News Updates for the Week of October 8

1.      Highlights of EEI Member and Non-Member Residential/Commercial/Industrial Efficiency and Demand Response Programs for 2012 (Last Updated on June 08, 2012) - Many Electric Companies offer programs and incentives to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use.

• Energy-efficiency rebates to make high-efficiency appliances, including lighting, air conditioning, and refrigeration, more affordable. 
• Low-interest loans for financing the purchase of high-efficiency equipment.
• Online energy audits to analyze a home's energy use and offer recommended adjustments. 
• Home construction programs to encourage builders to use energy-saving designs and specify high-efficiency appliances and equipment in new homes. 
• Demand response programs to encourage customers to reduce their electricity use during peak periods.

State by State review at: http://www.eei.org/ourissues/EnergyEfficiency/Documents/progs.pdf

2.      Global Demand for Lighting Fixtures to Grow at 6.9% CAGR to Reach $153 Million in 2016 - The lighting fixture industry is segmented into three major markets: construction, vehicles and machinery, and consumer and commercial goods. The construction market is the largest segment for lighting fixtures and gains in this market will be led by the residential building segment. Meanwhile, sales gains in the vehicles and machinery market will nearly match those of the construction market over the forecast period as vehicle production rates improve. The new Freedonia industry study presents historical demand data for 2001, 2006 and 2011, plus forecasts for 2016 and 2021 by product, market, world region and for 24 major countries. The study also considers market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 39 industry competitors. http://www.giiresearch.com/report/fd128460-lighting-fixture.html

3.      ACEEE: Massachusetts Still #1 State for Energy Efficiency, While Oklahoma, Montana, and South Carolina Are Among Most Improved - States continue to move strongly in 2012 to advance energy efficiency initiatives regardless of which political party is in control of state legislatures and governors' offices, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) on the release today of its sixth annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. The ACEEE State Scorecard shows that the top 10 energy efficiency states are Massachusetts (in its second year atop the rankings), California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Washington, Maryland, and Minnesota. The 10 states most in need of improvement (starting with last) are Mississippi, North Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Nebraska. http://aceee.org/sector/state-policy/scorecard

4.      IKEA to Sell Only LED Lighting by 2016 - IKEA, a leading home furnishings retailer, said today it will be converting its full lighting range to LED by 2016, meaning the company will sell only LED bulbs and lamps. It is believed that IKEA is the first U.S. home furnishings retailer to take such a move.  Additionally, IKEA said it is changing more than one million light sources inside their stores to LED and other more efficient lighting.  IKEA said that 43% of American households have at least one LED bulb in their homes. That number is based on an IKEA Global study. 10/1 TED

5.      Swarm of BEEs Arrives in Florida - Florida Power & Light Company is marking Energy Awareness Month by helping 1,000 small-and medium-sized businesses in Florida shape-up and BEE-healthy. FPL's Business Energy Evaluation (BEE) is a first step for a business to get "Energy Fit." FPL energy efficiency experts will meet with business customers, who already have electric bills that are among the lowest in the state, and develop customized BEEs showing them ways to save even more--in most cases five percent or more on lighting and cooling costs. www.FPL.com/BEE

6.      DOE Releases GATEWAY Report on LED Post-Top Lighting - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the evaluation report from a GATEWAY demonstration in New York City's Central Park, conducted in collaboration with The Climate Group and the New York City Department of Transportation. LED post-top luminaires from five different manufacturers were installed along paved walking trails and evaluated against the metal halide luminaires that were in the park at the time. The report includes product comparisons across performance criteria of energy savings, improved horizontal and vertical illuminance, life-cycle cost, and simple payback, as well as considerations regarding orientation, spacing, and color quality. The report is available for download at www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_results.html

7.      LEDnovation Introduces 75W- and 100W-Equivalent A-Lamps - LEDnovation, a manufacturer of LED replacement lamps based in Tampa, FL, has introduced 75W and 100W comparable versions of its EnhanceLite Omnidirectional A-lamps. The LEDH-A19-75-1-27D-IO and LEDH-A19-100-1-27D-IO offer 1150 lm and 1600 lm output and require 13.7W and 19W, respectively, and deliver a warm color temperature of 2700K. The company will begin producing the 75W-equivalent lamp in November 2012 and the 100W-equivalent lamp in January 2013.  http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/9/23

8.      Georgia Power Encourages Customers to Take the Change a Light, Change the World Pledge -For the seventh year, Georgia Power is encouraging its customers to help the environment and save energy by supporting the U.S. EPA’s "Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR®" campaign. Georgia Power currently ranks as the top EPA national pledge leader for the 2011-2012 campaign. The company has distributed more than 680,000 CFLs to customers in exchange for pledges since establishing the partnership with the EPA pledge campaign in 2006. Through the campaign, customers are encouraged to take the pledge to change at least one standard incandescent light bulb to an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL. 10/02 PRNewswire

9.      California Utilities Announce Innovative Financing For Energy Efficiency Retrofits - The California investor-owned utilities (Sempra, SoCalEd and PG&E) announced several financing programs including the first On-Bill Repayment (OBR) program using third-party capital to finance energy efficiency retrofits in commercial properties. Property owners would be able to access low-cost capital to finance upgrades and repay the investment through their utility bill. http://www.edf.org/energy/obr

10.  2012 IES Annual Conference Minneapolis (11/11/12 - 11/13/12) at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center - http://www.ies.org/ac/

Something to Think About

01/16/08 Business Week by John Quelch

Politicians need to do what consumer companies do: Focus on customer needs, develop solutions, inform interested citizens, and make them easily accessible.

For all the coverage of the Presidential primaries, only half of eligible voters will likely cast ballots in November. While 20% of U.S. adults are political junkies, the rest can't spare the time, don't think their vote will matter, see no important differences among the candidates, or are turned off by the electoral process and candidates' campaign tactics.  There are five structural reasons why this is the case. 

1.  In U.S. general elections, voters usually see only two viable candidates on the ballot. That's one reason turnout is low. In any other product category, there are many more choices. As a result, consumer interest—and consumption—is higher.

2.  In representative democracies, the consumer has to live with the majority decision. That also dampens enthusiasm. Not so in commerce. You can buy or own whichever brand you wish.

3.  In U.S. politics, citizens vote on a specified date once every two, four or six years. Maybe they have to register in advance, wait in line at the polling station, and use an out-of-date polling machine to do so. The commercial marketplace is much more convenient. Consumers can cast their votes at millions of points-of-purchase every day.

4.   Some politicians understand that Branding 101 requires the development of a distinctive, appealing message, delivered consistently over time. But politicians can't win by targeting a single niche segment. They have to win a majority on Election Day, and doing so often means parsing words, trying to have it both ways, and allegedly flip-flopping on issues. In addition, the winner-takes-all system often leads candidates to desperate tactics such as negative advertising to tear down their opponents rather than promoting their own virtues.

5.   A final reason for consumer indifference to politics may be the effectiveness of commercial marketing. Most consumers have stronger relationships with brands than with their elected representatives or the umbrella political brands, Democrat or Republican.

What's needed in politics is not less marketing but better marketing: focusing on current and emerging customer needs, developing product and service solutions, informing interested citizens about them and making them easily accessible. Politicians need to view citizens not as occasional voters, donors and taxpayers but as their customers.

News Updates for the Week of October 1

1.      GSA Makes Case for Smart Lighting, Plug Strip Roll-Out - The US General Services Administration has concluded reviews of energy efficient technologies responsive lighting systems and plug load control and released details of how such technology could be rolled out to federal buildings.  A study of responsive lighting systems showed that such technology provided energy savings that ranged from around 27-to-63 percent over baseline conditions, depending on the work space’s normal use. Lighting accounts for 39 percent of electricity costs in office buildings, the GSA says.  The workstation-specific lighting systems evaluated in the study were found to be most cost effective in spaces with long operating hours and varying occupancy patterns, such as call centers. Offices with “3-tube 2×4 troffer light fixtures, operating days that are 14 hours or longer, utility costs of $0.11/kWh or greater, and an occupancy pattern that is variable, offer the best potential for energy savings at a low simple payback and therefore a “strong argument for targeted deployment,” the report says. The GSA also announced future studies of 12 more energy-efficient technologies. http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/pbs/OccupantResponsiveLighting_508c.pdf

2.      DOE Releases Gateway Report on Museum LED Retrofit Lighting by Craig DiLouie - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the final evaluation report from a retrofit of track lighting at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. During the demonstration, LED PAR 30 and MR16 lamps replaced all traditional incandescent lamps in one gallery and LED PAR 38 and MR16 lamps partially replaced incandescent lamps in two other galleries. This GATEWAY demonstration report describes the selection and testing process, technology challenges, perceptions, economics, energy use, and mixed results of using LED replacement lamps in art galleries housing national treasures. http://www.lightnowblog.com/2012/09/doe-releases-gateway-report-on-museum-led-retrofit-lighting-2/

3.      DesignLights Consortium Receives U.S. DOE Partner Recognition by Craig DiLouie -  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has given special recognition to Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) as an LED Lighting Facts program partner for its dedication to promote the LED lighting industry through its project, the DesignLights Consortium (DLC). The DLC, a collaboration of utility efficiency programs and regional energy efficiency organizations throughout the United States and Canada, is the premier resource for high-quality, energy efficient commercial lighting design and information. http://www.lightnowblog.com/2012/09/designlights-consortium-receives-u-s-department-of-energy-partner-recognition/

4.      Energy-Efficient Lighting Market in Europe to 2020 - GBI Research, a leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research, "Energy-efficient Lighting Market in Europe to 2020 - LEDs Emerge as Key Growth Sector due to Price Discounting and Phosphor Shortages Restricting CFL Production". The report gives an in-depth analysis of the Energy Efficient Lighting Market in Europe, with forecast until 2020. The research analyzes the market volume of the energy-efficient lighting market in 8 major countries (Germany, The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg). It provides a detailed analysis of four major lighting technologies such as CFLs, Halogen Lamps, HID Lamps and LEDs.  

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/icph3t/energyefficient_lighting_market_in_europe_to   

5.      A Boom in Utility Rebates Drives LED Lighting - Four years ago, when Consolidated Edison was designing its commercial and industrial rebate programs, LEDs weren’t mature enough to make it into the prescriptive program. Instead, solid-state lighting was lumped in with the custom rebate program. When the programs are redesigned next year, some LEDs will probably move out of the custom category. Many companies are looking to their utilities to provide rebates for LED retrofits, which offer a huge energy savings but can still come with a significant upfront cost--despite falling prices. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/A-Boom-in-Utility-Rebates-Drives-LED-Lighting

6.     P2 Graphic Provides Pictorial Comparison of Light Source Technologies by Craig DiLouie - This interesting infographic from P2 (Precision Lighting and Paragon Lighting) provides a quick comparison of light source technologies. http://www.lightnowblog.com/2012/09/paragon-graphic-provides-pictorial-comparison-of-light-source-technologies/

7.      Senate Energy Efficiency Bill Omissions Designed to Get House Support - Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) got their energy efficiency legislation (S. 1000) through as an amendment to a previously passed House bill, but had to shed much of its weight in the process.  The bill would make national model building codes more energy efficient with the goal of reaching net-zero-energy building for new homes and commercial sites by 2030. It would also expand an Energy Department (DOE) loan guarantee program to include efficiency retrofits. http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/241095-sens-shaheen-portman-will-file-energy-bill-as-amendment-to-every-senate-bill

8.   Renewables Must Learn from Natural Gas - Natural gas is now tied with coal as the United States’ top source of electricity. It’s a milestone that caps a historic upheaval in the energy industry. Natural gas did what renewable energy has been trying to do on and off for almost four decades. And it did so by winning the race to cost and performance competitiveness: natural gas is cheaper and of equal performance to coal and renewable energy is simply not. For climate and renewable advocates, the rise of natural gas should be more than just the next fossil fuel boogeyman or a short-term cut in greenhouse gases–it should play the role as model for making renewable energy the dominant source of electricity in America (and the world). http://theenergycollective.com/cliftonyin/116776/renewables-must-learn-natural-gas

9.      Which State Has the Best Solar REC Market? - One of the few remaining drivers for the growth of renewables is the individual state mandate, called a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) or a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), requiring utilities and other load serving entities (LSEs) to obtain a specific portion of their power from renewables by a specific date.  Some states allow LSEs to meet a portion of their obligation with renewable energy credits (RECs), and REC trading markets are emerging. Sixteen states and D.C. have specified a portion of the renewable requirement for solar alone. Seven of those states have markets specifically aimed at the trading of solar RECs (SRECs).  http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Which-State-Has-the-Best-Solar-REC-Market

10.  ENERGY STAR Stakeholder Roundtable Meeting on Dimming - October 21, 2012 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites you to participate in a meeting to discuss dimming and the ENERGY STAR Lamps specification on Sunday, October 21, 2012 from 4:00pm-6:00pm Central. The meeting will be held at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul – Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, MN. This meeting will be in-person only and each participant is required to RSVP to lamps@energystar.gov no later than October 12, 2012.

11.  NEMA Message to the 2012 Candidates - NEMA has issued a public statement to 2012 presidential and congressional candidates outlining proposals that create a more secure, energy-efficient, and healthy future for the country and its citizens. http://www.nema.org/Policy/Documents/Mfgs-Saving-Energy-and-Saving-Lives-4web.pdf

12. Construction Employment Declined in 30 States Year-Over-Year in August - Construction employment declined in 30 states from August 2011 to August 2012 and in 26 states in the past month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association officials noted that construction employment declined in most states even as long term infrastructure programs and tax measures languish. http://ecmweb.com/contractor/construction-employment-declined-30-states-year-over-year-august View the state employment data by rank and by state.

13.  Toshiba Installs 20,000 LED Street Lamps In San Antonio -Toshiba International Corporation (TIC) has announced that its TGT LED Luminaires will replace over 20,000 high-pressure sodium (HPS) street lamps in San Antonio, Texas. CPS Energy selected Toshiba’s roadway lighting after extensive investigation and experimentation with multiple LED luminaire options. The luminaire was selected for its product performance including the communications-enabled feature that allows connection to the Smart Grid. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/9/19

14.  Cree Refreshes LED Family, Extends Warranty in Commercial SSL Products - Cree has leveraged its third generation LED manufacturing platform that it calls SC³ (silicon carbide 3) to produce a new version of the XLamp XP-E LED family called XP-E2 offering a 20% jump in efficacy. Cree Lighting announced that it would now offer a ten-year warranty on solid-state lighting (SSL) products that are sold into commercial applications. http://ledsmagazine.com/news/9/9/17

15.  Ohio University to Save an Estimated $38 Million Through Energy Performance Contract with Constellation - Constellation www.constellation.com and Ohio University today announced a guaranteed energy performance contract (EPC) for more than $38 million in water and energy cost savings over a 15-year period. Constellation was selected by competitive bid to provide energy efficiency and water conservation measures for 72 buildings at Ohio University's main campus in Athens, Ohio. Under the terms of the EPC with Constellation, the upgrades require no upfront capital from the university. Ohio University will use the guaranteed energy and operational savings from the conservation measures to fund the approximately $28 million project through low interest bonds from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority. The conservation measures installed by Constellation include: campus-wide interior lighting retrofits. 9/27 BUSINESS WIRE

16.  Boulder Launches Energy Tracking Pilot Program for Businesses, Offers 'Coaches' - Boulder is offering free "energy coaches" to interested businesses as part of a pilot program to get more companies to measure and track their energy use. Depending on how the pilot program goes, Boulder could start requiring businesses to report their energy rating to the city next year. City officials said they hope a wide variety of commercial and industrial businesses apply so that they can get a complete picture of energy use in those sectors and determine which types of energy data to collect and how to simplify the data-sharing process. Participating businesses will use the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program to track and rate their energy, which they will share with the city. http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_21648082/boulder-launches-energy-tracking-pilot-program-businesses-offers