News Updates for the Week of December 10

1.      The Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy - Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on 11/28, 66 cutting-edge research projects selected by the Energy Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) to receive a total of $130 million in funding through its “OPEN 2012” program. ARPA-E seeks out transformational, breakthrough technologies that show fundamental technical promise but are too early for private-sector investment. These projects have the potential to produce game-changing breakthroughs in energy technology, form the foundation for entirely new industries, and have large commercial impacts. The selected projects encompass 11 technology areas in 24 states. https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov/

2.      Adoption of LED Lamps in Commercial Buildings to Fuel Increased Demand for Intelligent Lighting Controls - The falling cost of LED lights for commercial buildings is driving a number of changes within the lighting controls industry. Falling prices are triggering re-lamping projects in many existing commercial buildings. Because LEDs are particularly well-suited to digital control, many building owners will decide to incorporate additional lighting intelligence–including photosensors, dimming ballasts, dimming controls and the communications and interfaces necessary to tie controls to a building management system–while they are in the process of re-lamping. According to a recent report from Pike Research, the adoption of LED lamps, along with new wireless technology, will fuel corresponding growth in the market for intelligent lighting controls. The global market for intelligent lighting controls will expand from $1.5 billion in 2012 to more than $4.3 billion in 2020, the study concludes.  http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/intelligent-lighting-controls-for-commercial-buildings

3.      University of Oklahoma Completes Energy Upgrade Effort - The university has upgraded its pop and candy machines with smart sensors that detect when people are nearby. Otherwise, the 203 machines throughout the Norman campus go dark, saving the university $250,000 a year in energy costs. The upgraded munchie dispensers are part of a $16 million effort to reduce OU's energy consumption. The university partnered with Johnson Controls for much of the effort. As part of the project that began in 2007, the university also improved or replaced 1,400 exit signs and 93,000 fluorescent lights and ballasts, improved the air flow systems at five buildings and insulated a metal roof. In all, the upgrades are saving about $1.2 million a year, for a total of $30 million over 20 years. 12/01 The Oklahoman

      4.      Outdoor Lighting: MaxLite Announces LED Roadway Fixtures - MaxLite has introduced its first LED-based roadway lighting product in the Merak series of luminaires that can deliver 2250-23,300 lm and a variety of beam distributions on San Antonio, TX roadways. The new Merak series of LED roadway lights from MaxLite cover a broad spectrum of applications with models delivering as much as 23,300 lm and ranging in power consumption from 30W to 240W. MaxLite said that the series includes products suitable for replacing legacy cobrahead luminaires such as HPS lights that consumed 70W to 500W. The Merak series uses total-internal reflection (TIR) lenses on each LED. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/12/1

 

5.      DOE Releases CALiPER Report on LED PAR38 Lamps - The U.S. DOE has completed Series 20 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 20 evaluates the independently tested photometric performance of 38 LED PAR38 lamps, with results showing significant improvement versus earlier CALiPER testing of similar products. All of the LED PAR38 lamps tested offer substantial energy savings compared to halogen PAR38 lamps, and some are more efficacious than compact fluorescent or ceramic metal halide versions.

6.      T12 Fluorescent Lamp Index Down in Q3 2012 - NEMA’s T12 lamp shipment index tumbled to 37.5—a decline of nearly 40% on a year-over-year basis during Q3 2012—the first quarter following the implementation of the new efficiency standards for general service fluorescent lamps (GSFL). T8s and T12s also posted double digit declines of 26.9% and 19.9%, respectively. Overall shipments during the first three quarters for the combined market were 15.1% lower compared to last year. http://ecmweb.com/lighting-amp-control/t12-fluorescent-lamp-index-down-q3-2012

7.      NEEP Releases the 2012 Regional Roundup of Energy Efficiency Policy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States - NEEP has compiled the second-annual Regional Roundup of Energy Efficiency Policy in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, a look at the biggest energy efficiency policy developments of 2012, with regional trends and shared challenges. While looking at the region as a whole, we also provide summary and analysis of some of the biggest building energy efficiency successes and setbacks in individual states from Maine to Maryland, including key energy efficiency laws and regulations, and changes in funding levels for energy efficiency programs. http://neep.org/public-policy/policy-outreach-and-analysis/2012-regional-roundup

8.      Energy Savings Not Guaranteed - Wilkes-Barre, PA officials say a $5.9 million contract with Johnson Controls to improve energy efficiency will save nearly $11 million in energy costs over 20 years, but a review of the agreement shows just $3.9 million of those savings are guaranteed. For the guaranteed savings, the contract says Johnson Controls would pay the difference between the projected and actual energy savings should projections fall short. But language in the contract raises a question as to whether the firm would ever have to write a check. 12/05 The Times Leader 

      9.      Philips' 60-Watt LED Bulb Gets a Makeover - Using just 11 watts of power while putting out over 830 lumens, the latest generation of Philips' 60 watt A-19 LED bulb uses 10 percent less energy than its 12.5 watt predecessor, while increasing brightness by nearly 5 percent. The new lamp has an innovative new design that takes advantage of Philips AirFlux technology, a new airflow cooling system that eliminates the traditional distracting heat sink fins needed for thermal management of LED bulbs. Philips will be unveiling the new bulb at some Home Depot stores. Also available at www.homedepot.com/lightbulbs with roll out to all Home Depot stores the beginning of  2013. 12/04 WSJ

10.  Construction Employment Loses 20,000 Jobs in November 2012 - Construction employment declined by 20,000 jobs in November while the industry's unemployment rate hit 12.2%, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. The construction employment figures likely reflect the fact many contractors have already cut staff and delayed hiring new employees because of the threat of the “fiscal cliff,” according to results of a survey of member firms. http://ecmweb.com/contractor/construction-employment-loses-20000-jobs-november-2012

Something to Think About

Many, all over the globe celebrate Christmas Day. Most Protestants and Roman Catholics and some Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Before the 19th century, many Americans worked on Christmas, but in the industrial era the holiday began also to honor universal values, such as home, children and family life, and to incorporate secular customs like exchanging gifts and cards, and the decoration and display of evergreen Christmas Trees. Congress proclaimed Christmas one of the first federal holidays in 1870. In 1999, a federal court acknowledged these secular aspects in rejecting a claim that the holiday impermissibly endorsed and furthered a particular religious belief.

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed moving the Thanksgiving holiday to extend the shopping period between that holiday and Christmas. Seasonal “Christmas shopping” began to assume economic importance. This extended Christmas season is about far more than shopping. For many Americans, it is a period of general good will and an occasion for charitable and volunteer work. To some extent, non-Christian holidays celebrated at roughly the same time of year--most prominently the African-American Kwanzaa and the Jewish Hanukkah--blend into a broader “holiday season.” As with so many aspects of U.S. cultural life, Christmas in the United States reflects the values of a giving, free and diverse people.

News Updates for the Week of December 3

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 1.     DOE Announces U.S. Manufacturing Funding Opportunity for SSL (Round 4) - The U.S. DOE announced a solid-state lighting (SSL) funding opportunity on November 29, 2012. Up to $11 million in funding is directed toward the existing DOE SSL R&D program area of Manufacturing Research and Development, to establish the U.S. as a global manufacturing leader.  Under this funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000792), DOE seeks applications for SSL manufacturing R&D projects that will achieve significant cost reductions through improvements in manufacturing equipment, processes, or monitoring techniques. Potential applicants should note that applications are due by February 21, 2013. For more information: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/

2.      GE Lighting to Acquire LED Fixture Company Albeo Technology - GE Lighting has signed an agreement to acquire Albeo Technologies, an LED fixture manufacturer based in Boulder, Colorado. GE Lighting officials say the acquisition will help GE serve as an advisor to enterprise customers, as well as offer a more complete and integrated family of LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) products. Albeo Technologies was founded in 2004. Albeo's range of products includes high bay and low bay lighting fixtures as well as linear, surface-mounted and under cabinet lighting. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/11/18

3.      Siemens Confirms Plan to List Osram via Spinoff - Siemens AG, the industrial conglomerate that owns lighting manufacturer Osram, has confirmed its plans to see its subsidiary listed as a separate company, subject to a shareholder vote. A plan to conduct an IPO of Osram shares was finally shelved in July of this year. Instead, Siemens will take a different route, and will spin off 80.5% of Osram’s shares to existing Siemens shareholders. The transaction will result in Siemens’ shareholders receiving one Osram share for every ten Siemens shares. However, Siemens still intends to retain a minority stake in Osram, in which it wants to remain “a long-term anchor shareholder.” To this end, Siemens AG will retain a 17% stake in Osram following the spinoff, with the Siemens Pension Trust holding the remaining 2.5%. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/11/22

4.      $20 Billion Bonanza - SWEEP http://www.swenergy.org/ promotes greater energy efficiency in a six-state region that includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. By investing a total of $17 billion in best practice utility energy efficiency programs, the Southwest region could realize $37 billion in utility system and public health benefits --meaning $20 billion in net benefits or $2650 for every household in the region today. The State’s utilities already have programs that can be expanded to achieve the forecast savings. http://azcapitoltimes.com/files/2012/11/20B_Bonanza-COMPLETE_REPORT-Web.pdf

 

5.      Now Accepting tED magazine Greenest of the Green Nominations - Nominations for the 2013 Greenest of the Green contest will be accepted from Dec. 3, 2012 through Jan. 18, 2013.  The Greenest of the Green award recognizes NAED distributors who have implemented operational energy efficiencies in their own facilities. The award will be presented at the 2013 NAED National Meeting. The winning company will also be featured in the April 2013 issue of tED magazine.  Contact: Misty Byers mbyers@naed.org

6.      Soraa and IESNYC Tackle Led Lighting Compatibility - DATE: Wednesday, Dec. 5^th  TIME: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm LOCATION: The Metropolitan Pavilion (Located at 125 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011).  In an effort to remove barriers to the rapid adoption of LED lighting, Soraa www.soraa.com will sponsor the lighting industry's first PlugFest in conjunction with the IESNYC at their annual Control This! event.   www.controlthis.org

7.      Con Edison of New York City Accepts LED Tubes with Internal Drivers for Rebate - In recognizing the advancement of LED T8 technology, Con Edison announced recently it is now able to accept LED tubes with internal drivers for custom rebate program on a case-by-case basis. The requirements are:

• LED T8 with internal driver design must meet all code & safety requirements. 
• Existing fixture retrofit and new fixture replacement are both applicable. 
• The fixture must use non-shunted tombstones.

http://www.aleddra.com/AleddraSpec/CutSheet-LLT-4ft-SingleEnd.pdf

8.      LED Streetlights Set to Light the Way on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard - According to a report published by The Lighting Group http://thecleanrevolution.org/_assets/files/LED_report_web1.pdf

this year, “Public street and park lighting accounts for 1-3% of total electricity demand, depending on the region, and up to 40% of the electricity bill of local authorities.” As part of their mission to promote energy efficiency, Cape Light Compact is working with towns across the Cape and Vineyard to convert town-owned streetlights to LED fixtures. Starting in January 2013, 140 streetlights will be retrofit in both commercial and residential areas. http://www.energyefficiencymatters.org/author/neepenergy/

9.      Virginia Beach Residents Upset About LED Traffic Signs - All eight LED signs, intended to alert drivers of traffic problems and public safety issues, are scheduled to be up and running in February, according to the city's Public Works Department. Federal congestion mitigation funds paid the cost: $60,500 per sign, plus money for fiber optic cables, infrastructure and a "state of the art" traffic management system.  The PWD said the potential benefits, especially during construction, special events and storms, outweigh the relatively minor aesthetic cost. Residents have concerns about how often the signs will be on and how bright they'll be. They don't want them on all the time, flashing the temperature or how long it will take to reach the beach. 11/26 The Virginian-Pilot

10.  PACE: A Smart Way to Finance Retrofits for Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation in TX - Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a non-profit business association organized for the specific purpose of promoting legislation in Texas to facilitate loans throughout the state.  PACE is an innovative program that provides low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency retrofits and improvements to existing structures on all types of commercial, industrial, and residential properties. PACE loans will enable Texans to save substantial amounts in energy costs, upgrade and enhance the value of existing structures, and create thousands of jobs. http://www.keepingpaceintexas.org

11.  California Public Utilities Commission 2010 – 2011 Energy Efficiency Annual Progress Evaluation Report - Lighting represents approximately one quarter of residential and commercial electricity use in California and has historically represented half or more of utility program portfolio savings. California’s Strategic Plan cites energy efficient lighting as a critical element of the Strategic Plan’s zero net energy vision, and sets a goal of a 60 to 80 percent reduction in California’s electric lighting energy consumption by 2020. California Assembly Bill 1109 (the also known as “the Huffman Bill”) will support this goal by phasing out some traditional, low efficiency incandescent lamps by 2018.  http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/89718A1B-C3D5-4E30-9A82-74ED155D0485/0/EnergyEfficiencyEvaluationReport.pdf

12.  2013 DOE Solid-State Lighting R&D Workshop January 29-31, 2013 • Long Beach, CA - As solid-state lighting technology matures, the remaining questions get more complex. Where does future R&D need to be directed to drive significant leaps in LED and OLED performance? How can government and industry work together to find solutions, accelerate advances, and hasten market adoption? Join DOE at the 10th annual SSL R&D workshop. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/longbeach13.html

13.  ENERGY STAR Luminaires V1.2 - Attached is important correspondence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning the proposal for Version 1.2 ENERGY STAR Specification for Luminaires. Comments/concerns may be submitted no later than Friday, December 14, 2012 to: luminaires@energystar.gov http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=archives.luminaires