KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 23): CURRENT, a revolutionary blend of technologies like LED and solar, is set to generate savings of up to at least RM300 million over a period of 11 years in smart lighting in Malaysian townships, according to its master distributor Midwest Green Sdn Bhd.

Boston-headquartered CURRENT is powered by U.S. energy management systems giant General Electric.

Midwest Green Sdn Bhd (Midwest Green) is CURRENT’s regional partner for Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines.

In a statement today, Midwest said various municipal councils in Malaysia have started to implement the requirement of LED street lighting for new townships, and some councils are now looking to expand this territory-wide.

“Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah (MPJBT) and the State of Terengganu Councils, through its project partners, are now working with Midwest Green in this conversion,” the statement said.

Midwest managing director Datuk Edward Chew said in implementing this system in Malaysia, the company is looking towards working with more local municipal councils in installing IoT (Internet-of-Things) ready street lights, with plans to then equip the system with the sensors needed to generate data to enhance efficiency.

“Our ultimate goal is to be able to connect the system with other services undertaken by municipal councils such as public transportation, to deliver data intelligence and subsequently, respond accordingly in real time to enhance long-term energy savings,” Chew said.

Meanwhile, CURRENT’s Asia commercial leader Jacky Shen said there was a strong wave of transition to LED lighting at present, especially in a nation like Malaysia, which is built upon roads and highways that require quality lighting.

“The addition of sensors and controls technologies enables LED lighting to become an all-sensing network, compiling data and analytics required to drive additional productivity and efficiency.

“While our immediate goal in Malaysia and Southeast Asia is energy efficiency, there are long-term implications that require a holistic approach and only CURRENT possesses the assets required to achieve such high-level energy efficiency and productivity,” Shen said.

Shen said the company was now working with its project delivery partners and clients to bring LED lighting solutions to the council’s vicinity.

“Once implemented, the new lighting system potentially offers savings of up to 45%-70% and will also improve operational efficiencies, as there is less reliance on manpower being mobilised to determine faulty or non-functioning lights.

“Furthermore, better-quality lighting can also bring other benefits such as improvements in traffic safety for all road users, city attractiveness and economic strengths,” Shen added.