The potential to reduce the nation’s energy use through better lighting choices is massive. 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 comparable to the energy used by nearly 3 million homes. With new commercial lighting specifications the US can reduce energy use by more than 40% and have the potential to save businesses up to $5 billion annually.

With this the DOE announced new voluntary energy-saving specifications for lighting troffers,  which are rectangular overhead fixtures used in commercial buildings. The new criteria was developed by the DOE’s Commercial Building Energy Alliance (CBEA)

The new CBEA High Efficiency Troffer Specification provides minimum performance levels for LED and fluorescent troffers used in commercial buildings, offices and restaurants. The new specification delivers energy savings of between 15% and 45% compared with conventional systems. Additionally, an optional section on lighting controls, which can boost savings up to 75% by employing technologies such as motion sensors and timers.

Here at the home office of The Green Savings Company, we field many calls about our product and of course get questions about our competitors.  For the customers it usually comes down to two things: having the UL and price.  Since we started in 2009, there have been several companies that have also begun selling a T5 retrofit kit.  We welcome this competition as it good for the customer, but unfortunately they get bamboozled into believing something that is not true.

For example, there are multiple outlets that state on there website that there kits are “UL approved” (there is no such thing) and have even written a press release to this affect. The Green Savings Company has contacted these companies to ask what there UL file number is and they say that it is, “tested to UL standards” or that the number is “UL 935”.

Well, both of these statements mean that the product does not have the UL classification.  Let’s look into what each statement means.  There are other testing facilities in the country, such as CSA, ETL, CE and MET, that test products to UL standards and if it meets these standards they will approve them. But at the end of the day, the product cannot and does not have the UL mark anywhere.

Scott Raybin, President of The Green Savings Company recalled this story, “A prospect called and wanted The Green Savings Company to match a price of a competing product.  When I asked what their UL file was he said ‘UL 935′. I told him that in no way is that a UL file number. Not only was he shocked, but embarrassed as well. It is wrong for a company to mislead the public just for a sale.”  So what is UL 935? It is a written standard that is used by UL for testing purposes.

Now that we have disproved what is not UL, let’s discuss what a proper UL classified product is.  First, it has been thoroughly tested and approved by UL to their specifications. Second, inspectors have visited and approved the facility where the product is assembled to insured that it meets UL standards and that the components are from UL certified vendors.  Once that is completed UL will issue a file number that is searchable at the UL database.

The Green Savings Company was the first energy efficient lighting company in the USA to receive its UL classification (file#333114) for the T5 Retrofit Kit on April 20, 2010.

Well, two senators are going to try something unique in today’s partisan gridlock…work together on a plan from the ground up. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act and create and implement a national energy-efficiency strategy. The bill passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a strong 18-3 bipartisan vote by proposing initiatives that are effective, affordable and achievable.

This bill has support from the business community and has four points to increasing efficiency. First, it creates immediate jobs for construction trades through support to American manufacturers of quality building materials. The demand for these building improvements will support the manufacturers of heating systems, windows, computers and thermostats, as well as the experts it takes to install them.

Second, the bill helps manufacturers save money and stay competitive with overseas producers. Along with targeted financing, the proposal provides technical support and training for producers to improve the efficiency of their supply chains.

Third, the bill encourages updating national model building codes through incentives to states. While authority for all building codes would remain at the local level, those governments that voluntarily take full advantage of the incentives offered to upgrade their standards will achieve billions of dollars in savings for consumers.

Finally, the bill takes aim at the largest user of energy in our economy: the federal government. The adoption of energy-saving requirements ranging from computers to lighting to HVAC will be implements and monitored with smart metering technology.

This effort presents an opportunity for bipartisan cooperation on two of the most hotly debated topics within our country, energy and jobs. Efficiency saves consumers and businesses money. It keeps our country competitive in an increasingly global economy and breaks through the political debate over our energy sources. And it will create jobs today.

On January 24 the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report showing that the adoption of energy-efficient lighting products in the United States has increased over the last decade. The 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization report examines the current conditions and broad trends in the U.S. lighting market, broken down by technology and sector. The study shows that in 2010, lighting used approximately 700 terawatt-hours (TWh), or nearly 19% of the electricity produced in the United States.

Of the total energy used for lighting, the commercial sector consumed nearly half, or 349 TWh, primarily with fluorescent lighting products.  The average system efficacy (a measure of the amount of light provided per watt of power consumed) of installed lighting increased from 45 lumens per watt in 2001 to 58 lumens per watt in 2010, from T12 to more-efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps. Scott Raybin, President of the The Green Savings Company said, “We expect this trend to continue and even accelerate as the countdown to the T12 Phase Out comes closer.”

The new report updates a similar DOE model of the 2001 U.S. lighting market inventory. During the intervening decade, two trends emerged. First, there is push toward energy-saving lighting. Second, there is a continued increase in the demand for lighting, with most of the growth occurring in the residential sector, primarily because of an increase in the number of households, which increased from under 107 million in 2001 to more than 113 million in 2010.

It’s easy to justify and afford a lighting retrofit project: reduced maintenance costs, increased worker productivity, enhanced light quality

Making cost savings and energy efficiency top priorities in the places and processes that drive your business is smart any way you look at it. The savings you realize on energy costs go straight to your bottom line. Many upgrades pay back their investment in two to three years or less. When considering lighting renovations or tenant improvements, the T5 Retrofit Kit product line has the fastest ROI of any lighting retrofit solution available in the industry. As a business owner, you create more comfortable surroundings for your employees and customers while reducing your business or building’s impact on the environment.

Running a more energy-efficient business is all about knowing where to begin. For most organizations, the process starts with identifying the most beneficial areas to make building and equipment upgrades, as well as finding everyday ways to change how you use energy. Here are a few solutions to get you going:

• Start with a guided walk through and energy audit with a contractor, document your building and how you use your lighting.
• Work with your contractor for a lighting consultation to decide on the right lighting retrofit product for your facility
• Contact your local utility or efficiency program and find the rebates and incentives offered for your project.
• Weigh the costs and benefits of your energy-efficiency lighting retrofit, project energy cost savings and evaluate the overall investment in energy efficiency.
• Technical assistance is available through your installer and product warranty, but be sure to learn how to evaluate your property on a monthly billing basis.

Many lighting retrofits can decrease your lighting energy usage by 50% or more while improving your overall lighting quality. Whether you run a small retail shop, large office building or any business in between, a lighting retrofit reduce operating costs and add to your profitability.

Those are some of the top-level findings of a profile of the real estate management industry published this week in Pension & Investments magazine. The article, by Arleen Jacobius, finds — perhaps not surprisingly, given the outlet — that at least part of the growth in green in the real estate management industry comes from a push by institutional investors. She writes:

Real estate investment managers came late to the green game, said Peter Belisle, president of energy and sustainability services in the Los Angeles office of Jones Lang LaSalle. Demand — particularly from high-profile institutional investors such as the $230.1 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the $152.9 billion California State Teachers’ Retirement System — pushed real estate managers into considering sustainability projects.

CalPERS is setting up a new environmental program for real estate, with a proposal expected to come before the system’s investment committee later this year. The Sacramento-based system is also working on a plan to integrate environmental, social and governance strategies for all asset classes. That report will be going before the board in August, Clark McKinley, system spokesman, wrote in an e-mailed response to questions. An earlier energy efficiency initiative cut energy use in its core real estate portfolio by 20 percent as of last February, he stated.

Interest in energy reduction has “picked up a lot of speed” begun to grow among real estate investment managers, especially since one of the biggest operating expenses for properties is energy, Mr. Belisle said. Plus, reducing operating expense increases return, he said, and there could be federal subsidies or other assistance that could make turning portfolios green even more attractive.

TIAA-CREF’s Global Real Estate group had first set a goal of a 10 percent reduction in energy used across its portfolio in the two years from 2007 to 2009. Although the company fell a bit short of that goal, it has since passed it, and TIAA-CREF is now on its way toward a goal of 15 percent reductions by the end of the year. Its efforts to date earned the company an Energy Star Partner of the Year award.

Similarly, Jones Lang LaSalle is seeing significant bottom-line benefits to its efficiency efforts. In addition to saving $128 million in energy costs annually, JLL has been leading on a number of green building standards. In 2009, the company enrolled its entire portfolio in the Energy Star for Buildings program. And last summer JLL was one of the first supporters of the Green Lease Action Plan, which lays out three principles to help building owners and building operators work together on operating facilities in the most sustainable ways possible.

Another key driver of the green shift in real estate portfolio management comes from the U.S. Green Building Council. The group’s LEED Volume program, which was launched in pilot form in 2006, earlier this year certified more than 500 projects. Hotel chain InterContinental the first participant to be pre-certified under the program, a first step to getting some or all of its 4,500 hotels LEED certified.

A recent survey conducted by the Institute For Building Efficiency showed that while interest in energy efficiency is increasing among building owners, energy cost savings remain the driving factor behind organizational energy efficiency decisions. The Energy Efficiency indicator is an annual survey of global executives and building owners responsible for energy management and investment decisions in commercial and public-sector buildings.

The 2011 survey included almost 4,000 respondents across North America, Europe, India, China, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. The survey tracks their priorities, practices, investment plans and financial evaluation criteria to understand the projects they are implementing, the drivers of action and the barriers they face. Across all regions, energy cost savings was the most-sited driver for decision making. According to the survey, the lack of an internal budget was the leading financial barrier to implementing energy efficiency improvements.

As we’ve previously stated, it’s projected that 40% of electricity costs in typical commercial buildings can be attributed to lighting, it is not surprising the data shows the majority of respondents are investing in lighting improvements.  To support improvements and address cost concerns, lighting retrofit calculators such as our T5 Retrofit Lighting Calculator are often used to forecast ROI calculations prior to making investments in energy efficient lighting fixtures. We’ve experienced a significant amount of breakthrough success recently with commercial lighting end-users once they understand how to utilize the calculator and have a determined ROI.

(via 2011 Energy Efficiency  Indicator)

With the unexpected consternation about the new light bulb regulations, it feels that doing something positive for the country has denigrated into political fodder. I can understand from a Libertarian perspective these regulations enforce the notion that government is poking its head in the daily lives of its citizens. Along that train of thought, does the Libertarian POV also believe that the government should have never regulated the MPG that cars get? How about regulation & inspection of food and medicine? You get the point.

I can go on where the government makes recommendations to products and services that Americans use every day so that they become more efficient. Of course there are also plenty of regulations have have hindered growth, so let’s agree to disagree. But specifically about light bulbs, can someone please explain how using less energy is a bad thing?

This being an election year, certain members of Congress and state legislatures are pandering to their base by using this issue to rally the troops.  The latest one being Delegate Bob Marshall of Prince William County (VA).  He has proposed legislation that would allow the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs within Virginia’s borders.  First of all, what is the point? Does he really think that GE is going to start production anytime soon? How does this legislation benefit the people of Virginia? According to Delegate Marshall, “This is a 10th Amendment issue,” Marshall said, invoking the provision that reserves for states all powers not specifically given to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution.

If that answer was not based on a scintilla of fact it would be hysterical, but Marshall’s follow up is really funny…he said that it is a safety issue.  According to Marshall, the more energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps contain high levels of mercury, which can be hazardous if bulbs break. He said a single CFL contains enough mercury to pollute 6,000 gallons of water.  “You need a small hazmat operation if you break one,” Marshall said. “I want Virginians to have safe lighting in their homes.”

Ok, let’s take a second and digest that one. Now let’s get some facts. The amount of mercury that is inside of a CFL is only 4-5 mg, which in volume is about the size of a period at the end of this sentence. (By comparison, old style thermometers contained 500 mg of mercury, which is equivalent to 125 CFL bulbs.) Now that we can put away the hazmat suits here is what the EPA says should be done if a CFL is broken:

(1) immediately open windows to reduce mercury concentrations inside your home; (2) do not touch the spilled mercury; (3) clean up the broken CFL glass carefully and immediately (but not with your hands or a vacuum cleaner), and (4) wipe the affected area with a paper towel to remove all glass fragments and mercury.

Now that we have disputed conjecture with facts, back to the original question. Can someone please explain how using less energy is a bad thing?

GE Lighting Solutions is the LED subsidiary of GE Lighting, both operating out of the same headquarters in Cleveland. GE Lighting Solutions designs and manufactures LED outdoor and indoor lighting products and has manufacturing plants in Hendersonville, NC, and overseas. The Hendersonville plant serves the global market for outdoor LED lighting systems for roadways, parking lots, and other area lighting applications. Hendersonville also manufactures outdoor and industrial lighting products that use traditional technologies.

There are a number of reasons why GE Lighting Solutions manufactures SSL products in the U.S. One has to do with the company’s preference for manufacturing products where they’re intended to be sold; another is its practice of making baseline models and customizing them to the needs of the installation. This allows GE Lighting Solutions to reduce inventory costs by manufacturing products as orders are received and still deliver them to customers within weeks instead of months. This helps the company control obsolescence – very important with a still-developing technology like solid-state lighting in which products are rapidly superseded by newer versions. Manufacturing overseas for the sizable U.S. market would mean a long supply chain and a large inventory, which could result in a significant amount of unsellable obsolete products over time.

Manufacturing domestically for the U.S. market shrinks transportation times and costs. Steadily rising labor rates in Asia and a small amount of labor required  help to negate the main advantage of moving manufacturing offshore. Additionally, intellectual property is easier to protect when manufacturing domestically. When considering whether to do SSL manufacturing in the U.S., it’s important to look at the total cost of manufacturing in the U.S. rather than at the cost of isolated aspects of the manufacturing process.

GE Lighting Solutions is among a number of companies that are working to create and strengthen a solid-state lighting manufacturing base here in the U.S. This will not only help bring significant energy savings through more efficient lighting products but will benefit our economy by adding jobs at multiple levels of the supply chain.

As part of educating the public about how to purchase the most efficient lamp for the home, a group of over 40 organizations has come together as the LUMEN Coalition. LUMEN stands for Lighting Understanding for a More Efficient Nation. The goal of the coalition is to help educate the public about the transition to energy-efficient lighting, specifically, what options are available, how to select them, and how they can save money. With members from industry, utilities, NGOs, and advisors from federal agencies, the coalition has been reaching out in a number of ways.

One way is the launch of a consumer friendly website called “The 5 L’s of Lighting“. The five L’s are: Location, Lumens, Light Bulbs, Labels and Laws.  Each section contains a podcast with an industry leader explaining how the new lighting laws impact the consumer.