 800 percent while saving a lot of power.

For the rural communes, lighting local traffic roads is most important, just to ensure the security and easy traffic. Previously, inter-village roads in Nhuan Trach Commune were absolutely unlighted. Now, a lighting system of RSL 05 (50W) compact fluorescent lamps has been installed to help people travel more conveniently.

Speaking about the "New Light" project implemented in Nhuan Trach commune, Secretary General of Vietnam Bio-Study Branch Association Nguyen Lan Hung said: "The lighting system installed in Nhuan Trach commune proved very effective in terms of lighting efficiency and power saving. For example, the lighting system installed in schools in the commune helped reduce power consumption by 30 percent while increase lighting efficiency by 300 percent."

According to Chairman of Luong Son district’s People’s Committee Nguyen Quoc Thao, the "New Light" project deployed in Nhuan Trach Commune is excellent and considered as a major step in the implementation of the National New Rural Area Construction Programme. "This model should be replicated to other communes in the future," he said.-VNA