News Updates for the Week of January 28

1.      America's Top 5 Energy-Efficient Football Stadiums - With Super Bowl Sunday fast approaching, it seems like an ideal time to take a look at how the football industry is advancing energy efficiency.
Here are America’s Most Energy-Efficient NFL Stadiums:

1st) MetLife Stadium: New York Giants and New York Jets

2nd) Lincoln Financial Field: Philadelphia Eagles

3rd) CenturyLink Field: Seattle Seahawks

4th)  Soldier Field: Chicago Bears

5th) Georgia Dome: Atlanta Falcons

http://ase.org/efficiencynews/americas-top-5-energy-efficient-football-stadiums

2.      2013 Rebate Programs Have Started - Electric utilities and government organizations across the nation have been busy updating their rebate programs for 2013. A majority have already released their new programs, with others to have them by the end of the month. While every program is different, some of the most common changes we have seen this year are T12 rebate amounts being reduced or removed and more programs adding new incentives for LED lighting solutions.  At this time, incentives for energy efficient commercial lighting cover 71% of the US. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jan13-1.html

 

3.      LED Rebates - More Opportunities Than Ever - As LED lighting solutions have continued to penetrate the market, rebate and incentive programs in North America have taken notice and revised their program offerings. Over the past few years, these programs have added new incentives for many types of LED solutions and worked to refine requirements for these products. In fact, according to our North American Rebate and Incentive Database, the number of rebate programs for LEDs has increased by 54% since January 2012. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jan13-2.html

4.      New Construction Can Get Rebates Too - Although a lot of people are aware of rebates for installing energy efficient equipment in older facilities, few people realize that rebates and incentives may also be available for new construction projects. Unlike retrofit projects which base rebates on how much energy is saved compared to the old equipment, new construction programs often base the incentives on the savings over a building code, most commonly a version of ASHRAE 90.1. Programs can cover equipment such as HVAC systems, interior lighting, exterior lighting, refrigeration, and water systems. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Jan13-3.html

      5.  Professor Invents the Best New Lightbulb in 30 Years - So far the main alternatives to the common bulb have been CFLs and LEDs. Soon, a fourth lighting option will be thrown into the mix. It's called the FIPEL, which is short for field-induced polymer electroluminescent technology. The new light source is made of several layers of very thin plastic. Each sheet is about 100,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair. The plastic is inserted between an aluminum electrode and a transparent conducting electrode. When a current is passed through the device, it stimulates the plastic to light up. It works like a microwave oven but instead of giving off heat, it gives off light.  Dr. David Carroll, a professor of physics at Wake Forest University in North Carolina developed the new light source.  
http://www.businessinsider.com/fipel-lighting-technology-david-carroll-wake-forrest-2013-1

6.      2013 Is Full of Opportunities and Risks for LED Lighting - Sales of LED lighting have been growing annually by 17% on average since 2011. In 2013, the global LED lighting market output will likely reach US$15 billion, including replacement and non-replacement light sources.. The market ratio of lighting fixtures and replacement light sources should be 8:2, according to Robert Yeh, chairman of Taiwan-based Everlight Electronics.  According to statistics, the penetration rate of LED lighting in 2013 will reach 25%. "According to the numbers I have," said Yeh, "currently the top 10 LED lighting firms in the world account for 37% of the market and in particular, Philips has a global market share of around 10%, ranking at number one. Japan-based Panasonic has a global market share of around 7.9% while Toshiba has a market share of 5.6%. Osram and Cree have market share of 4.6 and 2.4% respectively. On the other hand, the combined market share of other firms is around 62.7%, meaning the lighting market is very localized with low industry concentration." http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130115PD203.html

7.      DOE Unveils Building America Solutions Center - The Building America Solution Center Website http://basc.pnnl.gov/ offers a range of interactive resources including guides on critical industry topics as well as easily searchable images, CAD files, and case studies to help train and support home builders, remodelers, architects, designers, researchers, and code officials. Users will have access to proven innovations and best practices from Energy Department-approved building science research for hundreds of high-performance home technologies. The BASC allows users easy access to information on integrated energy systems that dramatically reduce annual energy use.

8.      California to Invest $2.5 Billion to Retrofit Energy-Wasting Schools - On November 6, 2012, California voters approved two measures: Proposition 30 http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/ increased income taxes on high earners for seven years and raised the sales tax by a quarter-cent for four years; Proposition 39 http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/39/ closed a tax loophole that favored out-of-state corporations, costing the state around $1 billion annually. Prop 39 stipulates that over the next five years half of the recovered revenue be spent on clean energy and energy efficiency projects in public buildings. After five years, all of the revenue flows to the state’s General Fund. Budget analysts expect Prop 39 to make available an estimated $2.5 billion for clean energy and energy efficiency projects. 1/22 Forbes

9.      LVIA Strikes $4.5 Million Energy-Saver Deal - The Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority is about to embark on a terminal renovation project that has the perfect price tag: free. Well, sort of. The authority that runs Lehigh Valley International Airport agreed Tuesday to a deal to have Baltimore-based Constellation Energy install $4.5 million in new lighting, climate controls, power generators and other energy-saving devices. In return, Constellation will guarantee the airport enough annual energy savings to pay off the loan needed to fund the work. Nearly $1.2 million will be spent to replace fluorescent lighting with LED lights that are projected to save the airport $93,000 a year. 1/23 The Morning

10.  Lighting Coalition Asks EPA to Lower Energy Star Efficacy Specs for High CRI Lamps - Soraa is spearheading an effort, involving a number of major players in the SSL industry, asking the US EPA to lower the efficacy requirements in the evolving Energy Star Lamps version 1.0 specification--only impacting products with a CRI of 90 or better. The group believes that more users will adopt LED-based retrofit lamps if Energy Star-recognized options are available with a higher CRI, and therefore the net energy savings throughout the potential US customer base will increase even though the lamps in question use marginally more energy. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/1/16

11.  DOE Finds Up to 76% Energy Savings with Occupancy Sensors - The U.S. DOE has published a GATEWAY demonstration report that summarizes and compares experiences from field installations of occupancy sensor-controlled LED lighting in two parking structures and two parking lots. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/2012_gateway_sensors.pdf

12.  IKEA Announces 'All-LED' Lighting Agenda - The Swedish home furnishings giant announced its’ intent to sell only LED lighting in its stores by 2016. Come February, IKEA stores here and globally will be glowing with a much broader array of LED based fixtures, floor, table and desk lamps and portable illuminators. Soon you’ll start to see more LEDs designed into IKEA furniture, included in the flat packs and ready for assembly. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/gizmo/187891491.html

13. Lime Energy Exceeds Energy Efficiency Program Goal for National Grid - Lime Energy Co. http://www.lime-energy.com announced they have met both their original and revised annual savings goals set by National Grid, for their small business Direct Install Program. Lime Energy is the exclusive provider for the Western New York and Frontier regions of National Grid’s upstate New York State service territory, and delivered $11 million in National Grid incentive monies to customers in 2012. National Grid provides rebates of up to 70 percent of the project cost for small business customers to upgrade to more energy efficient equipment. National Grid also offers interest-free, on-bill financing. https://www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/business/energyeff/3_small.asp

 

14.  USGBC Releases 2012 List of Top 10 States for LEED – Today 1/23, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its annual list of the top 10 states for new LEED certifications in 2012, highlighting those regions that are transforming buildings and communities across the country. The full ranking, which includes 10 states plus Washington, D.C., can be found here: http://new.usgbc.org/articles/usgbc-releases-2012-list-top-10-states-leed

15.  LEDs Emerge as a Popular ‘Green’ Lighting - The lighting industry has finally come up with an energy-efficient replacement for the standard incandescent bulb that people actually seem to like: the LED bulb.  Among A-type bulbs, LEDs will outsell incandescents in North America in 2014, according to projections by IMS Research. And LEDs will become the most popular A-type technology by 2016, with North American shipments reaching almost 370 million, a more than tenfold increase from the roughly 33 million shipped last year, the firm estimates. 1/21 NY Times

16. DOE White Paper: Keeping Manufacturing in the United States - Over the last eight years, the U.S. DOE has directly worked to accelerate the growth of the emerging solid-state lighting industry, primarily through research, development and demonstration efforts. This support has led to numerous technological and market advancements that have supported the growth of U.S. industry and a distinct international lead in the production of quality products. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/ssl_whitepaper_july2010.pdf 

17.  IMARK to Enter Utility Market - IMARK Utility will focus on REA, co-ops and municipal utilities that buy their electrical supplies through electrical wholesalers. It will not target investor owned utilities (IOUs). The company said it has several members that conduct business in the utility market and also noted a shift in this market segment, which is resulting in a higher volume of electrical supplies being purchased through electrical wholesalers. http://www.imarkgroup.com/

 

18.  Expert Sees $2 Trillion Benefit for Country in Smart Grid - It will take much money and effort to create a nationwide "smart grid"--a modernized electricity grid that is finely monitored and run by state-of-the-art cyber-systems--but the eventual economic benefit to the nation could approach $2 trillion according to George Arnold, national coordinator for smart grid interoperability with the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Techology. 1/16 The Blade

19.  Existing-Home Sales Slip in December - Total existing-home sales declined 1.0% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.94 million in December from a downwardly revised 4.99 million in November, according to the National Association of Realtors. They are 12.8% above the 4.38 million-unit level in December 2011. The preliminary annual total for existing-home sales in 2012 was 4.65 million, up 9.2% from 4.26 million in 2011. It was the highest volume since 2007 when it reached 5.03. 1/23 HCN

20.  New-Home Sales Slip 7.3% in December - Sales of new single-family homes in December slipped 7.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 369,000, according to data released Friday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. An estimated 367,000 new homes were sold in 2012. This is 19.9% above the 2011 figure of 306,000. 1/25 HCN

21.  What Makes Strategies in Light Different - The world’s largest and longest-running conference and exhibition covering the LEDs and Solid-State Lighting sectors, Strategies in Light’s 14-year tradition of educational excellence provides an platform for information exchange, networking and new business development. Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the invention of LEDs. http://www.strategiesinlight.com/register.html

News Updates for the Week of June 11

1.      Lightfair 2012 Recap 200,000+ Square Feet, 500+ Exhibitors, 5 Pavilions - LEDLampLocator  LEDFixtureLocator provides a recap of some of the exciting new LED products at Lightfair 2012. Their databases are quickly growing and helping to empower lighting professional to become better equipped to compare LED products from the hundreds of LED manufacturers from around the world. http://www.ledfixturelocator.com/lightfair-2012-recap/

2.      DOE Releases CALiPER Application Summary Report 15 - The U.S. Department of Energy has completed Series 15 of testing through the DOE Solid-State Lighting CALiPER program. A summary of the results is now available for download on the DOE SSL website at www.ssl.energy.gov/reports.html. Report 15 of testing analyzes the performance of a group of 10 LED floodlights that mirrors the broad range of conventional luminaires designated as floodlights. The results highlight several key areas in which LED products can improve in order to be more competitive with conventional floodlights—or already offer an advantage.

3.      DOE Announces Third Round of SSL Manufacturing Funding - The US DOE has announced a $7.1 million fund as part of the latest SSL Manufacturing R&D program, but congressional budget cuts have affected funding for new core-technology research and product development projects.  The selected three projects for solid-state lighting (SSL) as part of its 3rd round of funding for SSL Manufacturing R&D are:

·        Cree, based in Durham, NC, has been awarded one project, with the goal of developing an optimized LED fixture that can be readily integrated into buildings and outdoor applications using fewer raw materials.

·        KLA Tencor based in Milpitas, CA, will seek to improve the color consistency of LEDs by developing a high-precision hot-testing tool that can be used during LED manufacturing.

·        k-Space Associates of Dexter, MI, will build on the company’s existing optical monitoring methods to enable high-precision measurement of organic LED (OLED) layers.

For more information: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/fundopps_060712.html

4.     U.S. Green Building Council Announces Changes to LEED 2012 - In response to concerns raised by members, core LEED users and stakeholders, and in an effort to provide the marketplace a view of the full LEED program experience prior to ballot, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today that it will delay ballot on LEED 2012 until June 1, 2013 (or potentially earlier in 2013 if USGBC members and the market indicate readiness for ballot). Because of this date change, LEED 2012 is being renamed LEED v4. http://www.usgbc.org/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?ID=4815

5.      House Vote Undermines Lighting Standards - The Alliance urges the Senate to reject several measures adopted by the House of Representatives that weaken the effectiveness of lighting and other energy efficiency standards.  A new provision – adopted by voice vote last night in the House as an amendment to the fiscal year 2013 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill – would prevent DOE from spending federal funds “to implement or enforce” technology-neutral light bulb standards that save energy and money. The standards, which were part of the bipartisan Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, took effect January 1, 2012, and are still on the books. http://ase.org/news/house-vote-undermines-lighting-standards 

6.      DTE Provides Free Light Bulbs and Advice to Customers Through Home Energy Consultation Program - Through the program, called the DTE Home Energy Consultation program, energy consultants assess the customers’ energy usage, make energy saving recommendations and discuss ways to reduce energy usage that will help lower energy costs. During the assessment, energy consultants will install as many as 40 compact fluorescent light bulbs, water-saving faucet aerators in the kitchen and bathroom and water-saving showerheads that can save up to three gallons of hot water per minute and reduce water-heating costs by 30 percent.  http://www.dteenergy.com/residentialCustomers/saveEnergy/homeAudit/resHEC.html 

7.      Study Finds LED Lights Can Increase Milk Production - A study overseen by Oklahoma State University found that cows at one of the dairy farms in that state squeezed out 6 percent more milk when LED lights were used compared with cows under fluorescent lights.  One theory: LED lights reduce stress, making for more contented and productive cows.  http://www.mysanantonio.com

8.      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/

9.      Exterior Lighting, by the Numbers - Sales of exterior lighting products jumped 21.3% in the 12 months from March 2011 to February 2012, compared with the same period in the previous year, according to the market size estimate from NPD Group’s Consumer Tracking Service. Consumers lit up their yards to the tune of $789 million during that time, with most of the spend occurring at warehouse home centers.  Solar lighting options represent the largest share of the exterior lighting market. 4/27 HCN

News Updates for the Week of March 19

1.      New Round of DOE Small-Business Funding Opportunities - The U.S. DOE Office of Science will sponsor another round (Phase 1, Release 3) of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunities. Topics for this final round of FY12 funding can be found at http://science.energy.gov/sbir and include solid-state lighting (topic 3a, page 3). The full funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is expected on April 3, with pre-applications due May 1. Details of this new process, along with eligibility requirements for U.S. small businesses, will be shared on a webinar on Monday, March 19, at 2:00 p.m. EDT. For more information on the SBIR/STTR webinar, visit the registration page.

2.      DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency Issues $150 Million Funding Opportunity - The U.S. DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E) has announced a $150 million funding opportunity that may be of interest to the solid-state lighting community. Anticipated to be split up into anywhere from 60 to 80 awards of $250,000 to $10 million each, the funding opportunity is open to all transformational energy technologies. Notices of intent are due by March 30, and concept papers are due by April 12. PA-E's mission is to identify and fund research to translate science into breakthrough energy technologies that are too risky for the private sector and that, if successfully developed, will create the foundation for entirely new industries. For more information on solicitation number DE-FOA-0000670), visit https://arpa-e-foa.energy.gov

3.      Webcast on L Prize^® PAR 38 Competition: A New Start - On Tuesday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, the U.S. DOE will host a 60-minute live webcast on the newly reopened L Prize PAR 38 competition. Moderated by James Brodrick, DOE Lighting Program Manager, the webcast will feature a 30-minute presentation from Marc Ledbetter of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session with attendees. To register for the webcast: registration page To learn more about the L Prize PAR 38 Competition: http://www.lightingprize.org/

4.      Smart Lighting 2012 - This Research and Markets report provides an analysis of the worldwide smart lighting market and builds on NanoMarkets' extensive six-year experience of analyzing the solid-state lighting industry. The report shows how new value is being created in the lighting market by adding enhanced electronics and intelligent luminaires and how such product strategies will be able to build on the massive trend towards introducing CFLs, LEDs, OLEDs and other forms of energy efficient lighting. For more information please click on: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/b194b4/smart_lighting_2012

5.      Energy-Efficient Lighting Explained - Research and tips for businesses who want to take advantage of the existing policies and technology in the lighting industry to lower their energy use. Lighting is one of the most cost-effective energy efficiency investments. The Daily Energy Report and Real Energy Writers' "Energy Efficient Lighting Explained: A guide for business people who aren't lighting techies":  

• Educates you about your lighting technology options 
• Informs you about the political landscape and controversies surrounding lighting 
• Describes how you can take advantage of current lighting market conditions to cut costs and reduce your footprint.

     For more information: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/product/2b0893/energyefficient_lighting_explained  

6.      The Efficiency Boom: Cashing In on the Savings from Appliance Standards - Appliance, equipment, and lighting standards have been a cornerstone of U.S. energy policy since Congress enacted the first standards in the 1980s. They have significantly reduced U.S. energy consumption, providing large economic benefits for consumers and businesses. Taking into account products sold from the inception of each national standard through 2035, existing standards will net consumers and businesses more than $1.1 trillion in savings cumulatively. The ACEEE report finds that over the same period, cumulative energy savings will reach more than 200 quads, an amount equal to about two years of total U.S. energy consumption. http://www.aceee.org/research-report/a123

 

7.      Home Energy Efficiency Incentives Proposed - Several Congressional bills are in the works that address energy efficiency in the United States, but don't get your hopes up. About the only pending federal legislation that directly addresses tax credits for homeowners investing in energy efficiency upgrade is the Cut Energy Bills at Home Act.  According to the Alliance to Save Energy, the tax credit is based on annual predicted energy cost savings from heating, cooling, hot water and "permanent lighting" in a primary residence. For a minimum credit of $2,000, homes would need to reduce energy costs by 20 percent; for each additional 5 percent savings beyond that, the credit would be worth an additional $500. However the credit could not be greater than either $5,000 or 30 percent of the taxpayer's expenditures.  3/13 Earth Techling

8.      USGBC and Home Depot Launch New Database of Green Building Products - The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), in conjunction with The Home Depot, has launched an online green home products database. The database: www.leed.homedepot.com is a special microsite within www.homedepot.com that features products geared toward green home building, many of which may contribute towards earning LEED points and prerequisites for the LEED for Homes program, making it easier for homeowners and builders to find the products they need.  Currently, more than 2,500 products sold at The Home Depot are listed on the website.

9.      Switch Lighting Debuts 100-watt Replacement - SWITCH Lighting™ www.switchlightingco.com/  announced the launch of the SWITCH100, an A series 100 watt-equivalent LED replacement lamp for select commercial channels. Key features include:

• Lifespan of at least 25,000 hours 
• Uses 20 Watts of input power, and produces 1600 lumens 
• Color temperature of 4100K 
• Can be used in any fixture, recessed or fully enclosed 
• Can be used in any orientation, with no compromise to driver function or lumen output 
• It is dimmable and turns on instantly 3/13 BUSINESS WIRE

10.  Energy Efficiency Incentives Improved - The New York State Public Service Commission set new financial incentives that utilities would be able to receive as a way to encourage electric and natural gas utilities to continue to make investments in energy efficiency programs. The Commission set up incentive pools totaling $36 million for electric utilities and $14 million for gas utilities, totaled over a four-year incentive period. The Commission's decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission's Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 07-M-0548 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number." 3/15 Post Star

11.  Rebate for CFL Bulbs Raised to $1.40 from $1 Each in Hawaii - The state's main energy efficiency program has boosted the instant rebate for CFLs to $1.40 from $1 for a limited time to encourage residents to replace their old incandescent bulbs. The program is funded mainly through a fee paid by electric utility customers. In addition to the CFL rebate, Hawaii Energy is funding a Blue Planet Foundation program that allows residents on Maui and Hawaii island to trade their incandescent bulbs for CFLs. 3/14 Star Advertiser

12.  GE Introduces Lumination LED Troffer - GE Lighting Solutions of East Cleveland, OH, has introduced its first commercial product in the Lumination brand line. It is a recessed LED troffer offered in 600x600-cm (2x2 ft) and 300x1200-cm (1x4 ft) versions with a panel thickness of only 14 mm (0.5 in). Both sizes are dimmable and offered in 3000K, 3500K and 4000K configurations. GE Lighting Solutions has stated that it expects to introduce more than ten new luminaires in the next year and a half including linear, suspended-fixture and surface-mounted troffers. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/3/13

13.  LEDucation 6 Is Expected to Draw More Than 1,200 Lighting and Design Professionals -LEDucation 6 will be held at the Hotel Pennsylvania on March 21st, 2012 in New York located between 32nd & 33rd Streets – across from Madison Square Garden.  Exhibit Hours have been extended and open at 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with LED presentations beginning at 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Online registration will remain open until Monday, March 19th at www.leducation.org

14.  March 27-29 for EE Global 2012 in Orlando - The SOLD OUT Solutions Showcase highlights the latest energy efficiency technologies, services and products from over 40 companies and organizations. Open all three days, you can walk the show floor and interact with global companies. http://www.eeglobalforum.org/

15.  March 30 is Deadline for NAED PAR Surveys - PAR provides members with an up-to-date picture of actual operations throughout the industry. Each year, industry statistics are compiled into a report from a confidential, financial performance survey administered by the Profit Planning Group - an independent third-party research provider. Participants have the option of receiving a personalized report comparing their operation with others of similar size and customer emphasis. Participate in NAED’s 2012 Performance Analysis Report survey before March 30. http://www.naed.org/PAR/

16.  Lighting Industry Launches Global Lighting Association - The global lighting industry has launched the Global Lighting Association, which is designed to be “the voice of the lighting industry on a global basis.” As a grouping of national and regional lighting associations, the Global Lighting Association represents over 5,000 lighting manufacturers and $50 billion annual sales. The primary mission of the Global Lighting Association is to share information. Originally founded in 2007 as the Global Lighting Forum, the new Global Lighting Association represents the same members, but with a renewed focus and a commitment to being active and influential participants in shaping how the world is illuminated. According to the Global Lighting Association, its priorities for 2012 include: energy efficiency, LED performance quality, and innovation. http://www.globallightingforum.org/

17.  LED Retrofit Kits for LED Troffers by Stan Walerczyk - The future of retrofitting recessed 2x4, 1x4 and 2x2 lensed and parabolic troffers will probably be LED kits, not LED T8s. Stan is helping develop specifications and pricing on LED kits and needs input from large end-customers, retrofit contractors, ESCOs, etc. regarding:

• Cost
• Wattage
• Lumens per watt
• Rated life
• Warranty
• Optional dimming
• Optional Kelvin changing
• Integral controls

If you are interested, contact Stan Walerczyk at stan@lightingwizards.com.