News Updates for the Week of September 5

1.      Consumer Reports Shines a Light on The Best CFL and LED Bulbs - The days of inefficient light bulbs are slowly coming to an end and recent tests from Consumer Reports showcase more than 30 different compact fluorescents and light-emitting diodes that can brighten indoor and outdoor spaces. Consumer Reports' comprehensive report on CFL and LED bulbs reveal that many problems of the earlier versions have been overcome and that these new efficient bulbs last longer and use far less electricity than the traditional incandescent bulbs. Shoppers now have a variety of different bulbs to match their needs. The full report will be available exclusively for Fans on Consumer Reports' Facebook Page. Also online at www.ConsumerReports.org additional information can be found on light bulbs and further energy saving products. Check for rebates and coupons. Visit www.dsireusa.org/incentives or www.energystar.gov to find utility rebates and manufacturer rebates and coupons.

2.   Consumer Reports Gave the Thumbs-Up to Three LED Lamps - The Consumer Reports staff recommended three 60 W-equivalent LED lamps including the Philips AmbientLED 12.5 W designed for table or floor lamps and priced at $40; the EcoSmart 10.5 W LED for down lights priced at $50; and the EcoSmart PAR38 18 W for outdoor flood lights priced at $45.The highest-performing LED lamp in the 40 to 50 W-equivalent category was the GE Energy Smart LED9A19 9 W lamp, priced at $40. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/8/9/4

3.      LSCG Announces Sub-$15 LED Lamp - Lighting Science Group and Dixon Technologies India Pvt. Ltd has announced a high-performance, sub-$15 omnidirectional 60-watt equivalent A19 LED bulb that will be available in India by the end of the year and will be sold worldwide by Lighting Science Group early next year.  Utilizing Lighting Science Group's revolutionary technical design, the bulb is the first in a series of products being jointly manufactured and distributed by the two companies. The full line of products will include street lights, outdoor and industrial light fixtures and replacement bulbs. The Indian market for LED lighting is expected to grow to $400 million by 2015 (53% per annum), making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

4.      10,000 Commercial Green Building Projects Earn LEED Ratings - The U.S. Green Building Council reached a new milestone today with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system: The 10,000th commercial building project was certified to the organization's standards.  LEED-certified commercial space now totals 1.3 billion square feet of property around the globe. http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/08/31/10000-commercial-green-building-projects-earn-leed-ratings

5.      New NanoMarkets Report Forecasts European OLED Lighting Market to Reach $1.5 Billion by 2016 - Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets has released its latest report titled, “OLED Lighting Markets Europe-2011,” that says the market opportunities in Europe for OLED lighting will generate $1.5 billion in OLED lighting panel sales by 2016. http://www.nanomarkets.net

6.      IES Announces the 10th Edition of The Lighting Handbook - The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) announces the publication of The Lighting Handbook, 10th Ed., the most comprehensive one-volume reference on lighting. http://ecmweb.com/news/IES_10th_edition_lighting_handbook/

7.      BOM Publishes Article About Lighting Controls - BOM Magazine recently published an article about lighting controls, stating: “One of the most important and least appreciated ways to reduce lighting energy use is using lighting controls. As well, lighting controls can improve lighting quality and occupant comfort and security.” Click the link below to read the rest of the article. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/bom-publishes-article-about-lighting-controls/

8.      Get Lighting Controls Association Content At Lightsearch.com - The next time you visit http://www.lightsearch.com/ , you may notice a change on the homepage. The Lighting Controls Association is to sponsor Lightsearch.com and provide its visitors access to LCA blog content via headlines published on Lightsearch.com’s homepage

9.      Duke Energy Releases Smart Grid White Paper - Duke Energy has released a new white paper, Developing the Communications Platform to Enable a More Intelligent Grid, which outlines an innovative approach for modernizing our electricity grid. http://www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/OP-David-Masters-SmartGrid-Comm-Platform-02-01-11.pdf

10.  United States Leads World in Coal Reserves - The United States leads the world with over 260 billion short tons of proven recoverable coal reserves—28% of global reserves. Recoverable domestic coal reserves, at current mining levels, would last 222 years.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Statistics.