News Updates for the Week of April 15

1.      Goodbye Fluorescent Bulb - Dutch company Royal Philips NV says LED lamp will soon light up your office. The technical milestone the company claims to have achieved is the ability to produce 200 lumens of light per watt. It has developed an LED light that will soon be far more efficient than the best fluorescents on the market. That should make it cheaper and greener, as well. It's a combination that will inevitably help the LED dominate the market for illuminating the world's workplaces within 10 years. It will be the first on the market that reaches that level of efficiency and functions across a normal range of temperatures and is capable of consistently producing the same amount of warm white colored light as comparable fluorescent tubes. http://www.newscenter.philips.com http://finance.yahoo.com/news/goodbye-fluorescent-bulb-philips-says-112843502.html

2.      National Academy of Sciences Releases Report on Solid-State Lighting - NAS has published a report entitled Assessment of Advanced Solid-State Lighting. The NAS committee reviewed the development and future impacts of SSL, including projections of cost and research and development necessary to overcome barriers to widespread adoption. It also made a number of recommendations, including many that have already been implemented. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18279

3.   DOE Publishes Exploratory CALiPER Study on Commercial Ambient LED Lighting - The U.S. DOE has released an exploratory CALiPER study on the problems and benefits likely to be encountered as LED products intended to replace linear fluorescent lamps become increasingly popular. Eighteen lighting designers and facility engineers compared 24 identical pairs of troffers in a simulated office space. Three of those pairs involved fluorescent benchmark troffers, and the rest were LED products. The products were evaluated for photometric distribution, uniformity of light on the task surface, and suitability of the light output for the task, as well as flicker, dimming performance, color quality, power quality, safety and certification issues, ease of installation, energy efficiency, and life-cycle cost. Bottom line: LED dedicated troffers can compete with (and beat) fluorescents in terms of efficacy. For a copy of the full report: www.ssl.energy.gov/exploratory.html

4.   PowerSecure Strengthens LED Business with Acquisition of Solais Lighting - PowerSecure International, Inc. today announced that it has acquired Solais Lighting, Inc., a private company based in Stamford, CT which has a proprietary portfolio of LED lamps and fixtures for commercial and industrial applications that provide superior light output, thermal management, optics, light quality and aesthetics.  The acquisition strengthens and complements PowerSecure's existing LED business with additional product lines and an expanded customer base, and adds strong skill sets around product design, product commercialization, manufacturing and materials sourcing. http://www.marketwatch.com

5.    EW Looks at How LEDs are Changing the Municipal Market by Doug Chandler - The advances lighting manufacturers have been making in LED technology will eventually change all aspects of the lighting market. One of the first to see a significant change has been the market for roadway and outdoor area lighting, where in just a few years the market has shifted from essentially a relationship-driven sale focused on the utilities and commodity fixtures to a spec-driven sale at the municipal level.  For Electrical Wholesaling's April issue, I talked with some product managers in the middle of this transformation about what they've seen and where this is going. http://ewweb.com/lighting/revolution-road-leds-reshape-how-municipal-lighting-sold

6.      Growing Pains: LEDs by Susan Bloom - Among other matters with LEDs, reliability has been an issue.  Long life, unparalleled efficiency, brightness and durability are just some of the benefits that LED technology brings to the industry table and the contractor’s market basket. But while the $2.5-plus billion LED lamp industry continues to progress along its rapid growth trajectory and distinctive path as the future of lighting, it remains plagued by a number of issues that currently impair its viability in a variety of key applications. Following, our experts discuss some of the issues that LEDs continue to face at this stage of their evolution as well as tips to help contractors navigate through the sometimes murky waters of LED technology. http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/growing-pains-leds

7.      LEDs' New Standard: Zhaga Consortium by Craig DiLouie -While integrated LED replacement lamps are designed around conventional lamp sockets, these interfaces are impractical for LED lighting fixtures, the majority of which are designed as highly integrated devices. This allows the product to be optimized around the technology but means the light source and control gear (driver/power supply) cannot be easily replaced. Some products are designed around components that are replaceable but only with major disassembly. A growing number of fixtures are entering the market that offer replaceable components, but the connections are proprietary, providing durability but not choice. Enter Zhaga, an industry consortium founded in 2010 around the goal of providing interchangeability of LED light sources made by different manufacturers. The organization now has more than 270 companies and organizations participating, including big names such as Acuity Brands, Cooper, Cree, GE, Osram Sylvania, Philips and Zumtobel.
 http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/leds-new-standard-zhaga-consortium

8.      LED Price Battle Heats Up as Osram Launches 10-Euro Bulb - Germany's Osram is launching a new LED light bulb that costs less than 10 euros ($13.10) to battle rivals, such as Cree and Samsung Electronics, for a share of the fast-growing market. A spokesman for Osram, which is being spun off by engineering conglomerate Siemens, said on Monday the company's new LED replacement for 40 watt incandescent bulbs would retail at 9.95 euros in Germany from June. Most comparable LED bulbs in Europe currently cost more than 15 euros. http://finance.yahoo.com

9.      Consumers Warm to LED Bulbs as Prices Fall - Thanks to subsidies from utilities, improved quality, and lower manufacturing costs, sales are expected to rise significantly this year. Part of shift is by default. Since last year, incandescent bulbs are being phased out. The 75-watt and 100-watt bulbs are no longer being manufactured, and the 40- and 60-watters will be eliminated next year. While today's prices are a big plunge from $70 for a bulb in 2009, it still seems exorbitant for people used to paying 50 cents for an incandescent.  But a 60-watt LED bulb for $13 pays for itself in about two years. $10 a bulb is seen as the tipping point where many consumers will try LED as a replacement for 40- or 60-watt incandescents, which make up 80 percent of North America's residential bulbs. 4/08 Star Tribune 

10.  MaxLite Works with Progress Energy Carolinas to Provide Energy-Efficient CFLs to Habitat for Humanity ReStores - MaxLite is helping Habitat ReStore customers in the Carolinas save energy and money through an innovative program by Progress Energy Carolinas that provides ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to customers at greatly discounted prices. The bulbs are discounted through Progress Energy Carolina’s Energy-Efficient Lighting program and then gifted to the stores. MaxLite is also partnering with utilities and Habitat ReStores in other select areas of the nation as well. http://www.maxlite.com/news-and-events?p=3526

New Posting for the Lighting Positions Network

      1. Executive Positions from NETSHARE - The following is a sample of open positions that have been posted with NETSHARE over the past week. This list changes every day…with some dropping off and some added. View the job listings below and many more on the website. Email your interest and resumes, reference the EnergyWatchBlog, directly to Jan Furste jan@netshare.com.

• President and Chief Executive Officer, Maryland, $144,000-$180,000
• General Manager, Southern, California, $150,000-$250,000 plus healthy bonus
• President/Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Area, $200,000-$205,000 plus performance bonus of 40%-50%
• President, Miami, Florida, $225,000-$275,000 plus 30% bonus + equity
• Presidential Consultant, East Coast, $200,000-$250,000 plus $300,000 - $800,000 bonus

News Updates for the Week of April 8

1.      Earth Day 2013 - On April 22, 2013, more than one billion people around the world will take part in the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day. From Beijing to Cairo, Melbourne to London, Rio to Johannesburg, New Delhi to New York, communities everywhere will voice their concerns for the planet, and take action to protect it. The choice is yours…http://www.earthday.org/2013/about.html

2.      California Lighting Technology Center Seminar & Luncheon Wednesday, April 17, 10 am – 2 pm Celebrating the launch of WattStopper's LMLS-600 Dual-Loop Photosensor—the first commercial product to combine open-loop and closed-loop photosensor control strategies and the newest component in WattStopper's Digital Lighting Management (DLM) system. The dual-loop approach is the result of extensive R&D efforts at CLTC, and it is widely regarded as a pivotal innovation in daylight harvesting and efficient building design. https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=bjmexqjzl4b6

3.      DOE Publishes Exploratory CALiPER Study on Commercial Ambient LED Lighting - The U.S. DOE has released an exploratory CALiPER study on the problems and benefits likely to be encountered as LED products intended to replace linear fluorescent lamps become increasingly popular. Eighteen lighting designers and facility engineers compared 24 identical pairs of troffers in a simulated office space. Three of those pairs involved fluorescent benchmark troffers, and the rest were LED products. The products were evaluated for photometric distribution, uniformity of light on the task surface, and suitability of the light output for the task, as well as flicker, dimming performance, color quality, power quality, safety and certification issues, ease of installation, energy efficiency, and life-cycle cost. Bottom line: LED dedicated troffers can compete with (and beat) fluorescents in terms of efficacy. For a copy of the full report: www.ssl.energy.gov/exploratory.html

4.      Illuminating The Big Picture: LEDs by Craig DiLouie - In the April 2012 issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, we challenged the presumption that LED lighting is maintenance-free. We found that, while it produces significant maintenance benefits over conventional technology, it must be maintained, though it requires rethinking of some aspects of how that service is performed. The DOE produced two studies, which confirmed LED replacement lamps are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than both incandescent and CFLs. (1)“Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent and LED Lamps” (February 2012), is based on an analysis of 10 existing life-cycle assessment studies. (2)“Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Environmental Impacts of LED Lighting Products” (June 2012), is based on analysis of more than 25 life-cycle assessment studies. The DOE is planning a third study, which will examine the amount of hazardous materials that exist in LED replacements, CFLs and incandescent lamps and whether those materials are present in levels that exceed federal and California waste disposal regulations. http://www.ecmag.com/section/lighting/illuminating-big-picture%E2%80%A9-leds

5.      What a Difference a Year Makes for Incandescent Lamps - NEMA’s incandescent lamp shipments index showed a precipitous decline of 40.1 percent compared to the same period last year. Moreover, the index reached a value of 49.3, a new record low for the series. On an annual basis, incandescent lamp shipments during 2012 were down 18.3 percent–erasing a 16.4 percent gain for 2011. Compact fluorescent (CFL) lamp shipments dipped slightly during 2012 to an index value of 176, a change of 0.3 percent versus 2011. Meanwhile, halogen A-line lamps continued to make inroads as a viable alternative lamp source increasing by 88.3 percent over last year. http://www.nema.org/News/Pages/What-a-Difference-a-Year-Makes-for-Incandescent-Lamps.aspx

6.      Linear Fluorescent Lamp Shipments Wane During 2012 - NEMA’s shipment indexes for T5 and T8 liner fluorescent lamps increased 2.1 and 15.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 to reach 156.8 and 103.1, respectively. However, the quarterly gains were not able to offset decreases earlier in 2012. The index for T5 lamps posted an annual reading of 159, a decline of 10.7 percent from 2011. T8 lamps declined 14 percent during the year to reach an index value of 99 for 2012. Shipments of T12 lamps showed the largest annual slide, dipping by 18.6 percent to 50 –half the level of 2006. Similarly, the index for T12 lamps reached a new record low of 36.6, a decline of 1.1 percent during Q4. http://www.nema.org/News/Pages/Linear-Fluorescent-Lamp-Shipments-Wane-During-2012.aspx

7.   HID Lamp Shipment Indexes Remain on the Decline During 2012 - NEMA’s HID lamp shipment indexes declined for the second consecutive year during 2012. Mercury vapor lamps declined 9.6 percent to an index value of 44 signifying that shipments during 2012 were 44 percent of the 2006 base level. The index for sodium vapor lamp shipments fell 6.2 percent, landing at 75. Metal halide lamps posted an index reading of 80, declining by 4.9 percent for the year. http://www.nema.org/News/Pages/HID-Lamp-Shipment-Indexes-Remain-on-the-Decline-During-2012.aspx

8.      Independence LED Launches “Cash for Clunkers” Program - Pennsylvania lighting tube manufacturer Independence LED’s new “Cash for Clunkers” program will reimburse the buyer a portion of what their T12 bulbs are worth when they retrofit with the Eagle LED tube. The program also covers the cost for installation and removal of the light bulbs, enabling customers to easily and affordably retrofit their lighting to be both more cost efficient and environmentally friendly. Independence LED plans to spend $10 million on the program.  http://www.independenceled.com/cash_for_clunkers_lighting

9.      Norwalk, CT Shopping Plaza Gets Energy Upgrades - A local shopping plaza is the state's first commercial energy-efficiency project financed through a new program launched earlier this year. The shopping plaza at 542 Westport Ave. financed a $285,000 lighting upgrade through the Commercial and Industrial Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (C-PACE), which is designed to provide commercial and industrial building owners with low-cost, long-term, upfront financing for renewable energy projects.  4/02 New Haven Register

     10.  Businesses to Lower Costs and Save Energy with Efficiency Vermont and SmartWatt Energy - Efficiency Vermont  http://www.efficiencyvermont.com is taking steps to reduce peak electricity demands. Incandescent lighting is a major drain on energy resources, so Efficiency Vermont is undertaking to replace it with LEDs. Efficiency Vermont required an experienced and capable partner to implement the LED Upgrade Program, so it awarded SmartWatt Energy http://www.smartwattinc.com/ the sole program implementation and administration contract. The LED Upgrade Program will help targeted Vermont businesses lower their electricity costs, while also reducing peak electricity demands. 4/01 PRWEB

11.  Are You READY for LIGHTFAIR  in 3 Weeks - Map your course on the LARGEST trade show floor, featuring over 500 exhibitors. Improve your knowledge and take charge of your education with over 66 conference courses offered at LFI. Connect with peers and make new contacts by adding networking and special events. With LIGHTFAIR’s accelerating growth, the trade show floor has expanded to another level - Hall F on the 100 Level of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Hall F illuminates the future of new lighting technologies with a spotlight on a diverse and well-known lineup of exhibitors. Register at: http://www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/index.cvn?id=10189

New Posting for the Lighting Positions Network

      1. “Ask Paul” Column Launched in EdisonReport - Executive recruiting firm The Pompeo Group and EdisonReport are teaming up to provide a new regular feature. Readers are asked to submit questions to “Ask Paul” regarding interviewing, resumes, the job market, etc, and Paul Pompeo will provide answers. This column will appear on a monthly basis beginning March 25. Questions should be sent to paul@pompeo.com. All questions will be anonymous—names of people and companies will be withheld for sake of confidentiality. The Pompeo Group www.pompeo.com specializes in placing mid to senior level professionals in LED, Lighting, Electrical and Energy industries at the manufacturer level as well as with design firms. To read Paul's debut column: http://www.pompeo.com/AskPaul.

News Updates for the Week of April 1

1.  A Bright Future for LED - By 2020, you're not going to be able to buy a light source other than an LED. You're on a learning curve of cost reduction, quality improvement and efficacy improvement. Today, 2013, is the first year you're going to be able to buy an exact clone of a regular 60-watt incandescent bulb at a reasonable price point. This year it's a $10 product. We're looking at it being a $5 product within 24 months, $2.50 within 48 months. So, by the time you get to 2020, it would be the equivalent cost to today's regular light bulb, last 25 years and use 85% less energy. But probably the more interesting thing is, after you digitize the light socket and you switch to LEDs, there's a second and third wave coming. Changing the color temperature. Changing the ambience of the room. Being able to integrate other functionality—it's your Wi-Fi hot spot, it's your alarm system because it detects presence coming into the room. You've got a raft of functionality that just has to be integrated into the bulb itself.  3/26 WSJ

2.  DOE Releases Report on LED Environmental Testing - The U.S. DOE has released a new study addressing the potential environmental impacts from landfill disposal of three light-source technologies used in residential homes: incandescent, CFL, and LED. All three lamp types contained some hazardous elements which, while generally below Federal landfill limits, in some instances exceeded the more restrictive California limits. The report, LED Environmental Testing, covers the third part of a larger DOE study to assess the life-cycle environmental and resource impacts of LED lighting products in relation to the two other types of lighting. Altogether, the three-part study found that LEDs currently have the lowest environmental impact, and that the rapid pace of LED technology improvements will widen that gap considerably over the next five years. The full report is available online at www.ssl.energy.gov/tech_reports.html

3. New Reasons to Change Light Bulbs - You’ve probably seen LED flashlights, the LED “flash” on phone cameras and LED indicator lights on electronics. But LED bulbs, for use in the lamps and light sockets of your home, have been slow to arrive, mainly because of their high price. May these six capsule reviews shed some light on the latest in home illumination: 3/20 NY Times

• R  3M ADVANCED LED BULBS 
• CREE LED BULBS
• TORCHSTAR
• PHILIPS HUE 
• INSTEON 
• GREENWAVE SOLUTION

4.  Osram Opto Announces New Bright White LEDs for the Interior of Vehicles - Osram Opto Semiconductors has launched the next-generation of its Topled and Mini Topled LEDs for interior-vehicular applications. The components enable high-brightness, long-life solid-state lighting (SSL) for the interior of buses, autos, trains, and airplanes. Osram retailed the same packaging technology that it had previously used in the Topled families. But the new LEDs stretch lifetime to 50,000 hours and deliver more light output allowing for a better user experience in mass transit applications. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/10/3/22

5. PA’s PPL Launches New Conservation Program - PPL Electric Utilities will offer a portfolio of energy conservation programs over the next three years under a plan approved this month by the PA Public Utility Commission.  Some of the 13 programs will be similar to existing offers, such as rebates for energy-efficient appliances and energy audits for residential, small commercial and large industrial customers, as well as to government agencies, schools and home builders. They will cost about $61 million a year--an expense covered by a monthly charge on customers' bills. PPL will conduct energy audits at such places and then provide significant discounts to implement recommendations, such as lighting upgrades (over 7 million CFLs were distributed), occupancy sensors and high-efficiency refrigeration, heating and irrigation systems. The new programs will be available starting June 1. Details are available: http://www.pplelectric.com/save-energy-and-money

6. LEDucation 7 Breaks Both Exhibit & Attendance Records - The Designers Lighting Forum of New York announced that LEDucation 7 hosted its largest event to date with a record -breaking crowd of over 3,000 attendees and a sold out expo of 150+ exhibitors. Dedicated to advancing the education of the lighting community, LEDucation offered attendees key updates and glimpses into the future of the industry. Educational seminars were conducted by some of the industry’s most leading authorities and gave attendees a chance to catch up on the latest advancements in solid state technology and controls. http://www.leducation.org/

7.  LightFEST - It is the LFI evening reception of Light, Networking & Celebration. This signature event of 2013 will bring together lighting professionals to enjoy the festivities and networking. It takes place Tuesday, April 23, 6:15pm – 8:00pm in the PA Convention Center Ballroom http://www.lightfair.com/lightfair/V40/index.cvn?id=10189

8. AEE Upcoming Online Training Opportunities For Energy-Involved Professionals - top quality professional training while earning CEU credits online: http://www.aeeprograms.com/