Energy
Market News
July 2008
NATIONAL
ENERGY MARKET NEWS
1.
Energy Costs for Data Centers
Forecast to Leap 13-Fold by 2012 - Data centers -- huge buildings that house the gear that drives the Web
-- face a "slow-moving crisis" from the massive costs of electricity
needed to run and cool them. Today's typical data center is 1,000 times as
large and uses 1,000 times more kilowatt-hours than a typical data center in
1972, said Subodh Bapat, vice president of energy efficiency for Sun Microsystems.
And it's only going to escalate. He cited research showing the cost of powering
data centers worldwide could grow from $18.5 billion in 2005 to $250 billion by
2012.For the executive summary of the SVLG data-center energy report, go to www.accenture.com/SVLGreport 06/27 San Jose Mercury News
2.
DOE to Guarantee $10 Billion in Loans for
Efficiency, Renewables - DOE
is offering $10 billion in loan guarantees for projects involving energy
efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced transmission and distribution. The
agency is seeking projects relating to biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind
energy, as well as projects involving hydropower, alternative fuel vehicles,
and energy efficiency. In addition to general energy efficiency projects, the
solicitation specifically requests projects relating to energy efficient
building technologies and efficient electricity transmission, distribution, and
storage. The guarantees can be issued
for loans of up to 80% of a project's total cost. http://www.lgprogram.energy.gov/index.html
07/02 EERE
3. Leading Manufacturers Support NAED's
AdVenture Conference -
To help their distributors
grow, leading manufacturers have joined together to allow distributors to use
co-op / market development funds toward their registration fee to attend the
AdVenture™ 2008.
http://www.naed.org/meetings/adventure/main.asp
4.
Stronger
Building Energy Codes and Incentives Could Lead to Dramatic Energy Savings in
Buildings - According to a new white paper released today
by Environment America, the country's energy consumption could be cut by 11
percent by 2020 through simple building efficiency measures.
“Building an Energy-Efficient America: Zero Energy and High Efficiency
Buildings” describes the many opportunities for increasing energy efficiency in
buildings and makes recommendations for what local, state and federal officials
can do to secure huge energy savings in new and existing buildings. http://www.environmentamerica.org/home/reports
5.
Improving Building Performance Strong Focus
of ASHRAE Meeting - Tremendous opportunities for improving the performance of existing
buildings were highlighted at the ASHRAE 2008 Annual Meeting held in
6.
BOMA International and CCI Announce Energy
Performance Contract Model - The Building Owners and Managers Association
(BOMA) International and the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) announced a
groundbreaking new BOMA Energy Performance Contract Model to allow building
owners to perform major energy retrofits to the existing building marketplace
by removing key barriers and providing a turnkey solution. BOMA and CCI
collaborated to develop the more efficient business model for performing energy
retrofits to existing buildings to improve both the financial and environmental
performance of commercial real estate while dramatically improving energy
efficiency. Specifically, the BOMA Energy Performance Contract Model provides a
standardized energy performance contract, similar to the American Institute of
Architects’ (AIA) construction contract terms, whereby key legal and technical
provisions have been vetted by top real estate companies, energy service
companies, as well as BOMA legal council and experts and CCI. For more
information, visit www.boma.org and www.clintonfoundation.org. 07/02 Sustainable
Facility
7.
Survey Bodes Well for The
Upsell - The vast majority of homeowners, 73 percent, are willing to
spend more money on “green” products, despite a softening economy. Even more
homeowners, 89 percent, are willing to pay more for products that offer
“increased energy efficiency.” Those
are two of the findings of a survey of 734 homeowners. The survey was sponsored
by door manufacturer Plastpro and was conducted by the Opinion Research Corp.
June 5 to 8. The results of the survey reveal a
willingness among consumers to accept higher initial ownership costs on home
improvement projects that promise higher quality and lower lifetime ownership
costs. 06/23 HCN
8.
Home Depot Launches National
CFL Recycling Initiative - Home Depot has launched a
national consumer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb recycling program. This
free service, available at all 1,973 Home Depot locations, is by far the
largest of its kind by a retailer in the
9.
Hardware Stores Roam in Greener
Pastures - There’s no doubt that “green”
is red hot. In the last year, Ace, True Value and Do it Best have all
introduced their own green programs -- called Helpful Earth Choices, Greener
Options and enviroLINK, respectively -- and Orgill, the Memphis, Tenn.-based
distributor, recently kicked off a green program that concentrates on energy
efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, recycling and sustainable forestry. Many co-op members and independent
hardware stores are picking up on this trend, carrying more sustainable
products and, in some cases, creating separate green departments. 06/20 HCN
10. Free
Energy Design Guides Create Potentially Large Savings - A series of
free publications on energy efficiency has potentially saved nine million tons
of carbon dioxide and $600 million in energy costs. The Advanced Energy Design Guide series has
100,000 copies now in circulation, with 88,000 downloaded since January. It
includes publications on small retail and small office buildings, K-12 school
buildings, and warehouses and self-storage units. The books provide
guidance on how to achieve 30 percent energy savings over building code minimum
based on ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-1999. http://www.ashrae.org/technology/page/938
11.
Energy
Act of 2007:
Impact on Reflector Light Bulbs and Lighting Controls - The Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) includes highly publicized efficiency
provisions taking aim at today’s 40-100W general-service screw-in incandescent
light bulbs. These provisions begin to take effect in 2012. (See the Monthly Feature). However, there is
another major provision regulating incandescent light bulbs—this one targeting
incandescent reflector light bulbs (lamps) and taking effect in June 2008. In short, the Act will eliminate many
incandescent reflector lamp types, but multiple replacement options exist for
the millions of reflector lamp sockets in the United States, including halogen,
incandescent and compact fluorescent light sources.Starting June 16, 2008,
covered reflector lamps must exhibit an efficacy at least as high as the below
table, or no longer be manufactured or imported in the United States. http://www.homelightingcontrol.org/
|
Wattage range |
Minimum lumens/watt |
|
40-50W |
10.5 |
|
51-66W |
11.0 |
|
67-85W |
12.5 |
|
86-115W |
14.0 |
|
116-155W |
14.5 |
|
156-205W |
15.0
|
12. NEMA Publishes Guideline for Limiting Mercury
Content in Self-ballasted Compact Fluorescent Lamps - A process for compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)
manufacturers to voluntarily limit the amount of mercury per lamp has been
published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). The document
covers limited integral, self-ballasted CFLs of all base types, such as E26 and
GU24, manufactured or imported after April 15, 2007. According to NEMA, the
document responds to utilities, environmental groups, energy efficiency
consortia, EPA, and others, who have expressed a desire to limit the amount of
mercury used in self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamps. The voluntary
commitment is open to all CFL manufacturers and suppliers, not just to NEMA
members. http://www.nema.org/stds/LL8.cfm
13. Report:
Economic Gains From Energy Efficiency Programs Underestimated - Energy
efficiency can contribute to the growth of state economies, and, by extension,
to the United States as a whole, according to a sweeping new report of 48 state
and regional energy efficiency studies performed over the last 16 years by the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The review concludes
that energy efficiency will result in a small but net positive benefit for the
American economy as a result of policies that emphasize investment-led energy
efficiency improvements. These studies can inform the direction the United
States must take to ensure viable energy security and climate change solutions: http://www.aceee.org/pubs/e084.htm
14. 8
Energy Benchmarking Hurdles (and How to Get Over Them) - How
does your company measure up in terms of industry energy-use averages? If you
don't know the answer to this question, you're one step behind - but you're
certainly not alone. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
in Berkeley, CA, most building owners and operators lack basic information
about how their properties perform compared to peers or best practices.
Benchmarking to obtain this information is crucial as you make decisions about
controlling energy use and costs.07/’08 Buildings
15. USGBC
Relaunches Green Building Web Portal - The
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has relaunched its popular Greenbuild365
website http://www.greenbuild365.org. Visitors will find increased educational
offerings, podcasts, and expanded resources, along with year-round access to
plenaries and master-speaker presentations from USGBC's Greenbuild Conference
& Expo, the industry's largest gathering of representatives from sectors of
the green-building movement. 07/’08
Buildings
16. ‘Invisible'
U.S. Energy Boom - Energy efficiency may be the
farthest-reaching, least-polluting, and fastest-growing energy success story of
the last 50 years, but it's also the most invisible and the least understood,
and in serious danger of missing out on needed future investments. A new report
from the Washington, D.C.-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient
Economy (ACEEE) shows that U.S. energy consumption (as measured per dollar of
economic output) will be greatly reduced by the end of 2008 to half of
what it was in 1970, from 18,000 BTUs to about 8,900 BTUs. The full report can
be downloaded free of charge at http://aceee.org/pubs/e083.htm. 07/’08 Buildings
17. The SOURCE Presents Energy Solutions for Industrial and
Commercial Lighting Design - For a special engagement in Houston, Texas. As energy becomes a critical concern, design choices must focus
on reducing energy usage and lowering the environmental impact of buildings. Participants in this two-day course will gain an
understanding of lighting legislation as it relates to industrial, commercial, manufacturing and warehouse applications. Emphasis is on
specific requirements and exceptions in LEED, ASHRAE 90.1, IECC and EPACT. Joining the SOURCE staff as guest lecturers will be Stan Walerczyk with Lighting Wizards, and
Roy Sierleja with GE Industrial & Commercial. DATES: August 28th & 29th, 2008 – FEE: Two-day
course, $350 – CEU’s: Up
to 12 contact hours – Register at http://www.cooperlighting.com/education
18. China Leads in LEDs According
to a Release from Research & Markets
- 07/02 TED
R Exports of LEDs from China were
estimated at about $1 billion in 2007.
R That was roughly “one-third of
China’s total shipments of spotlights, electrical lamps and lighting fittings,
and Christmas lights.
R LED shipment values are rising an
average 18% annually.
R In the next three years, the
total exported in one year is expected to reach $2 billion.
R China makes roughly 70% of the
LED light fixtures consumed on the planet Earth.
STATE ENERGY MARKET NEWS
1.
The Clock is Ticking: States Rush
to Meet Renewable Portfolio Standard Deadlines - In
April of 2008, Ohio became the 26th state to adopt either a Renewable Portfolio
Standard (RPS) or similar renewable energy goal. The passage of the Ohio RPS
may turn out to be a watershed moment in American energy policy as there are
now more states with renewable energy targets than without -- a milestone that
is not lost on those championing a national RPS. 07/02 EnergyPulse
2.
University of Maine Launches
Energy Web Site - The
University of Maine has launched an energy information Web site where people
can learn how to save money through conservation and alternative energy in this
time of high fuel prices. The
site, launched by the university's Cooperative Extension, is aimed at
homeowners, business owners, motorists and farmers. On the Net: http://www.extension.umaine.edu/energy 06/16 AP
3.
Mass. Governor Signs Renewable
Energy Bill - Gov. Deval
Patrick has signed a bill aimed at putting the state on a greener path. The
new law is intended to help Massachusetts begin to wean itself off fossil fuels
and other polluting forms of energy while cutting down on emissions that lead
to global warming. A key section of the bill would require
utilities and other electricity suppliers in the state to procure an increasing
percentage of their energy from renewable sources - from 4 percent in 2009 to
25 percent in 2030. The law also requires utility companies
to offer rebates and incentives for customers to upgrade lighting and air
conditioning to more efficient models. 07/02 AP
4.
Groups Seek Boost in Efficiency Spending -
Two Vermont
environmental groups are calling on the Public Service Board to approve big
increases in spending on the state's energy efficiency program. The
Conservation Law Foundation and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group
wrote to the board on June 6 that adding more than $20 million a year to the
current $30.75 million annual budget of Efficiency Vermont would be the most
cost-effective way to meet Vermont's growing demand for electricity. By 2011, that amount should increase
to $85 million, they said. 06/14 AP
5.
DPUC Restores $11M to
CL&P's Energy Conservation Program for Consumers - Popular
energy conservation programs offered by Connecticut Light & Power Co. will
have enough money to continue for the remainder of the year, after state
utility regulators agreed to restore $11 million of the $20 million cut from
the programs in a tentative ruling in May. 07/01 New Haven Register
6.
New York Aims for 7.5% Cut in Electricity
Use by 2015 - The New York State Public Service
Commission (PSC) approved an energy efficiency initiative in mid-June that aims
to reduce electricity sales in the state by 7.5% by 2015, relative to projected
sales for this year. Without the initiative, the state's electricity sales are
expected to increase by 9%, so the initiative actually represents a 15%
decrease from projected sales. Called the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard,
the new program will be funded by an average 90% increase in the systems
benefit charge paid by electric utility customers, starting in October 2008.
That increase will yield $172 million annually to be applied to energy
efficiency programs, which are expected to save customers more than $4 billion
by 2015. It will initially fund a number of fast-track programs, including
efforts to increase marketing and promotions for compact fluorescent light
bulbs, promote the use of energy efficient central air conditioners, expand
weatherization services for the homes of low-income families, increase the use
of the whole building design approach for energy efficient commercial
buildings, provide energy efficiency retrofits for small businesses, enhance a
program to encourage industrial energy efficiency, and expand a technical
assistance program for energy efficiency.
07/09 EERE
7.
Con Ed - Consolidated
Edison of New York plans to invest more than $1.7 billion to upgrade and
reinforce its electric delivery system, while continuing to urge the creation
of energy efficiency programs, for more than 9 million people in New York City
and Westchester County. 07/02 TED
8.
Tampa Gives Preliminary Approval to Building
Green - On Thursday, the city council unanimously gave its preliminary
approval to an ordinance that offers incentives to developers that build
environmentally friendly buildings. The board agreed to:
R require
new city buildings to be constructed according to green standards
R offer
developers of commercial and multifamily projects a 20 percent to 80 percent
rebate on building permit fees, depending on the level of certification they
receive from the U.S. Green Building Council
R require
all new construction of municipal buildings to meet at least LEED Silver standards.
9.
Florida Energy Bill to Boost Efficiency and
Renewable Energy - Florida Governor Charlie Crist approved last week a
wide-ranging energy bill that intends to advance energy efficiency and
renewable energy within the state while cutting the state's emissions of
greenhouse gases. House Bill 7135 requires the Florida Public Service
Commission to establish a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) that will specify
a minimum percentage of retail electricity sales that must be supplied by
renewable energy, but the bill does not set the minimum standard or a
timeline. 07/02 EERE
10. ComEd Customers Now Can Enroll in New Energy Efficiency Programs
- ComEd customers now
can take advantage of a number of new and enhanced energy efficiency programs
that are expected to yield more than $155 million in savings during the
programs' lifetime. Launched today as "Smart Ideas," the new
portfolio of energy efficiency measures includes CFL discounts, appliance
recycling rebates and more. The portfolio could place ComEd among the top three
utilities in the nation within a few years, in terms of annual electricity
savings achieved through energy efficiency. Commonwealth Edison Company
(ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, one of the nation's
largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd
provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern
Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. 06/24 PRNewswire
11. 
LED
Luminaires by
Amerlux - Lightfair was a real treat to see Amerlux, headquartered in
NJ, offer a complete line of LED luminaries for task and accent lighting. Designed with a clean, architectural look,
Cylindrix II LED luminaires are precision engineered for optimal thermal and
optical performance. A state-of-the-art LED 20W cluster provides light output
equivalent to 50W to 75W halogen lamps while using one-third the power. Life at
70 percent of initial lumen output is rated at 50,000 hours, which is more than
10 to 15 times longer than halogen. All of this provides for lower operating
and maintenance costs for the end-user. Bravo!
www.amerlux.com
MONTHLY
FEATURE… Is the Bulb Being Banned by Craig DiLouie…He
can be reached at www.zinginc.com.
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What
do recent initiatives mean?
The
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 created higher efficiency
standards targeting today’s 40–100W incandescent and halogen general-service
lamps.
Starting
Jan. 1, 2012, 100W lamps will have to become 30 percent more efficient or be
prohibited from manufacture and import; Jan. 1, 2013, targets 75W lamps; and
Jan. 1, 2014, targets 40W and 60W lamps.
The
result: The virtual elimination of targeted general-service incandescent and
halogen lamps in these sizes, putting billions of sockets up for grabs. So the bulb is being effectively banned, and
we all soon will be exclusively using compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), right?
Everybody knows this. It has been all over the news. Except that it’s not true.
Consumers will continue to have choice. What are the options?
The
act certainly appears to favor CFLs, which produce comparable light output in a
choice of color tones and for a fraction of the energy. CFLs already are
enjoying a fast adoption rate. Last year, nearly 300 million were sold, taking
20 percent of the bulb market, up from five percent in 2005. If you’re looking
to maximize energy savings, choose CFLs.
Not
everybody is a fan of these lamps, however. They don’t fit every fixture and
aren’t suitable for many recessed fixtures. They require special models if you
want them to dim, and dimming control manufacturers complain about dimming lamp
performance. They don’t start instantly, and they contain mercury—a negligible
amount according to the EPA, but enough to warrant recycling and special
precautions in the event of breakage.
Incandescent
diehards will be looking for the act’s exemptions, but if these loopholes get
too popular, the affected lamp types likely will become targeted by regulation.
Another alternative that actually saves
energy is using general-service lamps that already comply, such as Philips’
Halogená Energy Saver lamps, available to the U.S. consumer market through Home
Depot. These screw-in halogen lamps are produced in 40W, 50W and 70W models to
replace 60W, 75W and 100W incandescent lamps, respectively, for about 30
percent energy savings and nearly 10 percent less light output. They also dim
easily. And speaking of dimming, control the lamps with a dimmer, and you’ll
save 20 percent in energy. According to research conducted for the California
Energy Commission, dimming effectively reduces input watts by an average 20
percent.
“Philips’
new energy-saving line of Halogená lamps complies with the energy-efficiency
standard established for incandescent lamps in the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007,” said Randy Moorhead, vice president, government affairs
for Philips Electronics North America. In fact, he said, they and CFLs are the
only lamps that do.
Indeed,
it seems that Edison still has some fight left in him, and not just with
halogens. General Electric Co., which has a significant stake in the
incandescent business, is working on a high-efficiency incandescent (HEI) lamp,
aiming for an approximate doubling of average incandescent efficacy to 30
lumens/watt by late 2009 or early 2010, as Michael Petras, vice president of GE
Consumer & Industrial, told Associated Press in December 2007. He added the
HEI would reach 60 lumens per watt in the second generation.
Jim
Meyer, general manager of technology for GE Consumer & Industrial, more
recently said the company “plans to introduce a variety of products that will
meet and exceed the new standards. We will give consumers the variety of
products they desire for various application needs, including LEDs, halogen and
more-efficient, new-technology incandescent lamps.”
GE
isn’t alone in its plans to raise the efficiency of the incandescent light
bulb. Advanced Lighting Technologies’ (ADLT) recent acquisition of the lighting
technology division of Schott AG, Auer Lighting, has enabled introduction of a
new Nano Film Capsule technology for its own energy-efficient incandescent
“hybrid” bulb that can at least double the efficacy of today’s incandescents,
according to the company.
What
about light-emitting diodes? A-lamp replacement LED lamps promised high energy
savings but bombed in Department of Energy CALiPER product testing in 2007.
Just because a product is LED doesn’t necessarily mean it’s energy-efficient.
But we won’t be counting LEDs out. The act created a $10 million prize for an
LED general-service lamp that can replace today’s 60W incandescent bulbs while
meeting certain performance criteria. The technology is moving fast.
The
act says efficiency must increase to at least 45 lumens per watt by 2020 at the
latest, again putting billions of sockets up for grabs. But with continued
advances in lighting technology—including potential future developments in OLED
technology, raising possibilities of “lighting wallpaper”—contractors and their
customers may continue to enjoy choice in home lighting far into the future.