Energy Efficiency MicroNews: Royal Philips, OSRAM SYLVANIA, EnerNOC, TRC Companies, The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, Walgreens, Navigant Research

Royal Philips introduced a new instant fit LED replacement tube that it says reduces the cost for facility managers replacing fluorescent tube lighting with energy efficient LED technology. LED tube lamps save up to 50 percent less energy compared with linear fluorescent tube lighting and require less maintenance due to their long lifetime. Philips instantaneous ‘click-to-fit’ LED replacement does not require re-wiring as it includes a smart electronic design that is compatible with existing drivers, ballasts and sockets. The result is a dramatic reduction in the time it takes to change from fluorescent to LED tube lighting – from over 20 minutes per fixture to a matter of seconds, according to Philips. Philips estimates that the installed base for fluorescent tube lighting today amounts to 12 billion sockets globally. The company says if current fluorescent lighting was replaced by LED tube lamps it would result in savings of $57 billion in energy costs or the equivalent of energy generated by 210 medium sized power plants.

More about Royal Philips and its energy efficient LED lighting

Osram Sylvania announced its SYLVANIA A-line, a low cost line-up of LED replacements for 40 and 60-watt incandescent bulbs. The line-up now meets the energy efficiency and performance criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. The LED bulbs are now eligible for utility rebates. About 94 percent of the more than 500 rebate programs available across the U.S. require products with Energy Star. Meeting the Energy Star requirement will make the SYLVANIA A-line LED bulbs more affordable to consumers and result in price points under $9.99, the company said.

More about OSRAM SYLVANIA’s line-up of LED replacements

EnerNOC’s demand response network has been widely dispatched to help alleviate strain on the electric power grid caused by the recent extreme cold in the United States. The cold temperatures created exceedingly high demand for electricity. For example, PJM Interconnection, the grid operator in the Mid-Atlantic, set a new winter peak  of over 141,000 MW, surpassing the previous record of 136,675 MW set in February 2007. EnerNOC customers in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia participated in ten separate dispatches to help grid operators and utilities manage peak demand and manage other system contingencies.

More about EnerNOC and its grid management during the extreme cold

TRC Companies acquired EMCOR Energy Services in an all-cash transaction. EES provides engineering consulting services to utilities to support their energy programs in California. Services include related engineering, technical review, compliance, verification, and administration of utilities’ energy efficiency programs. TRC expects the transaction to be accretive during the second half of fiscal 2014.

More about TRC Companies acquisition of EMCOR Energy

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the biennial conservation targets for Puget Sound Energy, Avista , and Pacific Power, which will achieve a combined 625,600 MWh of energy savings during 2014 and 2015. The state Energy Independence Act, approved by voters in 2006, directs large electric utilities  to pursue all cost-effective energy conservation. The 2014-2015 period will be the third cycle of conservation programs since the new conservation requirements went into effect in 2010. To date, the utilities in aggregate have saved almost 1.8 million MWh of electricity, enough to power almost 150,000 homes for an entire year, or about half of Seattle.

More about Washington state’s energy conservation targets

Walgreens has unveiled the nation’s first net-zero energy retail store in Evanston, Ill. With 850 solar panels, two wind turbines, LED lighting and a geothermal system, engineers anticipate the new store will produce energy equal to or greater than what it consumes. Located at 635 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, Ill., the store opened Nov. 21. Engineering estimates indicate that the store will use 200,000 kWh per year of electricity while generating 220,000 kWh s per year.

More about Walgreens’ new net-zero energy retail store

Navigant Research says that by the end of 2014, more than 700,000 plug-in electric vehicles will be driving on roads around the world. Automakers will introduce several dozen new PEV models – from small city cars to higher-priced luxury vehicles, Navigant said in a recent white paper. The increase in  electric vehicles will affect the power grid and revenue streams for automakers, resulting in the emergence of new business models and first-time relationships between new partners.  The Navigant Research white paper analyzes 10 key trends that will influence the development of the EV market in 2014 and beyond.

More about the Navigant Research report, Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2014