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

News Updates for the Week of April 22

1.    Lightfair or Should I Say LEDfair is This Week - http://www.lightfair.com The Exhibit List can be found at: http://www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/exhibitor_list/exnamelist.cvn?id=2. This is shaping up to be a fantastic exhibition and conference. Be sure to visit as many as you can and focus on:

• A.L.P. Lighting #501 
• AAMSCO Lighting #513 
• Acclaim Lighting #4116 
• Acuity Brands #801 
• Amerlux #1832 
• Anaren #3754 
• CAO Group #3945 
• Cooper Lighting #1533
• Cree #833 
• Emerge Alliance #3446 
• Evolucia #3925 
• GE Lighting #2101
• Honeywell Lighting #2953
• Hubbell Lighting #1745
• IES #2937
• Lamar Lighting #3738 
• LEDnovation #1561 
• Leviton #2024 
• LG Innotek #2659 
• Lumenoptix #3461 
• Lutron Electronics # 1345 
• MaxLite #3001 
• Osram Sylvania # 1001 
• Philips #1401
• PIXI Lighting #3918 
• SATCO #2501 
• Shat-R-Shield #1261
• Solatube #3118 
• Soraa #4047 
• Switch Lighting #213 
• TCP #1933 
• TerraLUX #861  
• Topaz #1125 
• VU1 Corp #108 
• Wattstopper #1525 
• Westinghouse #401

2.    DOE 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). Customer perspectives and lessons learned from the installation processes will be shared. These experiences will help attendees gain a better understanding of the most common components of LED street lighting programs and the challenges many cities face when implementing them. 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. For more information, or to register, visit the DOE SSL website.

3.   Global Lighting Equipment Market to 2017 - Market Size, Growth, and Forecasts in Nearly 70 Countries - is a comprehensive package that enables readers the critical perspectives to be able to evaluate the world market for lighting equipment. The package provides the market size, growth, and forecasts at the global level as well as for each of the 70 countries and is designed for companies who want to gain a comprehensive perspective on the global lighting equipment market. This package makes it easy to compare across different countries and product groups to be able to find new market opportunities and make more profitable business decisions. The market data covers the years 2006-2017. Order online: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/cmixwe/global_lighting_equipment_market_to_2017_ma.

4.      DOE's MSSLC Releases Adaptive Controls Spec for LED Street Lights -The US DOE) via its Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC), has released its model specification that municipalities and utilities can use as template for procuring LED street lights with integral network and adaptive-control technology. The specification is another step in the MSSLC's goal of helping cities, local agencies, and utilities accelerate the deployment of solid-state lighting (SSL) technology for roadway and parking applications. Download at:  http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/control-specification.html

5.      Efficient Lighting Applications & Case Studies - With the increased concern for facility energy conservation in recent years, much attention has been focused on lighting energy consumption and the methods for reducing it. Lighting has a profound effects on worker productivity, as well as important aesthetic qualities. With this understanding in mind, this book presents an introduction to effective lighting design, and an examination of energy efficiency measures which can be implemented while simultaneously maintaining the required quality of illumination. Topics include lighting energy management, selection of lamps, task lighting, lighting design, lighting control, use of reflectors, ballast selection, natural daylighting, wireless lighting control, and case studies. http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/j7ydp8/efficient_lighting_applications_case_studie  

6.   The LED Gold Rush - With new price points and higher efficiency, LEDs seem set for rapid growth in market share. Not every LED stock will benefit equally, however. Pure-play LED companies like Cree and Revolution Lighting Technologies, Inc. are likely to gain more than broader lighting companies like Phillips and Acuity Brands. Navigant Research predicts that revenue from LED lamp sales will rise to $8.7 billion by 2021 but while LED lamp sales to commercial buildings will grow by 23% per year for the next 8 years, the longer life of LEDs will cause industry revenue from lamp sales to decline slightly over the coming decade. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomkonrad/2013/04/17/the-led-gold-rush/?partner=yahootix

7.      Philips Lighting Claims R&D System Efficacy Achievement for LED Tube - Philips Lighting has revealed laboratory work on an LED-based replacement for fluorescent tubes in which a so called TLED (Tube lighting LED) tube delivered 200 lm/W, including the driver, at a 3000K warm-white CCT. The company said it will bring such a solid-state lighting (SSL) product to market in 18 months to two years. The best such fluorescent lights operate in the 100-lm/W range so efficiency in that application could double in two years. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/4/7

News Updates for the Week of March 12

1.   Webcast: Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium Retrofit Financial Analysis Tool - On April 3 at 1:00 p.m. ET, the U.S. DOE will host a 60-minute live webcast on the Retrofit Financial Analysis Tool http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/financial-tool.html developed by DOE's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium. Doug Elliott of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will provide a guided walk-through of what the tool can do for you, and how to use it to evaluate costs and benefits associated with converting to LED street and roadway lighting. To register, visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/ssl/events_detail.html?event_id=6750

2.      NEMA Publishes Standard for SSL Retrofit Lamps - The US National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published NEMA SSL 4-2012 entitled “SSL Retrofit Lamps: Suggested Minimum Performance Requirements.” The standard applies to integral LED lamps, which are defined as a lamp with LEDs, an integrated LED driver, and a base that meets appropriate American National Standards (ANSs) and is designed to connect to the branch circuit via a lampholder/socket that meets appropriate ANSs. The contents of SSL 4 may be viewed at www.nema.org/stds/ssl4.cfm Other SSL-related standards from NEMA:

SSL 6: Solid State Lighting for Incandescent Replacement—Dimming

SSL 3: High-Power White LED Binning for General Illumination

SSL 1: Electronic Drivers for LED Devices, Arrays or Systems

      http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/3/3

3.      Energy Star Luminaires Effective Date Approaching, Says EPA - The Energy Star Luminaires v1.1 specification will become effective on April 1, requiring manufacturers to change their product labeling unless the products are tested according to the new criteria. This new specification replaces the Residential Light Fixtures v4.2 and Solid State Lighting Luminaires v1.3 specifications, and can be downloaded at www.energystar.gov/luminaires. In May 2011, the EPA postponed the effective date for Energy Star Luminaires v1.0 from October 1, 2011 to April 1, 2012. This was to allow Energy Star manufacturing partners and EPA-recognized certification bodies and laboratories the necessary time to appropriately apply the technical requirements contained in the new specification. On April 1, 2012, only those light-fixture models that have been third-party certified as meeting the Luminaires v1.1 requirements will appear on the Energy Star Qualified Products List. http://www.ledsmagazine.com/news/9/3/2

4.      Street Lighting Turns to LEDs for Longevity and Efficiency - Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been appearing in traffic signals and vehicle headlights for years and are poised to affect another source of light we use to navigate our cities and towns. The street lighting retrofit market is ripe with opportunity. Municipal street lighting retrofitted with LEDs has enhanced several communities’ nighttime environments, while significantly reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs. Administrators are well-versed in the financial strains of street lighting. It can account for up to one-quarter of a municipality’s electric bill, while maintenance can cost another 15 to 25 percent of their annual operating expense. http://www.ecmag.com/index.cfm?fa=article&articleID=13441

 

5.      Electric Bills Up in March an All Hawaiian Islands - Hawaiian Electric Co. said the effective rate for electricity in Honolulu rose to 32.6 cents a kilowatt hour in March from 32 cents per kilowatt-hour in February.  Maui Electric Co. customers saw rates rise to 36.3 cents a kilowatt-hour this month from 35.8 cents a kilowatt hour in February. Hawaii island residential rates rose to 41.3 cents a kilowatt-hour from last month's 40.6 cents. On Kauai, the rate rose to 42.6 cents a kilowatt-hour. Hawaii typically has the highest cost for electricity in the nation. The national average was 11.52 cents per kilowatt-hour in December.  3/07 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

6.      How to Claim Tax Credits for Your 2011 Energy-Efficient Home Upgrades - It’s tax season, and time to claim your energy-efficient home upgrades on your 2011 income tax return. Find out what energy-efficient home improvements are eligible for federal tax credits, and which forms you’ll need to claim them. Download IRS Form 5695 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdf  More Info on Energy Efficiency Tax Credits:

Alliance tax resource for individuals: Energy Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits

Alliance tax resource for businesses: Commercial and Manufacturing Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency 

http://ase.org/efficiencynews/how-claim-tax-credits-your-2011-energy-efficient-home-upgrades

7.      DOE Reopens L-Prize PAR38 Competition - The second category of the L Prize competition has been revised and relaunched, and will reward US manufacturers of ultra-efficient LED replacements for PAR38 lamps. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has reopened the PAR38 category of the  L-Prize competition. This challenges the US lighting industry to develop an exceptionally high-performance, ultra-efficient LED alternative for PAR38 halogen lamps.

8.      “Green” Light Bulb Costs You $50 - The good news: The DOE has awarded a $10 million prize for a "green" but affordable light bulb that's available to the public. The bad news: The bulb costs $50. The “L Prize” was announced by Energy Secretary Steven Chu last year, to push manufacturers to come up with a green bulb “affordable for American families,”  The competition also required parts of the bulb to be made in America.  The L Prize winner is a $50 bulb made by Philips. Similar LED bulbs are going for less than half that cost, the Post reported. 3/08 The Washington Post

9.      LED Prices May Not Be Too High for Consumers for Long - Many in the electrical industry thought it would take a while for LEDs to gain ground, due to their high prices. Opinions had been voiced that CFLs would fill in the transition from low-cost incandescents to affordable LEDs. Recently, however, it appears that LEDs are already falling in price, enabling consumers to choose to go right on by CFLs and use LEDs now. Some recent, unrelated news items serve as evidence to this point:

• Consumer will pay more says Robert Gfeller, EVP of merchandising at Lowe’s 
• Lumens-per-dollar introduced by Cree to measure lighting 
• Falling towards the sweet spot pricing of $10….the ‘sweet point’ for LED replacements for 60W incandescent bulbs is set at $12 
• Price check: The Home Depot….. prices on homedepot.com showed a $29.97 price for a 14W LED flood light bulb. The price posted for a two-pack of 8.6W replacements for 40W incandescent was $19.94, bringing the unit price under $10 each. 
• An LED for under $5 from Lemnis Inc. of San Francisco

http://www.tedmag.com/news/Features/LED-prices-may-not-be-too-high-for-consumers-for-long.aspx

10.  More Jobs, But No Change in Unemployment Rate - Data released Friday morning by the Bureau of Labor statistics show the unemployment rate for February holding at 8.3%. The Employment Situation Summary shows employers added 227,000 jobs in the month, slightly more than expected, according to analyst forecasts. It was also the third straight month that employers added more than 200,000 jobs. Construction employment changed little in February, after two consecutive months of job gains. 3/09 HCN

11.  Gallup: Unemployment at 9.1%, But 19% Need Jobs - The unemployment rate shot up by half a percentage point in February, according to figures released by the polling organization Gallup on Thursday. The jump from 8.6 percent in January to 9.1 percent last month is the largest month-by-month increase in more than a year, Gallup said. Gallup’s figures differ from the official government unemployment rate because they do not adjust the figure for seasonal variations or include anyone under 18. 3/08 Newsmax

12.  U.S. Petroleum Product Exports Exceeded Imports in 2011 for First Time in Over Six Decades - The United States in 2011 exported more petroleum products, on an annual basis, than it imported for the first time since 1949, but American refiners still imported large, although declining, amounts of crude oil, according to full-year trade data from EIA's Petroleum Supply Monthly February report. The increase in foreign purchases of distillate fuel contributed the most to the United States becoming a net exporter of petroleum products. U.S. petroleum product net exports (exports minus imports) averaged 0.44 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2011, with imports at a nine-year low of close to 2.4 million bbl/d and exports at a record high of nearly 2.9 million bbl/d. http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=5290#

News Updates for the Week of November 22

1. New Report on Street Lighting Technologies Available from The Lighting Research Center - The National Lighting Product Information Program (NLPIP), based at the Lighting Research Center in Troy, NY, recently released its latest Specifier Report, designed to provide objective performance information on existing street lighting technologies including LED, induction, and high pressure sodium streetlights. According to NLPIP, when replacing the pole-mounted HPS streetlights on a one-mile section of collector road with the LED or induction streetlights used in the study, it would take twice as many of the pole-mounted LED or induction streetlights to meet the lighting criteria as defined in RP-8-00. Complete performance results are published in Specifier Reports: Streetlights for Collector Roads, which is available online here.

2. DOE Launches New Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee - The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the establishment of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC). ERAC is a federal advisory committee whose members will report directly to the Secretary of Energy with advice on the portfolio of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The 19 members selected have experience in a variety of sectors and will bring a range of technical expertise and perspectives to the committee.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/eereadvisorycommittee/

3. NEMA Publishes Brochure to Explain Transition to Energy-Efficient Lighting - To download: http://www.nema.org/prod/lighting/upload/Lighting_Options_for_Your_Home_brochure_4web.pdf For more information on lighting legislation and saving energy through lighting upgrades, visit www.nemasavesenergy.org

4. NEMA Announces 2011 Board of Governors Officers - For a complete listing of the NEMA Board of Governors, visit www.nema.org/about/org/board

5. GE Publishes Position Paper on Lighting Efficiency Laws and Industry Transformation - California becomes a test lab next year for how consumers nationwide may react to new federal lighting efficiency laws taking effect throughout the country on January 1, 2012. Under Title 20, the Golden State's energy commission has the authority to regulate lighting products used by consumers and businesses. As a result of the commission's actions, consumers in California will start to experience the phase out of the 100-watt incandescent light bulb this coming January, a year before the rest of the country. Californians will also deal with the phasing out of 75-watt, 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs on an accelerated schedule. GE Lighting's position paper, A Transforming Global Lighting Industry, provides perspective on lighting legislation and the energy-efficient lighting technologies that are available to consumers and businesses now and in the years ahead. It's available for free at www.gelighting.com/2012 11/17 BUSINESS WIRE

6. Lighting Upgrades by Loren Snyder -
Part 1: Increase Energy Efficiency with Lighting Retrofits
Part 2: Aim for Goals for Lighting Retrofits, Including Higher Productivity
Part 3: Lighting Product Showcase
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Increase-Energy-Efficiency-with-Lighting-Retrofits--12077