DOE Launches Next Phase of Competition to Create Efficient Lighting
earth energy Solutions GROUP and our Partners are pleased to offer LED Par light alternatives that are approved on the Energy Star list. This gift in energy efficiency is a long time coming … it is here TODAY.
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DOE on March 8 launched the next phase of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition, which challenges the lighting industry to develop high-performance, energy-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs. The latest competition will spur leading-edge companies to build innovative LED replacements for conventional parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR 38) lamps, commonly known as spot or flood lamps.
Approximately 90 million PAR 38 light bulbs are installed in the United States, and DOE estimates that replacing them with bulbs efficient enough to win the L Prize would save the country 11 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, approximately as much electricity Washington, D.C., consumes each year.
The rigorous performance testing needed to win the L Prize ensures that the performance, quality, lifetime, costs, and availability of winning products meet expectations for mass manufacturing and widespread adoption.
For the PAR 38 category, at least 50% of the LEDs must be produced in the United States, and all of the assembly must be done here. See the DOE press release and the L Prize website.
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Lighting Comparison between HPS (high pressure sodium) and LED equivalent
earth energy Solutions GROUP recognizes and encourages all businesses with Parking Lot / Area Lot needs to consider the full ‘cost of doing business’.
Additional benefits of retrofitting the more energy inefficient is improved Air Quality, reduced energy consumption and Security for everyone on the property.
Have questions, please enter them below. We also encourage your thoughts about this four year old factual comparison from 2008.
Today’s improved LED technology surpasses the above. Allow earth energy Solutions GROUP to uncover the possibilities for your business and plan a sustainable future for you.
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2012 Clean Energy Standard Act (CES)
… as publised in POWER news:
BINGAMAN INTRODUCES FEDERAL CLEAN ENERGY STANDARD ACT
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) on Thursday introduced the Clean Energy Standard Act (CES) of 2012, a bill that could require some utilities around the nation to ensure at least 24% of all power sold could be defined as “clean energy.”
Under the bill, by 2020, that percentage would grow to 39%; by 2025, 54%; and by 2035, 84%. Read More »
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earth energy Group supports 2012 World Water Day an extremely valuable resource
Life-cycle energy consumption of LED lamps compares well with incumbents
| 28 Feb 2012 | ||
| A new DOE report looks at the energy consumption of different lighting technologies over their entire lifetime, including manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal. | ||
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published a report that compared the energy consumed over the entire life-cycle for LED lamps, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and incandescent lamps.The report is entitled “Review of the Life-Cycle Energy Consumption of Incandescent, Compact Fluorescent, and LED Lamps” and is based on existing literature that assesses the life-cycle of lighting products.
The report is the first installment of a larger DOE project to assess the life-cycle environmental and resource costs of different lighting technologies. It looks at the manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal of the products.The report says that the average life-cycle energy consumption of LED lamps and CFLs is similar, and is about one-fourth the consumption of incandescent lamps (see chart). But if LED lamps meet their performance targets by 2015, their life-cycle energy use is expected to decrease by approximately one-half. Also, the “use” stage of all three types of lamps represents the most energy-intensive life-cycle stage, accounting for 90 percent of total life-cycle energy, on average. This is followed by the manufacturing and transport phases, respectively. Transport represents less than one percent of life-cycle energy use for all lamp types. Most of the uncertainty in life-cycle energy consumption of an LED lamp centers on the manufacturing of the LED package, which is estimated at anywhere from 0.1 percent to 27 percent of life-cycle energy use, with an average of 7 percent. The larger DOE study will include a life-cycle assessment of an LED lamp, considering both the direct and indirect material and process inputs to fabricate, ship, operate, and dispose of the lamp. It will also include the purchase, disassembly, and chemical testing of LED and conventional lighting products to study whether potentially hazardous materials are present in concentrations that exceed hazardous-waste regulatory thresholds. |
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| About the Author | ||
| Tim Whitaker is the Editor of LEDs Magazine. | ||
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Lightbulb comparison, calculate cost of LED vs Incandescent vs CFL vs MH vs HPS
earth energy Solutions GROUP recommends that all businesses (residents as well) know the cost over time between newer energy efficient lighting technology vs what we have known and used for a Century.
Patrick Mullins has for a decade been comparing such costs and incorporates the CO2 reduction in addition to cost savings over time.
The higher lumens offer better light; no toxins make them more desirable in all environments; their recyclability is all moving toward sustainability. Oh, the reduced (diminished) maintenance expenses related with replacements go away.
The old inefficient lighting is not banned but why would you not leverage safer long term measures and be able to save money while reducing the toxic carbon released into our atmosphere?
We encourage your responses to that question.
Check out Pat’s CALCULATOR and decide yourself or give us a call at earth energy Solutions GROUP to help you make sense of it all.
KNOW your actual energy consumption and allow us to show you numerous alternatives to reducing your consumption and operating costs… We do that for you at no charge.
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Outdoor Lighting: Cree lights gas station and food mart; ATL airport to go LED
| Cree has announced another SSL retrofit at an Oregon gas station and food mart, while Atlanta plans a massive LED project for its parking areas and international municipalities consider LED projects. | |||||
Cree LED luminaires are being used both in outdoor canopy lighting at an Beaverton, Oregon gas station and inside the adjacent convenience store to deliver 70% energy savings. The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport plans to retrofit more than 4000 legacyfixtures in parking lots with solid-state lighting (SSL). Thiruvananthapuram, India begins an LED project, Pakistan squabbles over LED retrofit costs, and the Philippines see LEDs as a way to efficiently light unlit streets.Beaverton gas and mart
The Highland Chevron gas station and ExtraMile food mart have been renovated indoor and out with Cree LED-based luminaires. Outdoors in the gas station canopy, the retrofit encompasses 24 105W Cree (BetaLED) 304 series recessed canopy lights that replaced 368W metal-halide (MH) fixtures. The owner of the station, Bob Barman, cited light quality, economic, and environmental benefits attributable to the lighting retrofit. Barman said, “The high-quality LED light makes everything appear brighter and safer – and that translates into a better customer experience.” The Oregon area is known for environmental sensitivity and green practices and that influenced the LED choice. “The payoff is more than what is saved in energy consumption and cost,” said Barman. “The payoff is also intangible – it’s what your customers think of you as a leader in sustainability and how you think of yourself – it’s just the right thing to do.” Cree also noted that the NanoOptic total internal reflection (TIR) lenses that were originally developed by BetaLED tightly control light distribution in the installed fixtures. Those TIR optics eliminate light spill for the outdoor sources and enable the station to meet local light-pollution ordinances.
Still economics are important and the savings are attributable to both the indoor and outdoor lighting. Indoors, 27 Cree 304 series pendant SSL luminaires replaced 330W fluorescent fixtures. Barman expects the retrofit to achieve payback in 2.5 years. According to Cree, the lighting retrofit will allow the station and mart to consume one third less energy, in total, relative to the typical 24-hour convenience store and gas station. Atlanta airport According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Cooper Lighting has won a major SSL retrofit at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. The busiest airport in the world will apparently use 80W LED fixtures to replace 210W MH fixtures. The project will include retrofit of covered parking lots for both the north and south sides of the airport terminal. The project is slated for April 2012. In total the airport will replace 4342 lights according to the report. Cooper has said that the projects can save the city $500,000 per year. International LED projects The Times of India reports that Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala, is planning to install LED lights on 65 streets. Apparently the project will begin next month. In the Pakistan capital of Islamabad, a proposed LED project is generating considerable debate over the cost of the new lights according to The News International. The project could involve retrofits of as many as 6500 legacy street lights. In the Philippine municipality of Quezon City, the government hopes to install 10,000 LED street lights this year. The Philippine Information Agency reports that LEDs will allow the city to provide lighting on some streets for the first time with a manageable impact on energy consumption. SSL technology will allow the city to increase the number of lit streets by 80%. |
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| About the Author | |||||
| Maury Wright is a Senior Technical Editor with LEDs Magazine. | |||||
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Market-Driven Energy-Saving Specifications for Commercial Lighting
February 15, 2012
The Energy Department today announced new voluntary energy-saving specifications for lighting troffers – rectangular overhead fixtures used in commercial buildings – as well as parking lot and parking structure lighting. The new performance criteria were developed by the Department of Energy’s Commercial Building Energy Alliances (CBEAs), which bring together major U.S. companies from a wide range of sectors to identify and implement successful energy efficiency and cost-saving practices. Building operators can voluntarily adopt these specifications for new buildings or building upgrades to reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions.
The potential to reduce the nation’s energy use through better lighting choices is enormous. On average, over half of the lighting fixtures in commercial buildings operate for more than 10 hours a day and collectively consume more than 87 terawatt hours of electricity annually, which is equivalent to the energy used by nearly 3 million homes. These new commercial lighting specifications can reduce energy use by more than 40% compared with conventional lighting and have the potential to save businesses up to $5 billion annually.
The new CBEA High Efficiency Troffer Specification provides minimum performance levels for LED and fluorescent troffers used in commercial buildings, including offices and restaurants. The new specification delivers energy savings of between 15% and 45% compared with conventional systems. The specification also includes an optional section on lighting controls, which can boost savings up to 75% by employing technologies such as motion sensors and timers.
DOE also released updated specifications for high-efficiency parking lot and parking structure lighting. Both public and private organizations are increasingly using systems that meet DOE’s high efficiency parking lot lighting specification. This specification typically reduces energy use by 50% compared with conventional parking lot lighting. Some early adopters of the new specifications include Walmart, Lowe’s, and Cleveland Clinic.
WalMart now uses energy-saving lights that meet the specification in new parking lot sites, and is upgrading more than 250 existing lots. The company reports energy savings of 58% compared with ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010, a widely used commercial building code. Lowe’s has tested lighting systems that meet the specification at several sites and plans to expand their use. Based on these and other successful installations, others, such as MGM Resorts International and the U.S. General Services Administration, are also considering upgrading their lighting to meet the new specification.
Through the CBEA, the Energy Department collaborates with building owners, operators, and manufacturers to develop minimum performance requirements that are voluntarily adopted by CBEA members. Increased adoption of energy-saving specifications can help American businesses cut costs, reduce energy use, and increase their competitiveness.
The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and facilitates deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Learn more about EERE’s support of building technologies, and about the Department’s Commercial Buildings Energy Alliances.
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earth energy Solutions encourages economic shipping alternative
We have choices and cutting business expenses follows generating revenue. We encourage all LED Lighting manufacturers, resellers and brokers to compare shipping / freight fees. Then you will KNOW you made the eco.nomic decision!
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Exposing the truth … Will Customers Pay More for ‘Green?’
February 7, 2012
Andrea Thomas
Senior Vice President of Sustainability
Walmart
Will people pay to go green? That’s a key question – maybe the question – for any company committed to sustainability. At Walmart, we’ve learned that the answer is a bit nuanced: Basically, usually not – but it depends.
Some customers will pay more for certain products that are better for the environment, and their top purchases include chicken, milk, fruits and vegetables, household cleaners and laundry/dish care. The environmentally responsible products they are less likely to pay more for? TVs, cell phones, computers, beer, pork, mops and sponges and printers.
The economy remains a far more pressing concern. More than 70 percent of consumers say they worry more about price than whether a product is good for the environment or socially responsible, according to an October 2010 study by the Harrison Group.
What does that mean for us? Our approach to sustainability must be nuanced as well.
We’ve found that there is a group of shoppers who are fans of items such as free-range eggs and green cleaning products like Seventh Generation and Mrs. Meyer’s. We stock a full offering of those products in many of our stores. They can be more expensive but some people will pay more because they feel good about them.
But many shoppers cannot or will not pay more. That’s where we are getting creative and using our size and scale – and partnerships with suppliers – to drive down prices. We can do a lot of good by helping to make the products people are already buying more sustainable so they don’t have to make changes to what they buy to make a difference.
For instance: televisions, lettuce and laundry detergent.
Flat-panel TVs can use a lot of energy, but this is a category where many people don’t want to pay a premium for a more sustainable option. We committed to stocking only more energy-efficient panels, and because of our scale, the cost of the technology came down as did the prices for our customers.
We’ve also found a way to drive down the price of organic lettuce to match the cost of non-organics. We bought in bulk, cut transportation costs by packing our trucks more efficiently and bought directly from farmers. And it worked.
In some cases, our sustainability choices don’t always make immediate sense for customers who want the best value for their dollar. When we experimented with switching to concentrated laundry detergent, the price did not change but the package was much smaller. We decided to go with concentrated since washing machines will add the necessary water – why add it to detergent in a large bottle and ship it all over the country? The idea was actually suggested to us by one of our suppliers, but when we made the transition, some customers felt they were getting less for their money.
To educate them, and to help change their behavior, we gave prominent shelf space to all® small & mighty, the first brand to partner with us on concentrated detergent. Eventually, we had such momentum that we told our other suppliers that we would no longer carry non-concentrated detergent. They changed their products, and the industry was changed, as well.
Sustainability is a goal, so we’re learning as we go. That means we are making plenty of adjustments and mistakes as Walmart explores what customers want and what behaviors they will change. In the coming days, we will share some of what has not worked as well as what has and – as always – I’d love your thoughts about solutions.
Andrea B. Thomas is Senior Vice President, Sustainability for Walmart. She is responsible for working across the global organization as well as with external stakeholder to embed sustainability into all aspects of the company. Prior to assuming this role in September 2010, she led the Global Merchandising Center for the Home, Hardlines and Entertainment businesses where she had global brand responsibility for Walmart’s proprietary brands which include Mainstays, Canopy, Better Homes & Gardens, Home Trends and GE. This article was reprinted with permission from Walmart from the Walmart Sustainability Green Room.
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Urgently enter Schools into the Green Ribbon Competition
Deadline Fast Approaching for Schools to Enter the Green Ribbon School Competition
PHILADELPHIA (February 7, 2012) — EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin is encouraging all schools in the mid-Atlantic region to get recognized for their environmental achievements by entering the Green Ribbon School Competition.
The deadline for the new pilot award program, created by the U.S.. Department of Education and supported by EPA, is March 22 but all applications must be sent to the individual state Department of Education by February 23, 2012. Each participating state may nominate up to four of their highest performing schools that meet the criteria for recognition: environmental impact and energy efficiency, healthy environment and environmental literacy. The U.S. Department of Education will select one winning school in each participating state.
“This is a great opportunity for schools to brag about their efforts to save energy, reduce costs, create healthy environments for their students and improve student and staff health,” Garvin said today during a tour of the Thurgood Marshall School in Philadelphia. “By applying for Green Ribbon recognition, schools will be moving forward in adopting green concepts and becoming even greener.”
EPA has long encouraged the creation of healthy school environments because green school buildings and education are vital to the development and learning of every student. Green schools benefit teachers and other staff as well because they, too, work better when the indoor air and other conditions are healthy.
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama emphasized the importance of education in building a strong future for America. Creating healthy schools is one way we can support our students and their learning.
For K-12 schools interested in applying, a webinar to assist in the application process will be held Feb. 7, 2012 at 4 p.m. (EST). Event address for attendees is: https://usgbc.webex.com/usgbc/onstage/g.php?d=753402875&t=a.
The event number is 753 402 875 and the event password is Gr33n1..
Call-in toll free number (US/Canada) is: 1-866-469-3239. Access code is 753 402 875
For more information about the Green Ribbon Schools competition, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/green-ribbon-schools/index.html
Contact: Donna Heron 215-814-5113/heron.donna@epa.gov
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Super Bowl XLVI Goes Green eeS Group Congratulates the Giants
Green Mountain Energy has been selected to supply green power for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Indiana. Green Mountain Energy will supply 15,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy certificates (RECs) for all six major Super Bowl facilities. The purchase is the equivalent to the electricity use for Lucas Oil Stadium (site of the Super Bowl), the Indiana Convention Center (site of the NFL Experience Football Theme Park), and all four of the major NFL hotels, including the NFL headquarters, the Super Bowl Media Center, and the AFC and NFC team hotels. The RECs are sourced from wind power generated in North Dakota.
News Release - Super Bowl XLVI Goes Green
Additional Information - Super Bowl XLVI Scores Green Power from Green Mountain Energy
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Be the difference in your Community, create Negawatts through energy efficiency
Thank you earth energy Solutions GROUP for participating in U.S. EPA’s January 18th webcast on “Making an Impact on Energy Use in Your Community: EPA’s Green Power Communities and Local Climate and Energy Program.” You are receiving this email because you indicated in our exit survey that you would like to learn more about our Climate Showcase Communities Program.
EPA’s Climate Showcase Communities Program helps local and tribal governments pilot innovative, cost-effective, and replicable community-based greenhouse gas reduction projects. Your community can learn from these pilot projects and replicate their successes.
There are 50 Climate Showcase Communities across the U.S. that represent a range of cities, towns, and tribal governments. These projects can help communities become more energy efficient and save consumers money through creative energy production, residential and commercial energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, and land use projects.
Each community is testing an innovative climate mitigation strategy. EPA awarded $20 million in grant funding to these 50 pilot communities, and provides peer exchange, training, and technical support to all communities interested in replicating Climate Showcase Community projects.
All communities can take action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution—and improve people’s health and quality of life by reducing air pollution, making communities more walkable, and reducing energy bills at the same time.
To learn what your community can do, visit: www.epa.gov/climateshowcase
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- Study: Energy Efficiency in Apartments Could Save $3.4 Billion (forbes.com)
- Energy Star’s Most Efficient program will expand in 2012 (news.consumerreports.org)
- WESCO, a Fortune 500 Company, Sees Serious Growth Opportunities in Energy Efficiency (switchboard.nrdc.org)
- Long-Term Energy Efficiency Potential (greenbiz.com)
