News Updates for the Week of June 10

1.      New BMW Adaptive LED Headlights - The Adaptive Headlights cast their beam in the direction of the curve and ensure better visibility and more safety during night drives on winding roads. Sensors measure speed, steering angle and yaw (degree of rotation around the vertical axis). Based on this information, small electric motors turn the headlights left or right so the beam falls on the road ahead, guiding you into the bend. Headlight beam throw control (a model-specific function) means the front headlights are raised at high speeds and lowered at slower speeds, which results in a wider beam for inner-city driving. The result: every single curve is illuminated and the oncoming traffic isn’t dazzled unnecessarily. Driving at night is even safer, particularly when visibility is poor. See the video: http://www.wimp.com/headlighttechnology/

2.      Number of the Day: $675 Million in Saved Energy Costs During 2012 Thank to LED Lights -The U.S. DOE did a study of how much electricity was saved last year thanks to the use of LED in nine kinds of applications (various kinds of indoor lights, streetlights, etc). "In 2012, about 49 million LED lamps and luminaires were installed in the nine applications. LEDs in these markets saved approximately 71 trillion British thermal units (tBtu), equivalent to an annual energy cost savings of about $675 million"!  But what's even more impressive is the potential for improvement. The DOE estimates that if the nine markets included in the estimate above were to switch to LEDs overnight, this would be the equivalent of about $37 billion in annual energy costs! http://www.treehugger.com/energy-efficiency/number-day-675-million-saved-energy-costs-during-2012-thank-led-lights.html

3.      Lighting Rebates Now Cover 74% of US - The landscape for active commercial lighting rebates and incentives continues to transform as new programs are announced and older ones run out of funding. Some notable changes that have occurred over the past few months are EnergyRight Solutions in the South East starting a wait list for funding, SureBet Nevada's program getting new money, and utilities in Pennsylvania relaunching their programs for Phase 2 of their efficiency campaigns. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jun13-1.html

4.      More Rebate Opportunities for LEDs - Looking at all LED categories, the number of prescriptive rebates has increased 22% since January this year. The biggest increase occurred for fluorescent replacement fixtures (such as 1x4, 2x4, 2x2 fixtures) which more than tripled since January. Rebates for LED high bay fixtures have also grown by 162% and for LED replacement lamps by 33% as programs continue to embrace these new technologies. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jun13-2.html

5.      Energy Efficiency Rebates Projected to Grow - A recent report by the Berkeley National Laboratory projects that spending on energy efficiency programs will continue to grow and will reach between $6.5 - 15.6 billion by 2025. The study looked at efficiency programs as reported by the CEE in 2010 and then created low, medium and high scenarios for future years based on the potential outcomes under the current policy environment. Most of the increase in funding is attributed to state legislative savings requirements and regulations, although some of the increase is also driven by utility DSM planning. This increase would mean a growth of 2-8% per year. In comparison, spending grew at 5% per year from 1997-2006 and 26% from 2006-2010. http://www..briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jun13-3.html

6.      DOE to Support Next Generation Efficient Lighting R&D - Building on his strong focus on energy efficiency in his first few days in office, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced five manufacturing research and development projects to support energy efficient lighting products. The projects will focus on reducing manufacturing costs, while continuing to improve the quality and performance of LEDs and OLEDs. The Energy Department’s $10.1 million investment is matched dollar for dollar by private sector funding. DOE investments:

• Cree Inc. (Durham, N.C.; $2.3 million) 
• Eaton Corp. (Menomonee Falls, Wis.; $2.4 million)
• OLEDWorks LLC (Rochester, N.Y.; $1 million) 
• Philips Lumileds (San Jose, Calif.; $1.8 million) 
• PPG Industries Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; $2.3 million)

http://www.onlinetes.com/doe-lighting-research-development-energy-manufacturing-6513.aspx

7.      OLED vs LED Lighting 2013-2023: Forecasts, Technologies, Players - OLED and LED lighting are both solid-state technologies and offer overlapping value propositions per market segment. They will therefore compete directly in many instances. LED lighting has come a long way and offers a better performance than OLEDs, and that at a lower cost. OLED lighting will therefore only gain market success if it clearly defines its unique selling points and carves out initial market niches. IDTechEx Research finds that in its “most likely” forecasts scenario, OLED lighting will become a $1.3 billion market in 2023 – equating to 1.3% of the market size of LED lighting at that time.This report is divided into two parts: (a) technology and (b) market assessment. http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/oled-vs-led-lighting-2013-2023-forecasts-technologies-players-000339.asp

8.      Occupancy Sensors Boost Savings at Dept. of Labor Parking Garage - The U.S. DOE recently released a GATEWAY report on a parking-garage demonstration conducted at U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) headquarters in Washington, DC, which serves as a classic illustration of the savings that can result from switching to SSL-- and how the use of occupancy-sensor controls can increase those savings. Parking garages often present attractive energy-saving opportunities when safety and security demand that they be lighted 24/7, regardless of actual building use. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2013_gateway_dept-labor.pdf

9.      NREL Highlights 2012 Utility Green Power Leaders - The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released its assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, residential and commercial consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources–such as wind and solar–that diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and protect our air and water. 6/05 http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2013/2211.html

10.  Comcast and OSRAM SYLVANIA Announce Agreement to Bring Remote Controlled Smart Light Bulbs to the Xf  - Comcast and OSRAM SYLVANIA announced the companies have entered into an agreement to offer energy efficient light bulbs that can be controlled remotely from anywhere through the Xfinity Home platform. Sylvania's new energy-saving LED smart light bulbs can be plugged into any standard light bulb socket, and can save up to 83 percent in energy costs and last up to 17.5 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs. Specifically, the SYLVANIA ULTRA iQ^TM LED BR30 flood light bulb has a life of 35,000 hours. In addition by partnering with OSRAM SYLVANIA, Comcast becomes the first service provider to offer an integrated remote controlled light bulb. Ultra iQ LED BR30 6/06 Business Wire

11.  Top 40 List of Electrical Design Firms for 2013 - The nation’s top U.S. electrical design firms weathered the storm during the economic slowdown with slim margins, fierce competition, and drastically reduced opportunities. By diversifying their services and expanding into new areas, however, the companies are now reporting a brighter outlook ahead. Overall, the companies on this year’s listing reported total electrical design revenues of $1.348 billion in 2012. http://ecmweb.com/top-40-list-electrical-design-firms-2013

12.  Lighting Equipment Shipments Continued to Improve During the First Quarter of 2013 - NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index increased in the first quarter of 2013 following a 3.4 gain in the fourth quarter of 2012, growing 5.4% on a quarter-to-quarter basis and by 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. http://ecmweb.com/lighting-amp-control/lighting-equipment-shipments-continued-improve-during-first-quarter-2013

Monthly Special Feature

LEDs Magazine Top 20 Stories of 2012: Retrofit Lamps Stay on Top - This year brought plenty of good news to the SSL industry, and the retrofit market in particular is looking very strong.

Top 20 LEDs Magazine news stories of 2012:

1. 3M announces novel approach to an LED retrofit lamp

A light guide provides omnidirectional light distribution in 3M's new LED-based lamp that is decidedly different from the typical SSL approach to the retrofit application.

2. LED lighting market to grow while LED component market goes flat (MAGAZINE)

Strategies Unlimited’s analysts believe that the LED lighting market is growing nicely, though they expect lower LED prices to keep a lid on LED-component growth in the foreseeable future. LAURA PETERS and MAURY WRIGHT report from the Strategies in Light conference.

3. Are MR16 LED lamps ready for the 50W-halogen switch? (MAGAZINE)

The MR16 LED lamps face certain transformer and dimmer compatibility issues. Still, major lamp manufacturers have introduced 50W halogen equivalents in 8-10W LED lamps and feel the lighting market is ready to make the switch, reports LAURA PETERS.

4. LED market grew almost 10% in 2011, with 44% growth in lighting

The worldwide LED market grew 9.8% to $12.5 billion in 2011, with 44% growth in the lighting sector, according to Strategies Unlimited, who revealed the top-ten LED suppliers for the year. However, the outlook remains roughly flat for the next 5 years, peaking in 2013.

5. UV LEDs ramp up the quiet side of the LED market (MAGAZINE)

Relative to visible LEDs, UV LEDs are a quiet market at only $30 million, yet recent breakthroughs in radiant power and intensity have enabled the displacement of mercury-vapor lamps in applications including UV curing and counterfeit detection, reports LAURA PETERS.

6. Philips Lighting and GE Lighting launch 100W LED retrofit lamps (Updated)

Lightfair will see a number of companies introduce SSL retrofit lamps that are equivalent of 100W incandescent bulbs and GE and Philips Lighting announced such products before the exhibits opened.

7. Ambergreat introduces Amberstar LED canopy light to replace 1000W MH lamps

8. Lighting market report predicts strong growth for LED lighting (MAGAZINE)

A recently-released report from McKinsey & Company on the worldwide lighting industry indicates sizable growth for LED-based lighting, says LAURA PETERS.

9. Low-voltage LED lamps present unique driver challenge (MAGAZINE)

MR16 sockets present a significant retrofit-lamp opportunity for LEDs, explains KAMAL NAJMI, but installed transformers complicate the design of a drop-in SSL replacement.

10. Soraa unveils GaN-on-GaN LEDs and MR16 lamps

Silicon Valley start-up Soraa is manufacturing LEDs using a unique GaN-on-GaN process, and has used these to build high-performance MR16 lamps that are its first products.

11. Are you using all of the lumens that you paid for? (MAGAZINE)

12. Osram Sylvania wins race to offer 100W-equivalent LED A-lamp (Updated)

13. LED lighting market holds steady in 2012 (MAGAZINE)

14. Audi’s LED headlights are key feature in Super Bowl ad

15. Cree targets luminaire system cost with new XLamp XB-D LED

16. Osram Opto unveils R&D results from GaN LEDs grown on silicon

17. GE introduces Lumination LED troffer

18. Cree Lighting announces striking street-light luminaire

19. Philips Lumileds and Cree launch multiple new LED lines

20. Philips launches color-tunable ZigBee-based LED retrofit lamp

News Updates for the Week of November 19

1.      Osram Sylvania Wins Race to Offer 100W-Equivalent LED A-Lamp - Just a few weeks back, Philips Lighting announced that it was readying to ship its 100W-equivalent and that the lamps would be in Home Depot by December 1. So the race is mainly for bragging rights, but the availability of 100W-equivalent LED lamps is a positive move for the industry.  The Osram lamp is selling for $50 at Lowe's now. Philips has said that Home Depot will price its product at $55.  The Sylvania product outputs 1600 lm with efficacy of 80 lm/W. It has a CRI of 80 color temperature of 2700K, 25,000-hr rated life, and is dimmable to 10%.  Philips says its lamp will deliver 1780 lm and is a 22W lamp. Both are A-21. Back at LFI, GE Lighting said its lamp would deliver 1600 lm and consume 27W and will be A-19. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/11/6

2.      LIGHTFAIR to Move to San Diego in 2016 - The 2016 staging at the San Diego Convention Center marks the San Diego premiere for LFI, which is produced alternately annually in large east- and west-coast venues. The San Diego location follows LFI’s long-running staging in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center, its west-coast venue beginning in 1998, continuing in 2001 and then recurring in even years 2004-2012. LIGHTFAIR^® International 2013 is set to produce the single-largest trade show and conference in its 24-year history April 21-25 in Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Convention Center, which will house important new category additions accommodated by expansion to an additional exhibit hall. www.lightfair.com

3.      World LED Lighting Markets (2012 Update) - The LED lighting market is growing, driven predominantly by supportive legislation phasing out inefficient lighting technologies. Frost & Sullivan research service examines the global LED lighting market, providing specific breakdowns for North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World. Decreasing prices, improving quality, and increasing technical advantages are significant influences on the market’s anticipated growth trajectory. The study period is 2008-2018, with a base year of 2011 and a seven-year forecast period of 2012-2018. Key market drivers and restraints, market engineering measurements, and forecasts and trends for the total market, are analyzed. http://www.frost.com

4.      Google Investing in Green Energy in Greene County, Iowa - Google invested $75 million in a 50 MW wind farm in Rippey, a small town in Greene County, Iowa, bringing the company just short of $1 billion in investments in green energy projects. The wind farm, developed by RPM Access, is expected to produce enough energy to power over 15,000 Iowa homes. It uses turbines produced by Nordex USA at their Jonesboro, Arkansas facility. The energy produced by the wind farm has been contracted to the Central Iowa Power Cooperative, an Iowa-based utility that will deliver the energy to local consumers. http://www.google.com/green/energy/investments/

5.      LEDucation Expands Expo Floor for 7th Annual Educational Event/Expo on MARCH 20, 2013 in NYC - The new larger expo space at the Penn Plaza Pavilion allows for additional exhibitors to join the long list of veteran exhibitors from previous years. Exhibit hours for 2013 will begin with expo doors opening at 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. LED presentations will begin at 11:00 a.m. thru 7:00 p.m. Visit theLEDucation website (leducation.org) for details on attending, exhibiting, and educational sessions or visit the host website at (www.dlfny.com).

6.      Lighting for Aging Vision & Health - Robert Dupuy, IALD, LC & Eunice Noell-Waggoner, LC provide an in depth perspective on the subject of lighting for aging vision & health for the November session of the Human Centric Lighting Committee. http://humancentriclighting.com/?p=738

7.      White Paper: Choosing the Right LED Product for Industrial Applications - If you’re using HID or HPS fixtures, your lighting energy costs are probably in the range of $1 per square foot per year--meaning that your 200,000 square foot facility likely costs $200,000 annually. The way to reduce that massive energy expense is to upgrade to industrial LED lighting, which can reduce lighting energy use up to 90%. This white paper by Digital Lumens provides a comprehensive overview of the industrial LED alternatives—from plain LED fixtures to Intelligent LED Lighting Systems. http://ecmweb.com/whitepapers/white-paper-choosing-right-led-product-industrial-applications

8.      PECO Develops Additional Programs to Help Customers Save Energy and Money - On November 1 PECO filed a plan with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for enhanced PECO Smart Ideas energy efficiency programs for residential and business customers. Following PUC review and approval the new programs would be available beginning in June, 2013. Included in PECO's filing are seven new programs for residential and business customers as well as the continuation of six existing programs. The programs are part of the company's ongoing support of Pennsylvania Act 129 and specifically the second phase of Act 129 energy efficiency and conservation targets. To view PECO's filing visit www.peco.com. To learn more visit www.peco.com/SmartIdeas.

9.      Maine Ripe for Energy-Efficiency Savings - Maine homes and businesses could trim their overall electricity consumption by 16 percent over the next decade by installing more-efficient lights, equipment and appliances, a new study for Efficiency Maine Trust has concluded. Efficiency Maine, an independent agency, was set up three years ago as a trust to guide and administer energy-efficiency and alternative energy programs in Maine. It spent $45 million in its first two years, with the money coming from a small surcharge on electricity bills. That spending leveraged as much as $50 million in private participation.  http://www.efficiencymaine.com/about

10.   An Afterlife for the Electric Car - Advocates of electric cars and renewable energy have talked for years about repackaging the battery packs built for cars as home energy storage devices once they can no longer hold enough charge to run a vehicle. The idea behind the prototype is two-fold: to provide a market for past-their-prime batteries, giving them a resale value that will lower their cost of ownership, and providing distributed storage that could be used to shore up weak spots on the grid or to absorb energy from intermittent sources like solar panels and wind machines and deliver it in a steady stream suitable for the power grid. A battery pack from a Chevy Volt. A new prototype lashes five of them together in an array that is supposed to provide two hours of electricity for three to five average houses. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/

11.  Ford, Toyota Will Lead Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales in the U.S. Through 2020 - Assembly lines in Japan and the United States produced more than 20,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in 2011, an all-time record for such vehicles.  But optimism about the market for PEVs has gradually been replaced with a better understanding of the practical challenges of launching new models and expanding PEV sales to mainstream consumers unfamiliar with the technology.  Nevertheless, according to a recent report from Pike Research, sales of PEVs in the United States will climb steadily over the remainder of this decade with Ford and Toyota leading the way in the U.S. from 2012 to 2020. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/plug-in-electric-vehicles

News Updates for the Week of June 4

1.      Energy Department Grants Two-Year Extension to 700-Series T-8 Fluorescent Lamps - Responding to three individually filed exception requests, the U.S. Department of Energy has postponed by two years — until July 14, 2014 — the phase-out date for 700-series T8 general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) manufactured by GE Lighting (GE), Osram Sylvania, Inc. (OSI), and Philips Lighting Co, according to the National Lighting Bureau (NLB). Only companies that have been excepted by the Energy Department may continue to manufacture or import the T8 GSFLs in question beyond July 14, 2012. The lamps involved are the 4-foot medium bi-pin, 2-foot U-shaped, 8-foot Slimline, and 8-foot high-output 700-series T-8s. 5/30 http://ecmweb.com

2.      US Economy Added 69,000 Jobs in May, Fewest in a Year; Unemployment Rate Rose to 8.2 Percent  - The U.S. economy suddenly looks a lot weaker.  The Labor Department also said Friday that the economy added far fewer jobs in the previous two months than first thought — 11,000 fewer in March and 38,000 fewer in April. And the increase in unemployment was the first in 11 months.  6/1 Washington Post

3.      Consumer Confidence Slips Again - The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had declined slightly in April, fell further in May. The Index now stands at 64.9 (1985=100), down from 68.7 in April. The Expectations Index declined to 77.6 from 80.4, while the Present Situation Index decreased to 45.9 from 51.2 last month. Those claiming business conditions are "bad" increased to 34.3% from 33.2%, while those saying business conditions are "good" decreased to 13.6% from 15.5%.  5/25 HCN

4.      Light: It’s Good for Your Brain - Scientists from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have proven that light intensity influences our cognitive performance and how alert we feel; and that these positive effects last until early evening.  Tests conducted in EPFL’s Solar Energy and Building Physics Laboratory (LESO) have confirmed the hypothesis that light influences our subjective feeling of sleepiness. The research team, led by Mirjam Münch, also showed that the effects of light exposure last until the early evening, and that light intensity has an impact on cognitive mechanisms. The results of this research were recently published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.  http://lighting.com/light-its-good-for-your-brain/

5.      LFI 2012 Product Innovation Awards - The LIGHTFAIR 2012 Innovation Awards submissions spanned 14 categories, with each submission judged by an independent panel of lighting professionals. The winners were awarded for product entries that exemplify the best in innovative design and thinking. The 2012 key award winners at: http://www.lightnowblog.com/2012/05/lfi-2012-product-innovation-awards/

6.      DOE Releases Gateway Report on NYC Roadway Lighting Demonstration - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the final evaluation report from a GATEWAY demonstration on Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, a heavily traveled New York City freeway with elevated portions. Four different types of LED roadway luminaires—each from a different manufacturer—were purchased in 2009 and compared with the incumbent high-pressure sodium light fixtures. http://www.lightnowblog.com/2012/05/doe-releases-gateway-report-on-nyc-roadway-lighting-demonstration/

7.      NJ Solar Boom Seeking Life Support - New Jersey’s boom in solar power installations, driven by lucrative solar renewable energy credits, made the Garden State second only to California in installed solar power capacity. Now it’s reached a point of saturation where solar installers are looking for legislation to keep their industry alive. The solar power glut has “lobbyists for both the solar power industry and unionized solar installers descending on the state capital, pleading for imposition of still higher purchase requirements on electric power consumers. http://livewire.electricalmarketing.com/2012/05/22/nj-solar-boom-seeking-life-support/

8.      Energy Commission Approves More Efficient Buildings for California's Future - In a move to reduce energy costs, save consumers money, and increase comfort, the California Energy Commission today unanimously approved energy efficiency standards for new homes and commercial buildings. The Energy Commission's 2013 Building Energy Efficiency Standards are 25 percent more efficient than previous standards for residential construction and 30 percent better for nonresidential construction. The Standards, which take effect on January 1, 2014, offer builders better windows, insulation, lighting, ventilation systems and other features that reduce energy consumption in homes and businesses. 5/31 Sierra Sun Times

9.      PG&E Says It Will Meet California's Renewable Energy Goals - Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) filed its renewable energy procurement plan for 2012 with the California Public Utilities Commission and said it will meet the requirement to source 33% of its power generation from clean sources and will also meet interim benchmarks up to that date.  California has an aggressive renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 33% by 2020, along with the highest-in-the-nation 20% bundled RPS for power generation in the period from 2011-2013.  http://generationhub.com/

10.  Human Centric Lighting - May 21, 2012 version by Stan Walerczyk, Brian Liebel and Rodney Heller.  Published as modified version in June 2012 edition of Architectural SSL Magazine

This article considers Human Centric Lighting to include all of the outer diagram circles. Other professionals have included less. The new generation of dimming and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) changing or shifting, which is commonly called Kelvin changing or shifting, LED fixtures can really improve lighting for people.

11.  EPA Names The Home Depot 2012 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named The Home Depot® as the 2012 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through merchandising and marketing ENERGY STAR qualified products.  5/31 Market Watch

12.  European LED Commercial Lighting Market to Grow Seven-Fold to $1.9bn by 2015 -  The European LED lighting market is growing rapidly due to energy-saving awareness and, in particular, the high electricity prices in Europe, according to TrendForce’s ‘2011-2015 European LED Lighting Market Report’ by its LED research division LEDinside. With electricity prices in the EU-27 (the 27 member states of the European Union), $2 can be saved each month by adopting an LED light bulb instead of an incandescent bulb. The market research firm predicts that LED prices will see a dramatic drop, starting from 2012, and it expects the European LED commercial lighting market to grow to $1.9bn by 2015. http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2012/MAY/LEDIN_280512.html

13.  St. Louis Cardinals Working Towards a "Triple Crown" For Resource Efficiency - The 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals are accustomed to winning. With a total of 11 World Series titles under their belt—second only to the Yankees 27—it’s no surprise that they set the bar high for all aspects of their game, even off the field. One key to the Cardinals’ energy successes to date is that they commissioned an “investment-grade” energy audit in 2011 to identify potential energy efficiency measures for the ballpark. They found close to 200 cost-effective energy improvements, despite the fact that Busch Stadium was just built in 2006.  The Cardinals have replaced over 1,000 traditional spot- and flood- lights with LED lamps to cut lighting power demand in several areas around the ballpark by 90 percent.  5/30 NRDC