By Patrick Avenell
SYDNEY, NSW: For the second time in two years, Sharp Australia’s head office has decided to turn its lights off. The date announced for this occasion is Saturday 27 March 2010, with 8:30pm listed as the time of shut down.
And for the second time in two years, Sharp does expect to turn the lights back on the next day. Rather than turning the lights off and shutting up shop, Sharp is actually turning off its electricity consumption as a sign of support for Earth Hour. Ironically, this sign of support will be best evidenced by turning off Sharp’s vanity sign at the top of North Sydney skyscraper.
This sign, which is LED, not neon, is on Lavender Street in Sydney’s second CBD. According to Sharp, it is 18 metres by 3 metres and uses 65 per cent less energy than traditional neon signs.
Sharp deputy managing director Denis Kerr said this sign, and its now annual switch-off, is an example of Sharp’s ‘Super Green Strategy’ in practice.
“Earth Hour is a great initiative and it is pleasing to see world cities following Sydney’s stance against global warming,” said Kerr. “All of these energy reducing and eco-friendly attributes reflect Sharp's global positioning of reducing greenhouse gases and working towards more environmentally friendly outcomes.”