Energy
Market News
June 2008
NATIONAL ENERGY MARKET NEWS…
1. The Entire Lighting
Industry Was in Las Vegas at Lightfair – or so it seemed. LIGHTFAIR® International (LFI) 2008 —the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting
trade show and conference— was sold out with attendee registration
numbers tracking 19% higher this year than they did at the same time for the
last Las Vegas show in 2006 and surpassed all other records in LFI’s Las Vegas
history. More than 19,800 registered industry
professionals attended. Attendees from
around the world were introduced to the future of lighting, featuring 510
exhibitors spanning more than 157,000 square feet—LFI’s largest show
floor space to date. The show included 110 first-time exhibitors
and 91 international exhibitors—showcasing the latest in
lighting design and innovation.
LFI 2009 will take place in New York, May
3-7, 2009, celebrating its 20th Anniversary.
2.
NEMA
Announces Industry Initiative to Stimulate Energy-Saving Lighting Upgrades - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA) has announced a new initiative aimed at reducing energy use and costs in
the 5 million existing commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings in
the United States. The campaign, called “enLIGHTen America,” will target
building owners, operators, and executives who make decisions about upgrading
lighting products in unrenovated buildings. The "enLIGHTen America"
initiative, sponsored by NEMA on behalf of all of its member lighting companies,
will raise awareness of its message among the target audience through such
communications vehicles as press releases, feature articles, direct mail, trade
show graphics, and a dedicated website. The campaign will also be supported by
a personal message from Secretary of Energy, Samuel W. Bodman, who
"invites our nation’s leaders to become full participants in a national
effort to make our buildings more energy efficient.” Interested parties in the
lighting industry may obtain more information by e-mailing NEMA at Lightinginfo@nema.org
3.
House
Passes Extension to High-Efficiency Lighting Tax Savings. Senate is Next...But When? - The National Lighting Bureau reports that the U.S.
House of Representatives has passed H.R. 6049, the "Renewable Energy and
Job Creation Act of 2008." Introduced by House Ways and Means Committee
Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), the bill contains about $20 billion of tax
incentives for investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and
conservation. Among other things, the bill would extend the Commercial Building
Tax Deduction (CBTD) for five years, through December 31, 2013. Established
through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the CBTD provides a tax deduction
benefit that encourage building owners to install high-efficiency systems -
lighting in particular - in new and existing buildings. According to National
Lighting Bureau Communications Director John P. Bachner, the next stop for the
bill will be the U.S. Senate where, insiders say, it is likely to be combined
with other bills to achieve one "omnibus" piece of tax legislation.
Senate consideration is not likely to occur until after the November elections.
Existing CBTD benefits are set to expire on December 31 of this year.
4.
Green Schools at the Top of
Agenda for U.S. Communities - America's
schools are registering for the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED
certification program for green schools at a rate of one school per
day. This trend shows the growing intention to build and operate schools
that are more energy and water efficient, which will save taxpayers money.
Green schools also have significantly improved indoor air quality, which
results in healthier kids. For more information on green schools, visit USGBC's
green schools site: www.buildgreenschools.org To find green schools in your neighborhood, visit www.buildgreenschools.org/leed/leed_schools_maps.html
5.
See the
Lightfair Innovation Awards at http://nps.elumit.com/
6.
LEED-EB
Gets a Makeover - After a slow start, the rating system has been revamped to
make it more relevant and user-friendly.
As facility executives know, a
building’s environmental impact isn’t concentrated during its construction
phase, but is distributed over its life. LEED-EB helps facility executives make
sure that a building operates sustainably throughout its life. Given the USGBC mission of transforming the
built environment, it’s critical to have a successful rating system dedicated
to the much larger cadre of existing facilities. To turn that situation around,
USGBC has launched LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance,
more commonly referred to as LEED-EB: O&M. The revised system addresses
issues that have slowed acceptance of the rating for existing buildings since
it was launched in 2004. 06/’08 Building Operating Mgt.
7.
Turning
Green Into Green - The electrical marketplace is
changing. While economic conditions may be challenging some segments of the
market as well as having significant impact within geographic areas many
perceive that customer demands are changing. To better penetrate the market it
is important to understand customer needs. Based upon the research that
8.
Data Center Energy Efficiency Program Initiated - A rare opportunity to participate
in shaping the future ENERGY STARTM Data Center Infrastructure
Rating has been initiated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). When completed, the rating will help data
center operators assess the energy performance of their buildings'
infrastructure assets and compare their performance with peers across the
United States.
The program, called the National Data Center Energy Efficiency Information
Program, is engaging numerous industry stakeholders who are developing and
deploying a variety of tools and informational resources to assist data center
operators in their efforts to reduce energy consumption in their facilities. www.energystar.gov/datacenters 06/’08 Buildings
9.
Solid-State Lighting Top of List for DOE - The U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) is focusing most of its research and development budget on emerging
technologies in solid-state lighting (SSL). The SSL research activities
represent an essential component of the DOE's strategy for achieving
zero-energy buildings - buildings that produce as much energy as they use. The
development of highly efficient, cost-effective SSL technologies, along with
advanced windows and space heating and cooling technologies, can help reduce
total building energy use by 60 to 70 percent. This improvement in component
and system energy efficiency, coupled with onsite renewable energy supply
systems, can result in marketable net-zero energy buildings. www.nrel.gov
10. Wal-Mart
Green, U.S.- according to the March 17 Investor’s Business Daily, Wal-Mart “has gone a step
further” in providing eco-friendly options for its customers. How? “It no
longer carries the familiar incandescent light bulb.
11. Lighting the Way
to Better Health - According
to Health Facilities Management, new options for hospital lighting control
systems are readily available, and one option that lets patients dim lights in
the entire room or at the bedside involves the installation of standard dimming
ballasts. Other emergent technologies whose deployment in the hospital
environment is considered inevitable include LED lighting, which promises more
efficiency than compact fluorescent lights; radio frequency identification
(RFID) technology, which could be employed to store a patient's lighting
preferences as well as track patients in the hospital; and colored lights,
which may help in the healing process and could work in conjunction with RFID
technology to adjust to patients with specific ailments. 06/’08 Electrical Contractor
12. Better Light Gives
Lift to Dementia Patients: Study - Brightening the lights for
elderly people with dementia, in combination with a daily dose of the sleep
hormone melatonin, improved their mood, sleep, and overall well-being, Dutch
researchers said on Tuesday. The study found exposure to bright light during
daylight hours -- from the sun through large windows and from added fluorescent
fixtures -- decreased mental deterioration by 5 percent compared to patients
not exposed. There was a 19 percent
relative reduction in depressive symptoms, and 53 percent relative slowing of
their loss of ability to cope with daily living over the 15 months of the
study, they reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 06/10 Reuters
13. Navy Studies Outdoor Lighting Efficiency - According to the U.S. Fed News, the Navy's Technology
Evaluation Program, managed at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command's
Engineering Service Center in Port Hueneme, California, recently completed an
assessment of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting dimmers. The dimmers are
designed according to IESNA standards to reduce unnecessary lighting in outdoor
areas, such as parking lots or roadways, that need constant lighting for more
than eight hours. The devices start by applying full voltage to the lights and
then dimming them to appropriate levels. The dimmers are installed on the
circuit instead of on individual lights, allowing for potential cost
savings. 06/’08 Electrical Contractor
14. RONA Plans Canada-wide CFL Recycling
- Boucherville, Quebec-based
DIY retailer RONA plans a program to collect and recycle compact fluorescent
light bulbs (CFLs) across Canada at RONA, Reno-Depot, Totem and Chester Dawe
stores. The retailer said consumers will be able to take their used CFLs to
those store locations, where the bulbs can be collected for “safe recovery.”
The used bulbs will then be taken to a recycling facility, where certain
components, including the mercury, can be extracted and reused. RONA currently
operates a network of more than 680 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores
of various sizes and formats. 05/30 HCN
15. First-Quarter 2008 Lighting Systems Index
Results. Lull Before the Storm? - “Troubling” is how the National
Lighting Bureau (NLB) describes first-quarter-2008 NEMA Lighting Systems Index
data. The Index, established in 1998, is a composite measure of lamps,
luminaires, ballasts, emergency lighting, exit signs, and other lighting
products shipped nationally and internationally from the United States by the
430 companies that comprise the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).
NEMA members manufacture a wide range of products
used in the generation, transmission, distribution, and control of electricity,
as well as innumerable end-use products in addition to those used in lighting.
The value of NEMA members’ annual shipments totals $100 billion. The NEMA Lighting Systems
Index can be viewed at www.nlb.org/Index/
16. 
Buildings 100 Top Products - Performance, innovation, aesthetics, and even
green reflect this year's top products, as selected by the Buildings
editorial staff.
Throughout the year, the Buildings editorial staff takes note
of intriguing and innovative products and services that can help with the
development, construction, modernization, management, and operations
responsibilities. After visiting with
industry suppliers, experiencing many products firsthand, and culling through
mounds of literature and websites, Buildings selected 100 products and services
that are worthy of recognition. Here are
lighting products:
|
R
LED Nightlight by Vista Lighting (814-454-2266 or www.vistalighting.com). R
LIGHT FIELDS by Zumtobel Lighting Inc. (800-448-4131 or www.zumtobel.us). R
The Premium Bulb Eater by Air Cycle Corp. (800-909-9709
or www.aircycle.com). R
Photoluminescent UL924 Exit Sign by Clarion Safety
Systems (877-748-0244 or www.safetylabel.com). R
LEDge by Cooper Lighting (770-486-4800 or www.cooperenergysolutions.com). R
iLux CLS-C6 by Crestron Electronics Inc. (800-237-2041 or
www.crestron.com). R
LED Demand Response Bollard by Gardco Lighting/a Philips
Group Brand (800-227-0758 or www.gardcolighting.com). R
Diffrient Work Light II by Humanscale (800-400-0625 or www.humanscale.com). R
Spiral-Lite 3-Way CFL by Litetronics Intl. Inc.
(800-860-3392 or www.litetronics.com). R
RT5 relight fixture by Lithonia Lighting/an Acuity Brands
Co. (770-922-9000 or www.lithonia.com). R Quantum by Lutron Electronics
Co. Inc. (888-588-7661 or www.lutron.com). |
|
|
17. Standards Deviant - All lighting products sold in the
United States are subject to industry standards governing safety and
performance. Because testing and rating systems must be applied in the same
way, these national standards enable consumers to compare products made by
different manufacturers, or even across technologies, such as incandescent,
fluorescent, and high-intensity discharge (HID). However, solid-state lighting
(SSL) technology is a very different light source than its predecessors, making
it an outcast from the existing standards covering the mechanical forms, electrical
connections, and measurement of traditional lighting technologies. Soon-to-be-released LED standards,
accelerated by the U.S. Department of Energy, may help avoid specification
confusion and promote further market penetration of the technology. 04/01 EC&M
18. Bodine Fire - It has
been about two weeks since the fire at the Bodine Company, and they have made a
tremendous amount of progress during this time. Telephones and computer systems are now operating.
They are still in very limited production. The Bodine Company designs and manufactures
award-winning, innovative emergency and specialty lighting products. The
company offers a diverse line that includes fluorescent emergency ballasts, HID
backup ballasts, generator-compatible products and LED drivers. Bodine is
headquartered just east of Memphis in Collierville, Tennessee, and is a
division of Philips Electronics North America Corporation. www.bodine.com
19. Business Opportunities in the Commercial
Lighting Arena - Department of
Energy (DOE) research indicates that current lighting technology breakdown
for commercial buildings is still dominated by T12 lamps and the approximate
breakdown of lighting needs in commercial facilities are lamp replacement.
04/’08 EC&M
20. Compact Florescent Light Bulbs on YouTube -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=55kkBOty2Xw&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IUl1iVE3qXU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BqrCij6CbHA&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMimNv9xQeM&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMimNv9xQeM&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=e-LOtKIIKcg
21. Fluorescent
Lamps 101 - Understanding the basics of fluorescent lamps
guarantees that you'll select the most appropriate fluorescent lighting,
maximize lamp life, and dispose of spent lamps properly By Jana
J. Madsen, managing editor at Buildings magazine, in
the May 2008 issue of Buildings jana.madsen@buildings.com
22. AEE
Energy Management Master Planning + Sustainable Green Buildings Online Seminars
-
|
Developing an Energy Mgt. Master Plan Instructed by Fredric S. Goldner, C.E.M. A 6-Hour Distance Learning Seminar |
Sustainable Green Buildings: A 4-Hour Distance Learning Seminar |
STATE ENERGY
MARKET NEWS………
23. Con Edison Expands Demand Response Program - Con Edison is expanding its demand response program for participating
commercial and industrial customers who temporarily reduce their use of
electricity on certain hot summer days. The new program incentives, designed to
take effect this summer, will increase payments for commercial customers who
commit to reducing their electricity use by a minimum of 50 kilowatts when
requested. Customers may reduce their electricity use by dimming lights,
turning off equipment not in use, or raising the temperature on indoor cooling
systems. Customers will be compensated for the electricity not used during a
power-curtailment event. They may also receive monthly compensation for
guaranteed reduction in electricity consumption. To find out more information
and to apply to the 2008 Demand Response Program, call 1-800-643-1289, or visit
www.coned.com/dr 07/23 MARKET WIRE
24. Contractors
and Utility Team Up - Con Edison residential customers will save
energy and money with new financial incentives for energy-efficiency home
improvements through the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority’s Home Performance with Energy Star program. Customers save on the
initial costs of home improvements with financing as low as 1.99 percent or up
to 25 percent cash back. The improvements through the program will allow
customers to reduce energy bills up to 40 percent. The first step customers can
take toward making energy-efficiency improvements is to schedule a
comprehensive home assessment with a Building Performance Institute accredited
home performance contractor. 05/’08
Electrical Contractor
25. Long
Island Rail Road Pays $43,875 for Fluorescent Lamps in Trash - Proper disposal or recycling of fluorescent lights
is at the heart of the recent resolution of an EPA complaint against the Long
Island Rail Road, which has agreed to pay $43,875 to settle the case. EPA
inspected the railroad's Hillside Maintenance Facility in Hollis, N.Y., last
year, and based on that inspection and other information, the agency found
violations in disposing of fluorescent light bulbs as regular garbage at three
facilities. LIRR estimates that it generated nearly 260,000 spent fluorescent
light bulbs from 2003 to 2005. In July 2005, the railroad determined its spent
bulbs are wastes that needed special handling in accordance with EPA rules.
LIRR immediately put a program into place to recycle and properly manage its
spent bulbs. For more information about
the federal rules for the proper disposal of mercury and other toxic
metal-containing bulbs, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/waste/spent-lamp.pdf 06/04 TED
26. N.H.
Considers Turning Off Some Lights to Save Energy, Money - A
committee studying energy conservation in Jaffrey, N.H., is recommending that
the town turn off more than a quarter of its streetlights. The Jaffrey Energy Committee says the town could save a substantial
amount of money by removing at least 61 of its 225 streetlights and fitting the
rest with lower wattage bulbs. Members of the group have split into teams and
taken late-night tours of the town to get a sense of where lighting is the most
critical, such as at intersections and crosswalks. Before making its final recommendation to the town, the group will
study other towns that use lower-wattage bulbs.06/05AP
27. Energy
Trust of Oregon Bumps Up Incentives - The incentive per kilowatt hour saved will rise from 15 cents per
kilowatt hour to 20 cents per kilowatt hour paid to industrial customers that
invest in improving production efficiency.. The incentive applies to all custom
electric efficiency projects and can be used for energy-efficiency upgrades
such as pumps, motors and lighting. For more information about the incentive
and the increase, go to Energy Trust's Web site at www.energytrust.org/productionefficiency 06/05 Daily Journal
of Commerce
28. Utah's Energy Efficiency Measures Starting to Pay Off - A new report says a two-year effort to make Utah state government
cleaner, greener and leaner is paying off. State officials say they're already seeing savings on dozens of energy
efficiency measures taken by government agencies, universities and other state
entities. Those efforts include installing more efficient light bulbs,
buildings constructed with high performance standards and use of hybrid
vehicles. It's all part of the state's goal,
established by Gov. Jon Huntsman in 2006, to improve energy efficiency by 20
percent by 2015. So far, state officials say, $1.8 million
invested in lighting retrofits and other energy-saving efforts in state
buildings are expected to provide $675,000 in savings each year, or $10.1
million over 15 years. Five buildings have been built with energy efficient
"high performance" standards and 15 more are in the works. 06/03 AP
29. State
of California Launches the Nation's First Statewide Green Buildings Database - The California Department of General Services today announced it has
developed the nation's first statewide online database www.greenbuildings.dgs.ca.gov of
"green" buildings that employs Geographic Information Systems mapping
technology. The online map will enable the public to track progress made toward
achieving the energy and environmental goals of the governor's green building
executive order (S-20-04). Issued in December 2004, the green building order
requires all new state construction projects to be built to the U.S. Green
Building Council's LEED standards. In addition, the state's biggest existing
buildings (larger than 50,000 square feet) are pursuing LEED certification for
energy- and resource-efficient operations and maintenance practices. The green
building order calls for state agencies to reduce electricity use in
state-owned buildings 20 percent by 2015 and encourages cities, counties and
schools to do the same. 06/04 Business Wire
30. Short-Term Energy Outlook http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html -
R West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil
prices were on a rollercoaster ride upwards over the last month, increasing
from $113 to $133 per barrel over the first 3 weeks on May, then falling back
to $122 on June 4 before surging to over $138 by June 6. WTI prices, which
averaged $72 per barrel in 2007, are projected to average $122 per barrel in
2008 and $126 per barrel in 2009.
R Regular-grade gasoline is expected to average
$3.78 per gallon in 2008, or 97 cents above the 2007 average price. The
U.S. average regular gasoline price, currently over $4 per gallon, is projected
to peak at $4.15 per gallon in August.
R World oil consumption is projected to grow by
1 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2008.
R The Henry Hub natural gas spot
price averaged $7.17 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in 2007 and is expected to
average about $11 per Mcf in both 2008 and 2009.
R Average U.S. residential electricity prices
are expected to increase by about 3.7 percent in 2008 and by 3.6 percent in
2009. 06/10 Energy Information
Administration update
R Consumers
increasingly substitute CFLs for traditional A-Line incandescent lamps
(Lightsearch)
MONTHLY
FEATURE… Building
Codes Assistance Project
Code Status: Commercial http://www.bcap-energy.org/node/21
Code Status: Residential http://www.bcap-energy.org/node/123 
