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Review of Induction vs. LED Street Lighting

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Both systems have high first costs that are somewhat offset by reduced maintenance and related costs. Both currently have similar efficiencies, although the LEDs are continually improving on that measure. The induction systems have been in use for many years with proven results, while LED systems are new and much of their performance is “projected.”

The high pressure sodium (HPS) lighting system you currently use has been, and continues to be, the street lamp of choice in many communities because of their efficacy and life span. The yellowish-pinkish light they cast is adequate for general lighting and security. For a variety of reasons many cities are opting to retrofit their street lighting with white light. In addition to the LEDs and induction lamps you are considering, metal halide and fluorescent lamps also provide white light.

One of your first decisions concerning new lighting systems will be whether you need the new products to utilize the existing pole infrastructure. That will determine fixture type and mounting height to control the light distribution, and you need to know if the new source will be capable of providing the desired light level. Both induction and LED products should be seen as luminaire packages (lamp, driver/ballast/starter, fixture), not retrofit components to place into existing fixtures. For this reason the efficacy of the fixture, not just lumens per watt of the light source, is what is important to proper light distribution. Also consider whether the new technology is compatible with your current or planned control system.

Because of the difficulties in comparing two very different light sources with standard measurements, test installations are strongly recommended so color and intensity can be viewed in the real world where they will matter. White light, as you know, can have many shades, from yellow to blue.

Information on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid State Lighting (SSL) website offers good information about measuring and describing the light performance of LEDs and some comparative information as well. Look at the information in the “Using LEDs” section.

The induction lamp comes in several color temperatures, from almost warm to cool, with a CRI of 80. For a better understanding of LED color and measurements, see the publication Color Rendering Index and LEDs.

With a high first cost but an actual useful life of approximately 70,000 hours, induction lamps are more of a solution to a maintenance problem than an improvement in efficiency (at 50-60 lumens per watt). They are especially good in tunnels, on bridges, and other places where the long life reduces the risks and costs involved with changing out spent lamps. Induction lamps do very well in cold weather, and so do LEDs. Be sure with either technology that your operating conditions fall within their tolerances.

White LEDs are starting to be used in low-level street lighting. LED lights do not currently have the power to act as high-mast general lighting, but are being installed as high as 35 feet high in some GATEWAY demonstration projects, which you can read about at the “Solid-State Lighting GATEWAY Demonstration Results” website. LEDs do carry a high first cost, but promise an extended lamp life and around 40% energy savings over existing technology. Current efficacy is about the same as fluorescent lamps with the very cool, bluish colors having the best performance, but these numbers change rapidly as the technology develops.

The useful life of LED systems is still a matter of much debate, as they do suffer from lamp depreciation, fading away rather than abruptly failing. Lamp life in the range of 35,000 to 50,000 hours of useful life is being suggested rather than the 100,000 or 200,000 hours that some manufacturers initially claimed. Standards have been and continue to be developed for LEDs and you can keep up with them at the “Standards Development for Solid-State Lighting” website. Read more about lamp life and see comparisons to other common sources in the publication Lifetime of White LEDs (PDF file). Note that linear fluorescent lamp life is coming very close to projections for LEDs, and induction lamps (though not listed) at 60,000 hours or more may be longer lasting.

Plenty of bright white light is not the only factor involved with street lighting. A growing number of cities are responding to the request of the International Dark Sky Association to preserve our view of the stars in the night sky. Besides the light source, the Dark Sky group seeks to reduce light trespass and light pollution, or sky glow. Light trespass is the light that falls onto another’s property, or shines through their windows, and can be addressed by fixture placement and design, or additional shielding. Light pollution can be partially addressed by fixtures that do not allow light above a particular angle. Both full- and semi-cutoff fixtures reduce how much light is directed upwards, but a percentage of light will be reflected off the ground surface and contribute to sky glow, often visible for miles away above a city. LEDs have the advantage of being highly directional so good design can aim light only in the areas it is desired. Other light sources often produce light that is bounced off the back of a fixture before exiting it, while some light never escapes the fixture.

When looking at the cost of a lighting system, the first costs of both purchase and installation must be considered, as well as its care and maintenance (the costs of which, over time, tend to be much higher). Don’t forget to include disposal costs of spent lamps. Also be aware that the presence of mercury in a lamp may be affected by state laws. LEDs do not contain mercury.

As you know, there is more to a cost-effective street lighting system than just energy-efficient lamps—labor for maintenance, the ability to retrofit existing infrastructure versus a new design to accommodate different technology and usage needs, controls, complying with recommended lighting levels, and applicable codes all must be considered. Below are some additional resources on this topic I hope will be interesting to you.

The Lighting Research Center has two older (2003) publications that provide excellent information about the issues encompassed in street lighting systems, although they are not up-to-date with the induction or LED/SSL technology, and mercury vapor lamps are considered obsolete. Access them through the Lighting Research Center website.

  • NYSERDA How-to Guide to Effective Energy-Efficient Street Lighting for Municipal Elected/Appointed Officials – 32 page booklet
  • NYSERDA How-to Guide to Effective Energy-Efficient Street Lighting for Planners and Engineers

 

You can watch for details about the soon-to-be-activated U.S. Department of Energy Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium. The consortium is being set up specifically to help the many municipalities hoping to upgrade their street lighting to LEDs as a result of stimulus funding.

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Productivity and the Economic Value of Lighting

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

 Lighting is for people so that they can see and be productive. It follows, then, that lighting system improvements that increase worker productivity can yield a high return on investment. Consider, for instance, the cost associated with an employee. Assume that the direct costs of the employee, including wages, taxes and benefits, are $60,000 per year. This means that the employee is paid almost $29 per hour, based on 40 hours per week and 52 weeks per year. Normal lost time due to holidays, vacations and sick time are part of the benefits.

A typical office worker requires about 100sqft of dedicated space, mostly actual work area and access to it. Modern lighting systems consuming energy at the rate of 1.0 W/sqft or less, operating 3,500 hours per year (work time plus cleaning and other non-working hours) cost about $40 per worker per year to operate, including energy and maintenance. The annualized owning cost for a typical office lighting system costing about $2.50 per square foot is about $30 per year. In other words, the total cost of owning and operating the lighting system is about $70 per employee per year, or the same as about 2.1 hours of employee labor cost, or about 1/10 of 1% of annual productive work hours.

Based on these values, an improvement to an ordinary lighting system that increases employee productivity is very quickly amortized. A 1% improvement in productivity throughout the year would realize a benefit to the employer worth $600 (0.01 x $60,000). Investing $600 per employee in improved lighting, if it provided that small increase in productivity, would produce a 100% return on investment forever. A more modest investment of about $300 per employee would return 200% forever. For reference, a first-quality office chair costs $600-$900. The potential return on investment is substantial for well-designed lighting systems.

But there are also savings to be had from lighting systems which use less energy. How should productivity be maintained or even enhanced while reducing lighting energy use? In new systems, there are a variety of options including enhanced daylighting. For existing installations, doubling the cost of a typical lighting system retrofit enables the addition of dimming or other controls and an opportunity to utilize better performing and more attractive design options that minimize bad lighting.

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Distributed Generation is your Future

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

Distributed energy refers to a variety of small, modular power-generating technologies that can be combined with load management and energy storage systems to improve the quality and/or reliability of the electricity supply. They are “distributed” because they are placed at or near the point of energy consumption, unlike traditional “centralized” systems, where electricity is generated at a remotely located, large-scale power plant and then transmitted down power lines to the consumer.

Implementing distributed energy can be as simple as installing a small, stand-alone electricity generator to provide backup power at an electricity consumer’s site. Or it can be a more complex system, highly integrated with the electricity grid and consisting of electricity and thermal generation, energy storage, and energy management systems. Consumers sometimes own the small-scale, on-site power generators, or they may be owned and operated by the utility or a third party.

Distributed energy encompasses a wide range of technologies including wind turbines, solar power, fuel cells, microturbines, reciprocating engines, load reduction technologies, and battery storage systems. The effective use of grid-connected distributed energy resources can also require power electronic interfaces and communications and control devices for efficient dispatch and operation of generating units.

Diesel- and petrol-fueled reciprocating engines are one of the most common distributed energy technologies in use today, especially for standby power applications. However, they create significant pollution (in terms of both emissions and noise) relative to natural-gas- and renewable-fueled generators, and their use is actively discouraged by many municipal governments. As a result, they are subject to severe operational limitations not faced by other distributed generating technologies.

Distributed energy technologies are playing an increasingly important role in the nation’s energy portfolio. They can be used to meet baseload power, peaking power, backup power, remote power, power quality, as well as cooling and heating needs.

Distributed energy also has the potential to mitigate congestion in transmission lines, reduce the impact of electricity price fluctuations, strengthen energy security, and provide greater stability to the electricity grid.

Distributed power generators are small compared with typical central-station power plants and provide unique benefits that are not available from centralized electricity generation. Many of these benefits stem from the fact that the generating units are inherently modular, which makes distributed power highly flexible. It can provide power where it is needed, when it is needed. And because they typically rely on natural gas or renewable resources, the generators can be quieter and less polluting than large power plants, which makes them suitable for on-site installation in some locations.

The use of distributed energy technologies can lead to improved efficiency and lower energy costs, particularly in combined cooling, heating, and power (CHP) applications. CHP systems provide electricity along with hot water, heat for industrial processes, space heating and cooling, refrigeration, and humidity control to improve indoor air quality and comfort.

Grid-connected distributed energy resources also support and strengthen the central-station model of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. While the central generating plant continues to provide most of the power to the grid, the distributed resources can be used to meet the peak demands of local distribution feeder lines or major customers. Computerized control systems, typically operating over telephone lines, make it possible to operate the distributed generators as dispatchable resources, generating electricity as needed.

The growing popularity of distributed energy is analogous to the historical evolution of computer systems. Whereas we once relied solely on mainframe computers with outlying workstations that had no processing power of their own, we now rely primarily on a small number of powerful servers networked with a larger number of desktop personal computers, all of which help to meet the information processing demands of the end users.

And just as the smaller size and lower cost of computers has enabled individuals to buy and run their own computing power, so the same trend in generating technologies is enabling individual business and residential consumers to purchase and run their own electrical power systems.

For more information, see the distributed energy animation (Download Flash Player) Text Version or pursue the following links:

PCG is able to design an engineered solution for your campus or facility to reflect your onsite generation needs and express that solution in the most financially advantagous solution to fit your situation today and your future.

Call today in order to find out more; 405.447.2977

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Plaza’s Future is Looking Brighter

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Las Vegas Sun

Workers insert light bulbs into the Plaza dome Wednesday, June 22, 2011 as part of the Plaza's $35 million dollar remodel. There are over 45,000 3-watt light bulbs that are replacing the older 45-watt bulbs.

In the blistering June heat, construction workers stand perched under the iconic dome at the Plaza Hotel, swapping out more than 45,000 light bulbs that light up the downtown Las Vegas casino’s facade. The joke is too obvious, but here’s the answer: It takes two of them, at a rate of about 3,000 a day, over the course of several weeks. But it’s not a punch line. It’s all part of the $35 million renovation at the Plaza and its grand reopening this summer. The workers are swapping out the 45-watt bulbs for 3-watt bulbs to save energy and cut down on costs in leaner times, which is what much of the Plaza renovation has been about.

The property purchased furnishings and fixtures once bound for the never-opened Fontainebleau at bargain prices to update its hotel rooms.

The property got almost everything it needed from Fontainebleau to outfit the new rooms – beds, chairs, accessories, carpeting and marble. The rest of the furnishings ended up at Buffalo Bill’s in Primm for the resort complex’s $8.5 million renovation.

Tony Santo, CEO of PlayLV that runs the Plaza and its sister properties, wouldn’t share the cost of the Fontainebleau deal but said it was “cents on the dollar.”

The result hardly looks like a hotel full of bargain furnishings. The Plaza’s new rooms are sleek and modern with high-end chrome fixtures, new Jacuzzi tubs and marble in the bathrooms. In the bedrooms and sitting rooms, new linens, couches, wall coverings and flooring have been added.

It’s a major improvement for a hotel that has not seen a major renovation in so long that its new operators can’t recall its last update. At least not in the past 20 years, Santo and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Rosen agreed.

“I wouldn’t even call this a renovation. It’s a complete remodel. I think when the Plaza closed, people didn’t believe what we could do. It’s a big investment in the Plaza and a big investment in downtown,” Santo said.

The rooms in the South Tower have been completed, and the North Tower is expected to be finished within the next few weeks. The rooms will reopen to the public Sept. 1 with rates starting at $44.

The new Plaza will be a blend of old and new Las Vegas, with murals and old photos of the hotel in its prime mixed in with the new d≈cor. Preserving the property’s 40-year-old history was something the hotel’s operators kept in mind when redesigning it.

“The whole thing is trying to get the existing customers that were here mixed in with some new customers. We want everyone to feel comfortable,” Rosen said.

They’ll also be adding more lounges and bars to the hotel that go with the new young, relaxed vibe downtown – but without the $300 bottle service Strip casino lounges charge, Rosen said.

“It’s more of a traditional Las Vegas experience downtown, but then you have Fremont East where you have that new generation of customers coming down here,” Santo added.

On the main level of the Plaza, the casino floor has been gutted – taking with it the smell of stale smoke – and is awaiting new slots, table games and a sports book. On the edge of the casino floor, the Plaza will add new food and beverage offerings, but neither Rosen nor Santos were willing to give details.

And everyone is curious what is going in the Plaza’s glass dome overlooking Fremont Street since the restaurant Firefly will not be returning. The hotel’s operators are also keeping those cards close to their vest.

The Plaza is exchanging its Rat Pack show for more updated entertainment, but is leaving the showroom the same. Santo said it’s one of the few Las Vegas showrooms that has remained the same through the decades.

The next challenge will be marketing the new Plaza. Rosen said they’ll be launching a new ad campaign once the renovations are finished, mainly in Las Vegas.

“We wanted to get people while they are here instead of just going out and reaching any individual anywhere,” Rosen said. “That’s really what we want – the people who are coming to Vegas to say ÔHey, there’s a new experience.’”

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Oklahoma will have New Energy Efficient Program through CenterPoint Energy

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

HOUSTON - May 4, 2011 - CenterPoint Energy (NYSE:CNP) is introducing energy efficiency program offerings in Oklahoma that will help residential and commercial customers save energy and the environment. The company’s new program includes rebates for efficient water and space heating, and incentives for efficient boilers, boiler components and food service equipment.

Residential and commercial customers can utilize rebates of $125 to $400 per furnace or space heating system and up to $450 for efficient water heating systems. Commercial customers can also receive incentives up to $1,000 for efficient food service equipment and significant rebates for boilers and boiler components.

“By offering these considerable rebates in Oklahoma, we hope to encourage customers to install high-efficiency natural gas equipment in their homes and businesses,” said Richard Leger, Conservation Improvement Program Manager for CenterPoint Energy. “A customer who installs a high-efficiency heating system, a high-efficiency water heater and low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators could reduce their natural gas bill by up to 20 percent-which benefits the consumer and the environment.”

New Residential Energy Efficiency Program Details

  • Water Heater Rebates - CenterPoint Energy customers can receive a $50 rebate for high efficiency natural gas tank systems and a $250 rebate on gas tankless systems. Rebates of $100 and $450 are also available for the replacement of electric water heaters with gas tank or tankless systems. After your home’s air conditioning and heating system, water heating is the second largest energy use and energy expenditure in the home. By replacing inefficient water heaters with efficient gas storage heaters or gas tankless systems, depending on operating conditions, a household can save $61 to $115 a year on utility bills.
  • Heating System Rebates - CenterPoint Energy is providing rebates up to $400 for new high efficiency natural gas heating systems and up to $475 for natural gas heating systems that replace electric heating units. More efficient furnaces can save almost $100 a year on your utility bill. If your furnace is more than 15 years old, it may be time for a replacement.
  • Energy Saving Tips - From caulking windows to programmable thermostats, there are many simple, low-cost or no-cost options for saving energy. CenterPoint Energy customers can download energy saving tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/oklahomarebates or contact us at info@pcgww.com to request more information.

New Commercial Energy Efficiency Program Details

CenterPoint Energy’s commercial customers can enjoy the same water heating and space heating rebates offered to residential customers. In addition, they can take advantage of the following programs:

  • Boiler and Boiler Component Rebates - Energy efficient boilers provide long-term savings on energy bills. CenterPoint rebates can provide thousands of dollars towards natural gas boilers that are 85 percent or more efficient. Rebates are also available for boiler components such as modulating boiler burners, vent dampers and controls.
  • Food Service Rebates - From boilers to fryers, CenterPoint Energy offers rebates of up to $1,000 for a wide variety of food service equipment. Equipment upgrades can help restaurants, cafeterias and schools increase quality, save time and reduce energy costs.

Because of an abundance of natural gas in Oklahoma, customers can enjoy stable, low prices and numerous environmental benefits. All homeowners, businesses and schools served by CenterPoint Energy in Oklahoma are encouraged to take advantage of CenterPoint Energy’s energy saving programs that can lower energy usage, costs and help the environment.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Assets total more than $20 billion. With about 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 135 years. For more information, contact our rebate professionals at info@pcgww.com .

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LED Performance Improving

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Human nature being what it is, we’re often swayed by the latest and greatest technologies. In lighting, the new wunderkind for the last several years has been light-emitting diode (LED) systems. They have been improving at breakneck speed. Nevertheless, because of the nature of LED systems, they currently work better for certain applications than others. With careful research, facility managers can find solid-state lighting (SSL) solutions that best meet an organization’s needs. But to blindly believe LEDs (or any type of lighting) are a silver bullet might lead to disappointment.

The good news, say experts, is that reports of poor performance are beginning to dwindle, especially as lamps and drivers are increasingly engineered as a single system. Ongoing government testing and the industry’s concurrent push to standardize performance have also helped.

About three years ago, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established its Commercially Available LED Product Evaluation and Reporting (CALiPER) testing program. The tests pit SSL options against conventional lighting sources over the course of several months, evaluating light distribution, photometry and more.

The tests have had variable results. Some recent statistics:

More than half the SSL products subjected to CALiPER long-term testing will not provide 70 percent of initial light output at 50,000 hours and already exhibit significant color shift within the duration of the CALiPER long-term operation.

About one-quarter of the SSL products would not pass a simple 1,000-hour operational test: that is, they do not last as long as a traditional incandescent lamp.

In the other extreme, a few products show negligible lumen depreciation after more than 12,000 hours of operation — demonstrating that the potential for very long SSL product life appears to be achievable.

“CALiPER is a wonderful source of information for those who are considering LED lighting,” says Lindsay Audin, president of Energywiz, Inc. Audin says he regularly uses DOE test results to watch for trends and highlight products that will work best for his clients.

-Loren Snyder, 2.11

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EPA Updates CFL Cleanup and PCB Guidance

Monday, March 28th, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency updated its guidance on how to properly clean up a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) as well as guidance recommending that schools take steps to reduce potential exposures to PCBs from older fluorescent lighting fixtures.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency includes in its updated guidance a new consumer brochure with CFL recycling and cleanup tips. EPA encourages Americans to use CFLs for residential lighting to save energy and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change.

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a CFL breaks, some of the mercury is released as vapor and may pose potential health risks. The guidance and brochure provide simple directions to help prevent and reduce exposure to people from mercury pollution.
 
In addition, the agency released guidance recommending that schools take steps to reduce potential exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from older fluorescent lighting fixtures. The guidance is based on evidence that the older ballasts contain PCBs that can leak when the ballasts fail, leading to elevated levels of PCBs in the air of schools that should not represent an immediate threat but could pose health concerns if they persist over time.
 
PCBs are man-made chemicals that persist in the environment and were widely used in construction materials and electrical products prior to 1978. PCBs can affect the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system and endocrine system and are potentially cancer causing if they build up in the body over long periods of time.
“As we continue to learn more about the potential risks of PCBs in older buildings, EPA will work closely with schools and local officials to ensure the safety of students and teachers,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Steve Owens.
 
In September 2009, EPA issued guidance to communities about potential PCB contamination in the caulk of pre-1978 buildings. The agency also announced additional research into the potential for PCBs in caulk to get into the air. Research on that and other issues related to PCB exposures is ongoing.

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Lighting Retrofits: Evaluating Options

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

The adage that a penny saved is a penny earned can apply to many maintenance and engineering activities, but it is especially true with lighting retrofits. The important question: How much can managers actually save their organizations with lighting retrofits?

The answer depends on the way an organization crunches the numbers. Consider a lighting retrofit that would require a capital investment of $450,000 and result in annual savings of $150,000 in annual energy savings. The simple payback is three years. But with the Commercial Building Tax Deduction and a possible grant from a local utility, the result could be a lower investment with a higher return. What other factors should managers consider in calculating the real cost and benefits of a retrofit? Is it a good investment compared to other options for the same capital investment?

Weighing the Options

Depending on the facility’s age and condition, the lighting upgrade might range from a one-for-one replacement of lamps and ballasts to a complete change-out of lighting equipment. More likely, it will be a combination of the two scenarios. The project also might include adding sophisticated controls, such as occupancy sensors, photocell dimming, or an energy-management system.

Managers should establish all of the project’s goals at the outset. Besides saving energy, the goals might include improving security, enhancing the quality of the illuminated environment and reducing maintenance costs. Managers should weigh each potential retrofit option according to how directly it addresses the established goals.

The obvious goal is to plan the retrofit to go after the low-hanging fruit — the easiest, lowest-cost benefits to achieve. But the low-hanging fruit might not be obvious. For instance, an old office building might have a very rigorous layout of light fixtures on a set spacing throughout the building, regardless of the activity in the space below. The building has T12 lamps — recently relamped with 34-watt, energy-saving versions — and magnetic ballasts, and the plan is to change them out, one-for-one, with T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. If each fixture has two lamps, it would change the input watts from 77 to 66, resulting in a 9 percent energy savings and a 3 percent increase in light output. But is that the best buy for the money?

Further analysis could determine if the space really needs that amount of light. Would less light still be adequate? What about glare control? Do occupants complain that the fluorescent lighting gives them a headache? The culprit might not be the fluorescent source but, instead, the glare from the fixture.

What if each fixture provided less light or if the retrofit changed the fixture entirely to one with better glare control? If plans for a private office called for replacing six fixtures with two lamps each with one fixture using four lamps to improve the quality of light and the light level, would the investment be worth it?

Managers have more than a dozen lamp-and-ballast combinations to consider for T8 replacements alone. Each option includes variables, such as lamp life, light output, lamp quantity, starting characteristics of the lamp — important if automatic controls are a possibility — ballast factor, and cost. To take this scenario one step further, managers also might want to compare a T5 lamp in a fixture designed around the smaller-diameter lamp to achieve greater efficiency and greater visual comfort.

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2011 Light Fair Scheduled for May

Friday, March 11th, 2011

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) is poised to offer 2011 attendees a program with the largest and most diverse educational opportunities it has ever presented—set to take place in the new 2011 location at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The 2011 LFI Conference program has expanded to further align with topics addressed on the show floor as well as within the industry as a whole. 

Through the strategic selection of relevant topics and by tapping nearly 100 industry experts as speakers, LFI has reinforced its position as the world’s largest annual lighting educational platform. The 2011 program will present 78 breakout sessions—totaling more than 230 hours with AIA, IDCEC, ASLA and IES accreditation—offered in the LIGHTFAIR and Daylighting Institutes, seminars and courses, networking events and the newly defined Integrated Building Design track and Design Symposium—which launched in Las Vegas at the 2010 LFI Conference.

The LFI curriculum offers seven diverse educational tracks, providing a comprehensive program that covers critical business and industry topics, including Controls for Daylighting, Integrating Daylight and LEDs, Codes, SSL, Lighting Design in BIM, Street & Area Lighting, Net Zero, OLEDs, Retrofits, Lighting Software, Creative Lighting, Color and Design in:

  • 11 Daylighting Institute® Workshops;
  • One two-day Daylighting Fundamentals course;
  • One full-day Daylight Modeling & Daysim course;
  • Two one-day LIGHTFAIR Institute® courses;
  • Five two-day LIGHTFAIR Institute® courses including in-depth software courses;
  • 18 LIGHTFAIR Institute® Workshops;
  • Two new LIGHTFAIR Institute® Mini-Workshops; and
  • 35 seminars.

New for 2011 is the debut of the Retrofit and Update track, focusing on a significant and timely subject of discussion for the lighting industry. This track concentrates on technologies and strategies for lighting and design interventions in buildings or projects that already exist. Presentations will explore the challenges and advantages of integrating new lighting fixtures, controls and infrastructure into existing buildings to improve the visual environment, energy conservation and efficiencies.

Designed to educate attendees on the industry’s latest trends, innovations and business solutions, the LFI Conference program covers a broad range of today’s most relevant topics. It brings together the foremost designers, educators, architects, engineers and consultants to address topics that cover lighting fundamentals, software, applications, controls and solutions, as well as design innovation, product updates and case studies.  

The Daylighting Institute and the LIGHTFAIR Institute take place Sunday, May 15-Monday, May 16 and the seminars occur Tuesday, May 17- Thursday, May 19. 

The staff at PCG have been attending LFI for over a decade and this year will be no exception.  The vendor interaction and product innovations help everyone in the industry grow at the pace of technology.  That pace is rapidly increasing with a variety of new products; the most promising is the LED market and it’s place in the lighting environment today.

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Top energy Trends by 2020

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

 London, January 25, 2011 — The global energy industry is undergoing unprecedented changes. Rapid increase in energy consumption in the developing world will be the key driver of growth for the global energy market. China is becoming the world’s largest energy consumer.

 Huge demand for power will come from Africa and India as well, thanks to the development and electrification in rural regions. Market participants have to start preparing for the oncoming spike in demand.

 To help companies effectively navigate the market as well as successfully achieve growth objectives, Frost & Sullivan presents the Top Ten Global Energy Trends expected to dominate by 2020.

Beatrice Shepherd, Frost & Sullivan’s Director CEE, Russia & CIS, in a presentation entitled “Energy Policy of the Future: Top Ten Global Trends” noted, “In today’s increasingly changing and competitive environment, market participants must continuously look for promising business opportunities. The energy industry, a key sector to the world economy, is particularly important and must be closely monitored to maximize investment returns by understanding what is impacting the market.”

 The main trend in the global energy industry is power demand growth, as the world energy consumption is projected to increase by 44 percent from 2006 to 2030 (Energy Information Administration, 2009).

 Europe, with its ageing fleet of power plants would require about 25 GW of additional generation capacity annually up to 2020, according to Frost & Sullivan estimation.

 Demand for power in Africa, China and India will rise with rural electrification efforts. Developed countries will support the energy demand by endorsing expansion of the electric and hybrid vehicles. Global electrification will reach 80 percent by 2020.

 A new age of natural gas is coming with the massive boost in LNG availability.

 ”The really interesting development is the quick rise in what is called ‘unconventional gas’ supplies,” says Shepherd. “The U.S. has already overtaken Russia in 2009 as the world’s largest gas producer due to surging production of shale and coal seam gas.” The search for unconventional gas is developing in China and Europe; however the procedures of extracting gas are still being considered.

 Clean coal commercialization is the next important trend listed by Frost & Sullivan.

 ”Clean coal technologies will continue to play an important part in the coal power generation industry over the next few years with increased investments in the area,” notes Shepherd. Technologies that have a long-term potential are carbon capture and Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle.

 A global revival of the nuclear sector, mainly driven by China, India and Russia, is another significant theme in the energy industry. Nuclear energy is considered one of the most cost-effective technologies to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity and also a crucial contributor to energy independence and security of supply.

 The number of partnerships and co-operation agreements is increasing along the entire nuclear value chain to keep pace with the strong global demand.

 Governments around the world have declared policies supporting renewable energy development — the EU plans to achieve 20 percent of energy generation from renewable sources in 2020, 22 of the U.S. have 10-20 percent renewable targets while China aims at generating 100 GW of renewable energy by 2020.

 These developments coupled with technology advancements will eventually result in “grid parity” — a point where cost of producing electricity from fossil fuels is equal or cheaper to the cost of producing energy from renewable sources.

 It is likely to happen in countries, where the renewable resources hold the important share in the energy mix. Countries with economies based on fossil fuels will reach this point in the much longer run.

The demand for electricity has far exceeded existing grid capacity and coupled with the rising number of decentralized energy generation units is forcing most of the utilities to improve their measurement and monitoring network structure by implementing smart technologies.

 Smart meters form an integral part of the bigger movement towards the smart grid. The U.S. and Europe have already started implementing smart meters, with Italy leading the race.

 ”The smart grid is becoming a multi-billion dollar market, which is expected to scale unprecedented heights in the near future,” adds Shepherd.

 The next important drive in the energy sector is energy efficiency. Most developed countries are actively creating and implementing energy efficiency policies for appliances, regulating the minimum energy performance standards and associated labeling for a growing list of appliances.

 Technologies related to reducing fuel consumption and cutting carbon emissions such as energy management tools, green buildings and clean transportation are key enabling technologies that will bring about energy efficiency and cut down carbon dioxide emissions.

 Electric and hybrid vehicles and also renewable energy require efficient energy storage systems, which is the key enabling technology under development, according to Frost & Sullivan. Among the factors affecting the future potential of energy systems are the fundamental properties and nature of the storage systems and also the type of materials used.

 The biggest potential is seen in fuel cells with their flexible capacity and flywheels for a specific, narrow set of applications. The global storage market was worth $43.5 billion in 2008 and expected to increase to $61 billion in 2013.

 The latest trend is the energy market is liberalization, which is limiting the activity of large energy monopolistic utilities and opening up the energy market for competition. A customer should be able to choose an electricity supplier.

 In fact, the idea of cross-border trading of electricity, supported by the European Commission and implemented worldwide, could help pave the way for a continental high voltage direct current electrical grid capable of easily transmitting renewable energy across borders.

PCG continues to be part of the future of energy awareness as we extend our base of influence through transmission lines installation, power production and demand response avenues.

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