New Posting for the Lighting Positions Network

      1.   Executive Positions from Jan Furste jan@netshare.com of NETSHARE - The following is a sample of open positions that have been posted with NETSHARE over the past week. This list changes every day…with some dropping off and some added. View the job listings below and many more on the website at: http://www.netshare.com/jobs_public.aspx?d=815. Email your interest and resumes, reference the EnergyWatchBlog, directly to Jan Furste.

• General Manager, Southern, CA, $150,000-$250,000 plus healthy bonus program 
• President/Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Area, $200,000-$205,000 plus performance bonus of 40%-50%
• Chief Executive Officer, Southern Florida, Competitive
• Chief Operating Officer, New Jersey, Competitive
• President/General Manager, Kansas City, MO, $200,000-$250,000 plus 30% bonus + equity

News Updates for the Week of March 25

1.     Webcast on Life-Cycle Assessment of LED Lighting Products on Thursday, March 28 - DOE will host a 60-minute live webcast on its recently completed three-part study of the life-cycle energy and environmental impacts of LED lighting products relative to incandescent and CFL alternatives. The reports for Parts 1 and 2 were published in February 2012 and June 2012, respectively, providing a literature review and life-cycle assessment (LCA) for lamps utilizing these three light source technologies. The Part 3 report is slated for release by late March.  The webcast will begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific). For more information, or to register, visit the DOE SSL website.

      2. Lighting Science Group Recalls LEDs - Lighting Science Group has recalled 554,000 LED light bulbs, which can overheat during use, posing a fire hazard. Consumers should remove the bulbs from sockets    and lamps and contact Light Science Group for replacement bulbs.  The 120-volt LED bulbs, sold as 6- or 8-watt bulbs were marketed under the brand names Definity, EcoSmart, Sylvania and Westinghouse. The model numbers A19, G25 and R20/PAR20 are found on the packaging and on the light-colored circular neck above the base of the bulb where the date code is also printed. The bulbs were sold at various retailers, including hardware and lighting and electrical supply stores. 3/19 HCN  For the full list of 24 date codes: http://cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2013/LED-Light-Bulbs-Recalled-by-Lighting-Science-Group/

3.      Top U.S. Cities with the Most ENERGY STAR Buildings - For the fifth year in a row, Los Angeles continues to hold on to first place with 528 buildings. Washington, D.C., with 462 buildings, is a competitive front-runner. In third place with 353 buildings is Chicago, a city that has risen through the rankings each year, starting in sixth place in 2008 and increasing the number of buildings certified by an average of 32 percent each year. New York, which recently required its commercial buildings to publicly disclose their energy use, secured fourth place.  Phoenix broke into the top 10 for the first time, with 202 buildings. Boston, a newcomer to the list last year, held on to 10th place, with 11th place Philadelphia not far behind. Complete list of Top Cities: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/downloads/Top_Cities_chart.pdf

4.      Congress Considers Increasing Incentives for Commercial and Multifamily Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits - Commercial buildings consume 36 percent of all U.S. electricity each year and costs $190 billion. The EPA estimates that 30 percent of this energy used is wasted.  An existing federal tax deduction—Section 179D of the tax code—provides building owners with a tax incentive to help offset the costs associated with increasing the energy efficiency of commercial buildings but is set to expire in 2013, is insufficient to incentivize retrofits, and cannot be utilized by a wide range of taxpayers. Various stakeholders, including the Real Estate Roundtable and US Green Building Council, have developed legislation to address the weaknesses of the current law. A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the “Commercial Building Modernization Act” or CBMA to make Section 179D more effective: http://www.natlawreview.com/article/congress-considers-increasing-incentives-commercial-and-multifamily-building-energy-

5.      'Green' Lighting Company Moves Jobs from China to Chattanooga - Two hundred fifty jobs are coming from China to Chattanooga to make all of the city's street lights more energy efficient. Global Green Lighting is moving jobs to a 1,800 square foot facility in Hixson, TN. Chattanooga will have all new LED street lights before long, and it's now up to local workers to make that happen. http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/21723178/green-lighting-company-brings-jobs-from-china-to-chattanooga If you're interested in applying for one of the jobs, Global http://www.globalgreenlighting.com/ is using a local staffing company for the application process at: http://ikruitstaffing.com/

6.      Updated DOE SSL Website - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has updated the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) website with a fresh look, expanded content areas, and a new focus on SSL Program news and events. Check out the homepage links for News & Events, plus SSL Postings, Technology Fact Sheets, Roadmaps, Studies & Reports, and Tools. You can still find reports on CALiPER testing, GATEWAY demonstrations, and Municipal Consortium activities and get the basics in this expanded section: Why SSL, LED Basics, OLED Basics, Using LEDs, R&D Challenges, and Market Challenges. Visit: www.ssl.energy.gov

7.      Global Smart Lighting Market (2013 – 2018) - Smart lighting is an advance technology in lighting that makes use of intelligent lighting control systems to intelligently control light based on various parameters like occupancy, movement, color temperature, amount of natural/daylight etc. Smart lighting market is growing at a phenomenal way and main drivers for this growth are energy efficiency, development in electronics and sensor technology, eradication of incandescent lamps, favorable government policies and evolution of novel wireless technology. Entry barriers are low for this market and many new players are arriving in this market. This NanoMarkets’ research report categorizes the global smart lighting market, based on lighting type, components, connectivity technology and applications; it also covers the forecast revenue from 2013 to 2018. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/rk85qn/global_smart_lighting_market_2013_2018_by

8.      NJ Town Fines Businesses for Leaving Lights On - Businesses in Paramus, New Jersey are getting tickets when they leave their sign lights on. Paramus has a quality of life ordinance that fines businesses $200 or more, plus $33 in court costs, if their signs don't go dark after 11 p.m. All stores must close by 11 p.m. in Paramus. 40 businesses have received fine notices so far in 2013. http://www.myfoxny.com

9.   Ohio’s FirstEnergy Corp. Ordered to Offer CFL Bulbs - FirstEnergy is also preparing to give direct subsidies to retail stores in the region that sell CFL bulbs, expand cash rebates to consumers who turn in old appliances and offer incentives to small business to upgrade to more efficient lighting.  Efficient lighting and rebates are all part of the company's new three-year comprehensive energy efficiency program approved Wednesday by state regulators. http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2013/03/firstenergy_corp_ordered_to_of.html

10.  Missouri Offering $5M in Low-Interest Loans for Energy Efficiency - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is making $5 million in low-interest loans available to schools, governments and not-for-profit hospitals to complete energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects. The department is accepting loan applications for projects costing between $5,000 and $500,000 through August 31.Loans are repaid from energy savings achieved. http://www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/financial/loan.htm

11.  Next Generation Luminaires Design Competition Announces 2013 Indoor Winners - Winners in the Indoor category of the fifth annual Next Generation Luminaires^TM Design Competition were announced today at the LEDucation 7 conference in New York. Out of 99 indoor entries, 28 were recognized as winners this year, meaning they were considered worthy of specification. Three of this year's winners were designated as Best in Class:

• Juno Lighting Group for its Trac-Master T254L Cylindra^TM track-mounted accent luminaire
• Digital Lumens for its XLE-3-10 Xpress high-bay industrial luminaire
• Acuity Brands/Lithonia Lighting for its W Series LED stairwell luminaire

More information on all the winning entries is available at www.ngldc.org.

12.  Solar Market Soared in 2012 - The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a study showing that photolvoltaic (PV) installations grew 76% in 2012 over 2011 to total 3,313 megawatts (MW) with an estimated market value of $11.5 billion.With another record-breaking year, solar is the fastest growing energy source in the United States, powering homes, businesses and utility grids across the nation. The report is based on a study by GSM Research and SEIA titled “U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year in Review 2012,” an analysis of solar power markets in the United States. http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight

New Posting for the Lighting Positions Network

      1. “Ask Paul” Column to Debut in EdisonReport March 25 - Executive recruiting firm The Pompeo Group and EdisonReport are teaming up to provide a new regular feature. Readers are asked to submit questions to “Ask Paul” regarding interviewing, resumes, the job market, etc, and Paul Pompeo will provide answers. This column will appear on a monthly basis beginning March 25. Questions should be sent to paul@pompeo.com. All questions will be anonymous---names of people and companies will be withheld for sake of confidentiality. The Pompeo Group www.pompeo.com specializes in placing mid to senior level professionals in LED, Lighting, Electrical and Energy industries at the manufacturer level as well as with design firms. http://www.edisonreport.net/lighting-industry-news/ask-paul-column-debut-edisonreport-25-march/

News Updates for the Week of March 18

1.      Ledmotive: Brilliant Innovation Video with LED Technology - Summary of a research idea conceived at the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research, Lighting Group. This video explains the potential applications of a novel concept based on LEDs than uses a microprocessing unit to reproduce and read spectra in spaces. http://vimeo.com/33619331

2.      Utilities Offer Rebates for Lighting Controls - Prescriptive rebates continue their upward trend in spending in 2013, with LED and lighting controls coming on strong. The number of rebates supporting lighting controls, in fact, has nearly tripled since 2009. Common rebates cover remote-, wallbox- and fixture-mounted occupancy sensors; photosensors; and daylight harvesting dimming control systems, with rebate dollars available for both new and existing construction projects. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/utilities-offer-rebates-for-lighting-controls/

3.      The Energy Saving Benefits of LED Lighting Brighten its Prospects in the North American Market - Favorable legislation mandating energy conservation increase opportunities for LED manufacturers.  Lighting accounts for nearly 15 percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. building sector, compelling building owners to seek more energy efficient lighting systems. This places the spotlight on light emitting diode (LED) lighting due to its reasonable cost, technology improvements and long life. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan's “Analysis of the North American LED Lighting Market” research finds the market earned revenue of $1.15 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach $3.63 billion in 2017. The market is primarily segmented into indoor and outdoor LED lighting. http://www.frost.com

4.      LED Lighting in Museums - It’s hard to find a lighting application with aesthetic standards higher than those of museums, where success depends upon showing the artifacts and works of art in the best possible light – literally speaking. The bottom line is that solid-state lighting per se poses no special danger to artwork and artifacts, and has progressed to the point where it can compete with incumbent lighting even in applications where aesthetics are at a premium. But that doesn’t mean it’s a slam-dunk, or that it’s a matter of buying any lighting product that contains LEDs and expecting good results. There’s a wide performance range among the LED lighting products on the market, which means you have to do your homework and test, test, test – and even then, some issues are likely to emerge. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_gateway_smithsonian.pdf

5.      Cree and Philips Take Divergent Approaches to Sub-$15 LED Lamps - Philips has been widely known for its remote-phosphor technology in retrofit lamps. Even in the warm-white lamp that's white in the off state, the company relied on an inner dome that was coated with remote phosphor. The new lamps use blue LEDs with the remote phosphor applied on the dome of the individual packaged LEDs. The new approach certainly can reduce cost and improve optical efficiency by eliminating an optic between the LEDs and the outer globe. Cree, in contrast, took a more conventional approach using its phosphor-converted XLamp XT-E high-voltage LEDs. The LEDs are mounted on what Cree calls a Filament Tower that is a vertical structure upon which the LEDs are mounted in pairs around what is essentially a circular structure (see photo) http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/9

6.     'Smart' LED Bulbs Controlled by iPhones - The Philips Hue bulbs (hue light app) cost more because there are five unique and expensive lime-green LEDs in each bulb, balanced by four red-orange ones and two blue ones. Together, these LEDs produce a range of colors, including a nice span of "whites," from warm to cold. The company has produced the first kit of LED bulbs whose color and brightness can be wirelessly controlled from your iPhone. Few people will pony up $200 for the Philips kit with three smart bulbs. But these products are still interesting because they point the way to the future of lighting. In the future, the price difference between color-mixing LEDs and regular ones will shrink, and perhaps vanish. Adding color and wireless controls to bulbs will cost very little, so we might as well get used to it. 3/13 AP

7.   LED Lighting Market Forecasted to Experience Steady Growth in 2013 - In the U.S. LED bulbs account for less than 1 percent of the 5.6 billion bulbs used in residential homes.  LED companies have been trending upwards in recent weeks due to potential growth within the lighting market, which has been dominated by the standard incandescent bulb for decades. Five Star Equities releases regular market updates on the Semiconductors Industry so investors can stay ahead of the crowd and make the best investment decisions to maximize their returns. Register at www.FiveStarEquities.com and get exclusive access to numerous stock reports and industry newsletters at no charge.

8.      California to Base LED Lamp Rebate Programs on Quality Specification - The California Energy Commission (CEC) has published a voluntary quality specification for omnidirectional and directional LED replacement lamps intended to replace screwbase incandescent lamps in light fixtures other than colored lamps, light strips and rope lights, linear pin-based lamps and integrated light fixtures. This specification is being developed in response to the findings of compact CFL incentive program evaluations, which found that the poor performance of CFL lamps was a major impediment to increased market penetration of those products. This specification will set a high performance standard that is intended to create a positive public perception of LED lamps, especially in residential applications. http://www.energy.ca.gov/appliances/led_lamp_spec/index.html

9.     LEDucation 7 is This Week on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - Hotel Pennsylvania , Penn Plaza Pavilion, 401 Seventh Avenue, New York City. (Located between 32nd & 33rd Streets - across from Madison Square Garden) Pre-register to avoid onsite registration lines. http://www.leducation.org/

 

10.  Lightfair Pre-Registration Savings End in 2 Weeks - Take advantage of the lower prices now through March 28.  Register now and save money on exhibit hall access, courses, workshops, seminars and networking and special events like the LFI Innovation Awards^® and LightFEST. Download the latest LFI mobile app update and customize the app to synch with your registration. Simply click ‘Sign In’ on the Home page and enter your badge number and last name. Once you sign in, you can take advantage of all of the personalized features of the LFI mobile app and access information about the daily giveaways at the show. Download at m.lightfair.com.