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 January 6

      1.      Colorful Start to 2014 Planned at Times Square - The sign, made by lighting company Philips, will light up the "14" in multiple colors using 207 LED bulbs which have more than 16 million color options each. A global TV audience of over one billion viewers is expected to watch this year's New Year's Eve Times Square celebration.

2.      NEMA Publishes ANSI_ANSLG C78.901-2013 American National Standard for Electric Lamps—Single-Based Fluorescent Lamps—Dimensional and Electrical Characteristics -ANSI_ANSLG C78.901 sets forth the physical and electrical characteristics required to assure interchangeability and to assist in the proper application of single-based fluorescent lamps. Single-based compact fluorescent lamps, both self-supporting and those requiring auxiliary support, are specified. Information for luminaire design is given for certain lamp types.  http://www.nema.org/

3.      Luminaire Manufacturing Industry Valued at $10 Billion - IBISWorld’s Lighting Fixtures Manufacturing Market Research Report (NAICS 33512), published in October 2013, provides an analysis of the commercial and residential luminaire industry. Valuing the industry at $10 billion in sales, the report forecasts growth due to healthy prospects for residential construction and government intervention driving demand for energy-efficient lighting. The four largest manufacturers represent about 45% of industry revenue. http://www.lightnowblog.com

4.      This is Your Brain on Lighting - “Cognitive & Emotional Responses to Lighting: THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON LIGHTING” is an excellent whitepaper about psychological responses to light (and lighting), written by Robert G. Davis, PhD, FIES, Director, Product Innovation & Marketing for Litecontrol. The whitepaper covers what we currently know and don’t know, summarizing a wide range of research. http://www.litecontrol.com/emotional-responses-to-lighting

5.      NEMA Reports LED A-Lamp Shipments Increased 71.9% in 3Q13 - NEMA’s index for LED A-line replacement lamps increased for the second consecutive quarter in Q3 2013. Shipments rose 60.2 percent on a year-over-year basis. Halogen A-line lamp shipments improved as well, eclipsing the level during the same period last year by 140.7 percent. Sales of incandescent A-line lamps returned to positive territory during the quarter, following declines in the previous three quarters, advancing by 16.2 percent. However, the index declined 14.8 percent versus Q3 2012. The index for CFLs dipped on both a quarterly and annual basis, declining by 2.8 and 11.2 percent, respectively. www.nema.org

6.      Demand for Lighting Equipment Slips During Third Quarter - NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index subsided from a five year high posted in the previous quarter, decreasing by 1.6 percent on a quarter-to-quarter (q/q) basis during 2013Q3. However, demand remains robust compared to a year ago. On a year-over-year basis, lighting equipment shipments improved for the fourth consecutive quarter, increasing by 4.7 percent. Miniature lamps were the only component of the index in positive territory, while fixtures, emergency lighting, large lamps and ballasts declined q/q. www.nema.org

7.      2014 DOE Solid-State Lighting R&D Workshop January 28–30, 2014 • Tampa, Florida -  Join DOE at the 11th annual SSL R&D workshop. This gathering of SSL R&D professionals is where industry, government, and academia meet to learn, share, and shape the future of lighting. View the workshop agenda: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/rdworkshop14-agenda.pdf Register at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/rdworkshop14.html

8.      LED Phosphor Intellectual Property (IP) LED Phosphors and Down-Converters Patent Investigation Report 2013 - Phosphor IP is a major force in the LED industry. With more than 40 litigation cases, it is also used as leverage by companies which have negotiated close to 70 licensing and supply agreements to date. The report identifies the key players with the most relevant IP. It provides an overview of phosphor related IP litigation and licensing, that has shaped the industry since the mid-90s, as well as a detailed analysis for the major players involved. For more info: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/m3ikev4/led_phosphor_intellectual_property_ip_led_p  

      9.      Solar May Reach 49 Gigawatts in 2014 - http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/

10.  Ford to Debut C-Max Solar Concept Car at Consumer Electronics Show - Ford plans to unveil at this month's International CES gadget show a solar-powered concept car that offers the same performance as a plug-in hybrid but without the need for a plug. The C-MAX Solar Energi Concept car uses a gasoline engine combined with a gizmo that acts like a magnifying glass to concentrate the sun's rays on the vehicle's roof-mounted solar panels. The automaker says the vehicle's estimated combined city-highway mileage is 100 mpg. 1/02 LA Times

News Updates for the Week of December 9

1.      DOE Announces Funding Opportunity for Solid-State Lighting R&D - The U.S. DOE announced a solid-state lighting (SSL) R&D funding opportunity on December 6, 2013. Under this funding opportunity (DE-FOA-0000973, “Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technologies R&D – 2014”), a total of up to $10 million in funding is directed toward all three existing DOE SSL R&D program areas: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/foa_12-2013.html

• Core Technology Research 
• Product Development
• U.S. Manufacturing

DOE will select up to 10 projects. Concept papers are due by January 8, 2014, and applications are due by February 24, 2014. For more information, visit https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/.

2.      DOE Publishes CALiPER Snapshot Report on LED A Lamps - The U.S. Department of Energy's CALiPER program has released a Snapshot Report on LED A lamps, which 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 mean efficacy of all A lamps listed by LED Lighting Facts has steadily increased, and is now at 69 lm/W. Full report at: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/snapshot2013_a-lamp.pdf

      3.      Inefficient Incandescent Light-Bulb Phase-Out Complete 1/1/2014 - The National Lighting Bureau, Silver Spring, Md., is marking the end of the iconic incandescent A-lamp, which will no longer be manufactured after Dec. 31, 2013 when the 60W and 40W versions go off the market. About 8.2 billion light bulbs and tubes–known collectively as “lamps”–are installed in the United States. Of these, some 5.8 billion are located in homes and other residential facilities and 2.1 billion are installed in commercial buildings. http://nlb.org/index.cfm?cdid=10988&pid=10213&&cl=article_3

      4.      Opportunities for the LED Luminaire Supply Chain 2012-2018 - LEDs are being increasingly used across a wide range of applications including portable electronics, TV backlighting, solid state lighting and also in automotive. This is an evolving market as LED efficacy continues to improve and the packaging and assembly market has to adapt accordingly. The report reviews the developments driving the future requirements for thermal interface and other relevant materials in the assembly and packaging supply chain and analyses the cost performance benefits of the various packaging technologies to determine the potential opportunities for the supply chain over the next five years. For more information click on: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/mejqz14/opportunities_for_the_led_luminaire_supply_ch  

5.      USA High Efficiency Lighting Market Worth $11.7B by 2017 - The US market for high efficiency lighting continues to adjust to the provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, which is leading to a phase-out of incandescent lamps and supporting demand for products such as LEDs and CFLs. Technological innovations that are improving the performance of LEDs and many types of high efficiency lamps are also supporting demand. The market for energy efficient linear fluorescent lamps will also register strong growth, supported by heightened penetration of T5 and T8 lamps, in place of less efficient T12 products. http://www.ciol.com/ciol/news/202406/us-efficiency-lighting-market-worth-usd117-bn-2017-report

 

6.      ENERGY STAR Lighting Road Mapping Meeting January 30, 2014  The U.S. EPA and NEMA welcome lighting stakeholders to a rescheduled initial road mapping discussion on January 30, 2014 from 1:00 – 5:00PM EST at NEMA headquarters in Rosslyn, VA. This meeting is expected to be the first in a series intended to facilitate engagement on ENERGY STAR lighting topics. A draft agenda is attached, and RSVP via email by December 30, 2013 to Alex Boesenberg at Alex.Boesenberg@nema.org

7.      Duke Energy Offers Holiday Lighting Calculator, Information to Help Save Energy and Money - Customers can estimate their holiday lighting costs using a calculator on Duke Energy's website: www.duke-energy.com/lightscalculator 12/02 PRNewswire

8.      Utility Donating Light Bulbs to WVA Pantries - West Virginia food pantries are getting a non-edible donation from Appalachian Power. The Huntington Area Food Bank will receive 44,000 energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs from the utility Wednesday. The bulbs will be distributed in packages of four to 11,000 West Virginia families through multiple food pantries. The partnership is part of the utility's GridSMART energy efficiency initiative, which helps inform people on ways to manage energy use, save money and protect the environment. 12/03 AP

9.      FPL Installs More Than 150 State-Of-The-Art Streetlights to Help Brighten West Palm Beach - Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) completed its first commercial energy-efficient streetlight installation project. Since October, FPL has installed 166 light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights in the City of West Palm Beach's Coleman Park neighborhood, located just north of downtown. Through 2014, the city plans to convert approximately 1,100 additional streetlights to LED technology in various neighborhoods. 12/02 PRNewswire

10.  Obstruction Lighting - Global Strategic Business Report 2013 - Global market for obstruction lighting is expected to remain buoyant supported by the growing need for aircraft warning lights against a backdrop of rise in construction of tall structures such as skyscrapers, telecom towers, refineries, and growing number of wind turbines and wind farms across the world. The market also stands to gain from the replacement of traditional incandescent fixtures with energy efficient LED obstruction lights that consume lesser energy and are easy to install. Advanced fixtures featuring built-in power module, GPS Synchronizer and controller are also gaining prominence in the market. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2010 through 2018. More information at: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/mdvz9j6/obstruction_lighting_global_strategic_busin  

11.  Lighting Research Center Releases Report on Plasma Lighting - Plasma lighting systems, also known as electrodeless high-intensity discharge (HID), light-emitting plasma (LEP), high-efficiency plasma (HEP), or advanced plasma lighting (APL) are emerging in the marketplace primarily for high-bay and outdoor lighting applications. This National Lighting Product Information Program (NLPIP) report, Lighting Answers: Plasma Lighting Systems, helps lighting specifiers to understand plasma lighting systems and their performance characteristics, including light output, system efficacy, color characteristics, lumen maintenance, and rated life. This report also provides information about operating orientation, dimming, warm-up, and restrike times, electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/nlpip/publicationDetails.asp?id=936&type=2

      12.  ASHRAE/IES Publish 2013 Energy Standard 90.1-2013 - Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, incorporates 110 addenda, reflecting changes made through the public review process. Appendix F gives brief descriptions and publication dates of the addenda to 90.1-2010 reflected in this new edition. The most significant lighting changes include improvements to daylighting and daylighting controls, space-by-space lighting power density limits, thresholds for toplighting and revised controls requirements and format. Shop at IES for best prices: http://www.ies.org/store/product/energy-standard-for-buildings-brexcept-lowrise-residential-building-1307.cfm

13.  NEMA BL 3-2013 Dimming Ballast Energy Performance - Provides a methodology for applying existing test methods for program start ballasts to fluorescent dimming ballasts and provides a way to calculate BLE for fluorescent dimming ballasts. This standard offers BLE limits for ballasts of common four-foot bipin lamps, such as T8 and T5 lamps, that are not covered by the most recent Federal Rulemaking. http://www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/Dimming-Ballast-Energy-Performance.aspx

      14.  Build a Greener Adirondacks (BAGA) - The older housing stock and cold winters in the Adirondacks mean that even more energy is wasted in this region than in others. The Build a Greener Adirondacks (BAGA) conference and workshops provide information for local contractors, builders, code officers and others in the building trade to learn more about how new building technologies and ideas can erase energy waste for home owners and allow builders to offer real options for their clients. The BAGA conference on January 30th and GPRO training on January 29th are great places to join your fellow building professionals in learning what works in the Adirondacks. http://www.wildcenter.org/baga