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1.
Energy
Efficiency Provisions Approved in
Both Chambers of Congress - The Senate passed important provisions from the
bipartisan Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S.1000)
introduced by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to
help the country save money by using less energy. The provisions, which focus
on industrial and federal agency efficiency, passed as part of the American
Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act (H.R. 6582). After passing with
unanimous support in the Senate, the legislation will now head to the President
for his signature. http://politicalnews.me/?id=19475&keys=ENERGY-COMPETITIVENESS-INDUSTRIAL-ACT
2.
3.
New Lighting Technology Won't Flicker, Shatter or Burn Out - The lighting, based on field-induced polymer electroluminescent (FIPEL)
technology, also gives off soft, white light – not the yellowish glint from
fluorescents or bluish tinge from LEDs. The Wake Forest University team uses a
nano-engineered polymer matrix to convert the charge into light. This allows
the researchers to create an entirely new light bulb – overcoming one of the
major barriers in using plastic lights in commercial buildings and homes. The
research supporting the technology is described in a study appearing online in
advance of publication in the peer-reviewed journal Organic Electronics. Wake
Forest is working with a company to manufacture the technology and plans to
have it ready for consumers as early as next year. http://phys.org/news/2012-12-goodbye-fluorescent-bulbs-technology-wont.html
4.
5. NEMA's Lighting Systems Index falls 3.3% in 3Q - NEMA’s Lighting Systems
Index declined in the third quarter of 2012 after a positive performance in the
first half of 2012, falling 3.3% on a quarter-to-quarter basis. On a
year-over-year basis the index decreased by 1.1%. Lighting equipment demand has
struggled to gain traction since the recovery began and remains well below the
levels observed during the previous economic expansion. Of the five categories
of lighting systems products included in the index, only miniature lamps and
fixtures registered solid gains in sales value compared to the third quarter of
2011, according to NEMA. http://www.nema.org/news/Pages/Lighting-Equipment-Demand-Dwindled-during-the-Third-Quarter-of-2012.aspx
6.
Indoor Luminaire Competition
Launches - The 2013 Next
Generation Luminaires Solid-State Lighting Indoor Design Competition has
officially launched! Written Intents to Submit are due by January 18, 2013, and
must be submitted online at www.ngldc.org. Physical
product entries are due by February 8, 2013. Judging takes place in late
February 2013, and results will be announced at LEDucation 7 in New York, NY,
on March 20, 2013.
7.
HID
Lamp Shipment Indexes Continue to Decline - NEMA’s
indexes for high intensity discharge (HID) lamp shipments declined for the
second consecutive quarter in Q3 2012. Sodium vapor lamp shipments decreased
14.8% year-over-year during the quarter, following a loss of 6.8% during the
previous three month period. Shipments of metal halide lamps fell 6.9% and
4.9%, respectively, in Q3 and Q2. Mercury vapor lamps contracted significantly,
retreating by 23% to reach a new low for the index. Combined HID lamp shipments
through Q3 2012 declined nearly 5% versus last year. http://ecmweb.com/lighting-amp-control/hid-lamp-shipment-indexes-continue-decline
8.
NYC, DC, LA, Houston: Lighting Up the
Holidays with LED Christmas Trees - Cities across the United
States are lighting their Christmas Trees with LED, and this season they are
more energy-efficient than ever. http://ase.org/efficiencynews/nyc-dc-la-houston-lighting-holidays-led-christmas-trees
9. New York’s Small Businesses
Eligible for Low-Cost Financing for Energy-Efficiency Upgrades -The New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
said Thursday that small business owners and nonprofits that make
energy-efficiency upgrades can receive up to $50,000 in low-interest
financing.The money will be repayable on the company’s monthly utility
bills.Small businesses with 100 employees or fewer and nonprofits that own
their building are eligible to apply for the financing. The interest rate for
the loan is currently 2.5 percent. http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2012-Announcements/2012-12-13-Financing-for-Business-Not-for-Profit-Energy-Efficiency-Upgrades.aspx
10. Connecticut Spending More on Energy Efficiency - Connecticut spent nearly $338 million between 2009 and 2011
on energy-efficiency projects and expects to spend more than twice that, $775.5
million, between 2015 and 2021. But Connecticut's increase in
spending on energy efficiency will be dwarfed by the growth for the whole
region, according to officials with ISO-New England. The region spent $1.2
billion on energy efficiency between 2008 and 2011 and expects to spend nearly
five times that about $5.7 billion, between 2015 and 2021. The energy-efficiency measures the six New
England states are taking will prevent any annual growth in energy consumption
between now and 2021. 12/13 New
Haven Register
11. Louisiana
Public Service Commission Approves Statewide Energy-Efficiency Program - Louisiana utility regulators
have taken the first step toward implementing a statewide energy-efficiency program
to develop ways to cut down on power consumption and help save money for
hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses. Louisiana utilities,
including Entergy Louisiana and Pineville-based Cleco Power, will have 10
months to let the state know its plans, along with estimates of potential
savings and benefits to customers. The programs are slated to begin 4 months
later. http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/12/louisiana_public_service_commi_3.html
12. 2013 DOE Solid-State Lighting R&D
Workshop - January 29–31, 2013, Hilton Long
Beach,
Long Beach, California. 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 to find out. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/longbeach13.html
Long Beach, California. 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 to find out. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/longbeach13.html
13. PNM Carrying the Light Bulb for
Energy Efficiency - In just over five years, the PNM discounted CFLs have accomplished
huge amounts in saving electricity and money for customers. PNM has reached an energy efficiency
milestone of five million CFL bulbs, saving $33.7 million for PNM customers and
enough electricity to power 42,000 New Mexico homes for a year. PNM wants to continue this trend so they have
partnered with nearly 160 stores statewide to give customers a discount when
they purchase any CFL bulbs. PNM is New Mexico's largest
electricity provider, is based in Albuquerque and serves about 498,700 electricity
customers statewide. www.pnm.com
14.
Southern California Edison Delivers Energy
Management and Reporting Capabilities to Customer - ADT and
Southern California Edison are providing SCE customers with energy management
and reporting capabilities through ADT Pulse, an interactive home management
platform that allows customers to arm and disarm their security systems,
control thermostats, turn on and off small appliances and lights, access
real-time video, and lock and unlock doors. It can show home energy
consumption, historical energy usage information, daily energy bill estimates
and energy savings alerts. http://www.sce.com/info/smartconnect/default.htm?from=redirect
15. CA Quality LED Lamp Specification - The California Energy Commission
has adopted a voluntary lighting quality specification for LED replacement
lamps. The new standard requires LED lamps to meet certain performance criteria
in order to qualify for incentive programs and rebates. These criteria include
the color of a lamp’s light, its consistency over time, and its accuracy in
rendering colors. The specification for incentivized LED lamps also includes
requirements regarding dimming and flickering.
The specification was developed in collaboration with the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC will direct California’s
investor-owned utilities to ensure their 2013–2014 energy efficiency portfolios
only provide rebates for screw-based LEDs products that meet the quality
specification developed by the California Energy Commission. http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/content/view/1263/488/
16. BluePath Launches
Energy Efficiency Finance Company - BluePath Finance LLC announced today the launch of their
platform to provide upfront funding for the installation of energy efficient
technologies. BluePath works side-by-side with energy services
companies, OEMs, installers and distributors to offer their customers turn-key
financing. Most solutions are designed so end-users can pay for new
installations from reduced utility bills and immediately realize monthly cash
flow savings. Ideal candidates
include commercial and industrial companies, agri-business, hospitals, and
public entities such as universities and schools. Typically, projects with
$100,000 to $5 million in upfront costs are funded. BluePath has particular
interest in financing lighting and lighting controls, heating, ventilation and
air conditioning (HVAC) systems and building controls, industrial motors and
systems, boilers, furnaces, refrigeration systems, and pumping systems. The
company has capacity to fund up to $150 million in retrofit projects. http://www.bluepathfinance.com/
17. Consumer Preference Survey on Directional LED
Replacement Lamps for Retail Applications -Retail stores are
among the biggest lighting energy users in the United States. To help improve
efficiency in this sector, CLTC partnered with PG&E and the California
Energy Commission to survey retailers on factors that influence their lighting
purchases. The results of that survey, and their implications for future LED
incentive programs, are now available on the CLTC website. http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/images/documents/publications_reports/2012_ET11PGE2201_LED_Showcase_Report.pdf
18.
Sequestration Could Reduce Federal Building Investments - The design and construction industry, still
reeling from the real estate crash, could face another $2 billion in lost work
if Congress and the White House fail to reach agreement on a federal budget in
time to avoid massive mandatory federal spending cuts on January 2, an American Institute of Architects (AIA) analysis warns. In order to provide a
better understanding of the impact of sequestration on building programs, the
AIA identified 48 separate budget accounts for which the OMB report identifies
spending reductions pursuant to sequestration in January 2013 that directly
fund the design, construction and rehabilitation of buildings and other
vertical infrastructure. http://www.lightnowblog.com Read the full report at http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aiab096226.pdf
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