News Updates for the Week of October 15

1.     Existing Buildings are Poised for Upgrades - Department of Energy (DOE) regulations targeting electromagnetic T12 ballasts and 4- and 8-ft T12 lamps have eliminated a majority of these products from the market, forcing owners of these lighting systems to upgrade to more-efficient lighting systems. As more than 430 million linear 4-ft T12 lamps alone are still in use, according to DOE--with T12 lamps accounting for about 30 percent of 4-ft linear fluorescent lamp sales in 2011, according the National Electrical Manufacturers Association--this is a major untapped opportunity to save energy.  http://www.ies.org/lda/HotTopics/LED/9.cfm

2.     LEDs Power Greener Lighting - A recent report by the U.S. DOE finds that, of the three most common choices, LEDs are the most efficient and friendliest to the environment. The report, “LED Manufacturing and Performance,” compares LEDs, incandescents and CFLs. It examines every stage of their life cycles, including manufacturing, assembly, transport, operation and disposal. CFLs bested LEDs in only one of 15 measurements: their contribution to landfills. The aluminum contained in an LED’s large heat sink causes a greater environmental effect because of the energy and resources consumed in its manufacturing. The report projects that, in five years, the environmental effects of LEDs will be significantly lower than today’s LED products, based on expected near-term improvements in LED technology. http://www.ecmag.com/?fa=article&articleID=13886

3.     NEC 2014 Outlook - The 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC) development process is in full swing with the NEC technical committees acting on 3,745 proposed new articles and revisions. New and improving technologies and industry advances are driving changes into the electrical industry at an accelerated pace. Important factors—such as energy conservation, reduction of oil dependency and preservation of existing electrical infrastructures—are driving many changes. Future NECs will place significant emphasis on energy management and effective energy solutions. http://www.ecmag.com/?fa=article&articleID=13901

4.     NEMA Publishes Annual Standards and Products Guide - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published the 2013 edition of its "Electrical Standards and Products Guide," a comprehensive listing of NEMA electrical standards as well as an extensive directory of manufacturers and their products. It is used by military, government, and private buyers who work in lighting, motors and industrial controls, transmission and distribution, transportation, medical imaging, architecture and construction, and other industries that specify and use electrical equipment.  No charge reprints at: http://www.nxtbook.com/ygsreprints/NEMA/espg_nxtbook/

5.     LEDs Dominate and are Set to Take Over $1.8 Billion U.S. Flashlight Market - ElectroniCast Consultants, a market research firm covering LEDs and electronic devices, reports that the United States flashlight (torch) market reached $1.824 billion in 2011. The company says that LED flashlights dominate the product mix. Additionally, the LED flashlights are forecast to gradually displace the other light-source types of flashlights which include: Halogen, Argon/Krypton Incandescent, Xenon Incandescent, Fluorescent and High-Intensity Discharge (HID). In 2011, Rechargeable LED flashlights held the leadership position in relative market share. http://www.sslighting.net/news/?id=122151#top

 

6.     Acuity Brands Sheds Lumens on Energy Savings - The P Series LED Downlighting Modules have a bar-setting efficacy of 70 lumens per watt, which is more than 86% more efficient than incandescent luminaires. They are designed for general-purpose lighting in residential and light commercial applications.  They use advanced Center2Edge technology to dim seamlessly from full illumination, creating the look and feel of a single-point source. Center2Edge technology triggers the module’s LED board to act like an incandescent point source while dimming. 10/8 HCN

7.     RAB Lighting Rates LED Products for 100,000 Hours of Life - RAB Lighting announced that it now rates its LED-based lighting fixtures for 100,000 hrs of life, equating to 27 years based on a 10-hr usage day. The extended rating for the SSL products is based in part on the TM-21 standard for projecting LED component lifetime that was released by the IES last year. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/5

8.     ARCHITECTURAL SSL Product Awards Open to Submissions - The publishers of ARCHITECTURAL SSL magazine have announced the third annual Architectural SSL Product Innovation Awards. Manufacturers are invited to enter these awards by the deadline of November 9, 2012. http://www.architecturalssl.com/pia/

News Updates for the Week of July 9

1.      U.S. Economy Added 80,000 Jobs in June, Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 8.2 Percent - U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring that shows the economy is struggling three years after the recession ended. The economy has added just 75,000 jobs a month in the April-June quarter. That’s one-third of 226,000 a month created in the first quarter. Job creation is also trailing last year’s pace through the first six months of 2012. 7/6 Washington Post

2.      DOE Report Compares the Life-Cycle Environmental Impacts of an LED Lamp with Incumbent Technologies - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a report that looks at the direct and indirect material and process inputs to fabricate, ship, operate, and dispose of LED lamps, compared with incandescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Entitled LED Manufacturing and Performance, it is the second part of a larger DOE project to assess the life-cycle environmental impacts and resource costs of LED lighting products in relation to comparable traditional lighting technologies. The report uses the conclusions of Part 1, Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent, and LED Lamps, as a point of departure to produce a more detailed and conservative assessment of the manufacturing process and use it to compare the three lighting technologies, taking into consideration a wider range of environmental impacts. This report is the most comprehensive study of its kind for LED products, addressing both energy and environmental impacts, and is the first public report to consider the LED manufacturing process in depth. To download the PDF report www.ssl.energy.gov/tech_reports.html

3.      The U.S. Department of Energy Grants Ushio America Exemption for 700 Series T8 Lamps - The Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Department of Energy has granted USHIO AMERICA, INC. a 2-year exemption relief from the new efficiency regulations that go into effect on July 14, 2012 for certain T8 fluorescent lamps. As a result of this decision, USHIO along with GE Lighting (GE), Osram Sylvania, Inc. (OSI), and Philips Lighting Co may continue to manufacture its T8 700 Series general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) until July 14, 2014. www.ushio.com/support/LampRegulations.htm

4.      PG&E Seeks to Enhance Industry-Leading Energy Efficiency Programs in Proposed Application for 2013-2014 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today will file with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) a proposed two-year energy efficiency portfolio that, if approved, would enhance the company's industry-leading programs. The proposal would allow PG&E to invest $433 million per year-about the same as current levels-for two years to continue energy efficiency programs. PG&E proposes to continue its work with component manufacturers and retailers to develop, build and make available new, energy-efficient products for customers.  www.pgecurrents.com 7/2 PRNewswire

5.      Potential from Extending & Expanding Energy Efficiency Programs - Analysis included in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2012 shows that extending and expanding certain energy-related policies beyond the current sunset dates and current implementing regulations incorporated in the AEO2012 Reference case could reduce projected national energy consumption in 2035 by nearly 6%. http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/

6.      Release of ENERGY STAR Lamps V1.0 Specification Draft 2 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the Draft 2 Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR Product Specification for Lamps (Light Bulbs). Once finalized, this specification will replace the existing Compact Fluorescent Lamps (V4.3) and Integral LED Lamps (V1.4) specifications. Stakeholders are encouraged to submit comments on this draft proposal to www.lamps@energystar.gov no later than August 24, 2012. When submitting comments, include “ENERGY STAR Lamps Second Draft Comments” in the subject line. In addition, EPA will host a webinar on August 8, 2012 to discuss the proposed Lamps Draft 2 specification.

7.      DOE Publishes a New Report That Breaks New Ground in Our Understanding of How Lighting Affects The Environment - Entitled Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Environmental Impacts of LED Lighting Products: LED Manufacturing and Performance. It compares the environmental impact of an LED lamp, an incandescent bulb, and a CFL from the beginning to the end of their life cycle–including manufacturing, operation, and disposal. This is the most comprehensive study of its kind for SSL products, addressing both energy and environmental impacts, and it's the first public report to consider the LED manufacturing process in depth. Copies are available at: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_led_lca-pt2.pdf

8.      Acuity's Cheryl English Elected to IES Board of Directors - Cheryl English, Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at Acuity Brands Lighting, has been elected to the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Board of Directors for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2012. In her role, English will provide strategic council to the Society’s long-term planning, operations, education and research priorities.

9.      Acuity Launches Web-based Design Tool That Calculates the Total Life Cycle Costs of Lighting Systems - Acuity Brands, Inc. has developed a leap-forward financial tool that allows users to determine the true economic value of a lighting system, greatly exceeding the simple data output found on many industry "payback" calculators. The Visual Economic Tool™ is a free, web-based, user-friendly design tool that uses recommended  industry practices to simultaneously estimate and compare the life-cycle costs of up to three lighting systems. http://www.visual-3d.com/software/economictool.aspx

 

      10.  Harnessing Potential: Renewable Growth - Here we examine the past, present and future of four major clean technologies—solar, wind, hydro and fuel cells—and the opportunities they present to electrical contractors (ECs). June 2012 Electrical Contractor

News Updates for the Week of April 18

1. Marijuana Growing Gobbles Electricity, Study Finds - A new study estimates that indoor pot-growing operations in the United States burn about $5 billion worth of electricity annually, or roughly 1 percent of national power consumption. That’s enough electricity to power two million average homes. The study estimated that a single joint contains the equivalent of roughly two pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of running a 100-watt bulb for about 30 hours on the California grid. Marijuana is considered the nation’s largest cash crop, with a production value estimated at about $40 billion annually. 4/17 NY Times. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/marijuana-growing-gobbles-electricity-study-finds/?hp

2. DOE Municipal Consortium Posts Draft Street-Lighting Specification - The US DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium has posted drafts of street-lighting specification documents for review and is taking public comments through May 2. The documents are designed as a template for street-lighting buyers who are focused on solid-state lighting (SSL) projects. Buyers such as municipalities and utilities can use the documents as a base for their procurement specifications. The consortium has posted three documents on http://www.ssl.energy.gov/resources.html

3. ABC Reports on Construction Unemployment for March - Despite the loss of 1,000 jobs in March, the nation’s construction industry unemployment rate edged down to 20% for the month, according to the April 1 employment report by the U.S. Department of Labor, as analyzed by the Associated Builders and Contractors, Arlington, Va. Year-over-year, construction employment is down by 36,000 jobs, or 0.6%. Today’s rate is lower from 21.8% in February and 24.9% posted in March 2010. 4/15 EC&M

4. AEP-PSO Lauded for Energy-Efficiency Programs - AEP-PSO's energy-efficiency programs reduced electricity use by 39 million kilowatt hours last year, the Tulsa, OK-based utility reported Tuesday. Efficiency initiatives such as Energy Star New Homes, home weatherization for low-income customers and lighting retrofit incentives could help push that savings to 57 million kilowatt hours in 2011, the utility said. The federal Energy Star program includes efficiency standards for homes, appliances and office buildings. The utility indicated that the programs could cost $80 million, but the resulting efficiencies could save as much as $186 million. 4/13 Tulsa World

5. Energy Commission Awards $500,000 for New Lighting Research - The California Energy Commission awarded $500,000 for a research project to develop a more cost-effective way to manufacture light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Funding comes from the Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. On Wednesday 4/13, the Commission approved $500,000 to Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara to develop an improved and more cost-effective way to manufacture LEDs. The project's total cost is $8,718, 911. Applied Materials is providing $4,225,000. The company received a $3,993,911 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award from the U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.energy.ca.gov/,  http://appliedmaterials.com/

6. Lime Energy Awarded Multi-Year Contract for Long Island Power Authority Small Business Energy Efficiency Program - Lime Energy has been notified that it has won the contract as the exclusive provider for the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program for the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). The projected value of the five year contract is $7.3 million per year. The program will offer incentives of up to 70% toward the cost of energy efficiency upgrades to qualifying small business customers in specific distribution load pocket areas of Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA created the Small Business Direct Install Energy Efficiency Program as part of its customer-funded $900-plus million "Efficiency Long Island" strategy to defer distribution and generation system upgrade costs by reducing peak energy demand. Under the contract, Lime will enter into direct contracts to provide turnkey lighting retrofits with qualifying load pocket to customers who choose to participate. http://www.lime-energy.com/

7. Siemens’ Outsider CEO Pushes for Growth Around the Globe - Peter Loescher was the first non-Siemens employee in 160 years recruited to lead the German industrial giant in 2007. Loescher aimed to resolve the bribery scandal and move Siemens further into the company’s growth markets, such as India, China and the United States. He now intends to expand its energy, health-care and lighting businesses and has already boosted profit in the company’s financial-services division. Loescher shared his thoughts and business strategy in a recent interview in Washington. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/siemens-outsider-ceo-pushes-for-growth-around-the-globe/2011/04/13/AFptARqD_story.html?nl_headlines

8. 5-Year Deadline Sought for Ridding NYC Schools of PCBs - The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the New York City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, are both calling for replacing school light fixtures that are leaking PCBs in five years or less, putting more pressure on the Bloomberg administration to speed up its planned time line of 10 years. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/5-year-deadline-sought-for-ridding-schools-of-pcbs/

9. 2011 ENERGY STAR Winners - The EPA has announced the 2011 ENERGY STAR winners that have demonstrated leadership and commitment to protecting America’s health and environment through energy efficiency. 111 ENERGY STAR partners have been selected - manufacturers, retailers, public schools, real estate companies, home builders, and hospitals. For the fill listing of 2011 ENERGY STAR award winners, visit www.energystar.gov/awards

10. Now Open: EW’s 2011 Top 200 Survey by Doug Chandler April 15th, 2011 - Electrical distributors: It’s time to stand up and be counted. Don’t let your company be left off the list as we compile the 2011 edition of Electrical Wholesaling’s annual Top 200 listing of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. You can fill out the survey online: Electrical Wholesaling 2011 Top 200 Survey

11. Acuity Brands Launches Expanded Outdoor LED Lighting Portfolio - Acuity Brands, Inc. has announced a major expansion of its outdoor LED lighting portfolio. Offered as Acuity Brands® LED Outdoor, the expanded portfolio includes existing and newly introduced luminaires from six of the Company’s leading lighting brands, Lithonia Lighting®, Hydrel®, Tersen®, American Electric Lighting®, Antique Street Lamps™ and Winona Lighting®. The Company’s comprehensive outdoor LED luminaire product families are now grouped into customer-friendly and easy-to-find major categories that identify the four primary outdoor lighting experiences of DRIVE, PARK, WALK and VIEW. All of the new Acuity Brands LED Outdoor luminaires will be on display at the Lightfair International Tradeshow, booth #1801, May 17-19, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pa.