Energy Market News

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National Energy Market News

 

1.      Incandescent Bulbs Return to the Cutting Edge - A standard incandescent bulb, left, and a more efficient one using Deposition Sciences technology. When Congress passed a new energy law two years ago, obituaries were written for the incandescent light bulb. But as it turns out, the obituaries were premature. The first bulbs to emerge from this push, Philips Lighting’s Halogena Energy Save. Some of the leading work is under way at a company called Deposition Sciences here in Santa Rosa.  Its technology is a key component of the new Philips bulb line. Deposition Sciences applies special reflective coatings to gas-filled capsules that surround the bulb’s filament. The coatings act as a sort of heat mirror that bounces heat back to the filament, where it is transformed to light. Osram will introduce a new line of incandescents in September that are 25 percent more efficient. But the cheapest such bulbs are likely to disappear from store shelves between 2012 and 2014, driven off the market by the government’s new standard.  07/05 NY Times

 

2.      White House Announces New Lighting Standards - Aiming to keep the focus on climate change legislation, President Barack Obama put a plug in for administration efforts to make lamps and lighting equipment use less energy.  "I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and businesses," the president said, standing alongside Energy Secretary Steven Chu at the White House. Obama said the new efficiency standards he was announcing for lamps would result in substantial savings between 2012 and 2042, saving consumers up to $4 billion annually, conserving enough energy to power every U.S. home for 10 months, reducing emissions equal to the amount produced by 166 million cars a year, and eliminating the need for as many as 14 coal-fired power plants. The president also said he was speeding the delivery of $346 million in economic stimulus money to help improve energy efficiency in new and existing commercial buildings. 06/29 by LIZ SIDOTI, The Associated Press

 

3.      Housing Starts Climb in May - After receiving disappointing housing-starts stats for March and April, the industry received some good news for May, when starts jumped 17.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 532,000, according to data released Tuesday by the Department of Commerce. Single-family starts increased 7.5% to a rate of 401,000 -- cracking the 400,000 mark for the first time since November 2008. The numbers looked good compared with April's all-time low rate of 458,000; however, both metrics are well below a year ago. Total starts were down 45.2%, and single-family starts were down 40.9%, compared with May 2008.  06/16 HCN

4.      Energy Bill Sails Through Congress - The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009 by a bipartisan vote of 15-8 on June 18, following months of hearings and meetings with various industries, including NEMA. The legislation now proceeds to the full Senate for consideration at a time yet to be determined.
The bill includes key provisions that establish federal energy efficiency standards for portable light fixtures (table and floor lamps) and direct the Department of Energy (DOE) to set standards for certain incandescent reflector lamps; establish a $350 million rebate program to purchase and install NEMA Premium efficiency electric motors; conduct a market assessment of electric motors, drives, controls, and recommendations on improving deployment of these technologies; and directs DOE to work with building code organizations (i.e., ASHRAE and ICC) to develop residential and commercial building model codes that are 30 percent higher by 2010 and 50 percent higher after 2016.  For more information check out: http://www.aceee.org/energy/national/index.htm and NEMA’s website   06/22 http://enews.penton.com/enews/electricalwholesaling/green_biz/current

 

5.      Obama Administration Announces $3 Billion for Renewable Energy Project - The U.S. Treasury and Energy departments Thursday issued much-anticipated rules for an estimated $3 billion in stimulus funding for renewable-energy projects, opening the floodgates for grant applications.  Originally, the Treasury expected to release the funds in the form of tax credits, but by giving the money away to projects up front, the Obama administration hopes to give a much-needed cash injection to the industry. The program will provide direct payments to support an estimated 5,000 bio- mass, solar, wind, and other types of renewable-energy production facilities, according to Treasury and DOE estimates. Although the departments released the terms, conditions and guidance for interested businesses, applications won't be accepted until Aug. 1. Terms, conditions, guidance and a sample application for the program can be found and downloaded at: http://www.treas.gov/recovery/1603.shtml 07/09 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

 

6.      Tax Credits Available for Energy-Efficient Home Improvements - Homeowners making improvements to their houses to save money on energy bills can take advantage of tax credits that will save even more. When President Obama signed the "stimulus bill" into law, the act extended credits to homeowners who made improvements for energy efficiency.  The improvements must be "placed in service," or ready and available for use, from January 2009 through Dec. 31, 2010. Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, with $1,500 as the maximum total amount that can be claimed in 2009 and 2010. Home improvements must have a Manufacturer Certification Statement to qualify, and homeowners need to save receipts and the certification statement for their records. Improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010) using IRS Tax Form 5695.  07/05 The Charleston Gazette

 

7.      ENERGY STAR Certification Mark & ENERGY STAR Partnership Mark - The Certification Mark is used only for products that have received ENERGY STAR qualification. It is used only in conjunction with a qualified product in product literature for the product, on the Web site to identify the product, in advertising near or on the product, on Point  of Purchase materials, or on packaging. As an ENERGY STAR Partner, manufacturers may use the ENERGY STAR Partner logo in their literature, Web site, stationery, and annual reports with certain restrictions.  https://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/logos/downloads/BrandBook_Certification.pdf.

 

8.      Top 10 Producers of Solar Power - The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), Washington, D.C., released its 2008 rankings for solar power production. With the exception of New Jersey’s PSE&G and New York’s Long Island Power Authority, all of the power companies are in the West Coast or Mountain states. http://www.solarelectricpower.org/  In total solar megawatts produced:

1st.        Pacific Gas & Electric Co. – CA (84.9)

2nd.           Southern California Edison – CA (32.4)

3rd.            San Diego Gas & Electric Co. – CA (16.0)

4th.       Public Service Co. of CO (Xcel Energy) – CO (14.2)

5th.       Public Service Electric & Gas Co. – NJ (5.5)

6th.       Arizona Public Service Co. – AZ (3.56)

7th.       Hawaiian Electric Co. – HI (3.54)

8th.       Portland General Electric – OR (3.538)

9th.       Sacramento Municipal Utility District – CA (2.9)

10th.         Long Island Power Authority – NY (2.5)

 

9.      FSG moves to #80 of the Top 200 by Jim Lucy, Chief Editor and Doug Chandler, Executive Editor - Electrical Wholesaling's annual listing of the Top 200 electrical distributors provides a fascinating snapshot of the largest distributors in the land. It's much more than just a listing of the largest companies because these companies provide some fascinating insight into their toughest challenges and growth plans for the future.  http://ewweb.com/top200/2009/electric_top_12/  The electrical industry's five largest distributors accounted for an estimated 26.4 percent of total industry sales. That percentage is roughly the same as last year. These five companies accounted for roughly 44 percent of Top 200 sales in 2008, up from 43 percent last year.

Rexel and Sonepar are far and away the two biggest electrical distributors in the world. Both companies have been quiet on the acquisition front in the past few months.

 

10.  NEMA Urges DOE to Adopt New Energy-Savings Rule for Fluorescent and Incandescent Reflector Lamps - NEMA, Rosslyn, Va., recently submitted comments to the Department of Energy (DOE) on the Notice of Proposed Rule, Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps and Incandescent Reflector Lamps. NEMA's 31-page document includes several scenarios that would result in the phase-out of the T12 lamp without causing disruption in the marketplace. http://ecmweb.com/ezone/nema-energy-saving-20090629/

11.  Survey of Distributors Reveals Opportunities in LED Lighting - A recent survey of electrical and lighting distributors demonstrates the importance of the electrical sales channel for LED lighting manufacturers seeking access to the market. Conducted by Energy Smart Marketers, Raleigh, N.C., (a joint venture between Channel Marketing Group and B&B Marketing Communications that focuses on the LED lighting market) the survey confirmed that electrical distributors make recommendations to end customers about which brand of LED lighting to specify almost 60 percent of the time; and more than 80 percent of distributors surveyed sell as many as seven different brands of LED light engines or fixtures. However, 78 percent of the respondents said they were not receiving enough product and sales training from LED suppliers, indicating that there is an opportunity for LED manufacturers to expand their sales through distribution by increasing the level of product training and education, said David Gordon.  06/’09 Electrical Wholesaling

 

12.   Top 500 Retail Scoreboard - The 2009 Home Channel News Top 500 Retail Scoreboard
shows total sales of $237.4 billion, a 5.1% decline from the previous year. That’s only the second decline in the history of the Scoreboard, and it’s the second decline in a row. But here’s another way to look at the numbers: fourth best of all time. Only the Scoreboards of 2007, 2006 and 2005 had higher total revenues.  To be sure, there were pockets of high performance, even in the pro dealer sector, which has struggled in the face of extreme housing start declines. Download the Top 500: http://www.homechannelnews.com/Top500/Default.aspx

 

13.  VCs Think Energy Efficient Lighting Is A Bright Idea - Some venture capital firms are glowing about energy efficient lighting companies and they are spending large sums of money as they anticipate a boom in this sector. New York-based Braemar Energy Ventures and San Francisco-based VantagePoint Venture Partners are both targeting $50 million of investments at energy efficient lighting companies currently. VantagePoint may increase that amount by another $50 million within the next year, said Managing Director Marc van den Berg in an interview with VentureWire.  VantagePoint has invested in lighting control company Adura Technologies Inc.

At the center of the energy efficient lighting market are light-emitting diode and lighting control companies. Van den Berg estimates the LED market will reach about $50 billion in sales within 10 years, assuming LEDs become about 10% of the worldwide lighting market by that time. The LED market was about $5 billion in 2008, according to industry analysts.  07/10 Wall Street Journal

 

14.  Lighting Controls Association Offers New Online Course on LED Lighting Control - LCA announced that EE300: Lighting Control of LEDs has been added to the Association’s popular online Education Express distance education courses.  Residing at the Association’s website, www.aboutlightingcontrols.org, Education Express provides in-depth education about lighting controls and controllable ballast technology, application, system design and commissioning, as well as meta-issues such as energy codes, daylighting and other trends.  The Lighting Controls Association, headquartered at the NEMA headquarters in Rosslyn, VA, was founded to provide education about lighting energy management and control technology via its web site, which contains Education Express, white papers, articles, research, products, projects and a public forum.

 

15.  Pickens: Oil Could Go to $300 a Barrel - Legendary oil man T. Boone Pickens says that if the U.S. doesn’t take major steps to curb its reliance on foreign oil, the consequences will be drastic.  “Let’s say in 10 years, you do nothing,” Pickens tells Fortune.  “You will be importing 75 percent of your oil (up from 68 percent now), and you’ll be paying $300 a barrel.”  06/19 Moneynews.com

State Energy Market News

1.      PSE&G Launches $190M Customer Energy Efficiency Program - The new initiative expands on the company's nine-month-old project to conduct energy efficiency audits to hospitals, municipal buildings, businesses and residential customers.  The company's "Energy Efficiency Economic Stimulus Program" is an expansion of a similar project launched in November 2008, offering energy audits and efficiency tips throughout PSE&G's service area.  With the project approved by the NJ Board of Public Utilities, the funding is expected to create 688 green jobs in the utility and contractor jobs in the next two years.  07/02 http://greenbiz.com/  

 

2.      PPL Plan Calls for Reduced Power Usage - Pennsylvania's Act 129 -- signed into law in October by Gov. Ed Rendell -- mandates that PPL and six of the state's other large electricity providers submit plans to the PUC for reducing customers' annual energy usage 1 percent by mid-2011 and 3 percent by mid-2013.  PPL has proposed 14 energy-saving programs, including the distribution of more than 7 million energy-efficient light bulbs through giveaways and discounts, rebates for purchasing energy-efficient appliances and home weatherization incentives.  The programs will cost PPL $248 million over four years, a charge that will be passed on to customers through their monthly bills. Customers will pay an average of about $2 per month more.07/09 The Morning Call

 

3.      WVA Receives $13.1M for Energy Efficiency - More than $13 million in federal stimulus funding has been awarded to West Virginia to improve state buildings' energy efficiency.  The funding will be used to improve lighting systems, windows, heating and air conditioning systems, boilers and other items in state office buildings, schools, higher education institutions, laboratories and armories. The state also plans to create a revolving loan program to help businesses invest in energy efficient projects. A Green Collar Jobs Training program also will be created to train workers for jobs in energy efficiency and renewable energy.  06/30 AP

 

4.      Loudoun County, VA Adopts Energy Efficiency Measures - Loudoun County, VA plans to upgrade six major facilities, including the government center and courthouse, to make them more energy efficient. The county supervisors passed the plan Tuesday. The total cost of the upgrades is expected to be just over $1 million.  07/08 AP

 

5.      Stimulus Money Helps Kentucky Go Green -The federal government is shelling out the green to help the Bluegrass go green.  The state will receive $49 million in stimulus money as part of the ARRAct. The initiative is part of the government's efforts to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. About $28 million will go toward the state's weatherization program. Weatherization projects allow low-income families to save money by making their homes more energy efficient. The remaining $21 million will go to the State Energy Program, which focuses on energy saving and job creation. The program will include energy audits and funding assistance for schools and public buildings to make them more energy efficient.  07/07 AP

 

6.      Energy Program Awards $32.9 Million to Georgia - Federal officials say Georgia will receive $32.9 million in federal funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. The grant, announced Monday, is part of the nearly $82.5 million the department will award Georgia under the Federal-State Energy Program. The U.S. Department of Energy says the state will receive more than $41 million in additional funding upon demonstrating successful implementation of that plan.  07/06 AP

7.      Greenwood to Install Energy-Efficient Traffic Signals - Motorists in Greenwood should notice a difference in traffic signals at several intersections later this year designed with the environment in mind. Greenwood was one of six Central Indiana municipalities to be allocated federal funding under an energy efficiency grant that is part of President Barack Obama's stimulus package. City officials plan to use the $193,900 to upgrade traffic signals at nine intersections to LED technology, which is expected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and be more efficient.  06/27 The Indianapolis Star

 

8.      Mich. Utilities Offer Energy Efficiency Rebates - Michigan utility officials said Monday that the new fees showing up on residents' utility bills will be offset by rebates and other incentives to encourage them to make their homes more energy efficient. The program comes under a new state law that requires utilities to help customers reduce their electricity consumption more than 5 percent and natural gas usage nearly 4 percent by 2015. Regulators allowed utilities to add surcharges of about $1 a month to fund the program and its publicity campaign.  DTE Energy, the state's largest utility, will immediately start paying customers $50 to recycle old refrigerators, which will be picked up for free. Compact fluorescent light bulbs will cost 99 cents at major retail chains in DTE's service territory, cheaper than the usual price of about $3.  06/29 AP

 

9.      Go Green, Save Some Bucks: Government, Utility Incentives Making Energy, Appliance Upgrades More Attractive - Homeowners and businesses need a scorecard to keep track of all the energy-savings opportunities available these days.  The business incentive program of Ameren Illinois, which started in June 2008, provided $3 million for 320 business projects that led to $30 million in project work -- 70 percent of them lighting improvements -- in its first year of operation. This year $7 million will be allocated for business energy projects with more information available at the www.actonenergy.com   

 

10.  Fed Funds to Help Train Energy Auditors - The Kansas Corporation Commission said it will use money from the federal stimulus package to increase training of energy auditors. The State Energy Office anticipates an increased demand for energy auditors as it prepares to launch a new revolving loan program to improve energy efficiency in Kansas homes and small businesses.  Before projects can be financed through the loan program, an energy auditor must review the plans.  For more information about auditor training: http://kcc.ks.gov/energy/arra.htm 07/02 The Wichita Eagle

 

11.  Las Vegas Cuts Costs, Goes Greener with Aid - Las Vegas spotlighted plans to put solar panels on top of carports at city buildings Wednesday, an $11 million plan funded mostly by federal stimulus money that's projected to cut the city's electrical costs by $300,000 a year when fully in place.  07/09 Las Vegas Review-Journal

 

12.  State Buildings Get Energy Controls - Air conditioning and lighting in 10 state government buildings in Santa Fe will be controlled from a San Francisco network center under a program designed to cut electricity demand during peak hours and save the state money. Gov. Bill Richardson announced Wednesday that the state will participate in the Peak Saver program, operated by Public Service Company of New Mexico and its contractor, EnerNOC, as part of an initiative to reduce energy use in executive branch agencies to 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2015. Peak Saver is the large, commercial version of a program PNM offers to small and medium-sized business customers and residential customers. Currently, more than 18,000 customers participate in the two free programs. 07/09 The Santa Fe New Mexican

 

13.  Xcel Begins Efficiency Programs for NM Customers - Xcel Energy has launched a series of efficiency programs to help New Mexico homeowners and businesses save energy and money. The company announced Monday that it will spend $5 million on launching and growing participation in the programs. Xcel officials said the goal is to get more than 23,000 customers to participate and to save more than 22 kilowatt hours of electricity - enough to power about 3,000 homes for a year. The programs offer rebates for efficient cooling and lighting systems and other energy-efficient equipment that customers buy and install in their homes and businesses.  07/07 AP

 

14.  Feds Award $10M for Montana Energy Programs - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Monday announced $10.3 million in federal stimulus funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Montana. Montana will use the money to improve the energy efficiency of state buildings and expand renewable energy use and recycling. Chu announced a total of more than $153 million for state energy programs in seven states and territories. Along with Montana they include Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York and the Virgin Islands.  07/06 AP

 

15.  Largest Washington Solar Plant Planned for Cle Elum Area - Developers of a proposed photovoltaic manufacturing and generating plant four miles outside town say the project will create "hundreds" of jobs for a total investment "north of $100 million." Teanaway Solar Reserve is leasing 400 previously logged acres from for the project that, at 75 megawatts, is being billed as the largest photovoltaic array in the world. It would generate enough power for 45,000 households. Project manager Howard Trott of Kirkland, Wash., said the Teanaway Solar Reserve project, a privately financed development, hopes to obtain a land-use permit from Kittitas County in six months and to complete construction in 2011. 07/09 Yakima Herald-Republic

 

16.  State of the Nation's Housing - A study released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University finds that the housing downturn -- the worst in generations -- continues to grind on. The positive news is there has been some stabilization in home building and home sales in the spring. Also, long-term demographics for future demand are strong. But real home prices continued to fall, and foreclosures mount in most areas in the first quarter of 2009. With mortgage interest rates heading higher in June and the economy still contracting, a sustained recovery for housing still faces an uphill climb, according to the report. http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/index.htm

Special Feature… Lighting Upgrades and Facility Management by Chad A. Safran; originally published in the April 2009 issue of TFM Magazine - According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 75% of the five million commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings in the United States were constructed before many current energy efficient technologies were available. These facilities use nearly 900 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. Consequently, NEMA / enLIGHTen America, in conjunction with Today’s Facility Manager (TFM), has sponsored a survey of TFM subscribers to examine lighting usage among facility managers (fms) and their facilities. The findings presented offer an overview of how behaviors, policies, products, and financial opportunities affect the way lighting impacts fms now and in the future.  www.aboutlightingcontrols.org/education/papers/2009/2009_enlighten_america.shtml    

Increased efficiency in this sphere is more          important than ever. Results from a survey sponsored by NEMA / EnLIGHTen America, examines facility managers' attitudes on their plans to proceed. www.nemasavesenergy.org