Light up your advertising signs with LED — save energy and protect the environment.
The İzmir Chamber of Commerce Advertising Group has launched the “Energy-Saving Project and Campaign for the Illumination of Advertising Boards”, aiming to replace fluorescent and incandescent lamps in illuminated advertising panels with LED lighting to support energy savings and environmental protection.
Advertising Group Council Member Filiz Avcı Belet stated that this approach can achieve up to 65% savings, while İzmir Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Ekrem Demirtaş expressed their full support for the project.
Star Newspaper / İzmir
İzmir, Turkey – Filiz Avcı Belet, Council Member of the Advertising Group Professional Committee at the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, highlighted that illuminated signs, totems, and directional panels—vital components of the advertising sector and widely used in every aspect of business—typically rely on incandescent or fluorescent lamps. She emphasized that, as a sector, they recommend replacing these lamps with LED lighting systems.
“Together with our Professional Committee and with the support of our Board of Directors, we launched the ‘Energy-Saving Project and Campaign for the Illumination of Advertising Boards’ in cooperation with the Electrical Engineering Department of Ege University’s Faculty of Engineering. The goal is to increase energy efficiency and protect the environment,” Belet explained.
LED Lighting Can Achieve Up to 65% Savings
Belet noted that LED lighting consumes up to 90% less energy than incandescent lamps and 65% less than fluorescent lamps. “Through this project and campaign, we recommend that all existing or newly installed illuminated signs, totems, and directional panels in İzmir adopt LED systems,” she said.
She addressed concerns about the initial cost of switching from fluorescent or incandescent lamps to LEDs, clarifying that the perceived high cost is offset quickly by energy savings. “For example, a 5×3 meter illuminated sign using 50 LEDs for 10 hours a day consumes 3,285 kWh annually, costing approximately 1,182 TL. In comparison, a fluorescent system under the same conditions consumes 6,570 kWh, costing 2,365 TL—yielding almost 65% savings,” Belet explained.
Environmentally Friendly and Cost-Effective
Belet also emphasized the importance of incentives from the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality for the project. She suggested measures such as reducing or temporarily waiving the per-square-meter tax on LED signs to encourage their adoption. “Using LED systems not only saves energy and reduces costs, but also lowers carbon dioxide emissions, decreases maintenance expenses, and leaves a cleaner world for future generations. With this environmentally friendly approach, we aim to set a precedent in İzmir and serve as an example nationwide,” Belet added.
Support from İzmir Chamber of Commerce
Ekrem Demirtaş, Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, fully supported the project and campaign initiated by the Advertising Professional Committee. He emphasized that illuminated signs are indispensable for every business and that the growing number of such signs will lead to significant energy savings if converted to LED. “Considering that energy imports are a major factor in our country’s current account deficit, every effort to save energy is crucial. Additionally, this project will bring significant environmental benefits. We will take the necessary initiatives to support and promote this project,” Demirtaş said.