News Updates for the Week of January 27

1.      LED Lumen Maintenance and Light Loss Factors - An article has been published in IES LEUKOS entitled "Lumen Maintenance and Light Loss Factors: Consequences of Current Design Practices for LEDs."  The article was written by Michael Royer of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and discusses complications related to the lamp lumen depreciation (LLD) light loss factor and LEDs. Because of the unique operating characteristics of LEDs and lack of a comprehensive lifetime rating—as well as the problematic relationship between SSL lifetime and lumen maintenance—determining an appropriate LLD factor for LED products is difficult.  The IES recommends using an LLD of no greater than 0.70 when the quantity of light is an important design consideration. The article discusses the issue in detail, compares the performance of some conventional and LED products, and examines alternatives to the currently recommended approach for determining LLD factors for LED products.  Access at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/tech_reports.html

2.      Cree's Q2'14 Earnings Preview: Rising LED Penetration to Drive Demand - The LED market dynamics improved considerably in 2013, primarily driven by the launch of new innovative products and the closing price gap with traditional lighting.  Led by strong lighting demand, Cree provided guidance for revenue to grow to $400-$420 million, with gross margins of around 38% in Q2 2014. Backed by strengthening demand across business segments – LEDs, Lighting & Power and RF – the company reported a 24% annual increase in its revenue base last quarter. Additionally, backed by higher lighting demand, benefits from LED bulb cost reductions, and higher fixture sales, Cree’s gross margins improved by 1.8 percentage points year to year. http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/01/16/crees-q214-earnings-preview-rising-led-penetration-to-drive-demand/

3.      Cree Shatters Efficiency Benchmark with First 200-Lumen-Per-Watt LED Luminaire - Twice the efficiency of the best linear fluorescent luminaires. The latest DOE projections had estimated that this level of luminaire efficiency would not occur until after 2020, but Cree’s latest innovation has made this possible six years sooner than projected. The prototype leverages Cree’s vertical integration with innovations in LED chips, optics, materials technology and novel system design to deliver unprecedented performance. The 3,200-lumen concept luminaire delivered 200 LPW + at 80 CRI at thermal equilibrium while remaining within the ANSI color specification for 3000 K. http://www.cree.com/News-and-Events/Cree-News/Press-Releases/2014/January/200-LPW-fixture

4.      TCP Secures Patent Licensing Agreement with Philips - As part of this agreement, the two companies have agreed to settle and dismiss the patent infringement lawsuit that was pending in the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The royalty-bearing license allows TCP and its affiliates full worldwide access to Philips’ LED-related patented technologies that Philips makes available to the lighting industry through its LED Luminaire and Retrofit Bulb licensing program. This license agreement with TCP follows earlier agreements between Philips and other companies. http://www.tedmag.com/

5.      LED Manufacturer Chosen for 2014 Forbes List of America's Most Promising Companies - Noribachi www.noribachi.com an LED lighting manufacturer, was chosen for the 2014 Forbes list of America's Most Promising Companies. Noribachi is an LED lighting company in Southern California specializing in creating retrofit lights for existing and brand new fixtures. The company has a large engineering staff with a substantial IP portfolio. Noribachi is committed to making commercial and industrial lighting an integral part of the connected world of tomorrow by including "Internet of Things" technologies in our products. http://www.tedmag.com/

6.      Philips Introduces 'Lighting as a Service' - While the model is commonly used to finance building retrofits, Philips will pay the upfront costs of installation and be compensated through a performance contract – the energy savings the retrofit produces. In Washington, DC, Philips will upgrade over 13,000 lighting fixtures in all its parking garages at no upfront cost to the city and provide a 10-year maintenance contract. Philips will get paid from the $2 million in savings the LEDs are expected to provide each year. The project starts this spring and will take about a year.  http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25461

7.      VA Commercial Loan Program Aimed at Energy Efficiency - A new commercial loan program is available to help Charlottesville, VA area businesses implement energy efficiency improvements and technologies. UVa Community Credit Union has committed to lend up to $1 million under this initiative. Organizers anticipate the average loan will be between $25,000 and $100,000 with terms of three to 15 years. Lighting upgrades; energy audits; insulation; and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system improvements are among the eligible projects. http://leap-va.org/

8.      LG&E, KU Plan to File Expanded Energy Efficiency Programs - Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company will file Friday 1/24 with the Kentucky Public Service Commission plans to expand several of the utilities' most popular energy efficiency programs.  It will offer programs and financial incentives to help residential and commercial customers better manage their energy usage and to help offset customers' costs for various energy-efficient products and services. Visit www.lge-ku.com/savingenergy for a complete list of the programs and services.

9.      South Bend, IN Energy Office Racks Up Savings - The Energy Office has helped facilitate more than 30 energy projects in the community, resulting in about $17 million in executed and anticipated energy savings through 2021. Among other things, the office has helped upgrade the lighting system in the three city-owned parking garages.  In upgrading to LED lights in the three city-owned parking garages downtown, the Energy Office managed to secure about $95,000 in grant money from Energizing Indiana to help pay for the $225,000 project.  The new lights are expected to save about $92,000 per year in energy costs, for a full return on investment in about 19 months. 1/21 AP

10.  Lakewood, WA May Switch To LED Streetlights Lakewood, WA is considering replacement of its roughly 3,000 streetlights, exchanging the familiar orange glow for the blue hue cast by LED lights. The project is estimated to cost around $2 million. Preliminary estimates show the city could save roughly $250,000 a year from the switch, which includes energy savings and reduced maintenance costs. It also would improve visibility. 1/21 The News Tribune

11.  $5.8 Million Deal Will Save Hawaii Hospital Energy and Money - Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu will save energy and money, thanks to a contract with efficiency services financer Metrus Energy.  Metrus will finance and implement $5.8 million in energy upgrades - including a new central cooling and heating plant, lighting upgrades and energy management and control systems. Kuakini will pay Metrus based on realized energy savings once the project becomes operational. Metrus is partnering with Energy Industries, which has a strong presence in Hawaii, to provide project installation and ongoing maintenance services. PRNewswire

12.  LED Street Lights in Europe: A Bright Tomorrow - Incandescent and halogen lamps have been banned in Europe.  The European Union (EU) has taken this strong step as a move toward meeting its 20-20-20 targets of increasing energy efficiency by 20%, increasing the share of renewable energy by 20% and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. The constantly declining price of LED lamps is boosting the LED lighting market in Europe. With the implementation of LEDs, around 70% of energy currently used in street lighting would be saved. Successful implementation of LED pilot projects in European countries including the UK, Germany, Spain, Poland, France, the Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and the Czech Republic have proven its benefits and has accelerated the LED market. The PennEnergy Research is available at: http://ogjresearch.stores.yahoo.net/led-street-lights-europe-bright-tomorrow.html

13.  Lighting for Tomorrow 2014 Competition Launched - Lighting for Tomorrow announced its twelfth annual competition at the Dallas Market, Jan. 15-19. The 2014 competition seeks lighting control devices, solid-state lighting (SSL) fixtures, replacement lamps, and retrofit kits that meet market price points such as LED A-lamps under $10 and fixtures under $50, as well as high lumen A-lamps. Similar to last year, Lighting for Tomorrow awards bonus points for high CRI LEDs, OLEDs and products for senior populations. For more information: www.lightingfortomorrow.com

News Updates for the Week of April 2

1.     PAR Deadline Extended to April 15 - NAED members now have two extra weeks to return their surveys 2012 NAED Performance Analysis Report. Last year, the NAED PAR revealed the typical electrical distributor generated $50.6 million in 2010 sales. http://www.naed.org/PAR/

2.      Webcast: Commercial Building Energy Alliances High-Efficiency Troffer Lighting Specification - On April 19 at 1:00 p.m. ET, the U.S. DOE will host a 90-minute live webcast on a new lighting specification that sets performance requirements for high-efficiency LED and fluorescent troffer products in 2'x4', 2'x2', and 1'x4' configurations. Developed by DOE's Commercial Building Energy Alliances (CBEAs), High-Efficiency Troffer Lighting Specification v3.0 was released in February and expands on an earlier version that only addressed 2'x2' troffers. For more information, or to register, visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/alliances/cbea_events.html

3.      IES Publishes LM-82 for LED Light Engines and Lamps at Temperature - IES has published LM-82-12, the approved method for “Characterization of LED Light Engines and LED Lamps for Electrical and Photometric Properties as a Function of Temperature.” The new standard is designed to establish consistent methods of testing and data presentation to assist luminaire manufacturers in selecting LED light engines and integrated lamps for their luminaire products. The LM-82-12 publication is available at the IES website

4.   Share Your ESCO Insights - As the popularity of energy efficiency upgrades continues to rise, NAED members are crossing paths with ESCOs more often. NAED seeks your insights for a new study, probing the opportunities and weaknesses of the distributor-ESCO relationship. Your feedback in this short survey will help them identify best practices and new opportunities for working with these players in the energy-management arena. Sponsored by the NAED Education & Research Foundation’s Channel Advantage Partnership https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NAED12

5.      LEDucation Achieves Record Breaking Year with a 20% Increase in Attendees – Hey Retailers, do you want your products to “wink” at your customers? With LED accent lighting that what it does.  That’s what I learned at LEDucation. The Designers Lighting Forum of New York announced that LEDucation 6 accomplished its most successful event to date with a record breaking crowd of over 2,000 attendees.  With extended exhibitor hours and an expanded exhibit hall, LEDucation 6 provided attendees the opportunity to view the latest innovations, technology and products from a sold out exhibit hall of 92+ leading manufacturers from across the world. Attendees enjoyed seminars from industry leading professionals as well. For more information: www.leducation.org

6.      DesignLights™ Consortium Qualified Products List - The DLC www.designlights.org/ qualified products list is a resource for program administrators, to help them decide which solid state lighting products to include in their energy efficiency promotions. Their primary reference tool for SSLs is ENERGY STAR, however the regional list fills in gaps in categories which ENERGY STAR does not include. DOE’s ENERGY STAR team is working in cooperation with DLC to develop the Qualified Products List (QPL) and procedures. The Members expect the products from their QPL will eventually be incorporated into the ENERGY STAR list once corresponding categories are added.  Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) www.neep.org manages their website. http://www.designlights.org/documents/DLCQPLApplicationInstructions10_04_30.pdf

 

      7.      NLB Offers Residential Lighting Design Guide - The comprehensive Residential Lighting Design Guide is now available free from the National Lighting Bureau. Developed by the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), the guide is a resource of best practices and lighting designs applicable nationwide. It provides a technology overview of high-efficacy luminaires, switching controls, sensors, and dimmers and also includes diagrams of several spaces found in typical U.S. homes. http://www.nlb.org/index.cfm?cdid=10863&pid=10225

8.      Global Energy-Efficient Lighting Technology Market by Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), Application and Geography (2011- 2016) - The field of lighting has witnessed remarkable technology improvements in the past few years, especially in the area of CFL and solid state lighting. A Research and Markets report covers the key energy-efficient lighting technologies and the in-depth energy-efficiency lighting market on the basis of correlated color temperature (CCT). The report also covers all the major products, applications, ingredients, and submarkets under each of these technologies. They have conducted an exhaustively geographic analysis for the major regional markets, viz. the U.S, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). For more information:  http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/6c74a7/global_energy_efficient_lighting_technology_m

9.     Johnson Controls Helps Miller Park Earn LEED Certification - Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers since 2001, has been recognized as the first stadium with a retractable roof and the third Major League Baseball stadium overall to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified in the category of Existing Building Operations and Maintenance. Johnson Controls is the facility manager for the stadium and coordinated the LEED process. 3/29 PRNewswire via COMTEX

10. $30 Million in Incentives Available for Energy Efficiency Projects - Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) www.socalgas.com/energyefficiency announced today that more than $30 million in rebates and incentives are available this year to business customers for qualifying energy-efficiency projects. The announcement was made at SoCalGas' annual Business Expo in Pomona, Calif., where over 300 business representatives learned how they could save energy and money through the utility's programs and latest green technologies. 3/29 /PRNewswire

11. Bulb Maker TCP Plans Initial Public Offering - An initial public offering is in the works for Shanghai, China-based TCP International Holdings. The company hopes to raise $100 million through an offering of its common stock, according to a TCP filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. TCP sales were $281 million in 2011, a decline of 2%. 3/27 HCN