News Updates for the Week of February 20

1.      White Paper: The U.S. Housing Market: Current Conditions and Policy Considerations - House prices for the nation as a whole declined sharply from 2007 to 2009 and remain about 33 percent below their early 2006 peak, according to data from CoreLogic http://www.credco.com/. Restoring the health of the housing market is a necessary part of a broader strategy for economic recovery. The Federal Reserve has written a white paper in an attempt to address the problems faced by the housing market and to provide a framework for thinking about certain issues and trade-offs that policymakers might consider. A copy of the white paper is available at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/other-reports/files/housing-white-paper-20120104.pdf

2.      National Debt Will Be $1 Trillion Higher in a Decade Than Previously Forecast - President Obama on Monday unveiled a $3.8 trillion spending plan that seeks to pump billions of dollars into the economy while raising taxes on the rich to tame a soaring national debt now projected to grow significantly faster than previously forecast.  The new 10-year blueprint shows annual deficits exceeding $600 billion every year except 2018. And the portion of the debt held by outside investors would grow to $18.7 trillion by 2021, or 76.5 percent of the economy—a full $1 trillion higher. 2/13 Washington Post

3.      The Challenge - The Billion Dollar Green Challenge (The Challenge) encourages colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions to invest a combined total of one billion dollars in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements. Participating institutions will achieve reduction in operating expenses and greenhouse gas emissions, while creating regenerating funds for future projects. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, in collaboration with 15 partner organizations http://greenbillion.org/about/#partners has launched The Challenge to help nonprofit institutions achieve sizable energy savings through the use of green revolving funds. Green revolving funds invest in energy efficiency projects to reduce energy consumption on campus and reinvest the money saved in future projects. http://greenbillion.org/about/

4.      The End of the T12 Era by Craig Dilouie - On July 14, 2012, Department of Energy (DOE) rules regulating general-service fluorescent lamps will go into effect, eliminating many popular models.  About 30 percent of linear fluorescent lamps sold each year are T12s, servicing an estimated 35–40 percent of fluorescent sockets in industrial/commercial applications as well as 70 percent of fluorescent sockets in residential applications.The T12 phase-out will dramatically accelerate a shift in demand to T8 and T5 lamp/ballast systems. http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=13386

5.      Energy-Saving Lighting Specifications for Commercial Buildings - The DOE has announced new voluntary energy-saving specifications for lighting troffers–rectangular overhead fixtures used in commercial buildings–as well as parking lot and parking structure lighting. The new performance criteria were developed by the DOE's Commercial Building Energy Alliances (CBEAs), which bring together major U.S. companies from a wide range of sectors to identify and implement successful energy efficiency and cost-saving practices. Building operators can voluntarily adopt these specifications for new buildings or building upgrades to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/alliances/events.html

6.      Lighting Rebate Update by Jim Lucy, Chief Editor – Lighting rebates are back in the spotlight these days, as electric utilities tweak their existing programs to maximize energy saving for residential, business and institutional customers with a mix of standard and custom rebates. Some of these programs are now blending in newer lighting technologies like LEDs and digital lighting control systems. If you want to get a quick read on trends in lighting rebate programs: www.dsireusa.org  http://ewweb.com/greenbiz/electric_lighting_rebate_update/

7.      NEMA Supports Smart Energy Act - Important provisions of the Smart Energy Act include:

• a federal loan program for energy-efficiency upgrades in commercial, multifamily residential, industrial, municipal, government, school and hospital buildings;
• enabling the federal government to use energy savings performance contracts in support of its deployment of electric vehicles or electric vehicle supply equipment;
• requiring that federal agencies participate in demand response programs, where available, to reduce agencies’ energy costs; and
• an analysis of best practices in federal buildings for the advanced metering of energy use, including recommendations on standard requirements or guidelines for automated energy management systems.

http://bass.house.gov/images/stories/Bass_-_Smart_Energy_Act._HR_4017.pdf

8.      LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)’s LEED Volume Program for Operations & Maintenance is available for existing green building projects. The LEED Volume Program streamlines the certification process for high-volume property owners and managers of existing buildings and new construction projects. Utilizing a prototype-based approach, the program enables large-scale builders, owners, and managers to achieve consistency in green building improvements, allowing them to earn LEED certification faster and at a lower cost than would be possible with individual building reviews. http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=2278

9.      Duquesne Light Marks 2 Millionth Bulb Sold - Duquesne Light, PA said it sold its 2 millionth CFL bulb last month. Bulbs are sold with instant rebates through the utility's Watt Choices program at 137 stores in Allegheny and Beaver counties, Duquesne Light's service territory. www.WattChoices.com

10.  Philips NA CEO on Improving Energy Efficiency - Philips North America CEO Greg Sabasky stops by The News Hub to discuss how consumers and businesses can reduce their global footprint and improve their energy efficiency from the latest generation of lighting products. Video at: http://online.wsj.com/video/philips-na-ceo-on-improving-energy-efficiency/C8C3D7CF-D932-43D1-89B6-95863F3ADA4B.html