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LITE-ON Technology Corp 2017 Mercury Vapor Street Lamp Replacement Project

With the vision to become the “Best Partner in Optoelectronic, Eco-Friendly and Intelligent Technologies”, LITE-ON Technology Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “LITE-ON”) is committed to the development of energy-saving products, such as LED and smart street light, leading the industry in technological development. Over the years, LITE-ON has continuously participated in the government’s “Mercury Vapor Street Lamp
Replacement Project”, which not only helped the urban and rural areas to improve nighttime road safety, but also benefited Taiwan through saving energy and reducing carbon emissions.

To further understand the social benefits brought by LED street lighting products, in 2017 LITE-ON selected the “Mercury Vapor Street Lamp Replacement Project” which was implemented in rural areas as the main target for evaluation. Leotek Electronics Corp., a subsidiary of LITE-ON Technology Corporation, is responsible for planning and coordination of program execution. KPMG Sustainability Consulting Co., Ltd. is engaged
to conduct the Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis. This study assesses the changes brought to the local government, participating organizations and community residents. It covers 18 districts in Nantou, Changhua, Chiayi, Tainan and Pingtung counties, which are classified as the 4th and 5th level administrative subdivisions and considered as rural areas in Taiwan.

Results of this study show that the SROI value of LITE-ON’s “Mercury Vapor Street Lamp Replacement Project” is 2.85 (2017-2021), meaning that every NT$ 1 invested in replacing LED street lights generates social benefits worth NT$ 2.85. The impact results of the project, which were used as the categorizing criterion for SROI benefit distribution, show that the highest benefit lies in “improving residents’ sense of security”, accounting for approximately 59.97 percent of the overall effect. The second highest is “energy-saving and carbon emission reduction brought by LED street lights”, taking up approximately 17.48 percent of the overall effect. In addition, the results of the analysis also indicate a decrease in traffic accidents and an increase in public security, giving residents a sense of security and greater willingness to go out at night. To LITEON, this project not only significantly improves relationships with both government and communities, but also helps R&D personnel to better understand actual demand for products. This in-depth learning will reduce the time and cost incurred during trial and error when developing products in the future.

Through the calculation of product-based SROI, LITE-ON can integrate this experience into our business, focusing directly on the social benefits created by our products and analyzing the future direction for continuous reinforcement of our product’s social influence. Additionally, LITE-ON takes this experience into consideration when evaluating how to maximize the social benefits of our products during the design stage.