Welcome to the June/July 2011
issue of ENERGY MONTHLY
In this issue...
Introduction
LEDs are the future of lighting. The question is when will the promise of LEDs become sufficiently practical to make them the first choice in lighting solutions?
The blunt answer: not yet. While there are specialty uses for LED technology, the cost benefit ratio simply isn’t high enough, especially when contrasted to new high efficiency long life fluorescent tubes.
The practical formula by which all lighting should be measured is cost per delivered watt (CPDW). Currently the CPDW for LEDs is dramatically higher than fluorescents—more than 500% higher to be precise. The cost per watt for the basic LED component is still over 50 cents, while the cost per watt for the T-5 lamp is under 10 cents. The industry promises the LEDs will fall into the right price range over the next 5 years, but right now LEDs still represent a theoretical ideal for most lighting solutions.
Aelux is constantly in the lighting market and investigating every possible solution for our customers. We are carefully monitoring the LEDs manufacturers and try to see every new innovation. From our perspective, it seems that some outdoor opportunities are beginning to develop along with freezer applications. When LEDs represent the best solution, you can be assured that Aelux will lead the way.
In the meantime, you can rely on Aelux to bring you the most cost-effective solutions in the industry.
Skip Pasternak
President, Aelux
Email Skip »
Bulbs of Mass Destruction—Cease and Desist
We have been covering the light bulb standards debate for some time, and for today we can say with certainty, the lasting contentions have come to an end.
On Tuesday, July 12th House Republicans failed to stop the enactment of new energy saving standards for light bulbs. The GOP bill to overturn the standards set to go into effect in 2012 fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage. The vote was 233-193.
The proposed Republican legislation would have kept the marketplace clear for cut-rate energy-wasting bulbs. It is amazing, the incalescence that was created over battling for bulbs that have changed little since Thomas Edison invented them in 1879.
Luminosity shines, as the light bulb portion of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 has been upheld. New bulbs will have to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent models. As of Jan. 1, 2012, inefficient 100-watt bulbs will no longer be available at most stores. Also on the way out are traditional 75-watt bulbs in 2013 and 40-watt and 60-watt versions in 2014.
In the short term, the lighting standards that are being phased in will save nearly $6 billion in 2015 alone. The long-term benefits, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, could be huge: national energy savings equivalent to 30 large power plants; household savings of up to $200 a year; and 100 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide pollution yearly, roughly the amount from 17 million cars.
So far, not a single manufacturer has complained, and many already sell bulbs that meet the 2012 standards.
Lighting Insight:
A Strategic Approach to System Upgrades/Retrofits
Through unconventional opportunities, staged approaches to building updates, and a comprehensive strategy which includes possible upgrades for outdoor lighting—profitable energy saving upgrades are made possible.
Unconventional Opportunities: Every organization planning an energy performance upgrade should investigate utility incentives, state assistance, and other funding opportunities. When searching for project capital, keep your eyes and ears open for special programs that support energy performance. A good place to start is the utility rebates for energy efficient lighting retrofits space.
A Staged Approach: The staged approach recommended by ENERGY STAR accounts for the interactions among all the energy flows in a building. Each stage includes changes that will affect the upgrades performed in subsequent stages, thus setting the overall process up for the greatest energy and cost savings possible.
The five stages recommended by the EPA are:
- Retrocommissioning. Helps to identify improper equipment performance, equipment or systems that need to be replaced and operational strategies for improving the performance of the various building systems.
- Lighting. Lighting upgrades, which may include new light sources, fixtures, and controls, come early in the process because the lighting system has a significant impact on other building systems, including heating and cooling loads and power quality.
- Supplemental Load Reductions. Secondary contributors to energy consumption in buildings, which can affect heating, cooling, and electric loads.
- Air Distribution Systems. Air distribution systems can be upgraded and adjusted to optimize the delivery of air in the most energy-efficient way.
- Heating and Cooling Systems. When the steps above have been followed, cooling and heating loads are likely to be reduced, justifying replacement of the system to something that is small and more efficient system.
Never the less, energy management should also be viewed as a path of continuous improvement.
Comprehensive lighting upgrade strategy: A whole-system approach takes a complex system of individual decisions and unites them into a strategic approach that ensures that each opportunity is addressed and balanced with other objectives.
Outdoor Lighting: Well-designed outdoor lighting is cost-effective, offering expanded security, while taking into consideration light pollution, glare, and light trespass.
Utilizing a strategic approach towards building and lighting retrofits—profitable energy saving upgrades are made possible.
Source: energystar.gov
More than green—a historical view
While today green has become synonymous with sustainability, not too long ago it represented much more. Green has been symbolized or associated with hope, growth, sickness, death, inexperience, and youth. Often it refers to nature, and plants, and it has also signified rebirth for its connections to Spring.
Now, a not so new phrase has cast its way back into everyday vernacular. Greenwashing, the deceptive use of green marketing in order to promote a company as environmentally friendly, has made it into the spotlight. In latest new, a leading global household brand, has settled two class action lawsuits that challenged their Greenlist logo, stating they did not adhere to the guides for the use of environmental marketing claims—falsely advertising these products as environmentally friendly.
Green, a word that has been reused, recycled and repurposed throughout history may have lost its good intention. Has ‘green’ turned sour, or will it reinvent itself once again?
‘Green’ truly is conceptual, it is more than a color, and more than a badge for environment-friendly—it will prevail once again. Green will always be synonymous with growth, and that growth today can be seen in the surge of green jobs. There are certainly gaps in general awareness with regard to green practices, but there are some basic rules for a company’s survival. Strategy is crucial for survival; a company’s strategy should include social responsibility and a sustainability roadmap—aiming for more transparency. Whether you are a large corporation, or a niche organization looking for the upper hand in an emerging or competitive marketing, you can benefit from embracing the low hanging fruit principle, and avoiding greenwashing practices.
“The green revolution has an entirely different meaning to most people in the affluent nations of the privileged world than to those in the developing nations of the forgotten world.”
—Norman Borlaug
