News Updates for the Week of September 30

1.      How the ESCO Market for Efficiency Can Continue Expanding - Energy savings contracts could be worth $15 billion by the end of the decade. Performance-based contracts have been a boon to the energy efficiency industry. Since 1990, U.S. ESCOs  have grown the market from less than $500 million to more than $5 billion in 2011. And according to a new analysis of the market from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (PDF), revenues will double or even triple from $6.4 billion in 2013 to between $13.3 billion and $15.3 billion by the end of the decade. The average market penetration for all sectors is only 25 percent, so there's plenty of share to grab. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/How-the-ESCO-Market-for-Efficiency-Can-Continue-Expanding

2.   Some Changes for LED Lighting Facts^® - U.S. DOE LED Lighting Facts^® changes have been implemented, which means that manufacturers now have the option of grouping related products as a family and testing only one member of that family, calculating the performance of the other family members based on the performance of that one representative product. Also implemented is a verification testing program to ensure that the performance information posted in LED Lighting Facts remains reliable and accurate. http://www.lightingfacts.com/

3.      LED Lighting Facts^® EE Programs - From this list, you can search for incentive programs that support LED products from across the country. Create a custom summary of incentives using the search criteria provided. The program summary will also identify products from the LED Lighting Facts database that meet the specific EE program criteria. http://www.lightingfacts.com/UtilityPrograms

4.      Residential and Commercial Product Performance Scales - LED Lighting Facts developed residential and commercial product performance scales to help partners evaluate and determine if LED products are appropriate for a given application. The scales compare the performance values for the five metrics identified on the LED Lighting Facts label to performance values of standard lighting technologies. The residential and commercial product performance scales can also be downloaded and printed using the links provided at the top of each page. http://www.lightingfacts.com/Library/Content/PerformanceScales

5.      New DOE SSL Technology Fact Sheet on Lifetime and Reliability - The U.S. DOE has come out with a new SSL Technology Fact Sheet, Lifetime and Reliability, to help users gain a better understanding of typical causes for LED product failures, the difference between lifetime and reliability, and methods for measuring and reporting lifetime and reliability.  LED system performance is more affected by interactions between system components than most conventional lighting systems. The failure of any system component—not just the array of LED packages, but also the electronics, thermal management, optics, wires, connectors, or seals, for example—can lead to product failure.  www.ssl.energy.gov/factsheets.html

6.      The Right Light: Color Tuning by Craig DiLouie - The advent of LED lighting has led to possibilities with color control that either did not exist previously or were difficult or costly to implement. Many LED luminaires are available with out-of-the-box dimming capability with a negligible cost adder. For the lighting to have color tuning capability, either separately dimmable arrays of warm and cool LEDs are mixed, or separately dimmable colors are mixed with white. This makes it possible for color temperature to either automatically change at various times of the day or in response to certain events, or users can manually adjust the color temperature based on evolving space needs or occupant preference. http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/right-light-color-tuning

7.      Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines - The DOE is working with the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and industry stakeholders to develop voluntary national guidelines that will improve the quality and consistency of commercial building workforce credentials for five key energy-related jobs: Energy Auditor, Commissioning Practitioner, Building/Stationary Engineer, Facilities Manager, and Energy Manager. https://www4.eere.energy.gov/workforce/projects/workforceguidelines

8.      BCAP 2012 Annual Report - The 2012 Annual Report for the Building Codes Assistance Project.  Includes the status of BCAP and codes today, major projects in 2012, new projects for 2013, BCAP's services offered, financial information, and more. http://energycodesocean.org/resource/bcap-2012-annual-report

9.   Energy Efficiency Legislation Delayed Indefinitely - The postponement of Shaheen-Portman raises questions about whether Senate leadership will reconsider the measure in the coming months, especially with other important upcoming legislative items looming in the queue, including the reauthorization of defense, agricultural programs and extension of the debt ceiling. http://www.usgbc.org

10.  Philips and Staples to Sell Energy-Efficient LED Lighting - Staples is the first office supply retailer to offer a broad range of Philips' most popular ENERGY STAR-rated LED bulbs with instant utility rebates (where available) at over 360 stores. In addition to over 20 Energy-Star qualified bulbs, which include the industry leading Philips 60, 75 and 100-watt LED equivalents, the revolutionary Philips Hue lighting system will also be available to Staples customers. Earlier this year the company started selling its Hue LED control system in Apple stores. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/philips-staples-easy-more-affordable-130000847.html

11.  Lighting: Energy Savings with No Regrets - http://www.facilitiesnet.com

• Part 1: Lighting Quality Is Often Overlooked In Commercial Building Lighting Upgrades

• Part 2: Harsh Lighting, Glare Among Quality Concerns In Commercial Lighting

• Part 3: Lighting Controls, Occupant Involvement Are Big Pieces Of Successful Lighting Projects

12.  What's New in the CA Title 24 2013 Code? - Changes to the mandatory Title 24 lighting requirements take effect in 2014. The changes in California’s new Building Energy Efficiency Standards improve the energy efficiency of homes by 25 percent and make nonresidential buildings 30 percent more efficient than the previous 2008 standards. This brief guide offers an overview of important requirements and major updates to the lighting code. http://cltc.ucdavis.edu/publication/whats-new-title24-2013-code

News Updates for the Week of June 24

1.      ACEEE: Energy Efficiency Still Cheaper Than New Generation - Energy efficiency programs continue to be the lowest-cost resource for utilities. Efficiency programs cost around 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with 7 cents and more for new generation, the organization said—meaning investments in energy efficiency continue to be an effective way to keep rates down for customers.The numbers came out of the ACEEE report "Leaders of the Pack: Utility Energy Efficiency Programs Innovate, Evolve, and Expand," released on June 20. The organization conducted similar reviews in 2003 and 2008 to publicize effective utility energy efficiency programs. http://aceee.org/blog/2013/06/leaders-pack-utility-energy-efficienc

2.      UL Expands Zhaga Testing Capabilities For LED Light Source Interchangeability - Underwriters Laboratories (UL) recently announced that it has been named an authorized testing laboratory for three new Zhaga Books—Zhaga Interface Specification Book 4: high-intensity LED light engines; Zhaga Interface Specification Book 7: indoor light engines with separate electronic control gear; and Zhaga Interface Specification Book 8: socketable LED light engine with integrated control gear (85 mm base). http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/offerings/industries/lighting/index.jsp

3.      Los Angeles Has Swapped Out 140,000 Street Lights for Highly Efficient LEDs - A move that could save the city $10 million annually. The effort was the largest such street LED light replacement program in the world. The replacement program cost an estimated $57 million over the four years. It was funded through a $40 million loan and $16 million in rebate funds. Since Los Angeles started the program, the practice of mass conversion to LED has been sweeping across the country. In 2012, Baltimore completed its conversion of 70,000 street lights, which saves roughly $2 million a year. Portland, OR is launching a retrofit this year. Other major cities like San Francisco, San Antonio and Seattle are looking into swapping street lights as well. 6/20 The Daily Beast

4.      Hawaii Vows to More Than Double Energy Savings - Hawaii wants to more than double the energy it saves over the next two years by retrofitting government buildings with new lighting, air conditioning and other energy saving equipment. The plan is expected to cost about $300 million which will be paid for by savings gleaned from reducing energy use. Potential targets include Hawaii's 15 airports, the public safety department's prisons and jails, 30 buildings on the University of Hawaii at Hilo's campus and Honolulu's largest wastewater treatment plants. 6/14 AP

5.     Valoya Claims Additional Benefits for LEDs in Horticulture, Bees Like SSL - LED grow-light manufacturer Valoya has announced that horticultural research focused on growing tomatoes under artificial lighting at PlantResearch in Made, Netherlands has revealed additional benefits attributed to solid-state lighting (SSL) technology. The study revealed that the pollinator bumble bees, which are necessary for crops such as tomatoes and strawberries, are very active under SSL whereas with legacy high-pressure sodium (HPS) sources, the bees are only active when there is also some level of natural light. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/6/13

6.      Walgreens to Expand Solar Energy Installations to More Than 200 Stores - Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain, together with Chicago-based solar developer SoCore Energy, today said they will build more than 200 new solar installations at Walgreens drugstores throughout California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. This latest expansion will bring the number of completed solar installations at Walgreens stores to more than 350, making the company the leading retailer in number of solar powered stores. 6/19 BUSINESS WIRE

7.     The LED Show Named the Top 25 Fast-Growth Shows in EXPO’s Annual List for 2013 - The LED Show 2013, offers an intense two day conference with a pre-conference workshop.  The conference will deliver education on a broad spectrum of essential LED technologies, trends and innovations. Speakers will reveal new technological advances for LEDs in manufacturing, design, testing, color definitions, controls, and final assembly. The latest in LED fixtures from multiple sources are featured on the exhibit floor enabling attendees to make informed specifying or purchasing decisions. http://www.theledshow.com/conference.html

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP: AUGUST 13, 2013
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION: AUGUST 14 - 15, 2013
RIO ALL SUITE HOTEL & CASINO 
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

 

8.      May Delivers Robust Existing-Home Sales - On the heels of promising housing starts figures from last month, May's existing-home sales also experienced a sizeable year-over-year bump, according to the National Association of Realtors.  May's total existing-home sales rose 4.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.18 million, up from 4.97 million in April and delivering growth of 12.9% from May 2012's 4.59 million rate. This is the highest it's been since the tax stimulus of November 2009, with sales staying above year-ago levels for the past 23 months. 6/20 HCN

News Updates for the Week of May 6

1.      The Path to 80 Percent Market Share for LED Lights - Increased competition, steady cost reductions and improved technology performance are putting the LED lighting industry on a path to securing an 80 percent market share for lighting by 2020.With revenues flattening out in the broader LED market, lighting technologies will become a more important focus for manufacturers. This will put pressure on traditional lighting companies like Philips and Osram, which are also investing heavily in LEDs. The lighting industry has been relatively stable for the last 100 years. But the emergence of cost-competitive LEDs has caused a "paradigm shift" in the lighting industry that has "changed everything." Historically, the incumbents had an edge in lighting manufacturing because of the specialized glass furnaces needed for traditional bulbs. But high-volume LED production has allowed new entrants to enter the market, eating away at the share for traditional lighting companies. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/The-Path-to-an-80-Percent-Market-Share-for-LED-Lights

2.   High-Performance LED Street Lighting Using Microlens Arrays - An efficient LED lamp that illuminates the street with high quality is presented. The luminaire shows high optical efficiency, high optical utilization factor, low glare, and illuminates the street with high uniformity. The concept is simple but effective: a cluster of LEDs with TIR lenses are put inside a reflective box, which is covered with a microlens sheet; the reflective cavity improves efficiency by light recycling; each TIR lens collimates the LED light for the microlens array; and the microlens sheet uniformly distributes light only into the street. In this context, LED luminaires have the potential to deliver precise light patterns to maximize illumination performance by directing light to the appropriate area. http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/fulltext.cfm?uri=oe-21-9-10612&id=253009

3.     LIGHTFAIR^® International Presentations Posted - 2013 DOE training session presentations:  http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/news_detail.html?news_id=19174

4.    DOE Publishes Updated SSL R&D Plan - The U.S. DOE has published the April 2013 edition of the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). This year's new, streamlined edition provides a description of the activities the Department plans to undertake over the next several years to implement its SSL mission, and informs the development of annual SSL R&D funding opportunities. The MYPP reviews SSL technology status and trends for both LEDs and organic LEDs (OLEDs) and offers an overview of the current DOE SSL R&D project portfolio. Significant updates to the Technology Research and Development Plan include revised efficiency projections, priorities, task descriptions, and metrics to align DOE targets with progress made to date and industry trends. To download a PDF of the 2013 MYPP:www.ssl.energy.gov/techroadmaps.html

5.   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. Download a PDF of the report: www.ssl.energy.gov/tech_reports.html

6.   US Survey: Nearly Half of New Lighting Projects Use Automated Controls - All the major LED companies are focusing on implementing intelligent platforms for controlling lighting fixtures in industrial and commercial buildings. A range of new partnerships are being formed to make it easier for LED manufacturers to produce "intelligence-ready" products, which may also create new opportunities for setting modern communications standards in lighting. Lights offer the perfect entry point for building intelligence. They see themselves as far more than lighting companies. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/survey-nearly-half-of-new-lighting-projects-use-automated-controls

7.    Reminder: Webinar on LED Street Lighting Case Studies - On Wednesday, May 8, DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium will host a 90-minute live webinar entitled Member Case Studies: LED Street Lighting Programs in Algona (IA), Asheville (NC), and Boston (MA).The webinar will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. EDT (10:00 a.m. PDT) and will include a 60-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session with attendees. IES continuing education credits will be offered. To register, visit the DOE SSL website

8.   Armstrong-Area PA Small Businesses Plug in Energy Savings - Area grocery stores have brightened up by going green thanks to a cost and energy-saving program offered throughout the region by West Penn Power. The program has helped small businesses reduce energy costs while increasing efficiency with new LED lighting in all the refrigerated cases and new interior and exterior lights. Under contract with West Penn Power, it pays up to 80 percent of the project cost to area grocery stores through the Small Business Direct Install Program. The Ecobrite LEDs lining the refrigerated cases don't emit any heat and are 28 watts compared to the old tubes which were 110 watts. 4/26 Leader-Times

9.   Intelligent Efficiency: Innovations Reshaping the Energy Efficiency Market - This new paradigm is already reshaping the way we think about energy efficiency. All around us, embedded in every commercial building, manufacturing facility and corporate campus, is a vast, untapped energy resource: efficiency. In the past, that resource was hidden, ignored or misunderstood by the companies sitting on the potential, and recognized only by a small group of energy professionals. But with dramatic advances in web-based monitoring, real-time data analytics and utilities using peak pricing, that hidden resource is now becoming something tangible--an asset that companies can measure, manage, procure and sell. This emerging approach to energy efficiency is information-driven. It is granular. And it is empowering consumers and businesses to turn energy from a cost into an asset. We call this new paradigm "intelligent efficiency."  http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/intelligent-efficiency-innovations-reshaping-the-energy-efficiency-market