News Updates for the Week of May 13

1.   One World Trade Center Gets Spire, Bringing It to Its Full, Symbolic 1,776-Foot Height - Now that the 408-foot spire is atop One WTC, the building is the tallest in the United States. The 408-foot spire, weighing 758 tons, will serve as a world-class broadcast antenna. An LED-powered light emanating from it will be seen from miles away and a beacon will be at the top to ward off aircraft. It opens for business in 2014. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/1-wtc-spire-bringing-full-height-article-1.1340224

2.    DOE Report Estimates LED Savings in Common Lighting Applications - The U.S. DOE has released a report analyzing markets where LEDs compete with traditional lighting sources (e.g., incandescent and fluorescent). The report, “Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications,” provides estimates of current energy savings, plus potential savings if these markets switched to LEDs overnight. Nine markets were analyzed: four indoor lamp applications (A-type, directional, MR-16, and decorative); three indoor luminaire applications (downlight, troffer, and high-bay); and two outdoor luminaire applications (streetlight and parking lot/garage). http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/led-adoption-report_2013.pdf

3.    NEMA Publishes ANSI/ANSLG C78.43 - NEMA, on behalf of the American National Standard Lighting Group (ANSLG), published ANSI/ANSLG C78.43, “American National Standard for Electric Lamps - Single-Ended Metal Halide Lamps.” This standard sets forth the physical and electrical requirements for single-ended metal halide lamps operated on 60 Hz ballasts to ensure interchangeability and safety. The standard also provides the basis for electrical requirements for ballasts and ignitors, as well as the lamp-related requirements for luminaires. Also included are lamps whose arc tubes are made of quartz or ceramic materials. http://www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/American-National-Standard-for-Electric-Lamps-Single-Ended-Metal-Halide-Lamps.aspx

4.      Shaheen-Portman Bill Approved by Senate Energy Committee - The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S. 761) was appreoved by a bi-partisan voice vote.  The bill now moves to consideration by the full Senate.  The Shaheen-Portman bill will spur the use of energy efficiency technologies in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.   Of course the measure can’t become law unless it is approved by the U.S. House of Representatives along with the Senate. http://www.ase.org/resources/summary-energy-savings-and-industrial-competitiveness-act-shaheen-portman

5.      LED Component News:  http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/5/

• Everlight is specifically targeting standard and omni-directional retrofit lamps and light bars for linear applications with the new 62-217D family of mid-power LEDs.
  
• LG Innotek has been supplying LEDs more into the backlighting market in the past but intends to make a major push into general illumination. In the mid-power area, the company has qualified LEDs to LM-80 across a range of 50 to 280 mA drive currents.
• Philips Lumileds used LFI to makes its first push into COB arrays. The company had focused on smaller point sources that allow for better beam control. But many solid-state lighting (SSL) manufacturers find a single COB LED array much easier to work with, prompting Lumileds' entry. 
• Samsung has realized 129-lm/W efficacy in its COB LED products. 13W, 26W, and 40W LEDs are offered across a range of 2700K to 5000K with a CRI of 80. It also announced a high-efficacy mid-power product that it said at the time was the most efficient on the market at 160 lm/W.

6.      The Top 10 Cities for Green Jobs - Here are the top cities for green jobs right now, according to job aggregator site SimplyHired.com  The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as those in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources, as well as jobs in which workers’ duties involve making their establishment’s production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources. The number is the open positions that meet this description:  5/07 Forbes

No. 1 San Francisco Bay, CA: 4,758

No. 2 Houston, TX: 3,830

No. 3 New York, NY: 3,221

No. 4 Washington, D.C.: 3,207

No. 5 Los Angeles, CA: 2,179

      No. 6 Chicago, IL: 2,165

      No. 7 Boston, MA: 2,130

      No. 8 Philadelphia, PA: 1,838

      No. 9 Denver, CO: 1,343

      No. 10 Dallas, TX: 1,261

7.      Graybar Named “Greenest of the Green” - tED magazine, the official publication of NAED, is pleased to announce that St. Louis-based Graybar has received the 2013 “Greenest of the Green” award. The award recognizes NAED distributor member companies that have implemented energy-efficiency solutions in their own operations. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10584799.htm

8.      Four SBIR Grants Awarded for SSL Technology - The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science has awarded four Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants targeting advances in solid-state lighting (SSL) technology:

• Litecontrol Corporation: A Novel OLED Luminaire System for Specialty Lighting Applications
• Plextronics, Inc.: Low Cost Printed Electrodes for OLED Lighting
• InnoSys, Inc.: Highly Efficient and Smart Power Supplies to Drive Phosphorescent OLED Lighting Panels
• Universal Display Corporation: Novel Energy Saving Phosphorescent OLED Lighting Products

To learn more about this program, visit http://science.energy.gov/sbir/

9.      How to Select a Lighting System Designer - Most lighting-system consultants have specialties. As such, prospective clients would be well-advised to inquire about a consultants’ pertinent experience. But there’s more to it than that, as is explained in a guidance document, “ How To Select a Lighting-System Designer ,” available for free on the National Lighting Bureau (NLB)'s website. To date, some 300 lighting-system designers have taken advantage of this opportunity and are listed on the site.  http://www.nlb.org/index.cfm?cdid=10499

10.  Special Assessments Allow Businesses to Finance Energy-Saving Upgrades - The project is one of four being funded this year though a special assessment district set up by the city of Ann Arbor, MI that allows businesses to get long-term, lower-cost loans to make energy improvements. including lighting, insulation, heating and cooling systems, reducing water use and adding renewable energy sources, such as solar and geothermal. Kerrytown Market & Shops is replacing lighting fixtures, adding occupancy sensors to storage rooms and offices and installing light switches in areas that didn't have them so lights are not on continuously.  5/06 Detroit Free Press

11.  City Energy Benchmarking Law Provides Real Benefit - Last year, Philadelphia joined a growing number of cities—including New York, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington—that have adopted laws requiring commercial building owners to gather and report data on energy use in their buildings. Though Philadelphia is still developing final regulations for what is known as the Energy Benchmarking Law, the law applies to any building with 50,000 square feet of interior, commercial-use space. Building owners will need to collect data (including from tenants) on electric, oil, natural gas, steam, and water usage, and upload that data into the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager system. 5/09 Philadelphia Business Journal

12.  Detroit Lighting Authority to Get First $600,000 Next Week - The authority will get $600,000 on May 15 and another $600,000 in both June and August. The authority, approved by council in February, is charged with crafting a new plan to better illuminate the city as key to improving public safety. 5/06 Detroit Free Press

13.  31st Annual Energy Management Congress West June 19-20, 2013 Las Vegas Convention Center - Taking place at the magnificent Las Vegas Convention Center, the Energy Management Congress (EMC) West is the largest energy conference and technology expo held in the western U.S. specifically for business, industrial and institutional energy users. It brings together the top experts in all areas of the field to help you set a clear, optimum path to energy efficiency, facility optimization and sustainability, as well as innovation solutions to improve your ROI. http://www.energyevent.com/

News Updates for the Week of August 27

1.      Merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy Created Largest U.S. Electric Utility - The July 2, 2012 merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy created the largest electric utility in the United States (measured by number of customers). Now called the Duke Energy Corporation (Duke), the new company has over 7 million retail customers spanning six states. It also owns about 67 gigawatts of generating capacity across the eastern United States. This merger follows the recent merger between Constellation and Exelon, which created the third largest utility in the United States. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=7650

 

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on SNL Energy.

 

2.      Romney Says He Will Introduce Energy Plan Next Week - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney told a luncheon gathering of about 125 people that his No. 1 priority as president would be "to take full advantage of our energy resources." Romney assured his listeners at the high-dollar fundraiser, that he tells Ohio audiences the same thing he tells Texas audiences about the importance of energy. He also said he would be introducing a comprehensive energy plan during a visit to New Mexico next week. 8/21 Houston Chronicle

3.      What Lamps Will Be Phased Out? - Results of a recent survey of energy-efficient lighting professionals across the country in December by Hudson, Wis.-based Precision-Paragon (P2), an online source for lighting retrofit systems and information, reveals the demand for energy-efficient lighting is growing, despite the sluggishness of the recovery of the general U.S. economy and the severe downturn in the construction industry. Although most respondents disclosed they don’t expect growth to occur until after the first quarter of 2012—predicting the second and third quarters will be the most lucrative—they are confident this year will be even better than last year. More than 80% of survey respondents predict increased opportunities for growth, both in the industry as a whole and in their individual companies. http://ecmweb.com/content/what-lamps-will-be-phased-out

4.      NEMA Asks DOE to Set Motor Efficiency Standards - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va., its members who manufacture electric motors and a coalition of other groups filed a petition August 15 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recommending both new and more robust energy-efficiency standards for the types of electric motors used in commercial and industrial applications such as pumps, conveyors, and fans. The petition seeks increased standards for some motors and a significant increase in the scope of motors that will be covered by efficiency standards. http://livewire.electricalmarketing.com/

5.     Bay Bridge to Outshine ‘That Other Bridge’ - Ea rly in 2013, the public will be allowed to revel in The Bay Lights, an art installation that will turn the classically gray Bay Bridge into a spectacular display of flashing, pulsating and moving lights. Created by artist Leo Villareal, the Bay Bridge’s west span will be dressed with more than 25,000 energy-efficient, individually controlled white LED lights that will play out mesmerizing patterns without repeating. The display won’t be a one-night or even six-month event. It will last from dusk to midnight every day for two years. The $8 million project was the brainchild of Ben Davis, the founder of San Francisco’s Words Pictures Ideas creative agency that branded the Bay Bridge east span. http://sfbay.ca/2012/08/19/bay-bridge-to-outshine-that-other-bridge/

6.      City Converts Streetlights to Energy-Saving LEDs - Going block by block, crews in bucket trucks are converting 70,000 city streetlights from sodium vapor lights to long-lasting, energy-saving LEDs. The bright side: Baltimore expects to reap an annual savings of $1.9 million on its electric bill and $275,000 in maintenance costs. Also, advocates say the lights produce less glare and are more focused, meaning less light pollution that drowns out the night stars and can disrupt ecosystems. The dimmer side: Critics say the new lights don't illuminate the area as well. The first phase of the three-year project is about 80 percent completed, with 8,000 new lights in place. Switching the 10,000 city-owned streetlights was the first step. Next up are the lights owned by Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. 8/17 The Baltimore Sun

7.      Connecticut Debuts New Energy Program - State officials have announced the launch of a new program to make sure state buildings use less power, at the same time a Connecticut-wide program to promote residential energy enters its second year. Connecticut's energy savings program for government buildings allows state agencies and municipalities to enter into performance contracting agreements with energy service companies. The program will allow state and local government buildings to get energy-efficiency upgrades with no money paid up front. The cost of the upgrades are paid for through the energy savings that the service companies guarantee to their government clients. 8/10 New Haven Register

 

8.      NORPAC, BPA, and Cowlitz PUD Partner on Largest Ever Northwest Energy Efficiency Project - The project is referred to as a "Chip Pre-Treatment Interstage Screen Project."  Executives from Weyerhaeuser, Nippon Paper Industries, Cowlitz County Public Utility District, and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will gather today at the North Pacific Paper Corporation (NORPAC) facility to celebrate the largest industrial energy efficiency project in BPA history and one of the largest energy efficiency projects in the United States to date. When complete, the project is expected to save 100,000,000 kilowatt-hours per year. The first phase of the project was completed in June 2011 and the second and final phase is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2013. BPA will fund about $21 million and Cowlitz County PUD will contribute up to an additional $3.9 million towards the project. The money contributed by both BPA and Cowlitz comes from their respective conservation funds, which provide financial incentives to their customers for the development and installation of electrical energy savings projects. NORPAC is funding the remaining $35 million of the $60 million project. 8/09 PRNewswire

 

9.      LIGHTFAIR International 2013 Call for Speakers Deadline: September 7 - Submit to speak at the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference OR suggest a speaker or topic that you’d like to see at LIGHTFAIR International (LFI^®). There are 16 tracks to choose from OR you can select OFF TRACK to submit your own idea. http://www.lightfair.com/convdata/lightfair/brochures/lfi2013-cfs-brochure.pdf

10.  Philips and Daintree Take Lighting to the Next Level with Open Standards-based Wireless Lighting Controls - Daintree Networks, Inc. and Philips recently announced an agreement to develop advanced lighting controls products for commercial buildings through the use of open standards such as ZigBee, helping customers to avoid vendor lock-in and ensure that their lighting systems are interoperable today and well into the future. Building owners and managers will have access to a full complement of ZigBee-based products. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/

11.  City Project Helps Cut Energy Costs - From small laundromats and gas stations to residential complexes, Milwaukee Energy Efficiency is signing on city businesses looking to save on the bottom line. The program has 27 projects funded across the city, such as helping gas stations switch to energy-saving LED lights for their canopies. The program, known as ME2, has attracted strong interest for projects that deploy LED technology because the paybacks on the investment is so quick. A maximum of $300,000 is available for a large project that would generate energy savings of at least 25%. 8/15 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

12.  The Search for Energy Takes a Turn Underwater - The fearsome tides that sweep out from the easternmost shores of the United States have for more than 80 years teased engineers and presidents like FDR, who have dreamed of harnessing their force to make electricity. And next week, a device that looks a bit like an eggbeater turned sideways will be lowered into the water here to catch the energy of the rushing water, spinning a generator that, come September, is scheduled to begin sending power to the grid. The first turbine generator unit has a maximum output of 180 kilowatts, which would power about 30 homes. That is one-sixth the output of a typical wind turbine. Workmen lower a turbine to be placed in waters off Eastport, Me.

 

13.  One World Trade Center Under Construction - Virtually every inch of the 16-acre site is under construction, and every day brings new changes to the site, whether it’s the first steel columns for One WTC being raised or the concrete footings being poured for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. http://www.panynj.gov/wtcprogress/progress.html

14.  UL Expands Capacity with New Lab - Underwriters Laboratories (UL), has opened a new 38,000 square-foot laboratory located in Allentown, PA. The Photometric Testing & Technology Center will be a testing and certification hub for all of North America. The lab conducts testing of lighting products to various global energy efficiency programs such as ENERGY STAR, DesignLights Consortium, Lighting Facts, Zhaga, California Energy Commission, CAP (MSHA) and National Resources Canada. The Allentown facility is also globally recognized as one of the first Zhaga-approved testing laboratories and offers testing to various IES standards, including LM-79. http://www.lightnowblog.com/