In The News

New light bulb standards mean more options at the store and more ways to save money at home. Far from banning any type of bulb, the standards are part of a bill passed in 2007 that requires light bulbs to use about 30% less electricity. The information in this article can help you get your customers ready for this new standard.

What is the new standard?

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 was signed into law by President Bush and aims to lower the amount of energy Americans use. The law does not ban incandescent bulbs, nor does it require the purchase CFLs. The lighting standards are “technology neutral,” so there isn’t a preference on one type of light bulb over another. So, when 2012 hits, incandescent bulbs won’t be illegal — they’ll just have to waste less energy.

Traditional incandescent light bulbs waste 90% of the energy they produce on heat, instead of light. However, a variety of energy-efficient bulbs use a fraction of the amount of electricity as the old incandescents and are available with the same quality of light.

Energy-Efficient Bulb Options

Once your customers make the smart choice to pick an energy-efficient bulb, they will need to decide which bulbs to buy. Companies are making this easy, by having a variety of energy-efficient options.

There are three main types of energy-efficient bulbs: Halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

• Halogen incandescents look like traditional incandscent bulbs, but use 25% to 30% less energy on average and can last up to three times longer than the older versions.
• CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• LEDs are another option that have the potential to last up to 22 years and save 75% or more in energy costs.

Get More Lighting Tools From the Experts!

• The LUMEN Coalition – an ad-hoc coalition of organizations and professionals united to educate consumers about energy-efficient lighting choices and the benefits of today’s energy-efficient lighting products – has put together a website that explains the lighting transition and answers consumer questions have about switching your bulbs.
• The Alliance to Save Energy has lighting policy updates and news articles that provide enlightening information.
• Different companies have comprehensive guides that compare energy-efficient options available today to the less-efficient counterparts many consumers are familiar with.
• Osram Sylvania has a chart with comparisons,
• Phillips compares different lighting technologies, and
• Bulbrite provides color-coded lists.
• Before going to the store, consumers may want to check their fixtures to know what to look for.
• The ENERGY STAR “Choose a Light Guide” lets you walk into a room and see bulb options.
• Are your consumers worried about the safety of CFLs?
• Answers are given by the EPA about safe disposal and clean-up for CFLs, and
• ENERGY STAR provides a page about how CFLs work.
• The new label on efficient bulbs will help identify important lighting facts.
• Read about lumens and the new labels on the FTC’s website, and
• Find out the anatomy of the labels here.

Back in March, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Standards to limit hazardous air pollutant emissions from all coal- and oil-fired power plants. A panel discussion on the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule examining its reliability, affordability and impact on health, the economy and job markets was held by Center for American Progress on June 21, 2011 in Washington, DC. Presenters included:

• Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
• Mindy Lubber , President, Ceres
• W. Thaddeus Miller, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Calpine

Reliable and Affordable Electricity Continues with the New Rule

Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, believes that with proper planning and preparation in advance there will be no electricity reliability issues by implementing the new rule. Perciasepe mentions that there are tools readily available to deal with any challenges in implementing the rules.

A representative from the power utility industry who embraces the rule, W. Thaddeus Miller, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Calpine, a power generation company, agreed with Perciasepe and pointed out that the power sector has the capacity to make the changes brought by the Air Toxics Rule within two to three years. As Miller stated, “many members of the industry have been investing money since 2000 in anticipation of the Air Toxics Rule…there is yet another 3 years to get ready for it.” Miller also stated that over a ten-year period from 2000 to 2010, the independent power sector built 190 GW of clean natural gas capacity in the system, out of which only 45% is utilized today. There is around 40 to 50% capacity ready to fill the gaps once the Air Toxics Rule is effective.

The New Rule Will Boost Job Market

Mindy Lubber, President of Ceres, a non-profit environmental organization, introduced a report recently released by her organization titled, The New Jobs-Cleaner Air: Employment Effects under Planned Changes to EPA’s Air Pollution Rules. The report states that the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule will stimulate $200 billion in capital improvements in the power sector, resulting in 1.46 million new jobs between 2010 and 2015. Lubber said “there will be a small number of job losses [and] we need to figure out how to compensate, train, retrain and accommodate those [affected].” However, she stressed, “Installing pollution controls and building new capacity creates skilled, high-paying installation, construction and professional jobs as well as manufacturing jobs.”

Reducing Mercury Emissions Improves Public Health

Lubber firmly states, “the Air Toxics Rule is compelling, is important, is doable and will create extraordinary health benefits.” Prenatal and infant exposure to mercury can cause severe developmental disabilities, deafness and blindness. EPA found that the Air Toxics Rule will prevent 11,000 cases of childhood bronchitis and 120,000 cases of asthma attacks. The Center for American Progress released a report titled, Mercury Falling: Many Power Plants Already Have Equipment to Slash Mercury, Toxic Contamination, on the same day as the panel discussion. According to the report, 40% of mercury emissions are created by power plants in the United States and seventeen states have existing mercury emission limits on coal plants, many of which have already installed equipment to reduce mercury emissions.

For More Information:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Center for American Progress

Mengke Liang, is the Development Intern at the Alliance to Save Energy. The Alliance is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy and national security.

SMUD’s Residential Energy Efficiency Innovation

SMUD won the Multifamily Award for helping the low-income senior residents of a retirement community save energy and money.

Throughout 2009 and 2010, SMUD and USA Properties completely renovated the Citrus Heights, Calif.-based Vintage Oaks Senior Apartment Complex to improve energy efficiency, in large part by installing energy-efficient water heaters, lights and appliances complex-wide. They also implemented virtual net metering, which generates solar power on-site throughout the community without individual generators or solar panels for each housing unit. These improvements decreased energy demand 85% and reduced the average tenant’s energy bill from over $20 to less than $10, said Wade Hughes, manager of SMUD’s Solar Smart Program.

“We have proven with this project that major [energy efficiency] improvements are feasible for low-income residents,” Hughes said. He added that the shared financial benefits for both property owners and tenants of Vintage Oaks could motivate nearby property owners to create similar projects, especially in communities like Vintage Oaks where a utility allowance affects rent prices.

Other Winners: Action Agency, Corporation, University, Housing Authority

The State & Local Energy Report also honored:

• South Central Community Action Agency of Mississippi
• Madison Park Development Corporation
• Florida State University’s Institute for Energy Systems, Economics, & Sustainability
• King County Housing Authority

In addition to being honored, the award winners were given free equipment and training.

Megan Robinson, is the Communications Intern at the Alliance to Save Energy. The Alliance is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy and national security.

Leading the Nation in Utility Green Power Programs

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has just released its assessment of the top utility green power programs in the U.S. for 2009. Public power utilities earned the top spot in 4 of 5 categories, emerging as clear leaders in promoting renewable energy in this country.

More than 850 utilities across the United States now offer green power programs, and since 2000, NREL has conducted analysis to determine the “Top 10” utility programs for the following categories:

• Total sales of renewable energy to program participants;
• Total number of customer participants;
• Percentage of customer participation;
• Green power sales as a percentage of total utility retail electricity sales;
• And the lowest price premium charged for a green power program using new renewable resources.

And the Public Power Winners are…….

#1 in total sales for the eighth straight year. Public power utility Austin Energy in Texas led the nation in voluntary renewable energy sales for the eighth year in a row, with sales of 764.8 million kWh. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) was fourth on the NREL list for total sales. SMUD also came in fourth in NREL's list for total number of customer participants, with over 50,000 participants.

Public power communities show support for renewable energy. Earning an incredible 8 of 10 spots on NREL's list for customer participation rates shows that public power communities support sustainable energy initiatives. With a 20.8% participation rate, Palo Alto Utilities won the top spot by a wide margin. Other public power utilities on the lab's top 10 list in this category were SMUD; Naperville, Ill.; Silicon Valley Power; River Falls Municipal Utilities; Stoughton, Wis., Utilities; Lake Mills, Wis., Light & Water; and Pacific County, Wash., Public Utility District.

Green power is a growing piece of the pie in public power communities. Public Power dominated the nation in green power sales as a percentage of total retail sales capturing 7 of the 10 top spots for this NREL ranking. At 21.4%, Waterloo Utilities led the field. Edmond Electric was second at 8.1%, Palo Alto third, Austin Energy fourth, River Falls, Wis., Municipal Utilities fifth and SMUD was eighth.

Seeing green in more ways than one. Public power held three spots in NREL list for lowest premium for green power measures in Cents/kWh. Edmond Electric tops the list, actually charging 0.17 cents less than its base rate. SMUD was seventh on the list charging a premium of only 0.50 cents, and a low premium of 0.80 cents earned Emerald People's Utility District in Oregon the number 10 spot.

Learn More about Green Power Programs in the U.S.

NREL's full report on 2009 green power programs will be released later this year, but you can learn more by reading the 2008 report: "Green Power Marketing in the United States: A Status Report (2008 Data). "

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development.

HOME STAR wins with Broad Public Support

Bolstered by support from an unprecedented coalition of business and political leaders, the HOME STAR legislation (H.R. 5019) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 246 to 161.

The legislation proposes to create two rebate programs, one for specified energy-saving improvements and one for whole-home energy use reductions. HOME STAR would also grant money to states for complementary financing programs and funds administration and technical support through states and the Department of Energy (DOE).

The Role for Utilities in HOME STAR

HOME STAR is likely to provide new savings opportunities for some systems and their customers. The latest program outline proposes the development of a network of “rebate aggregators” to provide back-end support such as reviewing rebate applications and facilitating the delivery of rebates. Entities would also be selected to perform quality assurance audits. Utilities that already have residential retrofit programs, have established quality assurance provider networks or demonstrate that they can perform these functions are among those eligible to apply to be rebate aggregators and quality assurance implementers. Utilities are also able to participate as “qualified financing entities.” The proposal directs the U.S. Department of Energy to develop guidelines that allow participating utilities to count the energy savings towards State-level energy savings targets.

Better Homes, New Careers

The measure couldn’t come quickly enough. The burst of the housing bubble leveled the construction industry and put 2.1 million construction workers out of work. HOME STAR will put those workers back on track by creating immediate jobs that capture their skills.

These new careers in home energy performance will continue to bring savings to individual homeowners, jobs in construction and manufacturing, and billions of dollars in avoided energy costs back into our economy each year.

What's Next for HOME STAR?

The "Yes" vote in the U.S. House of Representatives was an important step for in making American homes more energy-efficient. Now, the Senate must follow in the House's footsteps.

A date for a vote on HOME STAR on the Senate floor has not yet been announced. But check back with CEEP's blog for more updates, or sign up for our newsletter - KEEP Up with CEEP!

Move over Watt; the new metric of the moment is the “Rosenfeld.”

In the current era of increased investment in energy saving activities, the importance of communicating energy efficiency’s benefits in a clear and standard manner to decision-makers and constituents is underscored. Yet, many expressions of energy savings can be difficult to conceptualize or lack standard reference. In expressing potential electricity savings, “avoided power plants,” for instance, often replaces the more abstract “billions of kilowatt hours saved” to describe the potential of efficiency measures. However, there are many sizes and types of power plants, and the metric can mean different things to different people.

In “Defining a Standard Metric for Electricity Savings” published in the March 2010 issue of Environmental Research Letters, a group of scholars proposes a new metric, the “Rosenfeld,” which provides a simple and standard manner for referring to the electricity savings potential of efficiency activities. The metric is named in honor of Dr. Art Rosenfeld, who is considered by many to be energy efficiency’s foremost scholar and advocate.

In the article, one Rosenfeld is defined as "one avoided 500 MW coal plant operating at 70% capacity in that year" (assuming 7% T&D losses). The article details the circumstances where the Rosenfeld can be used appropriately - including in “back-of-the-envelope” calculations and high-level summaries for less technical audiences.

To find out how to use the “Rosenfeld” in your analysis and learn more about Dr. Art Rosenfeld’s contributions to the field of energy efficiency. Read “Defining a Standard Metric for Electricity Savings.”