News Updates for the Week of July 5

1. Vizio Will Enter the LED Lighting Market in Q4 2011- Vizio, a leading supplier of LED-backlit LCD HDTVs, announced it will enter the LED lighting market with a series of replacement lamps using LEDs supplied by Epistar and Seoul Semiconductor. Vizio’s high-efficiency LED lamps are recyclable, and feature a glass-free design to prohibit shattering. The LED lamps are designed to give off a warm hue of light, reminiscent of a natural source. The LEDs product line (see table) will feature triple the lifespan of compact fluorescent bulbs, with up to 25,000 hours of usage.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/VIZIO-North-Americas-1-LED-prnews-379831979.html?x=0&.v=1

2. DOE Releases Summary Results from Round 12 of CALiPER Testing - The U.S. DOE has completed Round 12 of product testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) CALiPER program. A Summary Report containing the results from Round 12 testing is now available for download on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html. Round 12 of product testing included six primary focus areas: SSL recessed downlights, SSL track lights, SSL A-lamps, benchmark 100W incandescent A-lamps and 70-100W halogen equivalents, SSL replacements for linear fluorescent lamps in high-performance troffers, and SSL and benchmark cove lights. The Round 12 Summary Report provides an overview of photometric performance results, and discusses the results with respect to similar products that use conventional light sources, results from earlier rounds of CALiPER testing, and manufacturer ratings.

3. Release of Final ENERGY STAR Luminaires V1.1 Specification - U.S. EPA is finalizing a change to the effective date of the ENERGY STAR Luminaires specification from October 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012. In addition, EPA has incorporated changes designed to better facilitate a smooth transition, including reducing certain sample size requirements. The new extended effective date is intended to allow necessary time to appropriately apply the technical requirements contained in the new specification. Based on input from program stakeholders, EPA is finalizing this extension while also taking steps to address certain barriers to qualification so that a broad range of products can be qualified in advance of the new date. http://www.energystar.gov/

4. Cree Rallies on GE Win - LED lighting technology maker Cree got a boost yesterday as General Electric said it was relying on Cree’s technology to make a 60-watt LED replacement bulb for consumer lighting for a Department of Energy prestigious L-Prize competition. 7/1 Barron’s

5. Texas Tells Feds: Shove Your Light Bulb Ban - State lawmakers have passed a bill that allows Texans to skirt federal efforts to promote more efficient light bulbs, which ultimately pushes the swirled, compact fluorescent bulbs over the 100-watt incandescent bulbs many grew up with.

The measure, sent to Gov. Rick Perry for consideration, lets any incandescent light bulb manufactured in Texas - and sold in that state - avoid the authority of the federal government or the repeal of the 2007 energy independence act that starts phasing out some incandescent light bulbs next year. http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/06/20/texas-tells-feds-shove-your-light-bulb-ban

6. Consumers Energy Announces Energy Efficiency with Smartstreet Program - Consumers Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission, the City of Grand Rapids and other project collaborators launched the utility's SmartStreet program in December 2010 to pilot the use of tools and technology to encourage energy efficiency, sustainability and cost savings among program participants. Since its launch, SmartStreet has provided free energy audits to program participants, and has facilitated lighting, equipment and technology upgrades resulting from energy audit recommendations to spur energy efficiency, reduce emissions and promote cost savings. http://www.consumersenergy.com/

7. Weston City, FL Selects Philips For Energy-Efficient Roadstar Luminaires - Philips Lighting, a developer of LED lighting technology, has announced that Weston City, Florida has selected Philips to provide 1,200 environmentally-sustainable, energy-efficient Roadstar luminaires. The retrofit solution, which uses the South Florida city's existing lighting poles along city-owned public thoroughfares, is expected to save Weston up to $160,000 in energy costs and approximately $100,000 in maintenance expenses annually when compared with its previous metal-halide systems. The new Roadstar luminaires from Philips Roadway come with a 10-year limited warranty and were funded, in part, by federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). 6/29 Datamonitor

8. Western Kentucky University Trims Electricity Usage - The program, offered through the local power company, pays up to $200 for every kilowatt saved. Western Kentucky retrofitted or replaced more than 70,000 lights in 35 campus buildings, which will result in a savings of more than 4.7 million kilowatt-hours per year. The school also replaced three HVAC chiller units, which provide cool water for air conditioning. In all, the school invested more than $9.6 million in energy saving measures, with a guaranteed energy savings of more than $1 million each year. 6/29 Datamonitor

9. New Lighting Technology: A Showcase of Products and Applications - Thursday, July 21, 2011 10 - 11 a.m. Pacific; 11 a.m.- Noon Mountain; Noon - 1 p.m. Central; 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Eastern New technologies in commercial lighting come rapidly. Manufacturers are eager to offer lighting technologies that reduce energy use, offer superior lighting quality – or both. For facility professionals, the trick is to know when a new technology is ready to deliver on its promise and where it is most effectively used. This webinar will scan the horizon of new lighting technologies and offer insights on performance and application. SPEAKER: Alan Suleiman, CEM, Electrical Engineer, SMUD Energy & Technology Center http://www.theboc.info/m-live-webinars.html

10. NAED Publishes PAR Report - The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), St. Louis, released its annual Performance Analysis Report (PAR) Highlights, which compiles performance data from NAED electrical distributors to provide a benchmark for distributor operations in the industry. The report shows that electrical distributor profit margins increased to a median of 2.4% in 2010, compared to medians of 1.1% in 2009, 2.6% in 2008, 3.2% in 2007, and 3.7% in 2006. Among the top performing 25% of “high profit” distributors, the 2010 profit margin was 4.7%, consistent with last year’s profit margin. 6/30 http://livewire.electricalmarketing.com/