News Updates for the Week of February 11

1.      Protocols for Performance Measurement Published - From Craig Dilouie cdilouie@zinginc.com Tools and techniques for measuring, managing and improving the performance of a facility as demonstrated by its energy and water use and indoor environmental quality, are contained in a new guide. Performance Measurement Procedures for Commercial Buildings: Best Practices Guide serves as the how-to guide for continuously evaluating and improving the performance of commercial buildings throughout their service life. Published by ASHRAE and funded in part through a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the book provides specific best practices in the areas of energy use, water use and four elements of indoor environmental quality (IEQ): thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ), lighting/daylighting and acoustics. www.ashrae.org/bookstore

2.      Commission Lays Out U.S. Energy Efficiency Roadmap Through 2030 - The United States can double energy productivity over the next 20 years by boosting investments in energy efficiency, reforming tax credits for energy savings and engaging state and local governments, a report released on Thursday said. With a new session of Congress beginning, the report laid out a sweeping vision for cutting the energy used to support a growing U.S. economy by 2030. Energy efficiency is one of the few areas of energy policy that analysts say might gain traction among deeply divided lawmakers this year. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/07

3.      Smart Cities Will Represent More Than $20 Billion in Annual Market Value by 2020 - Across the globe, the number of people living in cities will increase to 6.3 billion by 2050, up from 3.6 billion in 2010. It is projected that by 2025 there will be 37 megacities with populations of more than 10 million; 22 of those cities will be in Asia. According to a new report from Pike Research, one consequence of this explosive urbanization will be a corresponding growth in smart city initiatives–characterized by the integration of technology into a strategic approach to sustainability, citizen well-being, and economic development. The smart city technology market will surpass $20 billion in annual value by 2020, the study concludes. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-cities

4.      Failing Firms Cloud China's LED Lighting Vision - One in five Chinese LED lighting companies may fail this year as falling prices and oversupply batter an industry that Beijing bankrolled to try to build an energy-efficient future. About 4,000 companies in China are producing LEDs, tempted by tax breaks, subsidies and offers of cheap land for factories. Now they are locked in intense competition that has halved prices over the past three years. Just as over-investment and sagging exports dragged down Beijing's solar panel and wind turbine champions, China's much-hyped LED lighting sector, the largest in the world, is now facing a drastic shake-up. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/08/us-china-led-idUSBRE91701H20130208

5.      LEDucation 7 Announces Speaker Line Up for Annual Event on LED Technology - The Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY) announced its versatile speaker line up and also notify attendees that event registration for “LEDucation 7” is officially open. As the premier lighting event dedicated to advancing the education of the lighting community, LEDucation 7 will take place in New York City on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at the Hotel Pennsylvania – Penn Plaza Pavilion. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/faa3fctmhh36c31/FWqCH2l1Ry

6.      The U.S. DOE Tenth Annual SSL R&D Workshop - Held last week in Long Beach, CA, focused on the knotty issues that are being encountered with today’s SSL products.  Look for the workshop presentations to be posted soon at www.ssl.energy.gov/past_conferences.html  The following organizations were recognized by DOE for significant breakthroughs and achievements in 2012:

• Philips Lumileds for its efforts to develop a novel warm-white LED package that boosts efficacy with a hybrid approach to producing white light.
• RTI International for its work in developing an accelerated model to predict the reliability and evaluate the performance of SSL luminaires.
• University at Buffalo for developing quantum-dot phosphors to improve the efficiency of general-illumination LEDs.
• Soraa for its efforts to reduce current and thermal droop by growing semi- and non-polar gallium nitride wafers on gallium nitride substrates.
• PPG Industries for its work in developing a low-cost, integrated glass substrate for general-illumination OLEDs.  www.ssl.energy.gov/projects.html

7.      It's Not Too Late to Get Your Epact Deduction for 2012 - Have you worked on a large lighting project in 2012? If so, that project may still qualify for a significant tax deduction thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Because the EPAct certification does not need to happen at installation, any lighting project put into service in 2012 can still qualify for the deduction. That means you can save money when filing your taxes for 2012. However, you have to act now or you will lose the opportunity. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jan12-3.html

8.      Treasury Announce Availability of $150 Million in Tax Credits for Clean Energy Manufacturers - The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit was established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support investment in domestic, clean energy and energy efficiency manufacturing facilities through a competitively-awarded 30 percent investment tax credit. The initial round provided $2.3 billion in credits to 183 projects across the country. The $150 million in tax credits are being made available today because they were not used by the previous awardees. http://energy.gov/downloads/fact-sheet-48c-manufacturing-tax-credits

9.      To Illuminate or Not to Illuminate: Roadway Lighting as it Affects Traffic Safety at Intersections- Lighting Research Center and Penn State Researchers identify links between visibility and safety from roadway lighting. The team used lighting and crash data for state highway intersections in Minnesota to develop quantitative models relating nighttime driving safety to the presence of lighting at these intersections. Importantly, these models also included the effects of features like signals, medians and other intersection design and operational features in order to segregate the effects of lighting from these other aspects. Quality lighting, such as the uniform coverage that LED-based luminaires are capable of, can result in a 12% lower night-to-day crash ratio in urban intersections. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457512004514

10.  WSU in Ohio Will Save $35.8 Million by Reducing Energy Consumption - The Wright State University Board of Trustees will vote on Feb. 15 to approve a $25.2 million contract with ABM Industries Inc. to modernize heating and cooling plants at its Fairborn and Lake campuses. The plan includes eliminating 30 major pieces of equipment, tying the entire main campus to one main boiler system, replacing light fixtures with LED and using the pond near the Nutter Center for year-round geothermal cooling. The investment will cut campus energy consumption by nearly 40 percent. 2/05 Dayton Daily News

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