You can employ men and hire hands to work for you, but you will have to win their hearts to have them work with you. William J.H. Boetcker

Monday, August 20, 2012

News Updates for the Week of August 20


1.      NEMA Publishes Best Practices for Operating Fluorescent Lighting Systems - Summarizes information and recommendations found in more detailed NEMA papers on individual topics, as well as additional information and recommendations. The information benefits customers seeking to ensure proper operation of fluorescent systems to maximize system reliability and operational economy. Download it free: http://www.nema.org/standards/pages/best-practices-for-operating-fluorescent-lighting-systems.aspx?

2.      DOE Releases CALiPER Application Summary Report on LED AR111 Lamps - The U.S. Department of Energy has completed Series 17 of testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER program. A summary of the results is now available for download on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html Report 17 analyzes the performance of a group of six LED products labeled as AR111 lamps, a niche product. Results indicate that this product category is lagging behind other types of directional LED lamps—the LED lamps tested are unlikely to be effective replacements for halogen AR111 lamps, primarily because of color quality and luminous intensity distribution characteristics. Detailed test results for Series 17 will be available soon through the searchable online CALiPER system: www.ssl.energy.gov/search.html

3.      Nonresidential Construction Spending Expected to Increase Through 2012 with Stronger Growth Projected for 2013 - Even with the myriad of obstacles preventing a full-scale recovery for the overall U.S. economy, the design and construction industry appears to have reasons to be at least modestly optimistic in the coming months and into next year, according to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) mid-year Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation’s leading construction forecasters. http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB095480

4.      Lighting Research Center to Host Led Lighting Institute September 18-20, 2012 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) will hold a three-day, hands-on seminar September 18-20, 2012, to teach industry professionals how to incorporate LEDs into lighting applications. The LED Lighting Institute will include updated technical content based on the latest industry developments. http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/education/outreachEducation/LEDInstitute.asp

5.      Analysis of the North American Lighting Equipment Market - This research service covers the state of the North American lighting equipment market, examining drivers and restraints for growth, and discussing major trends. Following from these, growth for market segments is forecast. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the competitive landscape including vendors' market shares is performed. The base year is 2011, with forecasts running through 2016. Revenue forecasts are provided. The market is divided into four segments: lamps, ballasts and control gear, fixtures, and lighting controls. These segments are further divided into product types and vertical markets, which also are analyzed in detail. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/4qixx8/analysis_of_the_north_american_lighting_equip  

6.     Satco Receives Exception for 700 Series T8 Lamps from U.S. DOE - Satco Products, Inc. received notification last month from the U.S. Department of Energy that their application for relief exception, which would allow Satco to continue the manufacturing and sale of 700 series T8 lamps for an additional two years, was granted. This allows Satco to join Philips, GE, OSI and USHIO to manufacture 700 Series T8 general service lamps until July 14, 2014.

7.      New IES Website for Consumers - www.IESLightLogic.org  Light Logic aims to help consumers learn about residential lighting best practices, design, energy efficiency and all topics regarding lighting a home.  

8.      ASHRAE 90.1 Addendum BH Proposal - Comments by Larry Spielvogel, PE: Do you believe the many proposed changes in LPD both up and down? Are they reasonable and justifiable? For example, the ASHRAE 90.1 Addendum BH proposal reduces the lighting in mechanical/electrical rooms from 0.95 to 0.42 watts per square foot, while a pharmacy area gets four times as much. Can you justify that in a room with detailed electronic equipment controls and 34 kV switchgear with huge potential safety risks? 

9.      New MDM Report Forecasts Electrical, Electronics Distribution Sector Growth in 2012 - Revenues for wholesale distributors in the electrical and electronics sector were $372.1 billion in 2011, an increase of 7.4% compared to 2012. MDM forecasts that revenue will grow by 6.5% in 2012, according to the newly released 2012 Wholesale Distribution Economic Report published by Modern Distribution Management. This sector represented 8.0% of total wholesale distribution industry revenues in 2011. Total revenues of wholesale distributors grew by 13.2% to $4.7 trillion in 2011, continuing to regain market share after the debilitating recession. The wholesale distribution industry is forecast to grow by 6.8% in 2012. http://www.tedmag.com/news/news-room/distributor-news/New-MDM-report-forecasts-electrical,-electronics-distribution-sector-growth-in-2012.aspx 

10.  Advanced Batteries for Energy Storage Will Represent a Market of Nearly $30 Billion by 2022 -According to a new report from Pike Research, a part of Navigant’s Energy Practice, the market for advanced batteries will roughly double each year over the next 5 years, reaching $7.6 billion in 2017. Over the ensuing half-decade, growth will level off to a still-robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 percent, and revenues in the sector will reach $29.8 billion in 2022. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/advanced-batteries-for-utility-scale-energy-storage-applications 

11.  DOE Announces FY 2013 SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunity - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science announced a funding opportunity on August 13, 2012, for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. Under this opportunity (DE-FOA-0000760), DOE seeks applicants for funding directed toward FY13 Phase I and Fast-Track (combined Phase I and Phase II) projects. Topics for this funding opportunity can be found at http://science.energy.gov/sbir and include solid-state lighting. Qualified small businesses with strong research capabilities in science or engineering in any of the research areas sought in the announcement are encouraged to apply.

12.  Combined Heat and Power for Commercial Buildings - Commercial combined heat and power (comCHP) systems, which are small to medium distributed energy generation systems that produce electricity while also capturing heat that would otherwise be treated as waste, are garnering increased interest from policy makers, utilities, and building owners in a growing number of countries. The technologies behind many comCHP products have been under development for more than a decade. Today, the market is beginning to gain momentum and an increasing number of companies are introducing increasingly standardized commercial products. This Pike Research report analyzes the global market potential for comCHP systems for a range of building applications–hospitals, universities, hotels, casinos, airports, etc.–using technologies including internal combustion engines, fuel cells, Stirling engines, and Organic Rankine Cycle. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/combined-heat-and-power-for-commercial-buildings

13.  A 20-Year Low in U.S. Carbon Emissions - Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the United States from January through March were the lowest of any recorded for the first quarter of the year since 1992, the federal Energy Information Administration reports. The agency attributed the decline to a combination of three factors: a mild winter, reduced demand for gasoline and, most significantly, a drop in coal-fired electricity generation because of historically low natural gas prices. 8/19 NY Times

No comments:

Post a Comment