Vietnamese cities cut public lighting to save energy

Cities in Vietnam are reducing their use of public lighting in an effort to conserve energy as the country faces unusually high temperatures that could strain its power supplies. A heatwave has affected much of Asia, causing school closures, deaths, and health warnings. Vietnam’s state utility, EVN, has warned that the high temperatures could increase electricity consumption and put pressure on the national power system.

To conserve energy for domestic use and the manufacturing sector, street lights in Hanoi are being turned on later and turned off earlier than usual, with some lights being turned off completely. Other cities, including Da Nang, have asked office buildings and shopping malls to reduce their outdoor lighting energy use by half. People are also being encouraged to use air conditioning only when necessary and to turn off unused electronics.