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August 2009 |
National Energy Market News
1. Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $300 Million Rebate Program to Encourage Purchases of Energy Efficient Appliances - U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the availability of nearly $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for state-run rebate programs for consumer purchases of new ENERGY STAR qualified home appliances. The new funding will be awarded to states and territories, through their energy offices, using a formula set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Each state or territory is required to submit a plan that specifies which ENERGY STAR appliance categories will be included in their rebate program, the rebate level for each product type, how the rebates will be processed, and their plan for recycling old appliances. States and territories must first file an initial application expressing their intent to participate by August 15, 2009, followed by a full application by October 15, 2009. For more information on these and other Recovery Act related funding opportunities, visit www.Energy.gov/recovery 07/14 AP
2. Securing Stimulus Funds for Electrical Contractors - “The $787 billion economic stimulus package provides some $65 billion in grants and tax credits for an array of energy projects,” writes Darrell Delamaide in the July/August issue of Energy Biz magazine. Delamaide describes some of the stimulus-funded energy projects important to utilities, and how those projects will be funded. $8.7 billion has been allocated for energy efficiency improvements at federal facilities, and $4.5 billion has been allocated for smart grid projects.
3.
2009
Recovery Act Economic Stimulus Funds – Key Contacts and Resources -
Congress passed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on February
13 and President Obama signed it into law on February 17, 2009. The ARRA
contains significant tax, investment, and spending provisions impacting energy
efficiency, Smart Grid, and infrastructure projects. NAED members can now take
advantage of information compiled by NEMA (the National Association of
Electrical and Medical Imaging Equipment Manufacturers) on the ARRA, better
known as the 2009 stimulus package. Click
here to access a pdf containing a list
of websites outlining energy-efficiency incentives and programs. More
information is available through the NEMA Economic Stimulus webpage, www.nema.org/gov/economic-stimulus.
4.
ACEEE Creates Job Calculator for
Energy-Saving Stimulus Projects - Today the American
Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) published a jobs calculator for
estimating the employment impacts of energy efficiency projects funded through
the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The calculator along with its user's
guide can be found on the Federal Economic Stimulus Legislation section of
ACEEE's National Energy Efficiency Policy Webpage at http://www.aceee.org/energy/national/recovery.htm
5.
The Profits and Perils of LEDs by Jim
Lucy, Chief Editor Electrical Wholesaling -
Seldom does a new
product technology hit the electrical wholesaling industry with as much
potential profit and potential peril as LED lighting. It's hard to believe that the basic technology powering all those tiny
green and red indicator lights in VCRs, computer hard drives, exit signs,
traffic signals and car tail lights have the potential to one day revolutionize
the lighting world. That day hasn't come yet industry-wide, but in some
specific lighting niches it's right around the corner. The tricky part for
electrical distributors, independent manufacturers' reps and lighting
manufacturers is figuring out where and when. As with any new technology, most
LED manufacturers are doing everything possible to develop the very best
products for the market, but you have some rogue companies looking to make a
quick buck with inferior products and false marketing claims. More than one
lighting professional contacted for this article said the LED market is like
the Wild West, and all say it's an exciting time to be in the LED market. Cover Story July Electrical Wholesaling
6.
The Full Gain of Net-Zero by Jeff Gavin -
In the drive for energy-efficient buildings, perfection is net-zero energy.
Such tightly constructed buildings also produce their own energy, ultimately
offsetting the energy they expend. Some produce more than they use and can sell
the excess back to the utility. Today, there are a handful of such buildings
serving as examples of what could be done. Some communities and states are even
setting target dates (15 to 30 years) when new construction must meet net-zero.
Feature Story of July Electrical Contractor
7. Congress
Takes On Energy By Doug Chandler, Executive
Editor - The American Clean Energy and
Security Act of 2009 was passed by the House of Representatives on June 26 with
a vote of 219-212. Passage of the bill, also known as H.R. 2454 or the
Waxman-Markey bill, after its primary sponsors, Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and
Edward Markey (D-Mass.), has caused a considerable stir across the political
spectrum, in the press and online, primarily over its cost and its creation of
a cap-and-trade system for carbon-dioxide emissions. But the bill is also
loaded with provisions for improving energy efficiency that will significantly
impact the electrical industry. The debate moves next to the Senate, where the
Energy and Natural Resources Committee last month reported out the American
Clean Energy Leadership Act, which will proceed to a vote by the full Senate,
probably in October, but possibly earlier.
07/’09 Electrical
Wholesaling
8. Sylvania
Partners with ESCOs on Lighting Upgrades - Citing a growing corporate
consensus about the financial benefits of energy efficiency, Osram Sylvania,
Danvers, Mass., has launched an alliance with energy service companies (ESCOs)
nationwide to pursue energy-efficient lighting upgrades in commercial and
institutional facilities. Sixty ESCOs
have signed on for Sylvania's Energy Solutions Network since its inception
last fall. The company hopes to double that number over the next year, in the
second phase of building out the network Osram Sylvania's network program
focuses on small to mid-sized ESCOs, offering them preferred benefits including
a dedicated Sylvania ESCO management team, field sales, application engineering
and training options as well as marketing programs to support development of
energy-efficient lighting upgrade projects.
07/’09 Electrical Wholesaling
9. Integrating Lighting and Building Control by Craig DiLouie - Building automation systems (BAS) provide automatic control of
electrical loads, such as HVAC, lighting and electric motors, and functions not
related to energy management, such as security and fire safety systems. Energy
management systems (EMS) provide automatic control of electrical loads to
manage energy consumption either as a stand-alone system or as part of a BAS. When designing a new building,
the are basically two choices:
R
specify lighting, HVAC and other
systems as stand-alone control systems; or
R
specify a single whole-building
system that provides all desired functionality.
The whole-building approach has a
distinct advantage in that the building operator theoretically can control the
entire building’s electrical loads from a single workstation, and not have to
learn and use multiple software programs. The disadvantage is
traditional EMS do not work well with advanced lighting control inputs and
strategies such as daylighting control, occupancy sensing, architectural
dimming and networked digital switches. http://www.aboutlightingcontrols.org/education/papers/2009/2009_integration.shtml
10.
Energy Efficiency Could Save
Americans 1.2 Trillion Dollars - As the Senate gears up to
consider landmark climate and energy legislation in the coming weeks, a new
report released this week www.mckinsey.com/USenergyefficiency concludes that elevating energy efficiency to a
national priority could save American consumers $1.2 trillion by 2020--about
the same amount as the projected 2009 Federal deficit. In issuing its report,
McKinsey & Co. state that energy efficiency is the "single most
promising resource" in pursuing energy affordability and security. In
addition to the tremendous savings to consumers and businesses, the report
finds that elevating energy efficiency to a national priority could also create
600,000-900,000 sustainable green jobs and reduce our overall energy
consumption by 23 percent - that's equivalent to the total energy consumption
of the entire world for two weeks. 07/30 BUSINESS WIRE
11. Energy Efficiency Incentives Likely to Grow
- You're probably familiar
with some of the federal government's incentives for home energy efficiency --
heftier tax credits for solar panels, solar water heaters, geothermal heat
pumps, heavy-duty insulation, windows, air conditioning and the like. But these
are just the beginning of an unprecedented push by the government that's
getting underway for energy conservation in housing. At the Department of
Housing and Urban Development, a new generation of mortgages designed to
encourage energy efficiency is being rolled out, starting with Federal Housing
Administration loans that offer 5%
larger mortgages to people who plan on making energy-efficiency improvements.
For example, if you qualify for a $300,000 FHA mortgage, the FHA might now be
able offer you an additional $15,000 if the extra money is used to
substantially lower the property's annual energy consumption. 07/26 LA Times
12. The LEED View: Sustainable Lighting - In Turner Construction's 2008 Green Building
Market Barometer survey of 754 commercial real estate executives, a significant
percentage of respondents view green buildings as having lower operating costs
and higher building values, rent requirements, occupancy rates and overall
return on investment. As a primary
building system, lighting has a critical role to play in sustainable buildings.
At first glance, “sustainable lighting” appears to be a fancy way of saying
energy-efficient lighting. However, it encompasses the satisfaction of the
lighting system’s design intent for the lowest life-cycle environmental impact.
And, it has become associated with quality lighting practices that do not
directly save energy but are related to worker or inhabitant satisfaction, such
as providing access to daylight and views. 07/’09 Electrical Contractor
13. Cool Events
Planned by ENERGY STAR for Fall - The
Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Tour Exhibit House
is hitting the road again this year. Check out the tour dates and
locations below to see where you can tour the home and see firsthand how saving
energy can help you save money and fight global warming at home, at work, and
in your community.
·
PLANO, TEXAS
September
18-20 Plano Balloon Festival at
Oak Point Park
·
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA September 30-October 4
Los
Angeles County Fair
·
PUGET SOUND AREA, WASHINGTON October 10-11 Lowe’s Store in Auburn, WA
·
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS October
24-25 Boston Medical Center’s Halloween Town at the Seaport World Trade Center
Take
a room-by-room tour of the home and learn about ways to save with energy-efficient
practices and ENERGY STAR qualified products, such as: Lighting, Electronics,
Home Sealing and Insulation, Appliances, Office Equipment, Heating and Cooling
Equipment. Each event will have a
"testimonial booth" where you can record your individual
energy-saving story about how you have made a positive change for the
environment.
14.
Energy
and Lighting Efficiency Among Top Sustainability Solutions by Dan Carazo
- Good news: Four of the
"Top 10" green strategies being incorporated in recent projects are
electrical solutions.
A look at the green building technologies and strategies the surveyed
building professionals have incorporated or plan to incorporate in recent
projects indicated very good news for electrical contractors and distributors. http://www.tedgreenroom.com
1)
Automated
lighting controls 86%
2)
Energy management 85%
3)
Low-emitting
carpeting 69%
4)
Low-emitting
paints/finishes/adhesives 69%
5)
Daylighting 67%
6)
Recycled/renewable
building materials 67%
7)
Building
commissioning 61%
8)
Green
furniture, fixtures, equipment 61%
9)
Energy analysis/modeling
tools 58%
10) Acoustics/soundproofing 55%
15. 72% Don’t Want Feds Changing Their Light
Bulbs - Just 18% of adults think it’s the government’s job to tell
Americans what kind of light bulb they use, according to a new Rasmussen
Reports national telephone survey. Seventy-two percent (72%) say it’s none of
the government’s business, and 10% are not sure. The federal government under
an energy bill passed in 2007 is requiring consumers to dump incandescent
bulbs, the ones we’ve used for well over a century, for more expensive
incandescent ones. The plan is scheduled to go into effect over the next 10
years in the name of great energy efficiency.
07/23 http://www.rasmussenreports.com
16. Suppliers Will Disclose Greenness – Wal-Mart “unveiled an environmental labeling program for the products it
carries.” The company “will tell suppliers they must calculate and disclose the
full environmental costs of making their products, then allow Wal-Mart to
distill the information into a rating system that shoppers will see alongside
prices.” According to the report, “Wal-Mart insisted there will be no
exemptions” from this new imposition. 07/23
TED
17. 'Smart Grid' Raises Security Concerns - Electric
utilities vying for $3.9 billion in new federal "smart grid" grants
will need to prove that they are taking steps to prevent cyberattacks as they
move to link nearly all elements of the U.S. power grid to the public Internet. 07/28 Washington Post
18. The
Impact of LEED - Building
rating systems like LEED and Green Globes have made an indelible influence in
the way buildings are designed and constructed. Moreover, they've made an
impact as to how buildings perform once they're delivered to the client. But the question of how much of an impact
these green building rating systems have had remains unanswered. An article,
which can be found in its entirety on Sustainable Facility's website,
provides one opinion of the impact the LEED Green Building Rating System has
had and what is in store for the future.
http://www.sustainablefacility.com
19. DOE Announces Plans for Municipal
Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium - To leverage the efforts of
multiple cities pursuing evaluations of LED street lighting products, DOE has
announced plans to form a Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium. The
Consortium will collect, analyze, and share technical information and
experiences related to LED street lighting demonstrations. The Consortium will provide a forum for
entities with similar backgrounds and needs to share information, ask
questions, and tap into a large body of knowledge and experience that will help
maximize the value of their dollars spent evaluating LED street lighting.
Membership will be open to municipalities, utilities, and energy efficiency
organizations. DOE expects to launch the Consortium in September 2009. www.ssl.energy.gov/gatewaydemos_consortium.html.
20. Why We Need the Climate Bill’s Building Code - A section spanning
just 29 pages of the 1,428-page Waxman-Markey climate bill could have an
outsized impact on energy use in the United States as it would require
ambitious reductions in the energy use of new homes and commercial structures
through a nationwide building energy code: aka Section 201, or “Greater Energy
Efficiency in Building Codes”. The
legislation would mark an important shift, requiring all states to meet minimum
building energy standards. 07/27 Reuters
21. 
LIGHTFAIR Update - LIGHTFAIR International broke all records of
attendee numbers this May in New York, welcoming 23,416 registered attendees.
LFI 2009 was the largest, most robust trade show and conference to-date,
beating LFI 2007’s records in New York (which was the largest show in history
until this year). Attendees came from all over the world, representing a
dynamic cross-section of professions. The release provides details on the
demographics of the attendees from LFI 2009. tarat@lightfair.com
22. Existing-Home Sales Up for Third Straight Month - Existing-home sales rose for
the third straight month in June, increasing 3.6% to a seasonally adjusted
annual rate of 4.89 million units from a downwardly revised pace of 4.72
million in May, the National Association of Realtors reported. Regionally, the
West showed the biggest jump, as existing-home sales improved by 6.4% to an
annual rate of 1.16 million in June, and are 11.5% higher than June 2008. In
the Northeast, sales rose 2.5% to an annual pace of 820,000, but are 4.7% below
a year ago. Sales in the Midwest increased 0.9% to a level of 1.10 million but
are 1.8% lower than June 2008. And in the South, sales rose 4% to an annual
pace of 1.81 million in June, but are 3.7% below a year ago. 07/23 HCN
23. U.S. New Home Sales Rise Sharply
in June -
Sales of new single-family homes in the United States rose more than expected
in June, while the inventory of homes for sale fell to a more than 11-year low,
government data showed on Monday. Sales rose to an annual rate of
384,000 in June, the Commerce Department reported, up 11 percent from May,
while the number of new homes still for sale fell to 281,000, the lowest since
February 1998. 07/27 Reuters
24. 
Call
for Papers IES
2009 Annual Conference - The Illuminating Engineering
Society (IES) is soliciting papers for its 2009 Annual Conference,
"Realizing the Future -- Research to Application," which will take
place from November 15-17 in Seattle. Suggested topics include early results of
research work or studies, new technologies, novel lighting design solutions or
product applications, and concepts for improving measurement or the evaluation
of lighting systems. The deadline for submitting papers is August 24. For more
information and to submit your proposal, visit the call for papers: http://apps.d-wise.com/IES/cfp2009/index.jsp
25. Outdoor LED Lighting Is Clearly
Getting a Lot of Attention Lately - Why such intense interest? The
answer is simple: Although SSL overall still has a ways to go before it can
compete with conventional lighting on a first-cost basis, outdoor lighting is
one of the applications where SSL is already showing that it often can be
competitive. That's because decision makers are looking at energy savings plus
a host of other benefits, which not only include directionality,
controllability, and aesthetic appeal, but also maintenance savings. It's easy to see why the last advantage can
mean substantial savings with outdoor lighting and with any other applications
where the maintenance costs are high. Add to that the federal funding
that's recently been made available to municipalities through Recovery Act
block grants, and it's not hard to see why LED solutions are getting a long,
hard look from many quarters for possible use to light up streets and parking
lots. 07/30 Postings from Jim Brodrick postings@lightingfacts.com
26. US Electrical Distributor Survey on LED Lighting - Energy Smart Marketers has just published the
findings of their recent contractor survey that asked contractors what they
want (or) need from distributors and manufacturers to sell LED fixtures. Purchase the results of the survey for $199 to
find out what electrical and lighting distributors think about LED lighting
fixture manufacturers. http://energysmartmarketers.com/lighting.html
Energy Smart Marketers, created by Channel Marketing Group (CMG)
and BtB Marketing Communications, have combined their expertise in distribution
channels, marketing, channel sales, and the electrical and lighting industries
to provide you with the most comprehensive services to successfully reach the
right targets with your solid-state lighting / LED technology.
27. MaxLite Sites Sources for LED Technical Updates - Along with IESNA, other lighting
authorities from the industry are also establishing and introducing standards
for LEDs. They include ANSI, American National Standards Institute; CIE, the
International Commission on Illumination; FCC, the Federal Communication
Commission; IEC, the International Electrotechnical Commission; UL,
Underwriters Laboratory, and the ASSIST Program, the Alliance for Solid State
Illumination Systems and Technologies. www.maxlite.com Sources:
R
The Lighting Research Center http://aps1.eere.energy.gov
October, 2008
R
The ASSIST Program (Alliance for Solid State Illumination Systems
and Technologies)
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu April, 2009
R
The U.S. Department of Energy
http://www.netl.doe.gov July, 2009
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28. US-China Talks More About Future Than the
Present - U.S. Energy
Secretary Steven Chu said clean energy and climate change will be a critical
part of the U.S.-Chinese relationship. China's chief climate change official,
Xie Zhenhua, told reporters earlier that rich countries should take the lead in
reducing emissions and should help poorer countries by providing money and
technology to deal with the problem. 07/29 AP
29. LEDs Are As Energy Efficient as Compact
Fluorescents - In March,
a preliminary study reported by Carnegie Mellon indicated that LED lamps were
more energy efficient throughout their life, but the researchers pointed out
that not every aspect of the production process was taken into account. A new
study released on Tuesday by Osram claims to have confirmed the efficiency
findings. Conducted by the Siemens Corporate Technology Centre for Eco
Innovations (Siemens is the parent of Osram and Sylvania), the report examines
the energy needed to create and power an LED lamp. Even the energy needed to
ship a lamp from the factory in China to an installation in Europe was taken
into account. The
total Life Cycle Assessment findings show that today’s LED lamps are essentially
as energy efficient as compact fluorescents, in the amount of energy needed to
create, recycle and provide light. Osram said it expected those numbers to
improve as LEDs become more energy efficient.
08/6 NY Times
30. DOE Publishes Detailed Results from Round 8
of CALiPER Testing - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published
the detailed test reports from Round 8 of product testing conducted through the
DOE Solid-State Lighting (SSL) CALiPER program. Detailed results from Round 8,
covering replacement lamps, undercabinet products, downlights, and outdoor
streetlights, are now available through the searchable online CALiPER system: www.ssl.energy.gov/search.html.
31. 
Fundamentals
of Lighting (FOL-09) Available August 17, 2009 - Fundamentals of Lighting is an introductory
course comprised of seven modules. It replaces ED-100, Fundamental Level. Fundamentals
of Lighting is offered by the IES Sections and other recognized education
providers, enabling participants who pass the course to receive IES Continuing
Education Units or AIA Learning Units. Contact your local IES Section for
information regarding course offerings and education credits. http://www.ies.org/store/product/fundamentals-of-lighting-student-binder-1207.cfm
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