You can employ men and hire hands to work for you, but you will have to win their hearts to have them work with you. William J.H. Boetcker

Showing posts with label rebate programs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rebate programs. Show all posts

Monday, September 16, 2013

News Updates for the Week of September 16



1.      ENERGY STAR Lighting Road Mapping Meeting - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) welcome lighting stakeholders to this initial road mapping discussion on October 9, 2013 from 3:30 – 6:30 PM CDT. This meeting is expected to be the first in a series intended to facilitate engagement on ENERGY STAR lighting topics. Please find a draft agenda, and RSVP via email by September 23 Alex.Boesenberg@nema.org

2.      Outdoor Competition Intent-To-Submit Deadline Approaches - The 2013 Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) Solid-State Lighting Outdoor Design Competition launched in July. 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 18, 2013, and physical product samples are due by November 1. Judging takes place in December, and results will be announced in Feb. ’14.

3.      Some Rebate Programs Out of Funds; Others Offer Bonus Programs - According to our North American Rebate and Incentive Database, 74% of the USA is covered by an active lighting rebate program; 8% of all US commercial lighting rebate and incentive programs are currently out of funding. Other programs are offering limited time bonus programs to increase participation, such as a program called Energizing Indiana is offering double rebates on 25W T8 lamp and ballast retrofits and select high bay fixtures. Another bonus program by ComEd in Illinois is offering a bonus for customers who get rid of all T12s in their facilities. http://www.briteswitch.com/maximizing.html

4.      Rebates for LEDs are Available Across the Country - Depending on your location, you may be eligible for a sizeable rebates when installing LED solutions in your existing facility or new construction project. http://www.briteswitch.com/led.html

5.      Lights Out for T12 Rebates? - Manufacturers had to stop producing T12 lamps after July 2012. While the availability of rebate programs and the dollar amounts have decreased since the phase out, there’s still a good chance to still get a rebate in some parts of the country. If you have T12 fixtures that will need to be upgraded to T8 fixtures, you should act soon in order to take advantage of existing rebates. 

6.      DOE’s Adoption of Light-Emitting Diodes in Common Lighting Applications - This report presents the findings for nine major lighting applications where LEDs are competing with traditional light sources. This analysis estimates the energy saved due to current levels of LED penetration, as well as the potential energy savings if these markets switched completely to LEDs. The selected applications are classified into three groups: indoor lamps, indoor luminaires, and outdoor luminaires. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/led-adoption-report_2013.pdf 

7.      New York's Energy Star Program Reaches Milestone - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's Energy Star program has completed its 50,000th project. NYSERDA offers loans of as much as $13,000 per household—or $25,000 if energy upgrades will pay for themselves in savings in 15 years or less. 9/8 AP


8.      Chicago Moves to Require Building Owners to Disclose Energy Use - Under the proposal, buildings in excess of 50,000 square feet--which represent less than 1 percent of the city's buildings but 22 percent of buildings total energy consumption--would be required to disclose energy consumption data and information about building size, use and occupancy levels into a software program like TurboTax administered by the U.S. EPA. The "benchmarking" tool, called Energy Star Portfolio Manager, would then compare the energy efficiency of comparable buildings. It is hoped that the scores will motivate business owners to improve through upgrades. 9/11 Chicago Tribune

9.      University of Kentucky Gets $1 Million Rebate for Energy Savings Program - In 2009, UK hired Ameresco of Louisville, which did an analysis of its energy usage. The school then started retrofitting 61 campus buildings with energy-efficient equipment, such as high-efficiency lighting, better air conditioning equipment and water conservation efforts. Officials estimate that the $25 million project saves about $2.4 million a year by using nearly 14 million fewer kilowatt hours of electricity and 37 million fewer gallons of water. The $25 million will be recouped in 12 years. UK received the rebates through the Commercial Rebate Program offered by KU and Louisville Gas and Electric Company.  9/12 Lexington Herald-Leader

10.  Imperial Irrigation District, CA Energy Rewards Program - As part of IID’s energy efficiency efforts, the rebates are designed to help business customers reduce their operating costs, improve profitability, protect the environment and help lower the cost of power generation.  The program offers rebates to small, medium and large size non-residential customers for the purchase of qualifying lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning, food service, agricultural and controls equipment. Applications for rebates totaling $2,500 or more require pre-approval. http://www.iid.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=6143

11.  World’s Largest LED Streetlight Retrofit Completed in Los Angeles - The enormous street light swap-out of 141,089 brand-new LED street lights was finished in June. The second phase of Los Angeles’ LED replacement program will see the retrofit of about 70,000 decorative street lamps located throughout the city. Navigant (formerly Pike) Research recently predicted that shipments of LED street lights will increase from fewer than 3 million in 2012 to more than 17 million in 2020.
Los Angeles is certainly not alone in making the switch to LED street lighting. In March, the City of Las Vegas finished outfitting 42,000 street lights with LED fixtures. One month later, the City of Austin, Texas, announced plans to install 35,000 LED street lights. And, in December of last year, CPS Energy said it would install 20,000 LED street lights in San Antonio. http://www.forbes.com/sites/justingerdes/2013/07/31/los-angeles-completes-worlds-largest-led-street-light-retrofit/

12.   

Monday, April 23, 2012

News Updates for the Week of April 23


1.      DOE Report Compares Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of LED Lamps with Incumbent Lighting Technologies - The first report, dealing with lifecycle energy consumption for replacement lamps, was recently published: Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent, and LED Lamps. The second report will address luminaires as well, and also incorporate environmental impacts. The study found that, based on DOE’s assumption that the average LED lamp provides service life equivalent to about 22 incandescent lamps, the average LED lamp consumes 75% less energy than the average incandescent lamp. Based on DOE’s assumption that the average LED lamp’s service life is equivalent to three compact fluorescent lamps, the average lifecycle energy consumption of LED lamps is about the same as that for compact fluorescent. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/tech_reports.html

2.      Verification Testing Guidance for Luminaires - The ENERGY STAR specification for luminaires is now effective and certified luminaires are now subject to verification testing administered by EPA-recognized certification bodies (CBs). In addition to guidance already provided to CBs on verification testing, the U.S. EPA has finalized Directive #2012-01, ENERGY STAR Luminaires Verification Testing Guidance for Certification Bodies - Test Criteria, Sample Sizes and Determining Testing Failures, and Reporting to EPA. As noted in previous correspondence, this guidance limits the verification testing to core performance criteria and establishes the sample sizes needed to verify product performance. Submit any questions about this directive to Certification@energystar.gov with "Luminaires Verification Testing" in the subject line.

3.      States Seek to Ease Financing for Energy-Efficient Upgrades - Several states are experimenting with an "on-bill" financing program that aims to spur investment in energy efficiency for homes and businesses, including owners who lack capital. The "on-bill financing" program, which kicked off in January, allows homeowners to pay for efficiency upgrades using money saved by reduced energy use, which they can measure on each utility bill. The state-backed loans, which carry an interest rate of less than 3 percent, require no upfront costs, and the monthly payments are designed to be no larger than the projected savings on energy. At least nine states in recent years have passed legislation supporting or requiring adoption of such programs. http://aceee.org/research-report/e118

4.      Rebate Programs Continue to Grow Dramatically -  By providing valuable incentives and rebates to customers, energy efficiency programs have proven to be an effective way for utilities and federal/state/local governments to reduce electric demand. Funding for these programs has grown rapidly over the years and is now at an all-time high. A recent report from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) shows that the budgets for energy efficiency electric programs were $6.8 billion in 2011. That's a 26% increase over the previous year's budgets. Of that money, $2.6 billion is earmarked specifically for commercial and industrial projects.

5.      Lighting Control Rebates Triple Since 2009 by Craig Dilouie - Utility and regional energy efficiency organization rebates and incentives have been a major driver in demand for energy-efficient lighting and controls since the early 1990s. Today, more than $6 billion in commercial lighting rebates and other incentives are offered by utilities and energy efficiency organizations covering some 80% of the United States. http://lightingcontrolsassociation.org/lighting-control-rebates-triple-since-2009/

Prescriptive Rebates
for T12 to T8 Upgrades
Type of Upgrade
Average Rebate
Across US
Lamp/ballast retrofit
$ 14.00
New fixture
$ 29.00
      6.    Last Call for T12 Rebates - Manufacturers will no longer produce most T12 bulbs after July 2012. According to NEMA, T12 sales were still 30% of the fluorescent market in late 2011. Very soon, T12 fixtures will need to be upgraded to more efficiency lighting solutions such as T8 technology.  Currently, T12 to T8 rebates are available across the country and at levels that are designed to bring the payback period to 1-2 years. More than 3,000 electric utilities offer different rebate programs and eligibility requirements. http://www.briteswitch.com/newsletter/Apr12-2.html
 
7.      Webcom Communications, in Cooperation with The Zigbee Alliance, Announces The Summer 2012 Publication of The Zigbee Resource Guide - The guide is a magazine-style solutions guide, focusing solely on products, applications and solutions for end-users and integrators of ZigBee. The objective is to introduce potential customers to the benefits of ZigBee, and to guide them to leading suppliers of ZigBee products. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/webcom/zigbee_rg2011summer/#/0

8.      LEDs to Fill 55% of World’s Sockets by 2020 - According to Josh Baribeau’s analysis, senior associate analyst at CANACCORD Genuity, by the end of 2020, LEDs will fill at least 54.8% of lighting sockets in the world. The most optimistic of his assessments is that LEDs will be generating illumination in more than 82% of those sockets. The base forecast takes LEDs from an almost insignificant share of WW sockets in 2012 to roughly 68% over roughly 3,000 days. 4/17 TED

9.      Rebates to Bring Cost of $60 LED Bulb Philips is discounting it right away to $50 for consumers, and working on deals with electric utilities to discount it even further, by as much as $20 to $30. This means the bulb will cost anywhere from $20 to $60 at Home Depot and other outlets starting Sunday, Earth Day when the bulb that won a $10 million government contest goes on sale. 4/16 AP

10.  $60 Bulbs: Can They Save Money? Ed Crawford, CEO of Philips Lighting on ABC News 4/17… watch the video at http://abcnews.go.com/Business/video/light-brand-bulbs-16157639

11.  Top 10 Cities with the Most ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings, 2011 -

1st)      Los Angeles               659
2nd)         Washington, DC         404
3rd)           Atlanta                        359
4th)           Chicago                       294
5th)           San Francisco              270
6th)           New York                   261
7th)           Houston                      231
8th)           Dallas-Fort Worth       178
9th)           Riverside, Ca.             164
10th)       Boston                        161


12.  2011 SEPA Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings - The Solar Electric Power Association’s (SEPA) fifth annual Utility Solar Rankings analyzes the amount of new solar power interconnected by U.S. electric utilities in 2011. It covers more than 240 of the most solar-active utilities representing more than 99% of the U.S. solar electric power marketplace. This summary examines key market trends and national rankings. http://www.solarelectricpower.org/  Annual Solar Megawatts (MW-ac):
‘11 ‘10 
  1    1   Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (CA)                            287.7
  2    3   Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (NJ)                    181.3
  3    7   Arizona Public Service (APS) (AZ)                          144.4
  4    4   Southern California Edison (CA)                             138.5
  5   12   Atlantic City Electric (NJ)                                        61.2
  6    9   Jersey Central Power & Light (NJ)                           53.0
  7   15   Sacramento Municipal Utility District (CA)               52.8
  8    5   Xcel Energy - CO (CO)                                            51.3
  9   20   Long Island Power Authority (NY)                           46.9
 10  56   Xcel Energy - NM (NM)                                          45.6

13.  USGBC and The Princeton Review Release Free Guide to Green Colleges - The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), released the third annual edition of its free guidebook saluting the nation's most environmentally responsible "green colleges."  "The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition" profiles 322 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The 232-page book can be downloaded at: http://www.princetonreview.com/green-guide.aspx

14.  NJ’s PSE&G Installs Energy-Efficient LED Fixtures for Municipal Streetscapes and Security - Public Service Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G) has begun installing LED lights that increase reliability and security, are environmentally friendly, and decrease light pollution.  The first LED light fixture installations have been completed at Montclair State University, United Water in Haworth and in New Brunswick on George Street between Bayard Street and Liberty Street. The Rutgers University Newark campus is currently undergoing installations. The new lighting is available to municipalities and for commercial customers throughout the utility's service territory. 4/11 PRNewswire

15.  Construction Employment Increases Year-Over-Year in 171 Out of 337 Metro Areas - Construction employment increased in 171 out of 337 metropolitan areas between February 2011 and February 2012, decreased in 119, and stayed level in 47, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America. 4/16 EC&M

16.  ENERGY STAR Booth # 1025 at LIGHTFAIR - The ENERGY STAR program will be hosting an information booth at LIGHTFAIR® International in Las Vegas, May 9-11, 2012.  Stop by for information on the ENERGY STAR lighting portfolio including partnership opportunities, updates on program enhancements, and available ENERGY STAR marketing resources.

17.  West Coast Energy Management Congress Conference and Expo - May 23-24, 2012 / Seattle, WA at the Washington State Convention Center hosted by Puget Sound Energy. EMC is designed to give you the information you need on the latest developments and innovations available to help you meet your energy management and sustainability goals. www.energyevent.com