News Updates for the Week of March 17

 1.     LEDs Chart a New Path for Tunnel Lighting - LEDs are proving their benefits in most outdoor area lighting applications, but the point sources integrated in solid-state lighting fixtures are an especially good match for tunnel applications. The words "dark" and "dingy" appropriately describe many highway tunnels around the world. So when you see a tunnel that is brightly illuminated, with no shadows or dark spots, you may wonder why all tunnels are not well lit. In fact, new installations in many parts of the world demonstrate that well-specified LED tunnel lighting helps a driver's eyes adjust easily and quickly, keeps disruptive maintenance to a minimum, and saves energy while improving light quality. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/print/volume-11/issue-2/features/ssl-outdoor-ssl/leds-chart-a-new-path-for-tunnel-lighting-magazine.html

2.      NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index Gains Traction During Fourth Quarter - Increasing by 1.8 percent compared to the previous quarter. The index increased 4.7 percent on a year-over-year basis. Index components for emergency lighting, fixtures and miniature lamps posted gains, while ballasts and large lamps retreated q/q. Overall performance during calendar year 2013 placed the index nearly 17 percent above the depressed level of the recession during 2009. http://www.nema.org/News/Pages/Lighting-Systems-Index-Gains-Traction-During-Fourth-Quarter.aspx

3.      The ENERGY STAR Lighting Road Mapping Web Page Is Now Live - The page offers meeting materials including a high level summary of discussions from the January 30, 2014 meeting at NEMA headquarters. Stakeholders can visit at: www.energystar.gov/products/specs/lightingroadmapping To facilitate ongoing engagement on the topics addressed in the first meeting, Alex Boesenerg of NEMA will be setting a series of conference calls, beginning March 27, 2014 from 1:30-3:00pm ET. If you are interested in participating, contact Alex.Boesenberg@nema.org

4.      DOE Announces $10 Million Funding Opportunity for Innovative Commercial Building Technologies - To help demonstrate and deploy energy-efficiency technologies for commercial buildings, including projects that will bring next-generation building systems and components to a broader market faster. Under this opportunity (DE-FOA-0001084) , DOE seeks to fund demonstration and deployment activities for technologies that are ready for market. Applicants must submit a concept paper by March 31, 2014, in order to be eligible to submit a full application by May 19. More information can be found at https://eere-exchange.energy.gov

5.      DOE Announces New Energy Efficiency Standards for MH Luminaires by Craig Dilouie - The U.S. DOE recently issued new energy efficiency standards for ballasts sold as part of new metal halide luminaires. (To be clear, replacement ballasts are not covered.) The new rules strengthen current standards while expanding their scope, and will affect availability of 50-1000W luminaires. The deadline for compliance is Feb. 10, 2017. The new DOE energy efficiency standards will shake up the metal halide category, promoting efficient pulse-start options, particularly electronic ballasts. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/doe-announces-new-energy-efficiency-standards-for-mh-luminaires/ http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/49

6.    UL Launches Enhanced Type TL LED Driver Certification Program - UL has announced an addition to its UL Recognized Component Program that is meant to simplify the process of modular LED driver selection for solid-state lighting (SSL) product development teams. The optional Type TL Program places some minimum requirements on modular LED drivers that would allow a luminaire manufacturer more flexibility in swapping from one driver to an alternative assuming both had the Type TL certification. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2014/03/ul-launches-enhanced-type-tl-led-driver-certification-program.html

7.      Totally Tubular: Linear LEDs - With an urgent demand for energy efficiency, lighting continues to stake its claim as a solution. T8 and T5 fluorescents—both important evolutions in improved lamps and ballasts—have been landmark offerings and have successfully illuminated interior spaces for decades. Now lighting installers have a new option: a number of major and smaller lighting companies offer linear LED tubes, some with retrofit kits.  Their chief advantage has been their lumens-per-watt, sometimes bettering high-quality fluorescent lamps. http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/totally-tubular-linear-leds

8.      Staples Buying into LED Lighting - The decision did not come without a great deal of research and testing, after which the company realized that LED technology could provide the most effective option for its needs at its corporate headquarters, a 650,000-square-foot building in Framingham, Mass. Staples replaced more than 150 parking lot lighting fixtures in its three parking lots—two employee lots and one for visitors—on campus. The project resulted in a 14 percent energy reduction from the retrofit and was so successful that the company is rolling out LED retrofits elsewhere at its corporate headquarters, as well as at Staples facilities nationwide.  http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Staples-Buying-Into-LED-Lighting--14821

9.      2014 Star of EE Award Nominations - The deadline for the Alliance’s Star of Energy Efficiency Awards competition closes Friday, March 28th. These prestigious awards honor those entities who have demonstrated a significant and tangible commitment to the cause of energy efficiency. This year’s awards will be presented September 24, 2014 in Washington, DC at the Alliance to Save Energy’s 22nd Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner. http://www.ase.org/dinner/nomination

10.  tED Magazine Celebrating Its 50th Anniversary - As part of the celebration, tED magazine will have a special section each month throughout 2014. They are also asking for your contributions to a year-long series of stories. As a first step, they are asking that you to visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tedmagazine or Twitter page at www.twitter.com/tedmagazine

11.  Smarter, Brighter, Faster, Stronger - In a fast-evolving industry full of data with few who understand it, Lumigent provides clients with the tools to become their own lighting experts with its audit-to-proposal platform. What Lumigent offers is software that makes lighting specifications and report-generation quick and easy so that building owners can more easily understand the benefits of implementing an energy-efficient lighting and controls project.  http://gbdmagazine.com/2014/26-lumigent/

 

      12.  This Is What Lighting Will Look Like in the Future Thanks to OLED Technology - OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) is an extremely thin light emitting technology already making its way into cell phones, televisions and other electronics. How soon the technology will be more affordable is unknown. Here is a YouTube video showing the Plus Pendant in action: http://www.designntrend.com/articles/11500/20140310/this-is-what-lighting-will-look-like-in-the-future-thanks-to-oled-technology.htm

13.  Better Materials for OLED Lighting - LEDs have been replacing traditional lighting at a rapid pace, offering longer life, more efficiency, lower cost, etc. OLED lighting promises to complement LED lighting by offering better color performance, power efficiency, unique shapes and designs, as well as a thin, lower weight and elegant profile. To enable OLED technology in this emerging lighting market, there is a need to replace traditional materials with new, better-performing materials such as silver nanowires. See more at: http://www.ledjournal.com/main/blogs/better-materials-for-oled-lighting/#more-9722

14.  UV-LED Advancements Extend the Promise in Curing - The year 2013 witnessed an expansion of LED usage in UV curing applications with higher-power emitters enabling faster cure times across a variety of life science and industrial applications. http://www.ledsmagazine.com

News Updates for the Week of March 10

1.      DOE Publishes CALiPER Snapshot Report on LED MR16 Lamps – This report utilizes the LED Lighting Facts^® program's extensive product database to help industry stakeholders understand the current state and trajectory of the market for that class of products. The key findings are available for download at: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/snapshot2014_mr16.pdf

2.      DOE Publishes Special CALiPER Report on Retail Lamps - A special report on LED lamps available through the retail marketplace and targeted toward general consumers. The report follows similar reports published in 2011 and 2012. LED replacement lamps are available through many retail outlets, and CALiPER testing offers insights on performance trends from year to year.  For the new report, a total of 46 A19, PAR30, and MR16 lamps were purchased from retail stores in 2013. Instead of a random sample, the products were chosen to answer specific hypotheses about performance. The key findings are available for download at:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/caliper_retail-lamps-study3.pdf

3.      Toshiba International Corporation Announces Lighting Business Reorganization - Toshiba Lighting and Technology Corporation (TLT), headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, is responsible for Toshiba’s global lighting businesses and is implementing a reorganization of international operations. As a result, the LED Lighting Systems Division within TIC will discontinue most operations by March 31, 2014. The headquarters’ responsibility for Toshiba Lighting in the Americas will be transferred to Greenstar Lighting Products Inc. located in San Antonio, Texas. Greenstar is a wholly owned subsidiary of TLT. In the Americas, these changes include:

• Transfer of U.S. street lighting operations to Greenstar; 
• De-emphasis of lamps and light bulb products 
• Increased focus on professional grade street and outdoor lighting systems

https://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2010_12/pr2402.htm

4.      Transforming the Lighting Landscape - The L Prize competition will substantially accelerate America's shift from inefficient, dated lighting products to innovative, high-performance products. Just as Thomas Edison transformed illumination over a century ago, the L Prize will drive innovation and set "reach" performance goals for the industry. Sponsored by the U.S. Doe, the L Prize is the first government-sponsored technology competition designed to spur lighting manufacturers to develop high-quality, high-efficiency solid-state lighting products that set leading-edge performance benchmarks for industry. http://www.lightingprize.org/

5.      NEMA Commends House Passage of Energy Efficiency Improvement Act - The U.S. House of Representatives has strong support of energy efficiency and the role it plays in addressing our domestic energy needs by passing HR 2126, the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act, by a vote of 375-36.  Key provisions of HR 2126 at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/fact-sheet/energy-efficiency-improvement-act-2014

6.      Top 10 LEED States of 2013 - The USGBC released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system. The list highlights the regions around the country that are at the forefront of sustainable building design and transformation. The States in 2013 include: Illinois; Maryland; Virginia; Massachusetts; New York;  California; Oregon; North Carolina; Hawaii; Minnesota; Washington DC (not ranked as it is a federal district). http://www.edcmag.com/articles/95477-top-10-leed-states-in-us

7.      Shopping for Light Bulbs - -Beginning in 2012, everyday light bulbs have to meet new Department of Energy standards for how much energy they use. Bulbs that don't will be phased out over the next couple of years. Along with this move to more efficient bulbs comes a new way to shop for them. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0164-shopping-light-bulbs

8.      New Research Finds Solar Jobs Growing Quickly Across Surprising Mix of States - The solar industry experienced record-breaking job growth across the U.S. last year, according to The Solar Foundation (TSF), an independent 501(c)(3) research and education nonprofit. TSF released new state-specific numbers that show major solar job gains in both traditional and burgeoning markets. California and Arizona continued to lead the way. http://thesolarfoundation.org/solarstates http://ecmweb.com/contractor/new-research-finds-solar-jobs-growing-quickly-across-surprising-mix-states

News Updates for the Week of March 3

1.      2013 Outdoor Competition Winners - Next Generation Luminaires congratulates the winners of the 2013 Solid-State Lighting Design Competition! Twenty-six commercial LED outdoor lighting products received awards for excellence, including six Best-in-Class winners. The judging panel selected the luminaires on the basis of color quality, appropriate illuminance, light distribution, glare control, appearance, serviceability, value, and energy efficiency and lumen maintenance. The awards event took place during the 2014 Strategies in Light Conference on February 27, 2014. http://www.ngldc.org/13/outdoor/winners.stm Best in Class:

2.      Voters Overwhelmingly Support Energy Efficiency - The poll released by NEMA and NAM commissioned by McLaughlin & Associates, found that 9 in 10 likely voters support energy efficiency as a key part of the solution addressing our energy challenges. Results showed a desire for greater adoption of efficient technologies throughout our economy, including the federal government, where tax dollars can be saved. A national survey among 1,000 likely voters clearly illustrates broad support for energy efficiency that cuts across demographic and political lines. Two-thirds are more likely to vote a candidate for Congress who supports energy efficiency policies. http://www.nema.org/Policy/Documents/National-NEMA-NAM-Memo.pdf

3.      ASE Test Develops Industry's First SSL Test System - ASE Test, a division of Automation South Electronics, has developed the industry's first automated test system that is specifically designed for quickly testing the electrical performance of LED drivers, LED arrays and LED fixtures. Designated the ASE SSL 3.0 Test System, this flexible test system can be used for design, design validation and volume manufacturing testing to verify quality of production.  http://www.asetest.net/

4.      Indoor Lighting Can Affect Decision Making - Facility managers may want to take care while adjusting indoor lighting. According to new research, the way a room is lit can affect decision making, with bright light acting is a possible catalyst for more intense emotions.  Researcher Alison Jing Xu says the effect bright light has on our emotional system may be the result of the light being perceived as heat, and the perception of heat can trigger our emotions. The majority of everyday decisions are also made under bright light. So turning down the light may help people make more rational decisions. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740813001174

5.      Hubbell Lighting Launches Lighting Upgrade Program for Colleges and Universities - Hubbell Lighting announced a new energy efficient lighting program to cut electricity costs by 84%, enhance the quality of light and reduce the financial risk of upgrades. The initiative, called createchange® consists of two innovative offerings from Hubbell Lighting: 

• A suite of unique audit tools and other product selection resources that allow schools to precisely forecast the economic impact of various lighting retrofit strategies and identify any utility rebates that are available.
• A 90-day risk-free trial program called "Compare in the Air", which allows customers to validate cost saving estimates in buildings or outdoor environments with up to four Hubbell Lighting products. http://www.hubbelllighting.com/solutions/retrofit/applications/education

6.      CUNY Gets ARPA-E funding for Metacapacitors for LED Lighting - City University of New York (CUNY) Energy Institute is developing less expensive, more efficient, smaller, and longer-lasting power converters for energy-efficient LED lights. LEDs need more sophisticated converters because they require a different type of power (low-voltage direct current, or DC) than what's generally supplied by power outlets. CUNY Energy Institute is developing sophisticated power converters for LEDs that contain capacitors made from new, nanoscale materials. http://www.arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=arpa-e-projects/metacapacitors-led-lighting