Panasonic Launches Installment Payment Service for Switching to Efficient Lighting

Panasonic Electric Works Co., a major Japanese manufacturer of lighting fixtures, launched a monthly payment service jointly with Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co. on October 1, 2009. The service is called "Akari E Support," meaning ecological, economical and easy lighting, and is first being offered in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and will gradually be expanded nationwide. The service allows companies to replace lighting fixtures in their offices with efficient, energy-saving lighting with no upfront investment, while providing performance assurance and certifying carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions, as well as recycling the replaced fixtures.

The revision of the Law on the Rational Use of Energy, set to take effect in April 2010, requires not only manufacturing-centered factories, but also retail stores, offices and other buildings in the commercial sector to meet stricter energy conservation standards. Although demand for efficient, energy-saving lighting is expected to grow in response to the revised law, one of the problems for businesses has been the high initial costs. Panasonic Electric Works aims to promote the new service by easing this initial investment burden.

Panasonic's Electric Works' new service allows users to make flat monthly payment instead of making a large initial investment in order to replace lighting fixtures with efficient, energy-saving types, such as the company's LED light bulbs "EVERLEDS" and lights for facilities "W-Eco environment-conscious lighting equipment," thereby saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions for the same financial burden as the monthly running costs using the old lighting fixtures. The company is marketing the service to businesses and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co. is handling the contracts.

Panasonic Corp. global site
http://panasonic.net/

Posted: 2010/01/09 06:00:15 AM