News Updates for the Week of October 29

1. New NAED Study Available: ESCO Partnerships and the Electrical Distribution Industry - This new study looks at partnership options between energy service companies (ESCOs) and distributors. These partnerships are in some cases a good way for distributors to enter and maintain a stake in the energy market. To help navigate relations with ESCOs, this project examines three areas:

• The status and trajectory of the ESCO industry
• NAED members’ experiences working with ESCOs
• Recommendations for future partnerships 

  http://www.naed.org/Research/Going_Green_Topics/ESCO/ESCO_Partnerships/

2. LED Lighting Facts Rolls Out QA Testing & More - The US Department of Energy’s LED Lighting Facts program is evolving along with the changing marketplace. In 2011-12, LED Lighting Facts has added to its reporting capabilities and is instituting two product-integrity programs: a Quality Assurance (QA) Testing Program, which requires product performance be independently tested and verified, and an annual renewal of each product’s listing and label. With the goal of expanding functionality, the program is working more closely with allies, such as Energy Star and the DesignLights Consortium. http://lighting.com/led-lighting-facts-qa-testing/

    

3. DOE Releases CALiPER Report on LED Recessed Wallwashers - The U.S. DOE has completed Series 18 of testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER program. Report 18 analyzes the performance of 17 LED recessed wallwasher luminaires. The products tested were diverse in luminous intensity distribution and lumen output—reflecting the varied applications in which recessed wallwashers are used—but were generally comparable to conventional wallwashers using a 32 W CFL or 20 W metal halide lamp. A summary of the results is now available for download on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html

4. DOE Releases Demonstration Report on LED Roadway Lighting in Philadelphia - The U.S. DOE has published the final report from a demonstration of LED roadway lighting conducted at three sites in Philadelphia, PA. The report provides a performance evaluation of 10 different LED luminaires—and compares them to the incumbent HPS luminaires—using manufacturer data, illuminance calculations, field measurements, and subjective observations. The evaluation was conducted by the DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium and GATEWAY demonstration program, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia. www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_results.html

5. NYC Installs 1,600 LED Fixtures in Central Park - The New York City Department of Transportation recently completed the installation of nearly 1,600 LED luminaires that light walkways and grassy areas in Central Park. The new luminaires from Spring City Electrical feature Cree XLamp® XP-G LEDs in each fixture and were produced using an advanced light engine from Heatron. DOT officials estimate the new LED lighting will reduce energy usage by 62 percent and deliver annual maintenance savings of nearly $30,000 compared to metal halide lighting.. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-city-central-park-completes-130000828.html

6. Siemens to Exit Solar Business - Siemens will exit its unprofitable solar business because it has not met profitability goals and is already in talks with potential unidentified buyers. Siemens’ solar business only makes up a small portion of the company’s overall sales with revenues last fiscal year of about $409 million or 300 million Euros. Siemens had sales of EUR73.52 billion. Siemens will focus its renewable energy activities on wind energy and hydro power. http://www.tedmag.com 

7. Philips LED-Product Sales Account for 24% of All Lighting Revenue - Philips’ lighting sales in the third quarter of 2012 grew by 4% on a comparable basis over the same period in 2011, reaching $2.77 billion. The company said that the changes were driven by double-digit growth at Lumileds and Automotive, and low-single-digit growth at Light Sources & Electronics. LED-based sales grew by 51%, and now account for 24% of total lighting sales for Philips. This puts the value of LED-based sales at just over $650 million for the quarter. In comparison, Cree’s latest quarterly revenue was $187.5 million for LED products, and $108 million for lighting products (some but not all of which are LED-based), or $295.5 million in total. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/20 

8. Philips’ LED Licensing Program Attracts More Licensees - More than 230 companies have signed up to Philips’ LED-based luminaires and retrofit bulbs licensing program for its portfolio of patents related to LEDs and SSL, but two recent lawsuits indicate that not all companies are willing licensees. Back in May 2012, Philips signed its 200th licensee, and that number now exceeds 230, according to a spokesperson. Among the companies that have signed up to the program are Osram, Zumtobel, Acuity, Cree, Trilux and Cooper. Earlier this year, Philips resorted to a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nexxus Lighting. And more recently another lighting manufacturer, TCP Inc, has filed its own lawsuit in an attempt to avoid having to join the program. According to the press release from Nexxus, the Philips lawsuit was settled at the end of September 2012, with Nexxus joining the Philips licensing program. In the TCP case, we’ll find out in due course whether this lawsuit will have any real effect, but the smart money has to be on TCP joining Philips’ licensing program in the near future. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/17

9. Philips Introduces LED BR30, Says 100W-Equivalent A21 to Ship Dec 1 - Philips Lighting made a number of LED retrofit lamp announcements that span the range of A-lamps to LED-based T8 tubes. The company said that its 22W A21 EnduraLED lamp that delivers 1780 lm will be in major retail stores December 1 at a price of $55. Philips also announced a new dimmable LED BR30 that transitions from 2700K to 2200K as light output decreases. In the T8 area, the company says it has a new lamp that uses an external driver and that it's among the first LED tubes to achieve DesignLights Consortium (DLC) compliance. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/24 

10. Smart Appliance Sales to Reach 45 Million Units Annually by 2020 - Smart appliances will likely start to make their way into households in greater numbers after 2015. Defined as major household appliances that use intelligent power management technology to help optimize electrical load on the power distribution grid, these appliances offer consumers the benefits of reduced energy usage, lower energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and advanced features such as remote control. According to a new report from Pike Research, worldwide sales of smart appliances will climb rapidly over the remainder of this decade, reaching just under 45 million units per year in 2020. Worldwide sales to reach nearly $35 billion. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-appliances

11. Solais Introduces New “X24 Series” of LED Solutions for Track and Recessed Applications - Solais Lighting, Inc. announced the introduction of its elite new “X24 Series” of LED lamps and fixtures. Ideal for a broad range of applications within the high-end retail and commercial sectors, the X24 series delivers an impressive 1600 lumens of light output with just a 3-inch aperture and is available with field-replaceable accessories to enhance ease of use and design flexibility. Designed for use in track and recessed lighting applications previously dominated by ceramic metal halide and halogen technology. www.solais.com

12. US Economic Growth Reached Still-Modest 2 Pct. Rate in Q3 on Higher Defense, Consumer Spending - Growth accelerated from the 1.3 percent rate in the April-June quarter. Even with the increase, growth remains too weak to rapidly boost hiring. The 1.74 percent annual growth rate for the first nine months of 2012 remains slightly behind last year’s 1.8 percent growth. The economy grew faster last quarter in part because consumer spending rose at a 2 percent annual rate, up from a 1.5 percent rate in the second quarter. Spending on homebuilding and renovations increased at an annual rate of more than 14 percent. And federal spending surged 13%, mainly because of the sharpest increase in defense spending in more than three years. Economists think growth will remain sluggish at least through the first half of 2013. 10/26 Washington Post

13. Game Changer: Philips Launches World's Smartest Bulbs - Philips today introduced hue, the world's first Web-enabled LED home lighting system available direct to the consumer. Offered exclusively through Apple stores beginning on October 30, the hue starter kit includes three LED bulbs that fit into any standard light fixture, a bridge that connects to existing wireless routers. Philips hue sets up in minutes and, with a quick download of the hue application, the system can be controlled from any iOS or Android device. From the app, consumers can remotely control their home lighting for added security, personalize their lighting experience with custom settings, or program timers to help manage daily schedules, all through the convenience of their smart device. hue starter kits will retail for $199 and are available at Apple stores nationwide on October 30. Additional bulbs will be available at $59. For more information about hue, visit: www.meethue.com 10/29 PRNewswire http://www.forummedia.us/philipshue/