If you’re considering a switch to LED lighting in your commercial building, but you’re still on the fence, you shouldn’t hesitate for too long. After December 31, 2013, two primary tax incentives for upgrading your lights are set to expire – the Section 179d EPACT Incentive and the Bonus Depreciation Incentive.

If you’ve never heard of these opportunities to help make up for the initial cost of new LEDs, allow me to explain…

The Section 179d EPACT Incentive allows you to deduct 60 cents per square foot on lighting upgrades. This incentive is part of The Energy Policy Act of 2005 to encourage the construction of energy efficient buildings. It also includes deductions for HVAC systems, building envelopes, and service hot water systems that reduce the total annual building energy costs by 50% or more compared to ASHRAE 90.1-2001 minimum requirements. It’s available to owners of both new and existing commercial buildings. Continue reading »

Get ready for a fast, wild, innovative, informative, and (yes) long lighting roundup this month, because the lighting industry has been BUSY. You’ll hardly believe your eyes at some of these new lighting inventions, displays, and successes – so allow us to enlighten you…

In Lighting News…

“Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor”

How do you light a house using recycled materials and zero electricity? Alfredo Moser, a mechanic in southern Brazil invented a new way to light his house during the day, using only plastic bottles filled with water and a few drops of bleach. By early next year, these bottles are expected to be in over 1 million homes. Read more.

Image via BBC.co.uk

“Superdome gets new lighting system”

Remember those 34 terrible minutes at this past Super Bowl, when half of the Superdome lost power? Well, the Superdome managers are determined never to drop the ball (ha) like that again, so they’re upgrading their aging electrical equipment with a new, state-of-the-art system. Get ready for stunning computer-programmed lighting scenes, and more. Read more.

“Researchers identify cause of LED efficiency droop”

When LED light bulbs are subjected to larger electrical currents, they can loose up to 20% of their efficiency. Nobody wants that. This “efficiency droop” first identified in 1999, has hindered the LED’s development and popularity. BUT, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have finally identified the mechanism behind this nuisance – a phenomena called “electron leakage.” Read more.

“Obama White House finally getting solar PV panels”

The White House is going solar! After spending about 40 months getting all the right permits for this energy-efficient retrofit, American-made panels are finally coming to the roof of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Read more. Continue reading »

Take back the power, literally! According to Bill Olderman (here is his LinkedIn profile), an energy expert at Titan Energy and the author of today’s blog post, you have more control than you think over your home or building’s energy supply. Whether you want lower bills, more reliable service, or a better approach to the environment, you need to know your rights…

Since the Federal Energy Deregulation Act passed in 1999, many business and homeowners still haven’t exercised their right to choose their energy supplier. The ability for consumers to lower their energy costs, protect against rising rates, and, if interested, make an environmentally friendly choice, are all benefits of Deregulation. 3^rd Parties help accomplish this by strategically purchasing the energy you use, in the same way the utility previously did, in the open market.  Depending on your state and the utility which serves you, the benefits will vary.

Deregulation dictates that your local utility can’t “Profit” on the supply of energy. Therefore, they don’t compete with 3^rd parties, and shouldn’t care that you choose a supplier. However, you can still see this happen in states like Ohio (in certain markets), when they choose a supplier for you if you don’t choose yourself. Your local utility still delivers, services, and bills your account, as well as responds to any emergencies. This is where the utilities earn their profits. Continue reading »

New research shows that the number of U.S. households using energy-saving LEDs or CFLs is increasing. Around 87% of households use at least one of these energy efficient light bulbs, and 77% use three or more. That’s up from 86% and 75% respectively in 2011.

Why do the numbers keep rising?

The answer is multi-faceted.

In a large-scale energy audit survey of 32,000 homes about energy use and energy efficiency, researchers found consumers were primarily motivated to use CFLs and LEDs to save money on their energy bills. Those who were slightly more environmentally conscious were more likely to use multiple CFLs and LEDs.

This increase in popularity also comes from utilities offering incentives for homeowners to switch to energy-efficient lights, especially CFLs, and the general-service incandescent phaseout that began in early 2012, removing many standard household lamps from the market. Continue reading »

Image via Midwest Energy News

A lot has been happening in the lighting world lately. Here are this month’s highlights…

In Lighting News…

Turkeys Love LEDs: A Minnesota turkey farmer is using LED lights to keep his turkeys happy and healthy. Every morning, Mike Langmo uses his dimmable, programmable LED lights to simulate a sunrise for his flock. There’s evidence that this practice is helping regulate their circadian rhythms, possibly contributing to their health and well-being. Read how it works here.

LED Prices Dropping: Two months ago, Cree announced they would be selling an LED light bulb for less than $10 in the US. Now, Osram has revealed that their new LED replacement for the 40W incandescent will retail at €9.95 in Germany. With prices going down this rapidly, LED light bulbs are becoming more attractive to consumers. Read more about this event here.

Most Efficient LED?: Philips has also been stepping up their game this month, claiming to have created the world’s most efficient lamp. It’s an LED tube light replacement prototype that produces 200 lumens of pure white light for every watt it uses. Learn the details here. Continue reading »