News Updates for the Week of April 9

1.      New World Trade Center Serves as Model for Urban Energy Efficiency - In the wake of the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center (WTC) on Sept. 11, 2001, New York City officials and building planners set out to rebuild the complex to greater heights–and greater energy efficiency. The new World Trade Center complex will feature a stunning array of energy-efficient design techniques and America’s most innovative, energy-efficient technologies. The towers were all designed to meet LEED Gold certification. 4/02 ASE

2.      Strategies Unlimited Projects $3.7 Billion LED Retrofit Lamp Market in 2016 - Strategies Unlimited has published a new report entitled "LED replacement lamp market analysis and forecast" that projects a global LED-retrofit-lamp market that exceeds $3.7 billion by 2016. The growth in solid-state lighting (SSL) products intended for existing sockets is from a $2.2 billion base in 2011, and the firm projects an annual 30% growth in the number of units sold. According to the report, there were 39.9 million SSL A19-lamps sold globally in 2011. Japan led the way in consuming LED A-lamps with 24.7 million of the global total. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/4/1

3.      Verification Testing Guidance for Luminaires - The ENERGY STAR specification for luminaires is now effective and certified luminaires will start being subject to verification testing administered by EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs). In preparation for that testing, the U.S. EPA is planning to issue to CBs the attached guidance that provides additional direction for conducting verification testing of luminaires. This guidance limits the verification testing to core performance criteria and also establishes the sample sizes needed to verify product performance. EPA plans to finalize this guidance on April 16, 2012. If you have concerns or questions about this guidance, notify EPA via Certification@energystar.gov as soon as possible with "Luminaires Verification Testing" in the subject line.

4.      NEMA Publishes NEMA WD 7 Occupancy Motion Sensors Standard - Previously published as a guide and not a standard, WD 7 promotes uniformity for the definition and measurement of characteristics relevant to the use and application of occupancy motion sensors. This standard covers the definition and measurement of field of view and coverage characteristics relevant to the use and application of vacancy and occupancy sensors using individual or any combination of passive infrared, ultrasonic, or microwave technology. These sensors are used in systems for control of lighting, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), and other devices.  WD 7 may be downloaded at no cost http://www.nema.org/stds/wd7.cfm

5.      Siemens Osram Light Unit Said to Plan First China LED Plant - Siemens AG  which is seeking to sell shares in its lighting subsidiary Osram this year, is drafting plans for its first production plant for light-emitting diodes in China. Osram has given the go-ahead for the project and is negotiating which parts of LEDs and related components it will produce in the country.The facility would fill a gap for Osram in China, the world’s largest lighting market at $10.6 billion. Osram now only has production sites for the semiconductor-based technology in Regensburg, Germany and Penang, Malaysia. 4/03 Bloomberg

6.      Energy Savings Version 2.0 - From water heater jackets to programmable thermostats and LED lighting, the number of home improvement products that fall under the energy-efficient umbrella is ever expanding. Many dealers and manufacturers say that lighting products have amplified this movement.  3/30 HCN

7.      $54M Big Dig Light Fix Called ‘Permanent Solution’ - A $54 million proposal to replace the more than 25,000 fixtures in the Big Dig tunnels is being touted by MassDOT officials as a “permanent solution” to fix the corroded lights inside the problem-plagued underground highway and ramp system. The project, slated to begin this time next year pending the MassDOT board’s approval of a bid, would replace the corroding fluorescent fixtures that crashed into the spotlight in February 2011 after a 110-pound fixture fell in the Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Tunnel with a complete overhaul to energy-saving LED lights. 4/05 Boston Herald

8.      Cree Aeroblades Luminaires Combine Cutting-Edge Technology with High-Design - Cree, Inc. introduces the Aeroblades™ series of luminaires www.cree.com/aeroblades  demonstrating the continued evolution of outdoor LED lighting. Based on Cree’s BetaLED® Technology with NanoOptic® lighting control, Aeroblades luminaires represent the intersection of industry-leading LED innovation and high design. Designed and engineered with Speirs + Major, one of the world’s leading lighting design firms, the Aeroblades luminaire series takes a bold approach to architectural street, area and security lighting. Aeroblades luminaires redefine exterior lighting by enabling LED implementation while optimizing thermal management, light control, efficiency, longevity and payback. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/products/34680

9.      Johns Manville Publishes 2011 Sustainability Report - Johns Manville (JM), a global manufacturer of energy-efficient building products and engineered specialty materials, today announced the publication of We Build Environments, its 2011 Sustainability Report. The publication can be viewed as a PDF file on the company's website at www.jm.com/sustainability

10.  Become a Building Efficiency Expert with BOC - Building Operator Certification (BOC®) is a nationally recognized, competency-based training and certification program that offers facilities personnel the improved job skills and knowledge to transform workplaces to be more comfortable, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.  The BOC credential is recognized by employers across the country as a sign of the value and contributions certified facilities management personnel can bring to their organizations. http://www.theboc.info/h-training-locations.html

11.  Mild Winter May Have Artificially Inflated Jobs Data, Economists Fear - Economists say the mild winter has artificially inflated job growth. February alone stole as many as 72,000 positions from March and future months, according to Macroeconomic Advisers. Translation: The surge in hiring early in the year may not be as strong as it appeared. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that the job market slowed in March as employers expanded payrolls by 120,000 jobs, falling short of expectations.  Forecasts for the nation’s gross domestic product during the first quarter hover around 2 percent.  However, economists seem to agree that the fundamentals of the recovery are solid, yet slow. 4/07 Washington Post

12.  NAESCO MIDWEST REGIONAL MEETING - June 7, 2012 at The Pfister Hotel, 24 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI. NAESCO will explore the role of energy efficiency in the region against the backdrop of competing energy resource options including the sizable area oil and gas deposits. The meeting will examine existing regional energy efficiency mandates and investment levels and address the impact of the economic downturn on the pursuit of aggressive energy efficiency policies and programs. http://www.naesco.org/events/meetings/midwest/2012/registration.htm

13.  China Lighting Source Industry Report, 2011-2012 - In 2011, China lighting appliance industry produced 19.61 billion electric light sources (up 4.0% year on year), including 4.17 billion incandescent light bulbs (a 3.8% yr-on-yr rise) and 3.32 billion fluorescent lamps (down 1.40% from a year earlier). By output, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shandong and Henan ranked the top 5 in 2011, with their output totaling 14.98 billion units, accounting for 76.39% of the national total. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/a8830c/china_lighting_source_industry_report_20112  

14.  The 2012 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit is the region's premier venue for bringing together thought leaders in public policy, business, and consumer and environmental advocacy to advance energy efficiency as a solution to the challenges of reliable, affordable and clean energy.