Recently in ARRA Energy Efficiency Category

US SOLAR

Currently, the U.S. ranks behind Germany, Japan and China in terms of solar capacity.

In October '09, renewable energy executives met at a forum with Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy Director Carol Browner.

Secretary Chu warned that if Congress does not pass climate change and energy reform legislation soon, the U.S. will likely be surpassed by China as a global leader in the production of wind turbines, solar panels, solid state lighting and other clean energy technologies.

According to the DOE, China invests approximately $12.6 million in clean energy every hour, and the nation is ratcheting up to generate 100 gigawatts from wind turbines by 2030.

In essence, if the U.S. lapses in building a competitive clean energy infrastructure, including complete supply chains for related technology, while signing onto a new United Nations (U.N.) greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reductions treaty, which will require significant reductions in fossil fuel energy usage, it may simply be exchanging foreign oil imports for Chinese or other country's green energy imports.

According to an article in Phoenix Green Business Examiner, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the original related House bill entitled the American Clean Energy and Security Act would only increase energy costs for the average household by the price of a postage stamp, 44 cents, each day. The White House has welcomed the corporate involvement and its financial backing for this capstone climate change legislation, which is one of the major prongs of Obama's overall agenda, including the green energy stimulus, as it will face a heated battle with Congressmen and lobbyists associated with the oil and coal industry in the coming months.

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The investor coalition Ceres and the Clean Economy Network organized a clean energy debate forum at the White House in October 2009 including corporate executives from more than 100 companies, representing a wide variety of industries including renewable energy, information technology and athletic apparel. The business leaders met with Senators and representatives of the White House.

The companies that attended the forum were:

1 Block off the Grid/Virgance, Inc., CA A123Systems, MA Accio Energy, MI Adecco Government Solutions, VA Advanced Energy Panels, NY Agri-Tech Producers, LLC, SC AHL-TECH, OH Akeena Solar, CA Algaeventure Systems, OH Ameresco, DC American Electric Power, OH Archer Construction, MT Arkansas Business Leaders for a Clean Energy Economy, AR Baker & McKenzie LLP, DC Baldwin Ridge Consulting, LLC, VA BetterWorld Telecom, VA BlackCreek Group, VA Blue Hill Partners LLC, PA Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, VA Burdins Renewable energy, ME Business Council for Sustainable Energy, DC Calvert Asset Management Company, MD Calvert Group, Ltd., MD Carbon War Room, NY Carbonetworks Corporation, CA Christensen Global Strategies, LLC, DC Clean Edge, CA Climate Solutions, WA Clipper Windpower, CA COENCO Inc., AR Conservation Services Group, MA DAK Renwable Energy, SD Earth Aid Enterprises, DC eBay, CA Ecoventures 1, CA Efficiency First, MD EKO Asset Management Partners, NY ElectronVault, inc., CA Element Partners, PA Energy Coordinating Agency, PA Entergy Corporation, LA Environmental Defense Fund, DC Equator LLC, NY Equilibrium Capital, CO Expansion Capital Partners, NY Fisher Coachworks, MI FLS Energy, NC Foraker, CO Four Corners Solar, CO

Gaelectric, North America, MT Gamesa, PA Glacier Guides/Montana Raft, MT Global Solar Center, NY Green Harvest Technology, MN Green Water Consulting, CA Greenfire Development, NC GreenOrder, NY GreenScience Exchange, CA GreenVolts, Inc., CA Hara, CA Harvest Moon Partners, WA Heston Wind, WI Hewlett-Packard Company, DC Home Performance Washington, WA Illumination Renewables LLC, NC ImageTree Corporation, WV ImbuTec, PA Imperium Renewables, Inc, WA Independent Power Systems, MT INEOS Bio, IL Infinia Corporation, WA Interstate Traveler Company, MI Inventive Development, Inc., PA Johnson Controls, DC Jones Lang LaSalle, IL K&L Gates LLP, CA Komax Solar, PA Lennox International, Inc., TX Levi Strauss & Co., CA Limbach Facility Services, PA LivingHomes, CA/NC M.J. Bradley & Associates, LLC, MA Mann Plumbing/Solar Energy Systems, IN Mariah Power, MI/NV McKinstry, WA MDV -- Mohr, Davidow Ventures, CA Melink Corporation, OH MissionPoint Capital Partners, CT Montana Sustainable Building Systems, MT Nanosolar, CA Natel Energy, Inc., CA National Grid, DC National Venture Capital Association, VA Natural Power Concepts, HI New Energy Finance, MI NGEN Partners, DC Nike, DC North Face, CA NRDC, FL Nth Power, CA Object Management Group, NJ Orbit Energy, Inc., NC Osage Bio Energy, VA Outpost Solar, TN Pacific Carbon Exchange, CA Pacific Crest Securities, OR Pacific Gas and Electric Comapny, CA Pax, NH Pegasus Sustainable Century Merchant Bank/Lighting Science Group, NY Phanes Solar, a Division of Capial Communications, MT PowerHouse/ The Garage, MT Principle Power, WA Project Green America, MD PSEG, NJ PSi, NC Quinn Gillespie & Assoc, DC

Recycled Energy Development, LLC, IL Renaissance Lighting, VA Resolve Capital, CA Ridgewood Capital, CA Rive Technology, Inc, MA Rockwell Collins, VA SAIC, VA Schiller Consulting, CA Seagrass Recovery, FL Serious Materials, CA Seventh Generation, VT Sharp Solar, CA Shell, DC SJF Ventures, NC Sky WindPower, CO SoCore Energy, IL SoCore Energy, IL Solazyme, Inc., CA Solena Group, Inc., DC Soltherm/Vanir Energy, NC Spectrum Consulting, CA Sponsored by Interstate Traveler, VA Spring Ventures, CA State of AR/Lilly's, AR Stoel Rives LLP, WA Sun Microsystems, MA Sungevity, CA SunRise Solar Inc., IN Sustainable Future, TN SVB Financial Group, CA Symantec, DC SynGest Inc., CA TAS, TX TechVision21, DC The Building Doctors, CA The Dow Chemical Company, MI The Freshwater Trust, OR The Pacific Carbon Exchange, CA The S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, SC Tioga Energy, Inc., NY Tree Hugger's Consulting, AR United Fisherman of Alaska, AL United Solar Ovonic, MI Virgin America Inc., CA Vortex Advisors LLC, NJ Vox Energy Solutions, PA Weber Shandwick, WA Wellford Energy Advisors, DC Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, CA WindPole Ventures, MA Winds of Change Leaseholding, LLC, AR Wolfensohn & Co., NY Workhouse, CA World's Greenest Building, OR WSGR, DC ZeaChem, CO

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Market conditions are right for the LED replacement lamp market to accelerate in the next few years, according to a new market report by Strategies Unlimited, the leading firm covering the LED market.

LED Market Advantages: quality of light, dimmability, controllability, lamp life and environmental cost of ownership.

Dramatic improvements in commercially available LED performance in recent years, as well as significant cost reduction, has made it feasible to design LED lamps to offer comparable lumen output and to compete with other established lighting technologies on the basis of cost of ownership.  

The market is in a state of flux as utilities, energy efficiency organizations and customers look for optimum solutions which save energy, minimize the cost of ownership, and give acceptable quality of light.

Customer Education

Customers are in the process of being educated about comparing cost of ownership rather than the initial price of lamps.

Regulations Drive European Market

Regulations in Europe will ban the 100W incandescent clear glass lamp starting in September 2009, and will progressively ban all inefficient incandescent lamps by 2012 and all incandescent lamps by 2016. The Energy Information and Security Act of 2007 began the process of restricting the sale of inefficient lamps in the US.

Market Opportunities for LED Replacement Lamps

By 2012, with a few exceptions, inefficient incandescent lamps cannot be sold. Although the awareness of these regulations is still weak in the marketplace, they will create market opportunities for LED replacement lamps.

Recognizing the potential of LED technology to save energy, policy makers have been supporting the research and development of LED technology and helping its commercialization.

In the short run, while LED replacement lamps become a viable alternative, regulators are encouraging compac t fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

However, over the next five years the advantages of LED technology over CFL will become recognized, especially with respect to the quality of light, dimmability, controllability, lamp life and environmental cost of ownership.

• Some well-designed LED lamps already offer effective lumen efficacies that compete with CFLs.
• The commercial and industrial segments will embrace LEDs to control costs and save energy.
• The LED lamps will be used for directed light applications, in hard-to-reach places and where the cost of re placement is very high.

Replacement Lamp Market Growth Projected at 107%

Although the market for LED replacement lamps is still in its early stages of development, the lamp revenues are forecast to grow at a CAGR of 107% through 2013.

Strategies Unlimited explores the market potential for LED lighting technology in its latest report titled LED Replacement Lamps--Market Analysis and Forecast, 2009. The report analyzes five LED-based lamp types that are designed to replace lamps that currently populate billions of sockets:

• A-lamp and globes;
  
• PAR and R lamps;
  
• MR 16's;
  
• candelabra and decorative lamps;
  
• linear fluore scent tubes.

The markets for five categories of replacement lamps are analyzed for market drivers and challenges, trends, units and revenues for 2008. The report also offers a five-year forecast for 2009-2013.

LED Replacement Lamps--Market Analysis and Forecast, 2009 is available from Strategies Unlimited at a price of $1,895. More information on the report is available by contacting Tim Carli, Sales Manager, at +1 650-941-3438 ext. 23, by e-mail at tcarli@strategies-u.com, or on the company web site, www.strategies-u.com.

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Philadelphia's traffic lights are all about to go LED.

The city plans to replace 55,000 green - and yellow - energy-hogging incandescent traffic signals with efficient light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.  When the project is done in two years, every traffic light at the city's 2,800 signaled intersections will be equipped with the low-wattage LEDs. (The red lights were switched to LEDs about 10 years ago.)

Philadelphia transportation and utility officials believe they can accomplish the switch at a steep discount, thanks to federal stimulus money, combined with state-required Peco Energy Co. subsidies designed to encourage energy conservation. Traffic engineers across the region are furiously writing grants to take advantage of government-inspired energy-conservation promotions.

LED technology has been around for decades, but the devices have received much attention lately as their price has come down and they have become more affordable for household use. Joseph M. Doyle, Philadelphia's chief traffic engineer, said the city converted all its red lights to LEDs in 1998. Red was the only color available then.

According to Peco, a typical 12-inch red incandescent signal lamp is rated at 150 watts and consumes $88.46 in electricity per year. A comparable LED uses 11 watts and consumes $6.49 in power. (Red traffic signals are on longer than green or amber lights, so they offer the greatest savings.)

The cost of the LED units would be supported by Peco, which included a proposal to subsidize the upgraded traffic signals in a sweeping $342 million energy-conservation plan filed last month with state regulators. State law compels electric utilities to drive consumption down 3 percent by 2013.

Municipalities began using LEDs in traffic signals in the 1990s. Peco spokeswoman Cathy Engel said that about half the region's 165,000 traffic lights were now LEDs.

Some municipalities could not wait for the incentives.

Nether Providence, Delaware County, spent $8,208 last year to convert its 15 signaled intersections to LEDs. Since then, its monthly bill for traffic signals has decreased from $860 to $143, said David Director, chairman of the township's energy committee.

The new lamps paid for themselves in a year, Director said.

SOURCE:  Philly.com

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Chuck Swoboda Participates in Presidential Roundtable on American Innovation and Clean Energy Technology

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 2, 2009 --Chuck Swoboda, chairman and chief executive officer of Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) joined President Obama at the White House to discuss the latest developments in energy-efficient technologies. Cree, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a market-leading manufacturer of LED (light-emitting diode) products.

Swoboda and seven other CEOs representing American companies at the forefront of innovation were invited to meet with President Obama to discuss American innovation in areas such as clean energy and the potential benefits to the U.S. economy.

In his remarks following the White House meeting, the President observed, "I just had a meeting with the CEOs of some of the most innovative energy companies in America to talk about growth and progress of a sector that represents a big piece of America's economic future. It's men and women like these who will help lead us out of this recession and into a better future. My job - and our job as a government - is to do whatever we can to unleash the great generative powers of the American economy by encouraging their efforts. And when you hear the innovation that's taking place - everything from LED lighting that can save a huge amount on energy costs to new concrete materials....that gets you excited about the future."

"With President Obama's support and the current momentum surrounding energy efficiency and sustainability, there are unprecedented opportunities for U.S. companies, like Cree, to deliver innovative technologies and products to address our current energy challenges," said Swoboda.

"22% of US electricity is used for lighting and the widespread deployment of LED lighting can reduce this by more than 60%."

About Cree
Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and setting the stage to obsolete the incandescent light bulb through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications.

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Have you thought of applying for projects that include 24/7 applications of LED lights in local public housing facilities?  Follow the money... here are some funding sources:

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)

ARRA provided $3.2 billion for this Department of Energy (DOE) program, $2.8 billion to be distributed by formula, with the remaining $400 million to be awarded competitively.  EECBG provides grants to states and local governments for improvements in energy efficiency and to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions.  EECBG is a new program, receiving money for the first time due to ARRA, although it was authorized in 2007.  The block grant is administered by DOE's Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Potential housing-related uses of EECBG include: grants to nonprofits to perform energy efficiency retrofits; financial incentives for energy efficiency improvements; energy efficiency for buildings; and, residential energy audits.  In addition there are many other eligible uses ranging from energy efficient traffic signals to carbon capture and sequestration from power plants. 

Applications from sates and local governments are due June 25.

EECBG webpage, http://www.eecbg.energy.gov

EECBG Financial Assistance Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA),
http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/downloads/DE_FOA_0000013_Amendment_000003.pdf

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