News Updates for the Week of January 14, 2013

1.     Making the Switch: Traditional 75-Watt Bulb Is the Next to Go - As of Sept. 30, 2012 it became illegal to import or manufacture the traditional 100-watt incandescent bulb. But stores can still sell what they have on the shelves. On Jan. 1, 2013 the same federal energy legislation passed in 2007 now covers a manufacturing and import ban on 75-watt incandescent bulbs. On Jan. 1, 2014 the most widely-sold wattage bulb -- the 60-watt -- will be on the way out, along with the 40-watt bulb. The law requires most bulbs to be 30 percent more efficient.  The traditional bulbs are cheaper at 60 cents or so. CFLs are $3 or less per bulb, and halogens range from $4 to $6. LED's are $20 to $70 a bulb. The more energy-efficient bulbs last longer than traditional bulbs. http://www.lightopedia.com/

2.     Demand Response for Commercial Buildings - The commercial sector offers a significant growth opportunity for the demand response (DR) market. Commercial buildings account for a substantial amount of electricity consumption and represent a major underserved market. Pike Research forecasts that the number of commercial facilities participating in DR programs will rise from fewer than 600,000 in 2012 to more than 1.5 million sites by 2018.  The market opportunity and technology issues for DR in commercial facilities are explored, and market drivers and inhibitors are examined.  http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/demand-response-for-commercial-buildings

3.     Ames Laboratory to Lead New Research Effort to Address Shortages in Rare Earth and Other Critical Materials - The U.S. DOE announced 1/09 that a team led by Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, has been selected for an award of up to $120 million over five years to establish an Energy Innovation Hub that will develop solutions to the domestic shortages of rare earth metals and other materials critical for U.S. energy security. The new research center will be named the Critical Materials Institute (CMI). The new Hub will focus on technologies that will enable us to make better use of the materials we have access to as well as eliminate the need for materials that are subject to supply disruptions.  These critical materials are essential in modern clean energy technologies – such as wind turbines, solar panels, electric vehicles, and energy-efficient lighting. http://energy.gov/articles/ames-laboratory-lead-new-research-effort-address-shortages-rare-earth-and-other-critical

4.     Tax Credits for Energy-Efficient Home Improvements Reinstated - Federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvements are back.  Reinstatement of the popular credits was a little-noticed part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the last-minute legislation that kept America from tumbling over the fiscal cliff.  The law allows homeowners to claim tax credits of varying amounts on improvements such as insulation, energy-smart windows and highly efficient furnaces. Congress made those credits retroactive, meaning improvements made in both 2012 and 2013 will qualify.  1/09 Akron Beacon Journal

5.     DEP Farm Show Exhibit Offers Graphic Illustration of Energy Efficiency - Anyone who is not convinced that there really is a difference in energy efficiency can try pedaling a bike that allows them to not just hear about the facts, but feel them.  Visitors to the Department of Environmental Protection's new "DEP at Home" exhibit at the Pennsylvania Farm Show can ride a bike to turn on light bulbs. It is much harder to pedal to get the incandescent light bulbs to illuminate because they are less energy efficient, http://www.yorkdispatch.com/ci_22322012

6.     Scotland, NC County Revives Energy Savings Project - Once thought dead, the $1.2 million energy savings project, part of the "Energy Savings Performance Contract" program to update the HVAC and lighting systems in several county buildings is now back on track.  When Johnson Controls, one of 15 state-approved contractors in the program, reported that the savings were only going to be $800,000 -- not the $1.2 million initially projected -- it appeared that the project was dead in the water.  Thanks to Johnson Controls' revised report to the county, it is projected that the project can now be financed with an additional $400 in excess energy savings. The $1.2 million savings would occur over 15 years and is expected to begin during the 2013-14 fiscal year. 1/8 Laurinburg Exchange

7.     TVA Program Offers Business Incentives - Knoxville businesses have an opportunity to save money on light bills and get up to $2,000 in incentives toward more efficient lighting under a new TVA/KUB program.  The Tennessee Valley Authority launched its MainStreet Efficiency pilot program Monday.  Participating customers get a free lighting assessment of their facility, to show how much they could save on energy costs each month with more efficient lighting. Lighting upgrades could include replacing fluorescent fixtures with higher-efficiency lamps and ballasts, changing regular bulbs to CFLs or LEDs or upgrading "Exit" signs to LED technology For more information: http://enerpath.com/results/tva  1/10 The Knoxville News-Sentinel

8.     Alliant Energy to Install LED Street Lights in Newton, Iowa  - Alliant Energy owns or maintains around 44,000 of these specific streetlights in Iowa.  IPL successfully implemented a project pilot for the LED fixtures in the Cedar Rapids community. The project was so successful that cities all across the state joined the program. The previous fixtures used a 100-watt HPS bulb. The new fixtures will use an 80-watt LED bulb. Based on 2012 electrical rates, Newton will save an average of 68 cents per light per month in energy cost. Alliant Energy will save money on maintenance cost as well as HPS bulbs can last up to seven years, and LED bulbs can last more than 20 years. 1/10 Newton Daily News

9.     Nextera Energy Solutions Launches $7.5 Million Renovation Project in Dallas Mt. Pleasant Independent School District - Using an innovative financing approach, the Mt. Pleasant Independent School District (ISD) partnered with energy savings specialist NextEra Energy Solutions to upgrade lighting, replace aging HVAC equipment, lower operating and maintenance costs, and deliver a significantly improved educational environment for Mt. Pleasant students and staff. The $7.5 million project, which will benefit almost all of the district's buildings, produces a positive cash flow in each of the 15 years of the contract term. 1/08 PRNewswire

10.  Greeley, CO Looks into Energy Efficiency Upgrades to City Facilities Following a report that Greeley's aging city facilities need more than $25 million in repairs, city officials are mulling an energy efficiency program that would pay for energy-smart improvements with utility cost savings.  The upgrades, identified in an audit that was paid for through an energy block grant, would mean $1.7 million worth of improvements to lighting, ventilation, pool pumps and other utilities in seven Greeley buildings.  1/08 Greeley Tribune

News Updates for the Week of April 25

1. UD Collaborating With LG Innotek On Advanced Solar Cell Research - The UD solar institute, a U.S. Department of Energy University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education, recently won a three-year, $780,000 contract from LG Innotek to pursue pioneering research on wide band-gap solar cells, which absorb less sunlight, but produce a higher voltage than solar cells currently on the market. LG Innotek is among the top-10 electronics manufacturers in the world, producing LEDs used in flat-screen TVs, semiconductors for automobile motors, and camera sensors for mobile phones, including Apple's latest iPhone, lighting, among other products. http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2011/feb/solar-cell-research-022411.html

2. DOE Publishes Updated SSL R&D Plan – The DOE has published the March 2011 edition of the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The report provides a description of the activities the Department plans to undertake over the next several years to implement its SSL mission, and informs the development of annual SSL R&D funding opportunities. The document reviews SSL technology status and trends for both LEDs and organic OLEDs, and offers an overview of the current DOE SSL R&D project portfolio. Significant updates to the Technology Research and Development Plan include revised efficiency projections, priorities, task descriptions, and metrics to align DOE targets with progress made to date and industry trends. To download a PDF copy of the updated Plan, see www.ssl.energy.gov/techroadmaps.html

3. Housing Starts in U.S. Increased to 549,000 in March, Exceeding Forecasts - A gain in March housing starts failed to make up for ground lost the prior month, as U.S. home builders continue to struggle almost two years into the economic recovery. Work began on 549,000 houses at an annual pace, up 7.2 percent from the prior month and exceeding the 520,000 median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. 4/19 Bloomberg News

4. Existing Home Sales Gain Raises Cautious Hope - Home resales volumes bounced back in March, a hopeful sign for recovery in the housing market, but prices continued to decline. The housing market is struggling to find its footing as a wave of foreclosed properties keeps supply up but prices down. The housing sector led the economy into its worst recession since the 1930s in 2007-2008 and is now lagging recovery in the broader economy. Existing home sales in March rose 3.7 percent from February to an annual rate of 5.10 million units, the National Association of Realtors said on Wednesday. Economists had expected a smaller increase to a 5.0 million-unit pace. 4/20 Reuters

5. Leading Indicators Point to Strengthening Economy - US leading indicators up in March for 9th straight month, but consumers worry about inflation. The Conference Board, a private research group, said U.S. economic growth should strengthen by summer, but cautioned that consumer concerns over rising gas and food prices could drag on the expansion. Its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.4 percent in March. The index, which is a measure of future economic activity, has increased for nine straight months. 4/21 AP

6. Transparent Photovoltaic Cells Turn Windows Into Solar Panels - A new class of transparent photovoltaic cells has been developed that can turn an ordinary windowpane into a solar panel without impeding the passage of visible light, scientists said Tuesday. The cells could one day transform skyscrapers into giant solar collectors, said Richard Lunt, one of the researchers on the project. Previous attempts at transparent solar cells have either failed to achieve high efficiency or blocked too much light to be used in windows. But the new cells, based on organic molecules similar to dyes and pigments, are tailored to absorb only the near-infrared spectrum and have the potential to transform that light into electricity at relatively high efficiency. The largest challenge in developing commercial applications for the new solar cells will be longevity. The cells could be packaged in the middle of double-paned windows, which would provide protection from the elements. But the longevity of the cells would still need to approach the life span of the windows themselves, which would not be replaced for decades. 4/20 NY Times Green

7. University of Hawai'i Community Colleges Selects Johnson Controls to Implement $58 Million Energy Savings Program - University of Hawai'i Community Colleges (UHCC) and Johnson Controls today announced the start of a comprehensive energy efficiency and conservation program projected to save the university more than $58 million in energy and operational savings over the life of the 20-year performance contract. Solar hot water, energy efficient air conditioning and lighting retrofits are among the solutions provided by Johnson Controls. 4/21 PRNewswire

8. Appalachian Power to Launch Energy Efficiency Incentives and Rebate Programs - Appalachian Power, engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power, has announced that it is launching a series of energy efficiency incentive and rebate programs to help West Virginia residential and business customers offset rising electricity costs and become better consumers of energy. The SMART Lighting Program offers customers the opportunity to buy compact-fluorescent light bulbs at reduced prices. The program also offers discounts on other forms of smart lighting. For commercial and industrial customers, the Prescriptive Program is designed to generate energy savings for all commercial and industrial customers through the use of high efficiency lighting, HVAC and motors. 4/21 Datamonitor

9. KU Asks to Expand Energy Efficiency Programs - Kentucky Utilities has asked the state Public Service Commission for permission to expand its energy efficiency programs. If approved, the request would create three new offerings and tweak five existing ones. To learn more about existing energy efficiency programs: www.LGE-KU.com/ee

10. Financial results: Philips, Cree - LED products accounted for 14% of Philips’ lighting sales in the last fiscal year. Meanwhile, shares in Cree and SemiLEDs have been hit by poor recent performance. Packaged LED sales by Philips Lumileds represented 45% of total LED product sales, or around $717 million, for the year ending March 2011. Sales of LED lamps and luminaires accounted for around $876 million. Philips’ lighting sales $10.9 billion in the 12 months representing growth of 6%. The company expects that the global lighting market will grow at a CAGR of 7-9% during 2010-2015. Cree, Inc. has announced revenue of $219.2 million for the quarter ended March 27, 2011. This is 6% down compared to revenue of $234.1 million for the same quarter last year, and a 15% decrease compared to the previous quarter. For its fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 ending June 26, 2011, Cree targets revenue in a range of $225 million to $245 million. 4/20 LEDs Magazine

11. Energy Saving Light Bulbs 'Contain Cancer Causing Chemicals' - Fears have been reignited about the safety of energy saving light bulbs after a group of German scientists warned that they contain cancer causing chemicals. Their report advises that the CFL bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on. Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment.” British experts insisted that more research was needed and urged consumers not to panic. Dr. Michelle Bloor, senior lecturer in Environmental Science at Portsmouth University, told the Daily Express: “Further independent studies would need to be undertaken to back up the presented German research.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8462626/Energy-saving-light-bulbs-contain-cancer-causing-chemicals.html

News Updates for the Week of March 14

1. U.S. Green Building Council Releases List of Top States in the U.S. for LEED-Certified Projects in 2010 - The top LEED states per capita (square feet of LEED-certified space per person), including the District of Columbia:

 District of Columbia: 25.15 sf
 Nevada: 10.92 sf
 New Mexico: 6.35 sf
 New Hampshire: 4.49 sf
 Oregon: 4.07 sf
 South Carolina: 3.19 sf
 Washington: 3.16 sf
 Illinois: 3.09 sf
 Arkansas: 2.9 sf
 Colorado: 2.85 sf
 Minnesota: 2.77 sf
 New Mexico 6.0 sf
 New Hampshire 4.0 sf
 Oregon 6.0 sf
http://www.usgbc.org/Docs/News/List%20of%20Top%20Ten%20States%20for%20LEED%202011.pdf

For the full list of LEED-certified projects visit: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8784

2. Solid State and Other Energy Efficient Lighting Systems Application Market Trends (2010 - 2015) The increasing demand for energy-saving and environment-friendly lighting technology is driving the growth of the global solid state and other energy efficient lighting Systems market. The global solid state and other energy efficient lighting systems market is expected to grow from $28,248.7 million in 2010 to $53,469.5 million in 2015, at an estimated CAGR of 9.7% from 2010 to 2015. Amongst all the market segments, compact fluorescent lamps command the largest share in terms of revenues, while light emitting diode is the second largest market due to the globally increasing demand for energy efficient lightings, which, in turn has arisen due to the shift of the governments’ focus worldwide towards environmental concern to protect the planet from global warming. While light emitting diode had contributed 31.2% to the global solid state and other energy efficient lighting systems market revenues in 2010, organic light emitting diode market is expected to have the highest CAGR of 44.0% from 2010 to 2015. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reportinfo.asp?report_id=1550707&tracker=viewed

3. Weekly U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices, Regular Grade - http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html

4.  California is Lighting the Way - http://ase.org/efficiencynews/california-lighting-way California will continue to adopt the additional performance standards one year early to ensure maximum savings. Source: California Energy Commission.

5. Light Bulb Law Stokes Fury in Senate Hearing - Light bulbs sparked heated discussions this morning during a Senate legislative hearing on two energy efficiency bills. At issue is a provision in a 2007 energy law that would phase out the sale of the most energy-hungry light bulbs over the next few years, starting at the end of this year. Republicans want to repeal the language, saying it represents government overreach. But Democrats argue the standards are crucial to save energy and spur investment in new, more efficient lighting options. 3/10 NY Times

5. Modesto, CA Oks Projects to Save Energy – Modesto, CA expects to save at least $115,000 a year on its power bill by upgrading light bulbs and fixtures at the Modesto Centre Plaza -- the city's convention center -- as well as with upgrades at other city facilities. The city will spend $1.95 million in federal stimulus money on the project. The project calls for: 3/9 The Modesto Bee

 Replacing about 1,400 older light bulbs and fixtures with energy-saving lights.
 Replacing 25 heating and cooling units at 13 buildings.
 Installing energy-saving bulbs in 700 streetlights and upgrading the lighting at the downtown Transportation Center
 Installing solar panels at the police training facility.

6. Los Angeles County Homeowners Now Eligible for Energy Efficiency Rebates and Incentives - Homeowners in Los Angeles County can now qualify for rebates and financial incentives of up to $4,500, and save money on their monthly utility bills by implementing energy-saving upgrades to their homes as part of a new program called Energy Upgrade California. An unprecedented collaboration among federal, state and local governments as well as regional utilities, Energy Upgrade California in Los Angeles County expects to retrofit up to 18,000 homes. http://www.energyupgradeca.org/ 3/9 MARKETWIRE

7. Cree and Zumtobel Extend LED Downlight Agreement - Cree, Inc. announced a two-year extension of the strategic agreement signed with Zumtobel Lighting GmbH in 2008. The companies continue to work together to bring industry-leading LED lighting to Europe. 3/4 BUSINESS WIRE

8. 2011 DOE Solid-State Lighting Manufacturing R&D Workshop April 12–13, 2011, Boston, MA, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/boston2011.html

9. GE Names President of Lighting Division - GE Home & Business Solutions announced that Maryrose Sylvester has been named president and CEO of GE Lighting. Sylvester, who will report to GE Appliances & Lighting president and CEO James Campbell, succeeds Michael Petras who has led GE Lighting since 2008. Sylvester is a 23-year GE veteran, 14 years of which were spent at GE Lighting. She has led GE Intelligent Platforms, a global provider of software, hardware, services and expertise in automation and embedded computing, since 2006. 3/8 HCN

10. Green Mountain Power Proposes Helping Towns Convert to Efficient LED Streetlights - Green Mountain Power and Efficiency Vermont www.efficiencyvermont.com are partnering on an unprecedented effort to help every town in GMP service territory change over to more energy efficient LED street lights. With the support of Efficiency Vermont, Green Mountain Power expects to replace thousands of mercury vapor and high pressure sodium street lights with new energy-efficient LED street lights in towns throughout its service territory. 3/4 MARKETWIRE

11. Solais Lighting Ships Industry's First 1200 Lumen PAR38 LED Lamp Replacements - Solais Lighting, Inc., the leading manufacturer of lightweight, specification-grade LED lamps with Luxiance technology, announced the launch of the industry’s highest-lumen PAR38 LED lamp replacement. The impressive LR38/25/30/1200 lamp offers a 1200-lumen output at a warm-white 3000K color temperature, with results backed by independent lab tests. In addition, the product matches the lumens and optical performance of the halogen lamps it is targeting to replace – allowing LED retrofits with no compromises to original lighting designs. In addition to the new 1200-lumen LR38 lamp, Solais has released 1000-lumen LR30 long-neck and 900-lumen LR30 short-neck lamps. http://www.solais.com/


12. California's Largest Utilities Hit 18% Renewables in 2010 - California's three large investor-owned utilities (IOUs) collectively served 18% of their 2010 retail electricity sales with renewable power in 2010, according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPU). The three are: Pacific Gas and Electric Company with 17.7%; Southern California Edison with 19.4%; and San Diego Gas and Electric Company with 11.9%. The previous year, they totaled 15% of sales from renewables. 3/8 EERE State Energy News


13. EPA requires Energy Star TVs to Use 40% Less Energy - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is upping the ante on TV efficiency by announcing Wednesday that models earning its Energy Star logo will soon be required to use 40% less energy than conventional models. The agency said the stricter television standards, which take effect this September, are the first in a series of revisions it plans this year for more than 20 products. It says current Energy Star-qualified TVs could represent 70% of the market in 2011 because of strong consumer demand and retailer support. 3/10 USA Today

14. Johnson Controls Guarantees $4.7 Billion in Savings for U.S. Public Sector Energy Efficiency Projects - Johnson Controls disclosed its current public sector building efficiency projects in the United States are guaranteed to save more than $4.7 billion in reduced energy, water and operational costs over the next 10 years. Additionally, it has already produced over $19 billion in energy savings for both its public and private sector customers. Johnson Controls Building Efficiency business unit, a global leader in making public and private buildings more energy efficient, has over 1,000 active projects in federal, state and local government facilities across 50 states, including administration buildings, hospitals, universities, schools, airports, correctional facilities and public housing. http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publish/us/en/products/building_efficiency.html


15. Lighting Science Group enters L Prize with 60W-equivalent LED lamp - Lighting Science Group Corporation, a Florida-based LED lighting manufacturer, has developed a 60-watt replacement LED lamp with Light Prescriptions Innovators, LLC (LPI), and plans to submit the device for the L Prize competition. The L Prize was established by the DOE to promote the development of highly-efficient, high-quality LED replacements for the traditional 60-watt light bulbs. Philips was the first to submit an L Prize entry in September 2009, and no other companies have stepped forward until now. An additional section of the L Prize, covering PAR-38 LED lamps, was temporarily suspended earlier this year. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/6/9/24

16. A New Brain for Energy Efficiency Retrofits - Retroficiency, a startup out of MIT, says its software and deep data analysis can make the process of identifying which buildings in a portfolio of hundreds are ripe for efficiency retrofits a lot easier and cheaper. Retroficiency’s software-as-a-service (Saas) platform is designed to replace a lot of the manual and time-intensive work that ESCOs and property owners must go through today to plan and execute efficiency retrofits. Retroficiency’s software aims to cut those costs by delving through tens of thousands of pieces of data to compare potential retrofit target buildings to others of the same square footage, age of construction, use and occupancy patterns and reams of similar data. The end result is a “very accurate characterization” of each building’s energy use, typically within 3 percent accuracy. That can help narrow down which buildings are fruitful targets for energy savings, versus those that won’t offer as much payback. http://www.retroficiency.com/


17. Westinghouse Lighting Solutions Sells Assets to LumenOptix, LLC - “We view the acquisition of Westinghouse Lighting Solutions’ assets as an opportunity to fuel our future growth,” says Jay Goodman, Principal of LumenOptix. The transition of assets which includes inventory, equipment and personnel, will be coordinated to insure consistent service to customers. The LumenOptix team will continue to operate in the Westinghouse Lighting Solutions facility until the transition is complete in June, 2011. http://lumenoptix.com/

18. GLOBALCON - Energy, Power & Facilities Management Strategies & Technologies Conference and Expo - March 30-31, 201 - Philadelphia Convention Center - Hall E http://www.globalconevent.com/GlobalconConference.htm


19. 2011 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting - EPA announces that the annual 2011 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting for Lighting, Appliances & Electronics will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 7-10, 2011. The four day meeting will include plenary sessions with policy and program updates at the national, regional, and local levels; topical sessions to expand on certain plenary topics and address a range of product-specific issues. http://www.energystar.gov/



20. Intelligent Lighting Controls for Commercial Buildings - Though lighting represents about 17.5% of all global electricity consumption, only a small percentage of the lighting in commercial buildings is controlled by anything other than an ON/OFF switch. A number of trends are leading to increased adoption of intelligent lighting controls. A number of trends are leading to increased adoption of intelligent lighting controls. A Pike Research report describes eight different lighting control strategies and the types of applications to which they are applicable, provides an update on sensor and control technologies, and discusses different options for wireless control and integration with other building systems. The report also features in-depth profiles and SWOT analyses of 24 key industry players. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/intelligent-lighting-controls-for-commercial-buildings