News Updates for the Week of September 12

1.      NEMA to Host Webcast on Latest Lighting Management Technology - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) will present a webcast on Thursday, Sept. 15 from 1-2 p.m. (EDT), hosted by Building Operating Management magazine. The event focuses on the latest lighting control technologies, strategies and systems that will enable building managers to approach net-zero energy use and achieve sustainability goals. This webinar is available at no charge. To register: http://www.facilitiesnet.com/webcasts/082311_NEMA/

2.      Restoring America's Economic Vitality - Stanford economist John Taylor mapped out this path in basic terms.¹ At its core, this plan has a target goal of generating 5 percent annual real economic growth. As Taylor observes, this new growth paradigm depends on two essential factors:

• Employment growth – In the year 2000, 64.7 percent of Americans aged 16 and over were actually employed. Today, it's 58.4 percent. Returning to the workforce participation rates we saw in 2000 would require an increase of 10.8 percent in the number of jobs filled. Allowing for the 1 percent expected annual population growth, an average 2 percent per year growth in the number of jobs would get us above 65 percent participation by 2020.
• Productivity growth – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it has averaged 2.7 percent since 1996. This growth has been driven by the IT revolution. If not stifled, this growth is likely to continue for at least the next two decades, as new technologies build upon the existing...

http://www.audiotech.com/trends-magazine/current-issue/restoring-americas-economic-vitality/

3.      Rapid Price Drop of LED Lighting is Expected in 3Q11 - LED lighting ASPs are likely to decrease rapidly. The price of high power LEDs has been falling close to 50% in 2010-2011. The price is likely to fall another 5-10% in the third quarter. There are currently 10 LED lighting brands in the Taiwan market, and another 3-5 brands will launch in the second half of 2011. The price of 6W LED light bulbs to replace a traditional 40W lights introduced by Everlight will decrease to $11-13.71.  Price competition has been fierce in North America with LG introducing two 7.5W LED light bulbs that only cost $20.  Industry watchers estimate demand for LED lighting chips will show a 68% CAGR in the next five years. http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20110906PD210.html

http://enews.penton.com/enews/electricalwholesaling/green_biz/2011_09_07_green_opportunities/display

4.      ENERGY STAR Guidance Regarding Lumen Maintenance Performance Data – The EPA has finalized guidance regarding the content and application of lumen maintenance performance data for LED packages, LED arrays and LED modules intended for use in ENERGY STAR qualified solid state lamps and luminaires.  Its objective is to facilitate robust testing which builds upon industry best practices and helps maintain confidence in ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products.  EPA developed this guidance in consultation with LED package and array manufacturers to ensure it is informed by the latest technological developments with solid state lighting subcomponents.  The Agency intends for lumen maintenance testing and reporting to follow this guidance going forward, while providing allowances detailed in the guidance for testing and reporting already completed, as well as testing which is currently underway or in the final planning stages. 

5.      LUMEN Coalition Presents Consumer Lighting Website - Lighting Understanding For a More Efficient Nation (LUMEN) is an ad hoc consortium of organizations and professionals united to facilitate consumer educated energy-efficient lighting decisions. The interactive and informative website was developed by the Alliance for the LUMEN Coalition.  LUMEN is open to stakeholders in all industries who would like to be engaged in this effort, and encourages members from manufacturing, retail, utility, media, NGO groups, and market transformation organizations to join the LUMEN Coalition.  http://lumennow.org

6.      DOE Has Published Revised Guidelines on Testing and Reporting the Lifetime of LED Luminaires - Those guidelines make a distinction between failures that are due to design and quality problems, and those that result from normal wear-out. The latter are to be expected, but the former call for a return to the drawing board. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/led_luminaire-lifetime-guide_june2011.pdf

7.      Shocker: Power Demand from US Homes is Falling - American homes are more cluttered than ever with devices, and they all need power: Cellphones and iPads that have to be charged, DVRs that run all hours, TVs that light up in high definition. But something shocking is happening to demand for electricity in the Age of the Gadget: It's leveling off.  In part it's because Edison's light bulb is being replaced by more efficient types of lighting, and electric devices of all kinds are getting much more efficient. But there are other factors. New homes are being built to use less juice, and government subsidies for home energy savings programs are helping older homes use less power. In the short term, the tough economy and a weak housing market are prompting people to cut their usage. From 1980 to 2000, residential power demand grew by about 2.5 percent a year. From 2000 to 2010, the growth rate slowed to 2 percent. Over the next 10 years, demand is expected to decline by about 0.5 percent a year, according to the Electric Power Research Institute.  9/7 AP

8.      Brits Buying 60W Bulbs Buy the Bushel Because of 2012 EU Ban on Some Incandescents - With the European Union’s 2012 ban on 60W incandescents drawing near, electrical distributors in England say some customers are hoarding the 60W lamps because they don’t like the look of CFLs. Check out this BBC report for details. http://livewire.electricalmarketing.com/

9.      Electricpilot.com Adds New Product Info - ElectricPilot.com, a search engine focusing on the electrical industry search engine that’s loaded with links to the websites of thousands of electrical manufacturers, electrical distributors, reps and other electrical firms, now posts new product information on its site. Alan Wulff, the company’s president and founder, says ElectricPilot.com hosts more than 20,000 companies in the electrical, communications and utility industries.

http://livewire.electricalmarketing.com/

10.  PPL Announces Energy Savings Program for Small Businesses - PPL Electric Utilities today announced a new program to help small businesses reduce power consumption and save on their electric bills. The "E-power Direct Discount" program covers up to 75 percent of the cost of upgrades such as energy efficient lighting and commercial refrigeration equipment. With the Allentown, PA power company paying most of the bill, participating businesses can see savings in their first year of participating because the savings on their electric bill will outweigh their investment.  For more information email EpowerDirectDiscount@kema.com  9/7 The Morning Call

11.  DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium - The DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium shares technical information and experiences related to LED street and area lighting demonstrations. The Consortium also serves as an objective resource for evaluating new products on the market intended for street and area lighting applications.  Cities, power providers, and others who invest in street and area lighting are invited to join the Consortium and share their experiences. The goal is to build a repository of valuable field experience and data that will significantly accelerate the learning curve for buying and implementing high-quality, energy-efficient LED street and area lighting. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/consortium_about.html

12.  US Smart Meter Deployments are Expected to Surge to 58M - Nearly 21 million smart meters were deployed in 2010 and more than 90 utilities companies in the United States have future deployment plans in place. Smart meters will provide utilities with an unprecedented avalanche of data on systems and customers that will help them increase reliability, hone efficiency, improve the customer experience and, ultimately, maximize profits—but none of this will be automatic. http://www.energybiz.com/insights

13.  LG Electronics Products Earn ENERGY STAR® 'Most Efficient 2011' Designation - More home appliance and consumer electronics products from LG Electronics have achieved the new "ENERGY STAR® Most Efficient 2011" designation than any other manufacturer, the global technology innovator announced today. For more information www.LG.com 9/7 PRNewswire

Something to Think About

Are you Customer Mining: analyzing buying patterns/practices of your existing customers in order to look for opportunities to IMPROVE their business?  Here are two key opportunities to sell to your existing customers:

• Continue to sell existing products to existing customers in order to continue to grow and satisfy your customer’s needs. This is your core competency and frankly, pays the bills but customer mining is looking for those opportunities to upgrade the sale.
• Look to sell the new sustainable energy efficient technologies to your existing customers first. Customer mining honors that relationship and keeps the pressure on you to improve the business of your existing customers, now and on a continuing basis.

Allow me to make the case for you not to spend a lot of time selling new customers existing commodity products. It is no way to get their business, unless it is on price. After all, your new customer is someone else’s existing customer, buying existing commodity products, most likely. Time is precious; don’t waste it doing the same thing. It’s just redundant and brings nothing to the process. It’s an opening to differentiate yourselves and to focus on selling the new technologies, especially SSL, and to enhance your relationship with new customers by making their business better. Upgrading the sale does that and if you are knowledgeable and sensitive to your customer's specific needs, it will lead to unimaginable success. Work on improving the businesses of all your customers…

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.

Monthly Special Feature

SSL Postings - postings@lightingfacts.com

Because solid-state lighting has the potential to last longer than traditional lighting technologies, addressing product reliability or lifetime has been a key issue for SSL. So it's not surprising that lifetime was one of the topics under discussion at the U.S. DOE sixth annual SSL Market Introduction Workshop, which was held last month in Seattle. Figuring prominently in several discussions was IES TM-21, a much-anticipated method for extrapolating the lumen maintenance of LED products, which a technical committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) has been working on for some time. But TM-21 was mentioned in Seattle with the caveat that it was not yet approved, which made its inclusion in any sustainability or lifetime equation somewhat premature.

That status has changed, however, with the final IES board approval last week of TM-21. To understand why that's big news for the industry, it's helpful to take a step back and look at two related IES standards: LM-79 and LM-80.

LM-79 is an approved method for taking electrical and photometric measurements of SSL products. It covers total flux, electrical power, efficacy, chromaticity, and intensity distribution - and applies to LED-based products that incorporate control electronics and heat sinks (including integrated LED products and complete luminaires), but not to bare LED packages and modules, nor to fixtures designed for LED products but sold without a light source. Unlike traditional photometric evaluation, which involves separate testing of lamps and luminaires, LM-79 tests the complete LED luminaire because of the critical interactive thermal effects. While LM-79 doesn't address product reliability or life, it does provide for the important calculation of complete luminaire initial efficacy.

LM-80 is an approved method for measuring the lumen maintenance of LED packages, arrays, and modules at various temperatures. It specifies a minimum testing period of 6,000 hours, although 10,000 hours is preferred, and it requires testing at a minimum of 1,000-hour increments. But LM-80 provides no determination or estimation of expected life or lumen output beyond the test data - which, even with 10,000 hours of testing, falls far short of the claimed lifetimes of most SSL products on the market today. That's where TM-21 comes in.

Whereas LM-80 only defines how to collect LED lumen maintenance data, TM-21 spells out a way to use that data to estimate the lumen output beyond the LM-80 test period. So the two methods are designed to work hand-in-hand, with TM-21 providing a way to project the lumen maintenance of an LED and help estimate the potential useful life of an LED luminaire.

However, it's important to note that TM-21 focuses on a specific light source component (package, module, array), not on an entire luminaire. A complete luminaire is a complex system, with many other components that can affect lifetime - such as the driver, optics, thermal management, and housing. The failure of any one of these can mean the end of the luminaire's useful life, even if the LEDs are still going strong. So any meaningful projection of lifetime has to take all of these components into account, and not just focus on the LEDs. 

This means that, in helping to project the expected lumen output of the light source as part of a total system, TM-21 is just the first step. But it's an important first step, and it means that the journey to nailing down the issue of useful SSL lifetime has finally begun.