Philips revitalizes historic Black Star Monument in Accra with spectacular digital LED illumination

· 21st century LED Technology beautifies city icon as part of the Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow

· The Ghanaian “Black Star Monument” is latest in line-up of historic city monuments lit by Philips in Africa

July 17, 2014

Accra, Ghana – Royal Philips (AEX: PHIA, NYSE: PHG), the global leader in lighting, has unveiled the spectacular illumination of Ghana’s iconic Black Star Monument with its latest LED lighting technology, boosting the beautification of the city of Accra and cutting energy consumption by 80% as compared to the existing conventional lighting. Philips is showcasing its LED lighting solutions in Ghana as part of its fifth consecutive pan-African Cairo to Cape Town Roadshow. The new lighting solutions from Philips will highlight and enhance the architectural quality and aesthetic beauty of one of the most iconic structures in the city.

Shedding new light on Ghana’s independence monument

Philips is placing its LED technology at the service of one of the most important landmarks in Ghana – the Black Star Monument. Located in Accra in the historic Independence Square, the Black Star Monument commemorates the independence of Ghana and is considered an architectural masterpiece and iconic symbol of the city.

The entire Independence Square area is by far one of the most visited landmarks in the city; all major national public gatherings and national festivals are hosted in the square. The spectacular Philips LED lighting of the famous Black Star Monument is likely to further improve the historical significance and tourism value of the area.

The digital LED lighting technology used by Philips, creates more light, while making it more focused and controlled. This state-of-the-art lighting system will allow the Black Star Monument to minimize light spill by directing the light exactly to where it is needed; emphasizing the vertical elements of the structure. The system will also simplify the maintenance schedule as the innovative LED lights have an extended lifetime of up to 80,000 hours compared to only 10,000 hours with the current conventional lighting solutions. Philips has provided all aspects of the LED lighting at the monument, including design consultation, management of the installation with local contractors, programming, commissioning and overall project management.

LED lighting solutions improve energy performance in public spaces

“The spectacular lighting of the Black Star Monument in Accra demonstrates the incredible advances that are being made in the efficiency and beauty in lighting”, says Abdallah Hussein, CEO, Philips West Africa. “Philips is very proud to have placed its know-how and technology at the service of this iconic monument and contributing towards the preservation of Ghanaian heritage. For us the challenge was to devise effective lighting while respecting the authenticity of this monument. The lighting really had to enhance the beauty of the site without at any time overwhelming it. We are very proud of the final result; this reflects how Philips’ lighting innovations provide completely new opportunities to policy makers and governments to enhance city beautification and at the same time contribute to energy saving”.

The advantages of the LED lighting installed at Black Star Monument include:

⁻ The installed capacity of the lighting system is just 3.00 kW, compared to approximately 11.00 kW of the older installation; this is a huge reduction in energy consumption - by up to 80% while providing brighter illumination.

- A longer lifespan of the installation: around 80,000 hours compared to 10,000 hours with the current conventional lighting¹.

- A reduction in maintenance costs: LED luminaires require less maintenance (there is no need for lamp replacement)

Philips contributes to Ghana’s ambition to improve energy efficiency

According to the United Nations, energy used in buildings in Africa is estimated at 56% of the total national electricity consumption. A major policy objective of the Ghanaian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy is to minimize the environmental impact of energy supply and consumption through increased production and use of renewable energy; and at the same time making energy delivery efficient². By giving the Black Star Monument a light makeover, Philips demonstrates that LED lighting technology can save energy while enhancing the beauty of a city. It reconfirms Philips’ commitment to contribute to energy efficiency in Ghana.

The fifth pan-African Cairo to Cape Town roadshow

Accra is the seventh stop on Philips’ annual flagship Cairo to Cape Town roadshow (from 14 April to 3September 2014) which focuses on key challenges facing Africa today - the need for energy-efficient lighting and the revitalization of African healthcare infrastructure. Philips has committed to lighting up and illuminating iconic monuments in every city visited during the roadshow with the latest LED technology. As the number one LED lighting company in the world, Philips will now provide a stunning lighting makeover of historic, well-recognized monuments in African cities.

The Roadshow will make its way across seven countries and ten cities in Africa. The next stop will be Johannesburg, South Africa on 27^th August 2014.

¹ Subject to: L50 at 25 degrees.
² Ghanaian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy

For further information, please contact:

Radhika Choksey
Philips Corporate Communications - Africa
Tel: +31 62525 9000
Email: radhika.choksey@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2013 sales of EUR 23.3 billion and employs approximately 112,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.