With new price points and higher efficiency, LEDs seem set for rapid growth in market share. Not every LED stock will benefit equally, however. Pure-play LED companies like Cree and Revolution Lighting Technologies, Inc. are likely to gain more than broader lighting companies like Philips and Acuity Brands. Navigant Research predicts that revenue from LED lamp sales will rise to $8.7 billion by 2021 but while LED lamp sales to commercial buildings will grow by 23% per year for the next 8 years, the longer life of LEDs will cause industry revenue from lamp sales to decline slightly over the coming decade.
Summit Electric Supply Newsroom
Amprobe’s New LT-10 Lamp Tester
The Amprobe LT-10 Lamp Tester is a pocket-sized tool that takes the guesswork out of troubleshooting fluorescent lighting systems. Quickly determine by process of elimination, whether it’s the bulb, pins, voltage or ballast. The highly responsive 48” antenna, will save you trips up and down the ladder. The LT-10 Lamp Tester will go from your pocket to answers in seconds.
- Tests fluorescent (electroluminescent)
lights - Built-in VolTect™ non-contact voltage detection
- Lamp and filament test to check fluorescent light bulbs
- Simple one-handed, single button operation
- Compatible with fluorescent light bulbs:
- T2, T4, T5, T8, T9, T10, T12, T17, PG17
- Fluorescent energy saving light bulbs - Ultra-compact design for portability
- 48” removable and retractable antenna
to test bulbs and voltage without use of a ladder - Insulated antenna sleeve and tip
provided to safely extend and retract during use - Includes: 48” antenna, users manual,
battery (installed) and carrying case
Solar Market Soared in 2012
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a study showing that photovoltaic (PV) installations grew 76% in 2012 over 2011 to total 3,313 megawatts (MW) with an estimated market value of $11.5 billion. With another record-breaking year, solar is the fastest growing energy source in the United States, powering homes, businesses and utility grids across the nation. The report is based on a study by GSM Research and SEIA titled “U.S. Solar Market Insight: Year in Review 2012,” an analysis of solar power markets in the United States.
Osram Opto Announces New Bright White LEDs for the Interior of Vehicles
Osram Opto Semiconductors has launched the next-generation of its Topled and Mini Topled LEDs for interior-vehicular applications. The components enable high-brightness, long-life solid-state lighting (SSL) for the interior of buses, autos, trains, and airplanes. Osram retailed the same packaging technology that it had previously used in the Topled families. But the new LEDs stretch lifetime to 50,000 hours and deliver more light output allowing for a better user experience in mass transit applications.
Selling Lighting Upgrades Against Tight Budgets
When customers tell you they would “like to upgrade” but “can’t get project approval,” what is your response?
Some contractors will ask what the magic number might be for project approval, then lower their bid to just meet it. This is a recipe not only for failure, but for disaster.
If your end user customer (e.g., the plant engineer or facilities manager) is looking for a way to get the lighting upgraded but just can’t seem to get there, suggest trying a different approach.
A common issue is the corporate office trying to smooth out cash flow by deferring (sometimes indefinitely) projects that require additional financing beyond X dollars. A big lump expenditure is a target for rejection. But the same money spent over time is often acceptable. Chances are your company isn’t in the position to provide zero interest installment payments, so what can you do?
Generally, small projects are easier to get approval for than large ones. If the facility lighting upgrade project doesn’t get approval, plan it out as a series of monthly mini-projects. Find some logical way to break the job down. For example, you can count the number of lighting circuits that need upgrading, then group them into mini-projects. Or upgrade a room or area one at a time.
Even though total project cost might be higher versus one big project, the smoother flow of capital might help the upgrade sail past the bean counters.
Source: Mark Lamendola | Mindconnection