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 August 12

1.      Call for Nominations: 2014 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award - The U.S. EPA invites your feedback on candidate technologies for the 2014 ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award. www.energystar.gov/emergingtech The deadline to submit nominations is October 4, 2013. The ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award was created to raise the profile of innovative technologies that may not yet meet key principles associated with the ENERGY STAR program (e.g. widely available, cost-effective), but have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions once they are more widely adopted. As products in these categories become more mainstream, the relevant product categories then become candidates for ENERGY STAR specification development. Nominations should be sent to emergingtech@energystar.gov.

2.      Luminaires Verification Testing: Proposal to Reduce Duplicate Light Source Testing - The U.S. EPA is proposing to reduce duplicate testing of the same light source during verification testing for luminaires by directing certification bodies (CBs) to share test data for light sources used in multiple luminaires. This proposal is to address manufacturer concerns about duplicate light source testing. Share any questions or concerns about this policy with EPA by sending your comments to Certification@energystar.gov no later than August 30, 2013.

3.      BARRON TRACE*LITE Lights Up the Washington Monument - The National Park Service hosted a special ceremony to light the Washington National Monument as it undergoes repairs from damages caused by the 2011 earthquake. The Monument lights up each night at dusk, with 488 LED TRACE*LITE fixtures manufactured by Barron Lighting Group. Sensors were installed that will illuminate the national icon each night until it reopens sometime in Spring 2014.

4.      LED-Based Luminaires: New designs from Cree, Acuity, and GE Lighting - We are seeing more and more innovation in form factor and functionality in solid-state lighting products as lighting manufacturers better understand how to leverage LED sources. Cree, for example, combined LEDs in an indirect fashion with a complex optical design to deliver a new parking-garage fixture that delivers uniform light. Peerless has announced a 4-inch cylindrical fixture that includes an optic that provides continuous smooth lighting and can produce direct or indirect illumination or both. GE Lighting, meanwhile, added a lower-cost planar model to its Lumination family that is lit from the rear. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/8/5

5.      Goldman Sachs Sees 'Creative Destruction' in Eight Industry Themes - Goldman Sachs analysts described as "creative destruction" - trends that are big and disruptive enough to reshape industries and draw in an increasing number of investors. Cancer immunotherapy. LED lighting, natural gas engine technology, software defined networking and big data are among the trends Goldman analysts see as mega trends that will change the behavior of consumers and force companies to "adapt or die." LEDs could have 80 percent penetration by 2025, Demand is now in the early stages but the general lighting market is large - $11 billion. LED is about five percent of the market and it is being driven by industrial and commercial demand. Goldman believes Cree is the most attractive play and it has a technology advantage. http://www.cnbc.com

6.      On the Lighter Side: Mr. LED Lighting Takes a Tour of the Hospital - Are you sick and tired of fluorescent and incandescent lighting? If so then maybe you need to get yourself to a hospital, they have plenty of OLEDs and LEDs there.  Let's hope you don't require surgery but if you do it's likely the lights used in the surgical theater will be a sophisticated LED product. The screens that deliver important information to the staff is likely to be an OLED or TFT screen - with or without some LED indicators as well. There are examples of SSL in photo dynamic therapy (PDT), OLEDs that are used in opthamological vision restoration masks, triage informational tags, or even embedded into dermal repair bandages all designed to use the newest tech in quicker healing. And let's not forget the role of SSL in the hospital's general lighting. http://www.sslighting.net/documents/view/news.php?id=123232#editorial

7.      Residential Lighting End-Use Consumption - The U.S. DOE Residential Lighting End-Use Consumption Study aims to improve the understanding of lighting energy usage in U.S. residential dwellings using a regional estimation framework. The framework allows for the estimation of lamp usage and energy consumption 1) nationally and by region of the United States, 2) by certain household characteristics, 3) by location within the home, 4) by certain lamp characteristics and 5) by certain categorical cross-classifications. http://www.ies.org/store/product/lighting-controls-for-energy-management-1303.cfm

8.      Lighting Controls for Energy Management Published - IES announces the publication of Lighting Controls for Energy Management (LEM-7-13). Lighting controls play an essential role in all lighting systems, especially when used to enact various control strategies to satisfy visual needs of users and energy management needs of owners. The publication addresses these needs. http://www.ies.org/store/product/lighting-controls-for-energy-management-1303.cfm

9.      Osram Starts Trading as Spinoff from Siemens - In what had been regarded as one of the largest spinoffs in the electrical industry, Osram Lich AG has started trading on the Frankfurt and Munich stock exchanges under the symbol "OSR."  With this move Siemens AG shareholders received 10 Osram shares for each share they own. A total of 80.5 percent of the more than 100 million no-par-value registered shares were available for sale. Siemens AG holds 17 percent of the capital stock of OSRAM Licht AG. http://www.tedmag.com

10.  Council Wants More Light on LED Project - When it comes to replacing street lights, Pueblo, CO City Council wants a little more light on the subject before going ahead with a project that could cost nearly $6 million. The city has been discussing for three years replacing the city's 8,700 street lights with new LED lights. Executives from Next Step Energy, of Aurora, came to council's work session Monday and said they had been working with Pueblo city staff for three years. They questioned the costs that Black Hills was estimating in the proposed contract with the city and said that cheaper providers were easily found. 8/06The Pueblo Chieftain

11.  China Poised to Become the World's Largest Net Oil Importer Later This Year -  EIA's August 2013 Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) projects that China's net oil imports will exceed those of the United States by October 2013 on a monthly basis and by 2014 on an annual basis, making China the largest importer of oil in the world. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=12471

News Updates for the Week of July 15

1.      House Again Votes to Block Law Requiring Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs - A U.S. House vote Wednesday blocked enforcement of light bulb standards aimed at promoting the use of bulbs that are more energy efficient but also pricier. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, inserted the language pertaining to the light bulbs in the energy and water spending bill. His addition prohibits using any Department of Energy funds to implement the standards. The measure's supporters said it does not outlaw any particular bulb, but rather requires bulbs to become more energy-efficient and does not require the purchase of specific alternatives. 7/10 UPI

2.      Final Draft Version 1.0 ENERGY STAR Specification for Lamps - The Lamps V1.0 specification is intended to replace the existing Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Integral LED Lamps specifications, as well as the certification requirements for GU24-based fluorescent lamps previously detailed in the Residential Light Fixtures specification. The effective date for Lamps V1.0 will be September 1, 2014. Stakeholders wishing to provide additional comments should submit comments to lamps@energystar.gov by July 23, 2013. Please note that comments received will be posted to www.energystar.gov/lamps unless marked "Do Not Post."            

3.     Smart Building Certified - A smartly designed building enhances the performance of the building and ease of operation over its life-cycle. The primary goal for a higher performing building is to minimize the long-term costs of facility ownership to owners, occupants and the environment. In a higher performing building all components of the building are integrated in order to work together.  This improves operational performance, increases occupant comfort and satisfaction and provides the owner with systems, technologies and tools to manage and minimize energy consumption. http://www.smartbuildingsinstitute.org

4.      Honeywell Launches LED Lighting Solutions Business - LED Lighting Solutions will offer a new line of high-efficiency industrial LED lighting fixtures in North America, expanding Honeywell’s portfolio of energy efficiency products and solutions. The new business compliments the company's building controls and automation businesses and product lines. Honeywell’s new line of LED lights starts with three versions suitable for the most common commercial-industrial applications, such as stairwells, parking garages, manufacturing floors, cold storage facilities, and warehouses. Later this year Honeywell will expand the line with the release of LED retrofit, ceiling panel and high-bay luminaire models, plus a full line of lighting control devices, including sensors and switches to enable lighting controls to be integrated with other building management systems. http://ecmweb.com

5.   TXU Energy Business Customers Can Cash In with Brighten Reduction Rewards - With Brighten® Reduction Rewards, participating business customers get a market-based bill credit for reducing their demand by 2 percent or more. Those customers get an hour's notice of the opportunity and can choose whether their business can accommodate a reduction. There's no cost to join the program and no penalty for not participating when contacted. Sign up: www.txu.com/reductionrewards  

6.      DOE Releases GATEWAY Report on LED Street Lighting - The U.S. DOE has published the evaluation report from a GATEWAY demonstration of LED street lighting in Kansas City, MO, that was conducted in support of DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC). Nine different LED products were installed in February 2011 as replacements for incumbent high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires. The cobrahead-style LED fixtures represented were the Philips Hadco Evolaire, Cooper Lumark RC LED, and GE Lighting Solutions Evolve. The report is available for download at: www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_results.html

7.      New DOE SSL Technology Fact Sheet on Optical Safety of LEDs - One question that's spawned a certain amount of confusion and misinformation is how safe LED lighting is for the human eye referred to as the "Blue Light Hazard." To answer it, the U.S. Department of Energy has come out with a new SSL Technology Fact Sheet, Optical Safety of LEDs, which clarifies what's known about that issue and takes a look at current standards for photobiological safety.  The new fact sheet makes clear, white-light LEDs don't pose any more of a blue light hazard than other types of general-purpose light sources at the same color temperature. www.ssl.energy.gov/factsheets.html

      8. Next Generation SSL Luminaires Outdoor Competition Opens - The 2013 Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting Outdoor Design Competition has officially launched! Written Intents to Submit are due by September 20, 2013, and must be submitted online at www.ngldc.org Final submission forms are due by October 11, 2013, and physical product samples are due by November 1. Judging takes place in December, and results will be announced in February 2014.

9.      Contractor's Corner: Rebates - Although many contractors try to stay on top of rebates, others do not. Rebates can often cover 20% - 50% of the product cost, which can make many projects much more attractive to customers. Contractors can be so busy with getting jobs, ordering materials, scheduling, managing work, billing, etc., that there is often not enough time to insure that products are energy efficient and qualify for rebates. There are typically three types of rebates. One is called prescriptive, which is a fixed dollar amount per product. The other is called customized, which is usually based on the KWH saved over the first years, and sometimes there is an adder for peak load reduction. For more information, email stan@lightingwizards.com

10.  NAED Releases 2013 Performance Analysis Report (PAR) Highlights - The typical distributor surveyed, based on median figures, had annual sales of $70.7 million and achieved a gross margin of 21.6 percent in 2012. Inventory turnover was 4.3; payroll expenses were 13.1% of sales. The report shows that electrical distributor profit margins increased to a median of 3.3 percent in 2012, up slightly when compared to the 2011 medians of 3 percent. Among the top performing "high profit" distributors, the 2012 profit margin was 6.3 percent, consistent with last year's profit margin. http://www.naed.org/Media/News/NAED_Press_Releases/2013_PAR_Highlights/

11.  Missouri Energy Loan Program Tops $100M - A Missouri program that is now entering its 25th year has provided more than $100 million in loans for energy efficiency projects around the state. The program through the Department of Natural Resources helps finance energy-saving measures such as improved insulation, windows, lighting and heating and cooling systems. The loans are available to public schools and colleges, local governments, water and sewage treatment facilities and some hospitals.  7/11 AP

12.  Mississippi Regulators Approve Energy Efficiency Rules - The state Public Service Commission voted unanimously Thursday to adopt energy efficiency rules requiring all gas and electric companies with more than 25,000 customers to begin offering programs within six months. Quick start plans could include energy audits, tuning customer heating and air conditioning systems, appliance and lighting rebates, weatherizing homes, and paying builders to make new homes and commercial structures more efficient. Utilities would be allowed to recover the costs of those plans by raising rates on all customers. 7/11 AP

13.  PGE to Install 26,000 LED Streetlights - The state of Oregon’s largest electric utility, Portland General Electric (PGE), recently launched a large scale installation of LED streetlights with the goal of reducing energy consumption and costs for its municipal customers. The first deployment was in February 2013, in Clackamas County, and focused on replacing 8,000 high pressure sodium (HPS) cobrahead streetlights with LED streetlights. Ultimately, PGE plans to replace 26,000 HPS streetlights throughout forty-seven cities and five counties. PGE is offering its customers the choice of LED cobrahead fixtures manufactured by either Cree Lighting or Leotek Electronics. http://www.newstreetlights.com/news/portland-general-electric-to-install-26000-led-streetlights/994403

14.  Eaton Tapped to Enhance Lighting and Energy Efficiency at Pentagon - Eaton Corp.’s Energy Solutions Group recently was awarded multiple service contracts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate and modernize lighting systems at the Pentagon. The contracts have an estimated value of $3.2 million and a completion date of early 2014. Eaton will provide a comprehensive lighting audit for the 6.5 million square foot office complex, one of the world’s largest office buildings with workspace for approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees. Eaton will use the lighting analysis to develop a master lighting modernization plan, including a detailed engineering, environmental and economic analysis of all recommended projects. http://www.eaton.com

15. China LED Lighting Market Annual Growth Rate at 36 Percent in 2013 - LEDinside stated that benefiting from the intensive investment in lighting channel of various manufacturers, the quick falling in the sales price of LED lighting products and the improvement of average consumer's acceptance. In 2013, the Chinese lighting market has achieved growths in commercial, residential, industrial and outdoor lighting fields of 24 percent, 96 percent, 28 percent and 46 percent, respectively, and formally entered the general public channel era. http://www.ledinside.com/node/17886

16.  The 2013 CSA Award of Merit Has Been Awarded to Howard L. Wolfman - The Canadian Standards Association, a leading standards-based solutions organization, officially announced the recipients of the 2013 Award of Merit. The Award of Merit is an honour bestowed by CSA Group to individuals that have demonstrated leadership in developing voluntary standards and who, through technical, administrative, or special standards activities, have advanced the purpose of CSA Group. Howard formed Lumispec Consulting in 2008 which specializes in energy efficient lighting. http://www.mylife.com/howard-wolfman Congratulations my friend…

17.  2013 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting - 2013 ENERGY STAR Products Partner Meeting