Interview to Pilar Vázquez, president of Anfalum

The work that has come realising Rafael Baron during all these years has been wonderful. We speak of a professional that carries all his life devoted to the lighting, that knows very well the sector and that has helped to a large extent to his development. By all this my intention is to give continuity to his work although, as it is logical, with the differences that requires the difficult situation to which confronts today the market. Rafael Baron has lived, like president of Anfalum, the first years of the crisis but is now when the companies of lighting are suffering with greater intensity this fall of activity.

From the association will follow working to help to all these companies to save the situation, having clear that now more than ever the union is fundamental. The companies in case alone little can achieve, is the moment to be associated.

Would like us that it was like this but is difficult to ensure it. If the own economists do not put of agreement on what will happen in the next months, we, that are more technical, hardly can do us an idea of what can occur.

But no longer is only the fall produced in 2012 that Unit comments, but we are in front of a descent of activity that comes keeping from does several years. So that it do an idea, there is subsectores in the market of the lighting that accumulate descents of until 70% from the year 2007, what has placed to his companies to the edge of the razor.

Obviously has produced a remarkable descent in the number of employees but is not less true that hardly have disappeared companies. It has to know that the Spanish sector of the lighting is conformed by companies that treasure a long tradition and that are keeping in spite of everything. Only in the case of the LED, when being a very recent technology, yes is giving a greater apparition and disappearance of companies.

More than measures what have to apply is the logic because in the field of the lighting find us in a moment that neither had dreamed those that carry already a lot of years living of him. Historically it was a sector in which they did not produce big technological changes and suddenly, in the last four years, have given transformations very important, motivated by the irruption of the electronics equipment dealers equipment dealers and, more specifically, by the development of the technology LED.

This has produced besides in a moment in which it takes increasingly forces the concept of energetic saving and in which the prices of the light follow going up, what would have to favour the replacement of the ancient luminarias by products more efficient and of lower consumption.

To give this jump need that it invest in this but… who are those that have good part of the luminarias in our country? The Autonomous Communities, the City councils and the Ministry responsible for public works, administrations that are subjected today to strong budgetary cuts that do very difficult to take these decisions. However, they have to take into account that they are investments of which go to have a return in few years and that go them to provide, in the long run, big energetic savings.

If we achieved this small initial help that allowed to the wheel set up, would attain, on the one hand, save the sector and by the another, favour the saving in electrical consumption in this country.

As it says, the past year Anfalum achieved a subsidy in the Community of Madrid for the change of the luminarias that were in worse state by technologies more modern and that offered a lower consumption, but the truth is that this plan did not have the success expected, especially because the city councils were not in conditions to pay the remaining part of the installation that was not subsidised. Until this point has arrived the situation of the local administrations.

In front of this panorama what is us aleatherg is that we are the own companies of lighting those that assume the financial cost of the replacement, through what designate ‘companies of energetic services', which assume the change and the control of the new lighted up of a city council (that is to say pay the amount of the work and the receipt of the light generated by the new luminarias) and in return, the city council engages to be followed crediting to this company what paid before by the light. As they can arrive to savings of the 40-50% with the new luminarias, over time these companies of energetic services amortise the initial investment.

Can ensure him that practically all the lights that there is in Spain are susceptible of improvement, in elder or in lower degree. Some, with savings of the 20 or of 30% and others, arriving until 70%.

In the lighted up domestic, thanks to the lamps of low consumption, already has begun to save in electrical consumption although no of massive form. In fact, in how many houses there is still installed light bulbs of incandescence? There is not more than looking to our around and will see that it still remains a lot of way for visiting in this sense.

And the same raisin in the public lighting… and in industries, in offices, in trades… Taking into account that the savings that can obtain through the new technologies of lighting go from 20% until 70% can ensure that we could attain over time reduce to the half the consumption.

Once said this also is necessary to have clear that the change to the new solutions of lighting it is necessary to do it with head. Each situation is different and requires of a distinct solution. The LED neither is the panacea neither is the most adapted answer in all the applications. It can have better alternatives for some cases.

Is logical that the LED was in peak. When parts of zero is very easy to grow. The technology LED is very recent and the logical is that it follow developing during the next years, displacing in good part to other options of lighting.

But as it advanced before, it is necessary to study where is convenient his installation and how have to do to take advantage of his advantages. For example, in the lighted up external can not replace as well as like this a luminaria traditional by a LED. The optimum height of the installation will vary, the area of lighting also will be different…

In definite, no voucher change a light by another because of this form would have a bad country lit, when the true is that Spain always has characterised by his good lighting.

Himself. When being a so recent technology the potential of progress is enormous, so much in versions for inner as for outsides.

Think that no. We were habituados to put light bulbs of incandescence of 25, 40 or 60 W and the apparition of the LED follows generating a lot of doubts to the customer on his idoneidad in determinate applications. The light that provides this technology is entirely different, is much more concentrated, has distinct tonality,… Nuances, these and others, that desconocen the majority of the domestic users.

Besides, many times do not know which correlation can have between the powers that had installed in incandescence or low consumption and those that has to install with the LED. Therefore our recommendation is that, in front of any doubt, leave advise by the professionals. There are marks that already have carried to his own technicians to big surfaces to offer this work of advice. It is the best formula to avoid discontents, to prevent that the consumer carry to his house a light bulb by which has had to pay a bit more but that does not give him the result apetecido.

Is difficult to estimate because still there are a lot of light bulbs of incandescence into use. Besides, the big saving does not go to appreciate in one or two years but it will be more on a long-term basis when it disappear all the stock that still there is available so much in the warehouses as in the own houses, offices, trades and other. But once culminated this process of replacement, is not descartable, as it indicated previously, arrive to savings of until 50%.

Sincerely, think that no. It take into account that this normative is to European level, by what have left to manufacture these light bulbs in all the European Union. If they follow manufacturing in other parts of the world and there is some attempt to enter them here of irregular form, it will be necessary to be very attentive to detect these practices and report them.

Yes, definitely. The Spanish companies of lighting have lived some very good years in the national market and this has caused that until the irruption of the crisis, have not concerned us excessively by the export. Except some concrete cases that yes carry several years with strategies of internationalisation, to the majority has gone in us the exporting fever now, when we have seen us in problems.

Besides, have begun this exit to the outside of a form something disordered, treating to sell went without installing us in these countries. Up to now, especially in the emergent markets with which share language, this form to act has given positive results because the quality of the Spanish product keeps on being appreciated, but consider that it is the moment to step more, reinforcing these exports with establishments in these countries. And for this need to have helps of the Administration, especially of the Icex, since many of our companies are SMEs for which establish to a lot of kilometres of house is not an easy task.

Fortunately for this opening to the outside also explain to our favour with that already there is big Spanish signatures that have opened these ways (constructors, electrical…) and that have we to the hour to develop his projects of lighting out of Spain.

Would dare me to say that the first that differentiates us is the importance that in Spain has given always to the lighting. Like south country of Europe, that enjoys during the year of a lot of hours of sun and that wishes to have during the night a similar lighting to which has of day, always has given here a big importance to these subjects, being usually to the technological avant-garde.

To this would add that the Spaniards are migrant by nature, has touched us many times go out went to sell, and that there are emergent countries where speaks our language where exists still a high potential of growth.

The main problem that finds our association is that it is mattering a lot of product of doubtful quality and hygiene. From it does years work to detect in the market these articles that do not fulfil with the valid rule.

Want to leave here very clear that no only do essays with products of out of Anfalum. Also we test products manufactured by our associated and in this sense gladdens me say that practically in no case have detected grave problems. From out they are going in all type of products and our battle will follow being in controlling if they fulfil or no with the rules.

Fundamentally the administrative organs, although from Anfalum always will provide them all the help that need. Besides, from the points of distribution also would have to watch much more for commercialising only products that fulfil with all the rule since, unfortunately, appreciate that some of these articles that go out defective in our proofs, have been collected in warehouses of electrical material. With this do not want to say neither that all the warehouses have products that do not fulfil with the rules, neither that all the products that there is in a determinate warehouse are irregular, but yes that it would be convenient that watched much more the quality and hygiene of these products.

This is very complicated. Of course already there are stamps, like the marked CE, but is not less true that some of them are too easy to achieve. There is those who are able to falsify until the stamp.

In general lines can say that the lighted up inner is more stabilised that the outside, which began his fall a bit later because of the famous Plans And, that carried something of money to the city councils. Although I do not know if this, at the end, has been well or bad for this type of lighting since it has had less time to adapt to the new situation, with falls more rugged. Therefore, knowing besides the difficulties that still drag a lot of administrations, see difficult that the lighted up improve in this 2013.

Only if they go out forward the numerous projects that exist on energetic efficiency, if it works the road of the companies of energetic services that commented before and if the banks open a bit the hand of the credits to tackle the changes of lighted up, will be able to see a more luminous future.

Create firmly that are in a moment in which the sector of the lighting can contribute a lot of things to save power, but need of the support of all for mentalizar to the administration and to the consumers in general, that invest in lighting is not to throw the money.