News Updates for the Week of February 2

1.      National Grid Assembles Smart Grid Team - National Grid has assembled a team of technology and business solutions companies from across the United States to help test and deliver the energy system of the future for more than 15,000 customers in Worcester, Massachusetts. National Grid’s smart grid pilot is designed to provide participating customers a new level of choice and control over their energy use through advanced technology, with the goals of empowering customers to save energy, increasing electric service reliability and improving response to power outages. The pilot calls for installation of advanced metering systems that provide the very latest in technology and security. http://www.nationalgridus.com/non_html/SmartGrid_city.pdf

2.      $3.1M for Lights Approved by City - Downtown Salina, KS could be getting a little brighter after Salina city commissioners approved a $3.1 million contract with Johnson Controls to install new LED lights. The total cost of the project is $3,108,534. The city's loan payments, at 1.9 percent interest, would be $3,435,599 over 16 years. The lights are expected to be installed by Nov. 23. 1/29 The Salina Journal

3.      SDG&E Customers Can Connect Home Area Network Devices With Smart Meters - San Diego Gas & Electric customers can now purchase and install home area network devices to see how much energy they are using in near real-time and help identify high energy use appliances. With in-home energy display devices connected to their electric smart meters, SDG&E customers have access to a new tool to help them make smart energy consumption decisions to reduce their overall energy usage and costs. http://www.sdge.com/residential/home-and-business-area-network

4.      Sacramento, CA Energy Efficiency Effort - Sacramento officials have launched a $100 million effort to upgrade the energy efficiency of the city's homes and commercial buildings - at no up-front cost to property owners. The Clean Energy Sacramento program lets building owners pay for upgrades over the course of up to 20 years through a line item added to their property taxes. They can use the financing to add new, efficient lighting and air conditioning. Or they can install solar panels, immediately lowering their electric bills while paying for the equipment bit by bit. https://www.ygrene.us/ca/sacramento

5.      Minneapolis Plan Aims to Let Market Drive Efficiency - Minneapolis is poised to become the first city in the Midwest to adopt an energy benchmarking and disclosure rule for commercial buildings. The City Council’s energy and environment committee unanimously passed a proposal Monday 1/28 to require large commercial building owners to annually measure and report energy consumption data. http://v.qwikcast.tv/view.aspx?q=61J53  

6.      LFE Solutions Looking to Fill Void in Current Value Chain - Veteran energy industry and ESCO professionals Robert Quintal and Mike Doucette formed LFE Solutions – an acronym for Lighting For ESCOs, a bridge between manufacturers who do not have a direct channel to the ESCO and the ESCO who is being inundated with new LED and other products, many with unrecognizable names and bold offerings.  The ESCO and Manufacturer have finally reached the tipping point where changes in the old supply chain are required to keep pace with the ultimate goal; utilization of leading-edge cost-effective solutions for lighting retrofit and upgrade projects. www.LFESolutions.com

7.      Westinghouse Lighting Bolsters Focus on Canadian Market with Joint Venture - Westinghouse Lighting-US, Philadelphia, announced the establishment of Westinghouse Lighting Canada (WL-C), a joint venture between Westinghouse Lighting-U.S. and Combi Inc. Westinghouse Lighting-U.S. currently sells products into Canada through distributors and retail partners. Combi will remain Westinghouse Lighting’s representative and third-party logistics provider. The new entity will have dedicated resources including an office and distribution facility in Montreal.

8.      US Economy Shrinks 0.1 Percent - The U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank at an annual rate of 0.1 percent from October through December, the first quarterly drop since 2009 and a reminder of the economy’s vulnerability as automatic cuts in government spending loom. The Commerce Department said the economy shrank mainly because companies restocked at a slower rate and the government slashed defense spending. Economists say those factors could prove temporary, and the likelihood of another recession appears remote. Still, the sharp slowdown from the 3.1 percent annual growth rate in the July-September quarter raised concerns about 2013. 1/30 Washington Post

9.      US Economy Adds 157,000 Jobs in January, but Unemployment Rate Ticks Up to 7.9 Percent -The Labor Department report Friday showed a jump in hiring in the final two months of last year, just when the economy was sputtering and facing the threat of deep government spending cuts and tax increases from the fiscal cliff. The department revised up the estimated job gains for November from 161,000 to 247,000 and for December from 155,000 to 196,000. The mostly encouraging jobs report included one negative sign: The unemployment rate rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent in December. 2/01 Washington Post

10.  Energy Efficient Lamps and Ballasts Market - Latin America – The report is designed to provide insight into the Latin America market for energy efficient lamps and ballasts, with focus on key growth regions, namely--South America, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Central America. The report includes industry analysis, market size, share, growth, trends and forecast, 2012 – 2018 as well as a cross sectional analysis of the market across all these regions. For more info: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/qj9374/energy_efficient_lamps_and_ballasts_market   

11.  Lighting Retrofit (Without Upgrade) Equals Wasted Opportunity - Instructed by Stan Walerczyk. A 2-Hour Distance Learning Seminar Earns 0.2 CEU/2 PDH; Presented in one 2-hour live online session. New Program Starts March 15. Experience has shown repeatedly that if customers are provided upscale options--and understand their benefits--they will often choose them. The brand new dimming and Kelvin changing LED troffers, troffer kits and task lights and their personal control, circadian rhythm, visual acuity and energy saving benefits will also be briefly discussed during this program. www.aeeprograms.com/realtime

News Updates for the Week of October 22

1.      New Ballast Energy Standards to Take Effect November 2014 - In November 2011, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued new rules regulating the efficiency of fluorescent lamp ballasts, which take effect November 14, 2014. The rulemaking creates a new metric for measuring ballast efficiency and establishes a higher standard of efficiency that will impact many of today's fluorescent T8, T5 and T12 ballasts. Ballasts that do not comply will be prohibited from manufacture and import, but existing inventories can be sold until they are exhausted. The following ballast types are at greatest risk:

• majority of T12 electronic ballasts; 
• majority of outdoor-sign and residential-only ballasts; and 
• T8 and T5 programmed-start ballasts lacking a cathode cutout design.

http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/new-ballast-energy-standards-coming-in-2014/

      2.      Shipments of LED-Based Street Lights will Surpass 17 Million by 2020 - According to a new report from Pike Research, unit shipments of LED lamps for street lights will rise from fewer than   3 million in 2012 to more than 17 million in 2020. At the moment, however, nearly all smart street lighting projects are still in a pilot phase, with only a handful of large-scale installations in place to date. LED street lights currently cost roughly four times as much as their high pressure sodium counterparts, placing them out of reach for many cash-strapped municipalities. For this reason smart systems are being installed primarily to reduce maintenance costs, improve monitoring, and enhance public safety, rather than energy savings alone. The report, "Smart Street Lighting", analyzes the global market opportunity for lamp upgrades and networked lighting controls across five categories of public outdoor lighting: highways, roads, parking lots, city parks, and sports stadiums. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-street-lighting

3.      New Report on OLED Lighting Materials Market - Industry Analyst firm NanoMarkets has issued a new report on the OLED lighting materials market. In the report the firm projects that the OLED lighting materials market will grow from its current value of approximately $1.7 million in 2012 to over $1.1 billion in 2019 and surpass $1.3 billion in revenues in 2018 as OLED lighting moved beyond luxury luminaires and designer kits and into larger, general illumination applications. Additional details about the report are available on the NanoMarkets website at: http://www.nanomarkets.net/index.php/market_reports/report/oled_lighting_materials_market_forecast_2013

4.      Bipartisan Legislation to Revamp Tax Deduction for Energy-Efficient Upgrades to Commercial Buildings - A bill introduced into the Senate seeks to extend tax deductions for building upgrades, make it easier for taxpayers to get the deductions, and give more money back. The bipartisan legislation is called the Commercial Building Modernization Act (S.3591) and it would reform the existing Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction, which is widely known by its federal tax code section: 179D.  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s3591is/pdf/BILLS-112s3591is.pdf

5.      Solid-State Lighting GATEWAY Demonstrations - DOE GATEWAY demonstrations showcase high-performance LED products for general illumination in a variety of commercial and residential applications. Demonstration results provide real-world experience and data on state-of-the-art solid-state lighting (SSL) product performance and cost effectiveness. These results connect DOE technology procurement efforts with large-volume purchasers and provide buyers with reliable data on product performance. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/gatewaydemos.html

6.      Residential Energy Efficiency Market to Reach Nearly $84 Billion per Year by 2020 - The rising energy consumption of the housing sector, which has an impact on nearly every aspect of a country’s economy, is driving diverse and increasing interest in residential energy efficiency for both new homes and retrofits of existing ones.  Globally, more than half of the energy consumption in buildings – which is expected to rise from 31,983 terawatt-hours (TWh) to 51,253 TWh by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) – comes from residential buildings.  According to a recent report from Pike Research, the energy efficient housing sector will expand rapidly over the remainder of the decade, growing from an annual market value of $14 billion in 2012 to almost $84 billion in 2020. More than 118 billion square feet of energy efficient residential space will be created over that time period.  http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/energy-efficient-homes

7.      Energy-Efficiency Improvements Can Make New Orleans Business Owners Eligible for Low-Interest Loans - NOLA Wise, a $15 million city-run program has made low-interest loans available to New Orleans business owners to make energy-efficiency improvements. Potential upgrades range from new insulation to tune-ups of heating and cooling systems, as well as improved lighting and sealing leaky doors and windows. Under the arrangement, participants could add solar panels through the program if they can achieve at least a 15 percent energy savings from the work. http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/10/to_make_energy-efficiency_impr.html

8.      LED Upgrade Produces Substantial Energy Savings in Cleveland Airport's Parking Garage - When the Airport Authority for the City of Cleveland, Ohio looked into LED parking-garage interior lighting systems, it knew an upgrade would save significant energy compared to the existing metal halides. A new type of specially designed parking-garage luminaire employing LED arrays—the Endura ceiling-mounted LED interior luminaire from Beacon Products, a division of Hubbell Lighting—was chosen. As a result of the LED retrofit, the Hopkins Airport parking garage has cut lamp replacement times and costs in half. 10/15 EC&M's ElectricalZone

9.      Milwaukee Downtown Businesses Pledge to Cut Energy Use - The operators of several downtown Milwaukee buildings, including Wisconsin's tallest, are signing on to a national pledge to reduce their energy use. Those commitments could attract aid for the building owners from a stimulus-funded energy savings initiative directed by the city of Milwaukee--Milwaukee Energy Efficiency, or Me2. This summer, Milwaukee announced it was joining the Better Buildings Challenge, a national initiative in which building owners are pledging to cut energy use by 20% by 2020. To date, the Me2 program has approved 67 business projects for Milwaukee businesses, including offices, factories, gas stations, laundries, condominiums, and health care facilities. The Me2 program says it has awarded grants totaling $1.7 million, stimulating $7.4 million of business investment. 10/18 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

10.  LumenOptix CEO to Present at NREL’s 25th Industry Growth Forum - At the U.S. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 25th Industry Growth Forum in Denver, Colorado on October 23^rd, LumenOptix Founder and CEO Jay Goodman will present information on the company’s American-made Retrofit Downlight Luminaire, or “LRD,” a unique and modular LED retrofit solution that enables a downlight of any make, model, or size to be upgraded in just minutes to energy-efficient, maintenance-free LED technology.

11.  USG Corp. Partners with GE Lighting - Two of the building industry’s largest manufacturers are collaborating on a new ceiling system designed for use in commercial applications. USG Corp. will offer its Logix Integrated Ceiling System with GE Lumination’s LED Linear Recessed Luminaires. The system is ideal for office, retail, healthcare and hospitality environments. 10/16 HCN

12.  Nexxus Lighting Announces Distributor Agreement with Polybrite - Nexxus Lighting has executed a distributor agreement with PolyBrite International. Under the agreement, Nexxus will begin offering all of PolyBrite's Borealis LED lighting solutions to Nexxus' customers. Key components of the expanded product line are indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, including LED recessed flat panels, low-bay and canopy lighting systems, and area site and roadway luminaires. In addition, Nexxus will feature Borealis' new LED T8 tubes, A19, R20, R30, candelabra and other decorative lamp products, along with its premier Array line of LED replacement lamps. 10/17 HCN

13.  More than 11 Million EV Charging Stations Will be Installed Worldwide by 2020 - The past year has seen a major uptick in deployments of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).  This acceleration is a direct result of developments in the market for plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs): More than 135,000 PEVs will be sold globally in 2012, and growth is expected to continue at a steady pace.  According to a new report from Pike Research, the EVSE market will expand steadily, as well.  Unit sales of EVSE will rise from under 200,000 in 2012 to almost 2.4 million in 2020.  By 2020, the study concludes, 11.4 million EV charging stations will be in operation worldwide. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/electric-vehicle-charging-equipment

14.  Ford C-Max Energi Ranked America’s Top Fuel-Efficient Plug-In Hybrid - Ford recently announced that its plug-in vehicle was given a rating from the US EPA of 108 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) for city use, along with a100 MPGe overall rating. When stacked up against other vehicles, Ford noted that the C-Max Energi 100 MPGe outpaces the Toyota Prius by 5 MPGe. The C-Max Energi, along with the Ford Focus Electric (110 MPGe in the city) are two of just a handful of cars that have a prestigious US EPA ranking of 100 MPGe or more. Ford is expected early next year to bolster its lineup of top-notch electric and plug-in hybrids with the Ford Fusion Energy plug-in hybrid. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_C-MAX_Energi_Hybrid.jpg

15.  Boom in Chinese Energy Efficiency Market Predicted - China's growth has continued seemingly without pause. Over the course of 2011, its GDP reached US$7.4 trillion. This is a year-on-year increase of 9.2%. China's energy efficiency sector is set to deliver an estimated US$31.4 billion in 2012, which is a 54.2% growth over five years. The number of companies and consultants in the energy-saving field has grown rapidly, and the profit margin for this year is being projected at 13.8% of wealth generated. http://www.esi-africa.com/node/15519

16.  Latin America Commercial Fluorescent Lighting Market 2011 – 2017 - This report is an effort to identify factors, which will be the driving force behind the commercial fluorescent lighting market and sub-markets in the next few years in Latin America. The report provides extensive analysis of the industry, current market trends, industry drivers and challenges for better understanding of the market structure. This report highlights the industry trends and forecast for seven geographic markets, namely Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Panama.    

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/3hwgvg/commercial_fluorescent_lighting_market_lati

17.  America's Top 7 Energy-Efficient Baseball Stadiums - Major League Baseball (MLB) has emerged as a vanguard of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)'s Sports Greening Project, which has sparked a sustainability movement across a slew of professional and collegiate sports leagues. The MLB was the first professional sports league to partner with NRDC on the initiative in 2005. Rankings are based on sheer numbers of energy-efficient features, as well as the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

1.      Marlins Park: Miam​i Marlins

2.      Target Field: Minnesota T​wins

3.      Nationals Park: Washingto​n Nationals

4.      AT&T Park: San Francisco Giants

5.      Safeco Field: Seattle Mariners

6.      Miller Park: Milwaukee Brewers

7.      Busch Stadium: St. Louis Cardinals

Runners Up: Fenway Park: Boston Red Sox; Citi Field: New York Mets; Yankee Stadium: New York Yankees; Progressive Field: Cleveland Indians http://ase.org/efficiencynews/americas-top-7-energy-efficient-baseball-stadiums