Big bucks are available in the lighting rebate programs of electric utilities for retrofits and new construction projects in 2013. Some of the largest utility rebate programs in the nation are once again loaded with rebates and other financial incentives to help end users with their lighting retrofits, and the long-term trend for lighting rebates looks like they will increase over the years.

The State of the Efficiency Program Industry study published by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, Boston, said that from 2007 to 2011, the efficiency program budgets of North American electric utilities increased more than 150% from $2.7 billion in 2007 to $6.8 billion in 2011. A study by Green Tech Media, Enterprise LED 2012: Commercial and Industrial Market Trends, Opportunities and Leading Companies, said these budgets are expected to reach $12.4 billion by 2020.

Some of the budget numbers are mind-boggling. For instance, one of the larger programs in the country, the New Jersey Smart Buildings New Construction and Retrofits initiative that covers Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, Rockland Electric Company, New Jersey Natural Gas, Elizabethtown Gas, PSE&G and South Jersey Gas, has $57.3 million budgeted for retrofits from Jan. 2012 to June 2013, and $5.5 million for new construction for the same period, as well as additional funding through several related programs.

New York’s Con Ed has always been a big spender on energy programs designed to help its nonresidential customers cut down on their use of electricity, and in May 2011 the budget for the utility’s Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency program was approved for up to $25 million a year for four years with the goal of attaining 100 MW of permanent load reduction.

Ameren Illinois has a budget of $18 billion for its Lighting Rebates for Business program from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, and across the Mississippi River in Missouri, Ameren Missouri announced last year that it will invest $147 million in energy-efficiency programs over the next three years, a move that it says makes its portfolio of energy efficiency programs the largest in the state’s history.

The Ameren Illinois program also offers a full slate of aggressive financial incentives for lighting retrofits, including up to $0.40 per watt reduced for some fluorescent lamp and ballast replacements and a maximum incentive cap of $200,000 paid at 100% and a 50% incentive for retrofits of $200,000 to $600,000. Ameren Illinois also recently began selling a 60W Phillips LED lamp directly to eligible business customers for $10 instead of the current retail price of $49.95. Business customers may purchase up to 10 LED bulbs through the company’s ActOnEnergy program, which was developed through a partnership with Philips Lighting. This is the same 60W Philips LED that won the U.S. Energy Department L-Prize for its 25,000-hour rated average life that’s equal to 10 years of service at eight hours per day, its soft, warm white light, and dimmability down to 10 percent of its full level.

As in the past, the most common rebates for nonresidential applications are for the retrofit of existing fluorescent fixtures with the latest T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts; incentives for the installation of HID lighting and CFLs for high-bay installations; the installation of LED exit signs; and the use of occupancy sensors and other lighting controls. But you now see rebates for LEDs becoming part of a utility’s standard incentive programs, rather than in their custom incentive programs that may require additional verification from utility personnel before they will approve a rebate. For instance, California’s Pacific Gas & Electric now offers straight rebates for the use of LEDs in existing surface, pendant, track and recessed downlight fixtures of between $14 and $25, depending on the wattage of the existing lamps being replaced.

It’s not unusual for electrical distributors, energy service companies (ESCOs) and other electrical professionals to score big with one of these utility programs. For instance, US Lamp Inc., Green Bay, Wis., a lighting distributor specializing in high-efficiency lighting solutions, recently announced that it was awarded a $300,000 grant through Wisconsin Public Service (WPS). A press release announcing the award said, “This grant was awarded to US Lamp for the 2013 calendar year to promote energy conservation lighting improvements for WPS electric customers. These customers are defined as retail and small- to medium-size industrial, including food manufacturing.

“These monies are used to target, promote and develop high-efficiency lighting solutions and controls for these WPS retail and industrial customers. These monies can be utilized as enhanced incentives — in addition to Focus on Energy incentives — for marketing development and to engineer lighting solutions for specific applications.” Focus on Energy is Wisconsin utilities’ statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The best resource for updated information on rebate programs and other local, state and federal incentives as well as financing opportunities for renewable energy systems and electric vehicles continues to be the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) at www.dsireusa.org According to information on that web-site, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) Inc. funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

http://ewweb.com -2013 Lighting Rebates Update

This year brought plenty of good news to the SSL industry, and the retrofit market in particular is looking very strong.
Top 20 LEDs Magazine news stories of 2012:
1. 3M announces novel approach to an LED retrofit lamp
A light guide provides omnidirectional light distribution in 3M’s new LED-based lamp that is decidedly different from the typical SSL approach to the retrofit application.
2. LED lighting market to grow while LED component market goes flat (MAGAZINE)
Strategies Unlimited’s analysts believe that the LED lighting market is growing nicely, though they expect lower LED prices to keep a lid on LED-component growth in the foreseeable future. LAURA PETERS and MAURY WRIGHT report from the Strategies in Light conference.
3. Are MR16 LED lamps ready for the 50W-halogen switch? (MAGAZINE)
The MR16 LED lamps face certain transformer and dimmer compatibility issues. Still, major lamp manufacturers have introduced 50W halogen equivalents in 8-10W LED lamps and feel the lighting market is ready to make the switch, reports LAURA PETERS.
4. LED market grew almost 10% in 2011, with 44% growth in lighting
The worldwide LED market grew 9.8% to $12.5 billion in 2011, with 44% growth in the lighting sector, according to Strategies Unlimited, who revealed the top-ten LED suppliers for the year. However, the outlook remains roughly flat for the next 5 years, peaking in 2013.
5. UV LEDs ramp up the quiet side of the LED market (MAGAZINE)
Relative to visible LEDs, UV LEDs are a quiet market at only $30 million, yet recent breakthroughs in radiant power and intensity have enabled the displacement of mercury-vapor lamps in applications including UV curing and counterfeit detection, reports LAURA PETERS.
6. Philips Lighting and GE Lighting launch 100W LED retrofit lamps (Updated)
Lightfair will see a number of companies introduce SSL retrofit lamps that are equivalent of 100W incandescent bulbs and GE and Philips Lighting announced such products before the exhibits opened.
7. Ambergreat introduces Amberstar LED canopy light to replace 1000W MH lamps
8. Lighting market report predicts strong growth for LED lighting (MAGAZINE)
A recently-released report from McKinsey & Company on the worldwide lighting industry indicates sizable growth for LED-based lighting, says LAURA PETERS.
9. Low-voltage LED lamps present unique driver challenge (MAGAZINE)
MR16 sockets present a significant retrofit-lamp opportunity for LEDs, explains KAMAL NAJMI, but installed transformers complicate the design of a drop-in SSL replacement.
10. Soraa unveils GaN-on-GaN LEDs and MR16 lamps
Silicon Valley start-up Soraa is manufacturing LEDs using a unique GaN-on-GaN process, and has used these to build high-performance MR16 lamps that are its first products.
11. Are you using all of the lumens that you paid for? (MAGAZINE)
12. Osram Sylvania wins race to offer 100W-equivalent LED A-lamp (Updated)
13. LED lighting market holds steady in 2012 (MAGAZINE)
14. Audi’s LED headlights are key feature in Super Bowl ad
15. Cree targets luminaire system cost with new XLamp XB-D LED
16. Osram Opto unveils R&D results from GaN LEDs grown on silicon
17. GE introduces Lumination LED troffer
18. Cree Lighting announces striking street-light luminaire
19. Philips Lumileds and Cree launch multiple new LED lines
20. Philips launches color-tunable ZigBee-based LED retrofit lamp

http.ledsmagazine.com News 18 Dec 2012

The U.S. DOE shares the results of completed solid-state lighting (SSL) GATEWAY demonstration projects, publishing detailed reports and briefs on completed projects, both available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. The reports include detailed analysis of data collected, projected energy savings, payback analysis, and user feedback.

Completed Projects:

1. Occupancy Sensors in LED Parking Lot and Garage Applications: Early Experiences: Occupancy Sensor Report.
The GATEWAY program summarized and compared experiences from field installations of occupancy sensor-controlled LED lighting at four separate sites: two parking structures and two parking lots. (October 2012)

2. LED Roadway Lighting Feasibility Assessment: Golden Gate Bridge: Golden Gate Bridge Report
The GATEWAY program conducted a technical feasibility assessment of replacing existing roadway lighting on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. (September 2012)

3. LED Roadway Lighting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Report 
At three sites in Philadelphia, the DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium evaluated 10 different LED luminaires and compared them to the incumbent high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires. (September 2012)

4. LED Post-Top Lighting: Central Park, New York City:  Central Park Report
Along paved walking trails in New York City’s Central Park, LED post-top mounted luminaires from five different manufacturers were installed and evaluated against the existing metal halide luminaires. (September 2012)

5. LED Roadway Lighting: Portland, Oregon: Cully Boulevard Report
On a residential collector road in Portland, six different types of roadway luminaires were installed in side-by-side groupings and evaluated for initial performance: three LED, one induction, one ceramic metal halide, and one baseline high-pressure sodium. (June 2012)

6. LED Retrofit Lamps: Washington, DC: Smithsonian American Art Museum Report
In several galleries at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, halogen and incandescent lighting was replaced with LED PAR 30, PAR 38, and MR16 lamps. (June 2012)

7. LED Retrofit Lamps: Malibu, California: Getty Museum Report
At the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, 12W LED PAR 38 lamps replaced 60W halogen PAR 38 flood lamps on a one-for-one basis for a special photography exhibition. (March 2012)

8. LED Roadway Lighting: New York, New York: FDR Drive Report
On Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive in New York City, LED luminaires from four different manufacturers were compared to the incumbent high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires and evaluated for relative light output and performance. (December 2011)

9. LED Ornamental Post-Top Street Lights: Sacramento, California: Sacramento Street Light Report
The DOE Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium evaluated four different LED replacements for existing ornamental post-top street lights in Sacramento using computer simulations, field measurements, and laboratory testing. (December 2011)

10. LED Retrofit Lamps: Eugene, Oregon: Jordan Schnitzer Museum Report
In the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene, 90W PAR38 130V narrow flood lamps used for accent lighting were replaced with 12W LED PAR38 replacement lamps for a special exhibition, and the museum also staged a side-by-side comparison of three different LED PAR38 replacement lamps against their standard halogen lamp. (September 2011)

11. LED Retrofit Lamps: Portland, Oregon: Bonneville Power Administration Report
In the Bonneville Power Administration headquarters building in Portland, 15W and 23W reflectorized compact fluorescent (CFL) track lights used to illuminate artwork were replaced with 12W LED lamps. (July 2011)

12. LED T8 Replacement Products: Seattle, Washington: LED T8 Replacement Product Study
At the Lighting Design Lab in Seattle, LED T8 replacement products were compared to their fluorescent counterparts. These “best in class” examples of LED products are approaching linear fluorescent systems in performance, in some cases showing superior application efficacies. (May 2011)

13. LED Parking Lot Lighting: Leavenworth, Kansas: Walmart Report
At a new Walmart Superstore in Leavenworth, Kansas, LED parking lot luminaires were installed that achieved a 63% energy savings against a theoretical baseline. (May 2011)

14. LED Retrofit Lamps: San Francisco, California: InterContinental Hotel Report
At the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, halogen wall-grazing luminaires, track lights, and recessed downlights in the lobby and other common areas were retrofitted with 6W LED MR-16 or 11W PAR30 replacement lamps. January 2012)

15. LED Museum Accent Lighting: Chicago, Illinois: Field Museum Report
At Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, 32 halogen track luminaires used to light an enclosed gallery exhibit were replaced with an LED system using 26 track fixtures. (November 2010)

16. LED Parking Lot Lighting: Manchester, New Hampshire: T.J. Maxx Report
In a shopping plaza parking lot in Manchester, New Hampshire, high-pressure sodium and metal halide luminaires were replaced with LED luminaires controlled by integral occupancy sensors that vary between “high” and “low” light output settings. (June 2010)

17. LED Roadway Lighting: Palo Alto, California: Palo Alto Report
In Palo Alto, California, seven LED and three induction streetlight luminaires replaced high-pressure sodium (HPS) luminaires on two residential streets, and two LED and two induction luminaires were installed on a commercial street to test a remote streetlight monitoring system. (June 2010)

18. LED Street Lighting: Lija Loop, Portland: Lila Loop Report
On Lija Loop, a residential street in Portland, Oregon, eight high-pressure sodium cobra head fixtures were replaced with LED street light luminaires. (November 2009)

19. LED Freezer Case Lighting: Albertsons Grocery: Freezer Case Report
At an Albertsons Grocery in Eugene, Oregon, upright freezer cases were retrofitted with LED striplights combined with occupancy sensors, and compared against standard fluorescent lighting on the opposite side of the aisle. (October 2009)

20. LED Roadway Lighting: I-35W Bridge: Bridge Report, Phase 1
The I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, features LED roadway lighting on the main span, offering DOE the opportunity to study the use of LED lighting in a highly challenging environment over the course of three years. (August 2009)

21. LED Parking Lot Lighting: Raley’s Supermarket: Raley’s Report
At a Raley’s Supermarket in West Sacramento, California, several metal halide (MH) luminaires were replaced with new LED luminaires incorporating bi-level operation (dim state and full state) controlled by motion detectors. (February 2009)

22. LED Street Lighting: City of San Francisco: San Francisco Report
In the Sunset District of San Francisco, four manufacturers’ LED street lights were installed on four public avenues to replace 100-watt nominal high-pressure sodium luminaires, independently demonstrating the performance of a number of currently available products in one specific application. (December 2008)

23. LED Parking Garage Lighting: Providence Portland Medical Center: PPMC Report
With an eye on replacing its aging stock of luminaires campus-wide, PPMC wanted to evaluate more energy-efficient lighting options. (November 2008)

24. LED Residential Downlights and Undercabinet Lights: Eugene Report
LED downlights represent one of the most promising applications for SSL technology and significant energy savings. (October 2008)

25. LED Walkway Lighting: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center: FAA Report
At the FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, six modular LED luminaires were installed along exterior walkways, replacing six high-pressure sodium luminaires. (March 2008)

26. LED Street Lighting: City of Oakland: Oakland Report, Phase III  Oakland Report, Phase II 
The City of Oakland wanted to assess the energy, economic, and safety impacts of replacing high-pressure sodium (HPS) street lights with LED luminaires. (Phase III, November 2008; Phase II, January 2008)

To help clarify the recent light bulb rules that went into effect on this date and the two-year exemption given to GE, Philips, Sylvania and Ushio for the 700 series of T8 lamps in italics, let’s go back to the NEMA papers posted in July 2009: New 2012 Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps (GSFL)

Summary: New 2012 Standards for General Service Fluorescent Lamps (GSFL)
Effective Date of new DOE standards: July 14, 2012
Current exemptions continue [For example, lamps with CRI ≥87, cold temp. (CT), UV, etc.]
Impact for 4’ & 8 ‘ Fluorescents Lamps ≤ 4500K and > 4,500K and ≤ 7,000K

T12 4-ft. & 2-ft U-lamps with medium bi-pin bases:

• Majority of F40 and F34T12 lamps and all FB40 and FB34T12 U-lamps FAIL.
• 4-ft. requires 3560 lumens @ 40W and 3030 lumens @ 34W to pass @ 89 LPW.
• 2-ft. U-lamps require 3360 @ 40W and 2856 @ 34W to pass @ 84 LPW.
• CWX/DX/DSGN50/C50 are exempt due to CRI.

T12 8-ft. Slimline with single pin bases:

• All 75W F96T12 lamps FAIL.
• All 60W F96T12/ES FAIL except for the 800/SPX Series & some 700/SP long life Series.
• CWX/DX/DSGN50/C50 are exempt due to CRI.

T12 8-ft. 800mA HO with RDC bases:

• All 110W F96T12 HO lamps FAIL. Requires enhanced coatings with 10,120 lumens to pass.
• All 95W F96T12/ES/HO FAIL except for enhanced 800 Series. Requires 8740 lumens to pass.
• CWX/DX/DSGN50/C50 are exempt due to CRI; CW/CT & D/CT are exempt.

T8 4-ft. & 2-ft. U-lamps with medium bi-pin bases:

• All 4-ft. T8 basic 700/SP Series lamps @ 2800 lumens FAIL. Requires 2850 lumens to pass.
• All other 4-ft. pass.
• All 2-ft. 800/SPX Series U-lamps pass. Some 700/SP Series pass.

T8 8-ft. Slimline with single pin bases:

• All pass except some 700/SP Series. Requires 5723 lumens @ 59W to pass.

T8 8-ft. HO with RDC bases:

• All pass except some 700/SP Series. Requires 7912 lumens @ 86W to pass.

T5 4-ft with miniature bi-pin bases:

• All pass.

Summary: Energy Conservation Standards for Incandescent Reflector Lamps (IRL)
Effective Date of new DOE Standards: July 14, 2012
Impact: Only a few of today’s halogen reflector lamps, e.g. PAR20, PAR30 and PAR38, can meet the standards in the Final Rule.In order to meet the new standards, reflector lamps will need to use new technologies such as advanced infrared (IR) coatings and optimized reflector coatings. IR coatings redirect wasted heat energy emitted by the lamp filament back to the filament, increasing the temperature of the filament, and thus enabling it to produce more light without increasing wattage. Optimized reflector coatings will more efficiently direct light produced by the lamp out of the lamp and into the space being illuminated. The few existing lamps that meet the new standards are more expensive than the standard halogen lamps on the market today. While the initial cost of the new higher efficiency reflector lamps will be higher, the consumer should see a payback through reduced electrical bills depending on the amount of time the lamps are “on”.

To accelerate the development and implementation of needed standards for solid-state lighting products, DOE works closely with a network of standards-setting organizations and offers technical assistance and support.

Since 2006, DOE has hosted ongoing workshops to convene the key standards organizations and foster greater coordination and collaboration among related efforts. Attendees provide updates on progress as well as input on potential additional standards needed. Combined ANSI/IES meetings and working group conference calls have resulted in significant progress.

Current Standards and White Papers
ANSI C78.377-2008, Specifications for the Chromaticity of Solid-State Lighting Products
Specifies recommended chromaticity (color) ranges for white LEDs with various correlated color temperatures (CCTs). Available free as an electronic download. Hard copies can be purchased from the ANSI and NEMA websites.

IES G-2, Guideline for the Application of General Illumination (“White”) Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Technologies
Provides lighting and design professionals with a general understanding of LED technology as it pertains to interior and exterior illumination, as well as useful design and application guidance for effective use of LEDs. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

IES LM-79-2008, Approved Method for the Electrical and Photometric Testing of Solid-State Lighting Devices
Specifies a standard test method for measuring the photometric properties of SSL devices, allowing calculation of luminaire efficacy. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

IES LM-80-2008, Approved Method for Measuring Lumen Depreciation of LED Light Sources
Specifies a standard method for measuring the lumen depreciation of LEDs, allowing calculation of LED lifetime. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

IES LM-82-2012, Approved Method for the Characterization of LED Light Engines and LED Lamps for Electrical and Photometric Properties as a Function of Temperature
Provides a method for measuring the lumen degradation of light engine products at various temperatures in support of manufacturers determining LED luminaire reliability and lifetime characteristics. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

IES RP-16 Addenda a and b, Nomenclature and Definitions for Illuminating Engineering
Provides industry-standard definitions for terminology related to solid-state lighting. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

IES TM-21-2011, Projecting Long Term Lumen Maintenance of LED Light Sources
Specifies a recommended method for projecting the lumen maintenance of LED light sources based on LM-80 collected data. Electronic copies may be purchased online through the IES store.

NEMA LSD 45-2009, Recommendations for Solid-State Lighting Sub-Assembly Interfaces for Luminaires
Provides guidance on the design and construction of interconnects (sockets) for solid-state lighting applications. Available free as an electronic download.

NEMA LSD 49-2010, Solid-State Lighting for Incandescent Replacement—Best Practices for Dimming
Provides recommendations for the application of dimming for screw-based incandescent replacement solid-state lighting products. Available free as an electronic download.

NEMA SSL-1, 2010, Electronic Drivers for LED Devices, Arrays, or Systems
Provides specifications for and operating characteristics of non-integral electronic drivers (power supplies) for LED devices, arrays, or systems intended for general lighting applications. Electronic copies can be purchased from the NEMA website.

NEMA SSL 3-2011, High-Power White LED Binning for General Illumination
Provides a consistent format for categorizing (binning) color varieties of LEDs during their production and integration into lighting products. Electronic copies can be purchased from the NEMA website.

NEMA SSL 4-2012, Retrofit Lamps: Minimum Performance Requirements
Provides performance criteria standards for integral LED lamps, including color, light output, operating voltage. lumen maintenance, size, and electrical characteristics. Electronic copies can be purchased from the NEMA website.

NEMA SSL-6, 2010, Solid State Lighting for Incandescent Replacement—Dimming
Provides guidance for those seeking to design and build or work with solid state lighting products intended for retrofit into systems that previously used incandescent screw base lamps. Addresses dimming of these products and the interaction between the dimmer (control) and the bulb (lamp). Electronic copies can be purchased from the NEMA website.

UL 8750, Safety Standard for Light Emitting Diode (LED) Equipment for Use in Lighting Products
Specifies the minimum safety requirements for SSL components, including LEDs and LED arrays, power supplies, and control circuitry. Hard copies may be purchased from the UL website.

Standards in Development
CIE TC1-69, Color Quality Scale
IES LM-XX1, Approved Method for the Measurements of High Power LEDs
IES LM-XX4, Method for the Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Organic LED (OLED) Light Sources
IES-TM-XX3, Method for Measuring Lumen Maintenance of LED Lamps, Light Engines, and Luminaires
IES TM-XX5, Method for Estimating the Rated Life of an LED Product (incorporates lumen degradation and other failure modes)

US DOE – Standards Development for Solid-State Lighting