News Updates for the Week of September 16

1.      ENERGY STAR Lighting Road Mapping Meeting - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcome lighting stakeholders to this initial road mapping discussion on October 9, 2013 from 3:30 – 6:30 PM CDT. This meeting is expected to be the first in a series intended to facilitate engagement on ENERGY STAR lighting topics. Please find a draft agenda, and RSVP via email by September 23 Alex.Boesenberg@nema.org

2.      Outdoor Competition Intent-To-Submit Deadline Approaches - The 2013 Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting Outdoor Design Competition launched in July. Written Intents-to-Submit are due by September 20, 2013, and must be submitted online at www.ngldc.org Final submission forms are due by October 18, 2013, and physical product samples are due by November 1. Judging takes place in December, and results will be announced in Feb. ’14.

3.      Some Rebate Programs Out of Funds; Others Offer Bonus Programs - According to our North American Rebate and Incentive Database, 74% of the USA is covered by an active lighting rebate program; 8% of all US commercial lighting rebate and incentive programs are currently out of funding. Other programs are offering limited time bonus programs to increase participation, such as a program called Energizing Indiana is offering double rebates on 25W T8 lamp and ballast retrofits and select high bay fixtures. Another bonus program by ComEd in Illinois is offering a bonus for customers who get rid of all T12s in their facilities. http://www.briteswitch.com/maximizing.html

4.      Rebates for LEDs are Available Across the Country - Depending on your location, you may be eligible for a sizeable rebates when installing LED solutions in your existing facility or new construction project. http://www.briteswitch.com/led.html

5.      Lights Out for T12 Rebates? - Manufacturers had to stop producing T12 lamps after July 2012. While the availability of rebate programs and the dollar amounts have decreased since the phase out, there’s still a good chance to still get a rebate in some parts of the country. If you have T12 fixtures that will need to be upgraded to T8 fixtures, you should act soon in order to take advantage of existing rebates. 

6.      DOE’s Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications - This report presents the findings for nine major lighting applications where LEDs are competing with traditional light sources. This analysis estimates the energy saved due to current levels of LED penetration, as well as the potential energy savings if these markets switched completely to LEDs. The selected applications are classified into three groups: indoor lamps, indoor luminaires, and outdoor luminaires. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/led-adoption-report_2013.pdf 

7.      New York's Energy Star Program Reaches Milestone - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Energy Star program has completed its 50,000th project. NYSERDA offers loans of as much as $13,000 per household—or $25,000 if energy upgrades will pay for themselves in savings in 15 years or less. 9/8 AP

8.      Chicago Moves to Require Building Owners to Disclose Energy Use - Under the proposal, buildings in excess of 50,000 square feet--which represent less than 1 percent of the city's buildings but 22 percent of buildings total energy consumption--would be required to disclose energy consumption data and information about building size, use and occupancy levels into a software program like TurboTax administered by the U.S. EPA. The "benchmarking" tool, called Energy Star Portfolio Manager, would then compare the energy efficiency of comparable buildings. It is hoped that the scores will motivate business owners to improve through upgrades. 9/11 Chicago Tribune

9.      University of Kentucky Gets $1 Million Rebate for Energy Savings Program - In 2009, UK hired Ameresco of Louisville, which did an analysis of its energy usage. The school then started retrofitting 61 campus buildings with energy-efficient equipment, such as high-efficiency lighting, better air conditioning equipment and water conservation efforts. Officials estimate that the $25 million project saves about $2.4 million a year by using nearly 14 million fewer kilowatt hours of electricity and 37 million fewer gallons of water. The $25 million will be recouped in 12 years. UK received the rebates through the Commercial Rebate Program offered by KU and Louisville Gas and Electric Company.  9/12 Lexington Herald-Leader

10.  Imperial Irrigation District, CA Energy Rewards Program - As part of IID’s energy efficiency efforts, the rebates are designed to help business customers reduce their operating costs, improve profitability, protect the environment and help lower the cost of power generation.  The program offers rebates to small, medium and large size non-residential customers for the purchase of qualifying lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning, food service, agricultural and controls equipment. Applications for rebates totaling $2,500 or more require pre-approval. http://www.iid.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6143

11.  World’s Largest LED Streetlight Retrofit Completed in Los Angeles - The enormous street light swap-out of 141,089 brand-new LED street lights was finished in June. The second phase of Los Angeles’ LED replacement program will see the retrofit of about 70,000 decorative street lamps located throughout the city. Navigant (formerly Pike) Research recently predicted that shipments of LED street lights will increase from fewer than 3 million in 2012 to more than 17 million in 2020.

Specs at: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/finland/788/pdfs/LED_Presentation_Final_June_2013.pdf

Los Angeles is certainly not alone in making the switch to LED street lighting. In March, the City of Las Vegas finished outfitting 42,000 street lights with LED fixtures. One month later, the City of Austin, Texas, announced plans to install 35,000 LED street lights. And, in December of last year, CPS Energy said it would install 20,000 LED street lights in San Antonio. http://www.forbes.com/sites/justingerdes/2013/07/31/los-angeles-completes-worlds-largest-led-street-light-retrofit/

12.   

http://www.theledshow.com/index.html

News Updates for the Week of December 17

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.      Next Generation Streetlights Initiative - Local governments can save millions of dollars, reduce emissions and create jobs by moving to advanced lighting technology. The CA Bay Area Next Generation Streetlight Initiative provides leading-edge education, resources and guidance to local governments to accelerate the move to solid-state lighting (LED). The overarching goal is to catalyse the conversion of 200,000 streetlights in the Bay Area and deliver $50 million in cost savings and 100,000 metric tons of CO2 avoidance over 5 years. http://baclimate.org/impact/next-generation-streetlight-initiative.html

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.      Highest-Performing, Commercially Available, Single-Die LED - Delivering breakthrough lumen output and efficacy in the XM package is the Cree XLamp XM-L2 LED. Built on the SC³ Technology Platform, it delivers up to 186 lumens-per-watt at 350 mA, 25°C, up to 20% more lumens and double the lumens-per-dollar of the original XM-L. http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/xlamp-xml2

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

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