News Updates for the Week of October 4

1. US DOE: Offices Can Cut Bills In Half - The DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released a report explaining how to save 50 per cent of net energy consumption through technically feasible improvements to large office buildings. Entitled Strategies for 50 Per Cent Energy Savings in Large Office Buildings, it found that the savings were possible regardless where the buildings were located. It recommended that light redirection devices could be used to help daylight penetrate further into buildings, reducing the need for electric lighting. 9/29 Business Green http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2270616/nrel-offices-cut-energy-bills

2. Free DOE Software Product for Lighting Plans - The Commercial Lighting Solutions provide actionable "how to" guidance on ways to improve your building interior lighting efficiency and reduce your energy consumption, without compromising quality design criteria. Strategies include the use of high performance commercially available products, daylighting, and lighting controls, all within the context of integrated designs supported by performance specifications. It is a webbased lighting tool that DOE created last year to help facilities managers and others do accurate, quick calculations for energy-efficient lighting applications. The interactive program is a back-of-the-envelope boost that can save building owners 30 percent more energy than the baseline standard ASHRAE 90.1 without compromising the quality of illumination. www.lightingsolutions.energy.gov

3. Bitter Climate Puts Energy Ideas On Ice - The window for passing any sweeping energy proposals now has closed -- and those big ideas aren't likely to go anywhere during Obama's first term in the White House. Sensing the looming blockade, lawmakers and lobbyists have been setting the stage for a flurry of action on energy issues when Congress returns after the November elections for a lame-duck session. 9/27 Houston Chronicle

4. UTRC to Receive $10 Million from US DOE for Energy Innovation Hub - United Technologies Research Center (UTRC) http://www.utrc.utc.com the central research organization of United Technologies has announced that it expects to receive an estimated $10 million over five years from the US Department of Energy for its role in a new Energy Innovation Hub for R&D of technologies to improve energy efficiency in existing and new buildings. 9/28 Datamonitor

5. LED City® Members Join Forces with SSL Municipal Street Lighting Consortium - DOE and Cree announced 9/29 that U.S. participants in Cree's LED City program will join forces with DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium. Cree established the LED City Program in 2007 to accelerate implementation of LED lighting in municipalities by promoting the benefits that can be achieved through LED lighting, and by encouraging users to share experiences and data. DOE's SSL Street Lighting Consortium currently has nearly 400 members in 48 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and four other countries, who seek to share technical information and experiences related to LED street and area lighting demonstrations. To learn more, visit www.ssl.energy.gov

6. Consumer Confidence Index Falls Below 50 - The closely watched Consumer Confidence Index fell to 48.5 in September, down from a downwardly revised 53.2 reading in August, according to the New York City-based Conference Board."Overall, consumers’ confidence in the state of the economy remains quite grim. And, with so few expecting conditions to improve in the near term, the pace of economic growth is not likely to pick up in the coming months.” 9/28 HCN

7. Acuity Brands Offers LED Lighting White Papers - The white papers address four fundamental LED topics: LED Binning, Photometric Measurement, Lumen Depreciation and Color Quality.
 “LED and Binning” addresses the issues associated with binning LEDs, color temperature, chromaticity and ANSI binning standards.
 “LED and 100% Efficiency” provides information about relative and absolute photometry, photometry standards IESNA LM-79-08, DOE CALiPER program and luminaire efficiency.
 “LED and Lumen Depreciation” addresses service life for LED systems, including life and lumen depreciation and IES Standard LM80.
 “LED and Controls” features details on LED color temperature, color rendering index and color quality scale.
All four white papers can be downloaded at: http://www.lithonia.com/RTLED/PR

8. Bulb Exchange Program Partners With Ace, Do It Best - Apache Junction, city near Mesa, Ariz., has partnered with two independent hardware stores in a light bulb exchange program that aims to exchange 16,065 incandescent and halogen bulbs. Free of charge, customers receive a voucher for a replacement low-energy CFL or LED bulb from one of the hardware stores. Homeowners and renters can receive up to 10 bulbs, and business owners are limited to 20 bulb exchanges. Funding has been received through the Arizona Department of Commerce under the state’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. 9/29 HCN

9. Gov't Weighs Gas Mileage Rules for 2017 and Beyond - The administration is expected to give its view soon in the form of early planning for mileage standards for model years 2017-2025. Environmentalists are pushing for an average of at least 60 miles per gallon for new vehicles by 2025, exceeding the mileage of the most fuel-efficient hybrids on the road today. But automakers argue that pushing gas mileage standards up that quickly could force them to raise prices higher than drivers can afford. There will be months of review and public comment before specific new standards are set. 9/30 AP