News Updates for the Week of October 29

1. New NAED Study Available: ESCO Partnerships and the Electrical Distribution Industry - This new study looks at partnership options between energy service companies (ESCOs) and distributors. These partnerships are in some cases a good way for distributors to enter and maintain a stake in the energy market. To help navigate relations with ESCOs, this project examines three areas:

• The status and trajectory of the ESCO industry
• NAED members’ experiences working with ESCOs
• Recommendations for future partnerships 

  http://www.naed.org/Research/Going_Green_Topics/ESCO/ESCO_Partnerships/

2. LED Lighting Facts Rolls Out QA Testing & More - The US Department of Energy’s LED Lighting Facts program is evolving along with the changing marketplace. In 2011-12, LED Lighting Facts has added to its reporting capabilities and is instituting two product-integrity programs: a Quality Assurance (QA) Testing Program, which requires product performance be independently tested and verified, and an annual renewal of each product’s listing and label. With the goal of expanding functionality, the program is working more closely with allies, such as Energy Star and the DesignLights Consortium. http://lighting.com/led-lighting-facts-qa-testing/

    

3. DOE Releases CALiPER Report on LED Recessed Wallwashers - The U.S. DOE has completed Series 18 of testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER program. Report 18 analyzes the performance of 17 LED recessed wallwasher luminaires. The products tested were diverse in luminous intensity distribution and lumen output—reflecting the varied applications in which recessed wallwashers are used—but were generally comparable to conventional wallwashers using a 32 W CFL or 20 W metal halide lamp. A summary of the results is now available for download on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html

4. DOE Releases Demonstration Report on LED Roadway Lighting in Philadelphia - The U.S. DOE has published the final report from a demonstration of LED roadway lighting conducted at three sites in Philadelphia, PA. The report provides a performance evaluation of 10 different LED luminaires—and compares them to the incumbent HPS luminaires—using manufacturer data, illuminance calculations, field measurements, and subjective observations. The evaluation was conducted by the DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium and GATEWAY demonstration program, in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia. www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_results.html

5. NYC Installs 1,600 LED Fixtures in Central Park - The New York City Department of Transportation recently completed the installation of nearly 1,600 LED luminaires that light walkways and grassy areas in Central Park. The new luminaires from Spring City Electrical feature Cree XLamp® XP-G LEDs in each fixture and were produced using an advanced light engine from Heatron. DOT officials estimate the new LED lighting will reduce energy usage by 62 percent and deliver annual maintenance savings of nearly $30,000 compared to metal halide lighting.. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/york-city-central-park-completes-130000828.html

6. Siemens to Exit Solar Business - Siemens will exit its unprofitable solar business because it has not met profitability goals and is already in talks with potential unidentified buyers. Siemens’ solar business only makes up a small portion of the company’s overall sales with revenues last fiscal year of about $409 million or 300 million Euros. Siemens had sales of EUR73.52 billion. Siemens will focus its renewable energy activities on wind energy and hydro power. http://www.tedmag.com 

7. Philips LED-Product Sales Account for 24% of All Lighting Revenue - Philips’ lighting sales in the third quarter of 2012 grew by 4% on a comparable basis over the same period in 2011, reaching $2.77 billion. The company said that the changes were driven by double-digit growth at Lumileds and Automotive, and low-single-digit growth at Light Sources & Electronics. LED-based sales grew by 51%, and now account for 24% of total lighting sales for Philips. This puts the value of LED-based sales at just over $650 million for the quarter. In comparison, Cree’s latest quarterly revenue was $187.5 million for LED products, and $108 million for lighting products (some but not all of which are LED-based), or $295.5 million in total. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/20 

8. Philips’ LED Licensing Program Attracts More Licensees - More than 230 companies have signed up to Philips’ LED-based luminaires and retrofit bulbs licensing program for its portfolio of patents related to LEDs and SSL, but two recent lawsuits indicate that not all companies are willing licensees. Back in May 2012, Philips signed its 200th licensee, and that number now exceeds 230, according to a spokesperson. Among the companies that have signed up to the program are Osram, Zumtobel, Acuity, Cree, Trilux and Cooper. Earlier this year, Philips resorted to a patent-infringement lawsuit against Nexxus Lighting. And more recently another lighting manufacturer, TCP Inc, has filed its own lawsuit in an attempt to avoid having to join the program. According to the press release from Nexxus, the Philips lawsuit was settled at the end of September 2012, with Nexxus joining the Philips licensing program. In the TCP case, we’ll find out in due course whether this lawsuit will have any real effect, but the smart money has to be on TCP joining Philips’ licensing program in the near future. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/17

9. Philips Introduces LED BR30, Says 100W-Equivalent A21 to Ship Dec 1 - Philips Lighting made a number of LED retrofit lamp announcements that span the range of A-lamps to LED-based T8 tubes. The company said that its 22W A21 EnduraLED lamp that delivers 1780 lm will be in major retail stores December 1 at a price of $55. Philips also announced a new dimmable LED BR30 that transitions from 2700K to 2200K as light output decreases. In the T8 area, the company says it has a new lamp that uses an external driver and that it's among the first LED tubes to achieve DesignLights Consortium (DLC) compliance. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/10/24 

10. Smart Appliance Sales to Reach 45 Million Units Annually by 2020 - Smart appliances will likely start to make their way into households in greater numbers after 2015. Defined as major household appliances that use intelligent power management technology to help optimize electrical load on the power distribution grid, these appliances offer consumers the benefits of reduced energy usage, lower energy costs, lower carbon emissions, and advanced features such as remote control. According to a new report from Pike Research, worldwide sales of smart appliances will climb rapidly over the remainder of this decade, reaching just under 45 million units per year in 2020. Worldwide sales to reach nearly $35 billion. http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/smart-appliances

11. Solais Introduces New “X24 Series” of LED Solutions for Track and Recessed Applications - Solais Lighting, Inc. announced the introduction of its elite new “X24 Series” of LED lamps and fixtures. Ideal for a broad range of applications within the high-end retail and commercial sectors, the X24 series delivers an impressive 1600 lumens of light output with just a 3-inch aperture and is available with field-replaceable accessories to enhance ease of use and design flexibility. Designed for use in track and recessed lighting applications previously dominated by ceramic metal halide and halogen technology. www.solais.com

12. US Economic Growth Reached Still-Modest 2 Pct. Rate in Q3 on Higher Defense, Consumer Spending - Growth accelerated from the 1.3 percent rate in the April-June quarter. Even with the increase, growth remains too weak to rapidly boost hiring. The 1.74 percent annual growth rate for the first nine months of 2012 remains slightly behind last year’s 1.8 percent growth. The economy grew faster last quarter in part because consumer spending rose at a 2 percent annual rate, up from a 1.5 percent rate in the second quarter. Spending on homebuilding and renovations increased at an annual rate of more than 14 percent. And federal spending surged 13%, mainly because of the sharpest increase in defense spending in more than three years. Economists think growth will remain sluggish at least through the first half of 2013. 10/26 Washington Post

13. Game Changer: Philips Launches World's Smartest Bulbs - Philips today introduced hue, the world's first Web-enabled LED home lighting system available direct to the consumer. Offered exclusively through Apple stores beginning on October 30, the hue starter kit includes three LED bulbs that fit into any standard light fixture, a bridge that connects to existing wireless routers. Philips hue sets up in minutes and, with a quick download of the hue application, the system can be controlled from any iOS or Android device. From the app, consumers can remotely control their home lighting for added security, personalize their lighting experience with custom settings, or program timers to help manage daily schedules, all through the convenience of their smart device. hue starter kits will retail for $199 and are available at Apple stores nationwide on October 30. Additional bulbs will be available at $59. For more information about hue, visit: www.meethue.com 10/29 PRNewswire http://www.forummedia.us/philipshue/

News Updates for the Week of December 5

1.      The Math Changes on Bulbs - Companies like Wal-Mart Stores Inc., GNC Corp. and Caesars Entertainment Corp. are shelling out for the advanced new lights. Consumers can get by using CFL bulbs in their lamps. But for specialized commercial applications like refrigeration, parking lots and lobby lighting, the answer is LED, some businesses say. Last month, Wal-Mart opened its first U.S. store lit entirely with LEDs, a 40,000 square foot store in Wichita, Kansas. The world's largest retailer will use only LED lights in the parking lots of new stores around the world. GNC Holdings Inc. and Starbucks Corp. have converted all of the lighting in their outlets to LEDs. A year ago, Home Depot introduced a LED bulb that gives off as much light as a 40 watt incandescent bulb—but it cost an eye-popping $21. Today, that bulb sells for $9.97. 11/30 The Wall Street Journal

2.      Consumer Confidence Heads in the Right Direction - The Conference Board reported Tuesday morning that its Consumer Confidence Index increased to 56.0 in November, up from 40.9 in October. That's not the only metric improving. The Expectations Index rose to 67.8 from 50.0, and the Present Situation Index increased to 38.3 from 27.1. Consumers appear to be entering the holiday season in better spirits, though overall readings remain historically weak. The November confidence metric of 56.0 was also ahead of November 2010, when the index stood at 54.3. 11/29 HCN

3.      U.S. Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.6 Percent; Economy Adds 120,000 Jobs - Small businesses and startups that were skittish about the economy this summer started hiring in bigger numbers this fall, helping drive the unemployment rate down to 8.6 percent in November, the lowest in two and a half years. 12/2 Washington Post

4.      $1 Million Remains for Energy Rebates in Tennessee - The money is for consumers who have upgraded to a qualifying Energy Star appliance since April 22, 2010. According to the Energy Division of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, about 17,500 rebates totaling $4.1 million have been paid to Tennesseans through the program. Rebates range up to $250. New applications must be postmarked by Jan. 14. http://www.e-rebates.org/teearp

5.      GLOBALCON Conference and Expo - The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), along with sponsors, Hess, Constellation Energy, North America Power Partners (NAPP) and others to present GLOBALCON 2012 on March 7-8, 2012 in Atlantic City, NJ. It will feature a multi-track conference program, free expo and exhibit hall workshops, and networking opportunities. www.GLOBALCONEvent.com

6.      CSA Opens New LED and Lighting Certification Lab in Atlanta - CSA International has opened a certification and product-testing laboratory capable of testing LEDs and lighting products to 75 standards including Energy Star requirements. The 30,000 square-foot facility will have the capability to test thousands of lighting products for safety, light output, heat output, endurance and light dispersion. The laboratory provides full LM-79 testing, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) testing and third-party Energy-Star testing. It can certify a variety of lighting products from street lights and airport runway lights to automotive lamps and flashlights. http://www.csa-international.org  

7.      Nexxus Lighting Announces Factory Direct Commercial Web Portal - Nexxus Lighting, Inc. announced its new www.ArrayLEDdirect.com commercial web-portal to sell direct and to expand their commercial customer base for the Array® brand of specification grade LED replacement light bulbs. The new portal also provides commercial customers with a unique set of services and support based on their specific business needs, including new cost saving tools and ROI calculators that demonstrate the tremendous cost savings potential LED lighting can bring to their specific application, facility or end customer. ArrayLEDdirect.com will go live on December 14, 2011, but beginning today commercial customers can pre-register on the site and receive special discounts and other incentives on initial orders.

8.      Cree LMH2 LED Modules Bring Unrivaled Efficacy and Light Quality - Cree, Inc. announces the commercial availability of the new LMH2 LED module family, designed to speed time-to-market for high-quality LED luminaires. The LMH2 is the only LED module delivering 80-lumens-per-watt system efficacy combined with CRI greater than 90. The modules feature Cree TrueWhite® Technology.  The LMH2 is available at 850 and 1250 lumens and in color temperatures of 2700 K, 3000 K, 3500 K and 4000 K and is designed for 50,000 hours of operation and dimmable to five percent. www.cree.com/modules 

9.   Solais LED Lamps Receive Energy Star® Certification - Solais Lighting, Inc., a manufacturer of lightweight, specification-grade LED lamps featuring exclusive, actively-cooled Luxiance® thermal management technology, announced LED lamps receiving Energy Star® certification 

      on the following popular models: 

• “LR38” PAR38 Replacement – 21 Watt, 25-degree, 3000K, 1250 lumens 
• “LR38” PAR38 Replacement – 21 Watt, 25-degree, 3000K, 1100 lumens 
• “LR30LN” PAR30 Long-Neck Replacement – 18 Watt, 25-degree, 3000K, 975 lumens

     10.  Samsung Brings LED Retrofit Lamps to US Market - Samsung Electronics America (SEA), Inc., based in Ridgefield Park, NJ, has announced the availability of the company’s first LED lamps for the US consumer market. Samsung’s initial 

      product line includes A19, PAR20/30/38 and MR16 lamps, which are available from Lowe’s. Samsung’s line of retrofit lamps includes a directional 550 lm (40W-equivalent) A19 lamp priced at $19.98 as well as PAR20, PAR30 and PAR38 lamps with 400-lm, 890-lm and 1100-lm outputs and prices of $27.98, $49.98 and $59.98, respectively. In related news, Toshiba has introduced two omnidirectional A19 retrofit lamps that feature a traditional bulb design and are designed to Energy-Star specifications. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/8/11/28

11.  Obama Announces $4B in Energy Upgrades - The $4 billion investment announced today includes a $2 billion commitment, made through the issuance of a presidential memorandum, to energy upgrades of federal buildings using long term energy savings to pay for up-front costs, at no cost to taxpayers. In addition, 60 CEOs, mayors, university presidents, and labor leaders today committed to invest nearly $2 billion of private capital into energy efficiency projects. This announcement builds on a commitment made by 14 partners at the Clinton Global Initiative America meeting in June to make energy upgrades across 300 million square feet, and to invest $500 million in private sector financing in energy efficiency projects. 12/2 UPI

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

News Updates for the Week of November 1

1. Final ENERGY STAR Program Requirements -The EPA has finalized revisions to the ENERGY STAR Partner Commitments and Product Specifications to implement third-party certification requirements for ENERGY STAR qualified products. These final documents, as well as all comments received, are posted at: www.energystar.gov/testingandverification

2. DOE's CALiPER Round 11 Summary Report Published This Week - CALiPER tests a wide range of solid-state lighting products that are available on the market, and for benchmark purposes compares them with similar products that use traditional light sources. The results of each round of testing are highlighted in a Summary Report, with detailed reports going into greater depth. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/caliper_round-11_summary.pdf

3. INTERIOR LIGHTING: LED Vs. TRADITIONAL - instructed by Stan Walerczyk, L.C., C.L.E.P. Presented in two live 2-hour online sessions. New Program Starts December 16. Numerous LED products are currently ready for use as primary light sources, and can be considered better overall than traditional technologies for many interior applications. But there are also many LED products that are not yet nearly as cost effective as comparable high performance fluorescent, halogen infrared, metal halide, and other well-established lighting options. This seminar will examine the pros and cons of the use of LED versus traditional lighting fixtures for a variety of specific indoor lighting applications. http://www.aeeprograms.com/realtime/InteriorLighting/

4. Solais iPhone App - The app provides a simple conversion tool for users to calculate the potential cost savings from replacing a traditional lamp (halogen, CMH or CFL) with a Solais LED replacement lamp (LR38, LR30LN, LR30). http://solaislighting.com/iphone_app

5.September Existing-Home Sales Show Another Strong Gain - According to the National Association of Realtors, the 10% increase in existing-home sales for September affirms that "a sales recovery has begun," although it may choppy. Existing-home sales jumped 10.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.53 million in September from a downwardly revised 4.12 million in August. The September figure is well below last year's rate of 5.60 million, but last year's figure was inflated by the approaching deadline of the home buyer tax credit. 10/25 HCN

6. Economists: Unemployment Won't Drop to Normal Until 2018 - The job market and the economy will improve only slightly next year, according to an Associated Press Economy Survey of 43 leading economists whose outlook for 2011 has dimmed over the past three months. In their view, shoppers and employers will stay cautious. Households will keep saving. Inflation will remain tame. And unemployment will dip only a bit from the current 9.6 percent rate to a still-high 9 percent at the end of 2011 and won't drop to a historically normal 5.5 percent to 6 percent until at least 2018. http://www.moneynews.com

7. Living Efficiently Teams Up With NASCAR Driver Leilani Münter - LivingEfficiently http://livingefficiently.org/ is a one-stop shop devoted to helping save energy and money in all the areas where you live your life: at home, at school, at work and on the go. http://ase.org/

8. Are Performance-Based Models the Future of Commercial Building Energy Codes?- by Craig DiLouie, Lighting Controls Association. Commercial building energy codes are largely prescriptive, combining mandatory requirements for lighting controls with limits on lighting loads by application. The typical lighting load metric is lighting power density (LPD) measured in watts per square foot. Code authorities are considering approaches to energy codes that are performance based instead of mainly prescriptive. In a performance-based code, the building would be designed so that it would operate within a target limit for energy consumption as the primary metric. http://www.aboutlightingcontrols.org/education/papers/2010/2010_performance-codes.shtml

9. IES Publishes Position Statement on Indoor Lighting Efficiency - The Illuminating Engineering Society has published PS-05-10 – Standards for Energy Efficient Indoor Lighting, a position statement on the subject of imposing energy standards on indoor lighting technology, such as efficacy standards for luminaires. IES “believes that technology independent approaches are the best way to provide energy reductions and to stimulate future energy savings.” http://www.ies.org/PDF/PositionStatements/PS-05-10.pdf

10.GSA Raising Energy-Efficiency Standard for New Construction - The General Services Administration is raising the bar to increase the energy efficiency of all of its new federal building construction projects. Projects must achieve LEED Gold certification, the second-highest rating from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Previously, federal building projects needed to be certified at the LEED Silver level, the third-highest rating, or higher. 10/29 Federal Times

11. CA Energy Audit Removed from Home Sales, for Now - A measure that would require existing California homes to undergo energy efficiency audits before they're sold will get a second look over the next three months, the Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee decided. The committee's initial recommendation was to leave the building ordinance as is and make an audit program part of the overall climate plan, which is not expected to be finished until 2012. 10/22 The Record