Examples of Energy Efficiency Upgrades Saving $ and Energy-

Capital Region businesses save big bucks with energy efficiency upgrades
	Apr 7, 2011	WNYT
	The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced today that 219 Capital Region businesses are reducing energy costs by nearly $4.5 million annually as a result of the energy efficiency upgrades and sustainable building projects supported by NYSERDA during 2010. According to a press release from NYSERDA, the energy savings—more than 48 million kilowatt hours—is equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by nearly 7,000 single-family homes annually and will be realized by these companies every year for years to come. “NYSERDA commends these leaders in the Capital Region business community for their commitment to more environmentally sustainable business practices,” said President and CEO of NYSERDA Francis J. Murray Jr. in a statement. “And we encourage other companies to apply for the incentives available in 2011 for energy efficiency improvements for existing buildings and new building projects.” NYSERDA provided $6.5 million in incentives to businesses to make energy efficiency projects more affordable, enhance competitiveness and cut costs for businesses. These incentives are available to every sector of the economy, including retail, manufacturing, hospitality, health care, agricultural, commercial and others. Examples of Capital Region businesses that have benefited from participating in NYSERDA programs in 2010 include: • Adirondack Beverage Corp. in Scotia replaced old, inefficient lighting with newer high performance fixtures and replaced incandescent exit signs with LED fixtures. The project reduced annual energy costs by $116,000 and decreased electricity consumption by more than 1.1 million kilowatt hours. • Freihofer’s Cake Plant, a division of Bimbo Bakeries USA, in Albany replaced old, inefficient lighting with newer high performance fixtures and installed occupancy sensors in applicable areas. The project will reduce annual energy costs by nearly $47,000 and decrease electricity consumption by more than 1.8 million kilowatt hours. • Garelick Farms in Rensselaer upgraded existing lighting with more energy-efficient fixtures. The project will help reduce annual energy costs by nearly $42,000 and decrease electricity consumption by nearly 350,000 kilowatt hours. • Stewart’s Shops in Saratoga Springs replaced old, inefficient lighting with newer high performance fixtures and installed occupancy sensors in its 300,000 square-foot warehouse. The project will help reduce annual energy costs by $77,000 and decrease electricity consumption by more than 740,000 kilowatt hours. Stewart’s is achieving additional energy savings by retrofitting freezer cases with “zero energy” cooler doors and LED lighting at stores in Saratoga Springs, Ballston Spa, Gansevoort, Voorheesville and Wynantskill. cross posted courtesy of the Carbon Capture Report- Courtesy of Green Me UP-Scotty

LED Retrofits-Examples of Companies Saving $ Money $

Red Robin Slices Energy Costs with LED Retrofits
	Mar 30, 2011	GreenBiz
	Three years ago, lighting manufacturer Eco-story supplied corporate Red Robin restaurants with 10,000 LED lamps, enabling the company to save $600,000 in electricity costs a year. This past February, the Ansara Restaurant Group Inc., a Red Robin franchisee, worked with Eco-story to install 3,500 LED lamps in its 22 restaurants and now expects to save more than $117,000 a year, said Eco-story co-founder Bill Stauffer. The project is an example of how companies of all sizes can save energy costs with lighting retrofits -- an idea that's dawning on more Americans every year. The concept has caught on in the residential sector as well, as a study released today by EcoAlign on the adoption of energy efficient lighting shows. Increasing efficiency and reducing utility bills with greener lighting is something small businesses and consumers as well as large companies can do, said EcoAlign CEO Jamie Wimberly, expanding on findings of his firm's latest EcoPinion study. And in a retail space, regardless of size, "the whole experience is about lighting," Wimberly said. Stauffer, whose firm's target market is retail stores, restaurants and hotels, would agree. Typically, a casual dining restaurant spends $5,000 to $6,000 a month on electricity for lighting. "What we've tried to convince small businesses is (to) think about what they spend a year on electricity for lighting, and if they could cut that by 90 percent, think about what a competitive advantage that could give," Stauffer said. "Small businesses shouldn't think there's nothing they can do." The return on investment for lighting retrofits can be swift. Stauffer said his company strives for payback periods of less than a year. The projected ROI for Ansara, a family-owned based in Farmington Hills, Mich., is 10 months, he said. The majority of Ansara's Red Robins will receive rebates from their utility companies, and the rebates for more than half the stores receiving them will cover 50 percent of lamp and installation costs, Stauffer added. The LED par 20, par 30 and par 38 lamps installed in Ansara's restaurants -- and in some instances for exterior applications -- are expected to save more than 1 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, Eco-story estimates. "We worked closely with Ansara to ensure they had a customized product that fit their need for high quality light and also offered energy savings," Stauffer said. Founded in Portland, Maine, in 2007, Eco-story's clients include Timberland. In 2009, the outdoor footwear and apparel retailer chose Eco-story for a customized retrofit of track lighting in 50 stores. Within 10 months of the installation, Timberland had saved $100,000 in electricity costs, according to Eco-story. Timberland CEO Jeff Swartz talked about his company's sustainability strategies at GreenBiz Group's recent State of Green Business Forum in Washington, D.C.

LED Lighting Facts for Your Home

LED Lighting Facts

EFFICIENCY - LEDs are very energy efficient and consume less power (amp draw)...up to 90% less power than incandescent bulbs. This reduces the load on your electrical system including your battery, alternator, and power converter resulting in direct money-saving benefits.

NO HEAT - LED lights generate no heat therefore they are cool to the touch and can be left on for hours without incident or consequence if touched.

LONGEVITY - LEDs are rated for 100,000 hours compared to 3,000 hours for incadescent bulbs. Consider real world circumstances where most incadescent bulbs need to be replaced within one year. An LED light will last over 20 years before needing replacement.

FUSING - Due to the low energy draw of LEDs, the gauge of wire used can be reduced. CAUTION: Typical incadescent fusing requirements are too robust for LEDs and therefore, fusing must be sized for the low LED circuit draw. Incorrect fuse sizing can cause damage to your electrical system.

FUTURE - LEDs are vastly becoming the preferred low voltage lighting resource versus incadescent lighting. New and brighter LEDs are under development and will impact your future lighting requirements.

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LEDs Poised to Outshine All Others in $4.4B Lighting Market

By GreenerBuildings Staff

Published May 20, 2010

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Tags: Buildings, Design & Innovation, More... Buildings, Design & Innovation, Energy & Climate, Energy Efficiency, Facilities, Living Principles, Operations & Maintenance, Retrofits

LAS VEGAS, NV — Dutch giant Royal Philips Electronics took the wraps off its 12-watt EnduraLED light bulb last week at the Lightfair International tradeshow and heralded the latest addition to its EnduraLED line as the "industry's first" light emitting diodes replacement for the commonly used 60-watt incandescent light bulb, bringing a new measure of energy efficiency to everyday lighting applications at work and in the home. Osram Sylvania, a subsidiary of Geman powerhouse Siemens AG, countered the following day with its alternative. It introduced attendees at the tradeshow in Las Vegas to the dimmable, mercury-free Sylvania ULTRA LED A-line 12-watt bulb, which its maker calls "the brightest LED replacement" for the traditional 60-watt bulb. Taiwan-based GlacialTech Inc., a diversified manufacturing firm specializing in cooling, power and lighting, debuted LED products in announcements bracketing Taiwan's International Lighting Show in March and the Lightfair expo. GlacialTech's new offerings include a 19-watt portable LED outdoor floodlight and low-power T8 LED tubes. With a U.S. mandate for more energy efficient lighting taking effect in 2012 and more businesses looking for ways to cut electricity costs, LEDs represent a burgeoning market for the lighting industry -- and the rivalry is heating up among companies that want to seize the lion's share of the sizable spoils. A new study from Pike Research forecasts that LEDs will account for almost half of a $4.4 billion market for lamps in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors by 2020. Almost 18 percent of global electricity use goes toward lighting, and lighting in the U.S. consumes a fifth of the amount at an annual cost of more than $40 billion. With their ability to produce the same amount of light as traditional bulbs while consuming less energy and lasting far longer, LEDs represent a strong opportunity to cut expenses and reduce electricity use. Typically, the LED replacements for traditional bulbs are described by their manufacturers as delivering 80 percent energy savings and lasting 25,000 hours, which can be 12 to 25 times longer than the bulbs they are replacing, depending on wattage and the company doing the talking. Widely used for traffic signals and exit signs, LEDs have yet to break through the cost barrier, which has been the biggest obstacle to market penetration. But that's expected to change. Prospective price tags have been reported in the range of $60 for LED retrofits for incandescent 60-watt bulbs and $40 to $50 for LEDs that replace 40-watt bulbs. However, some companies are saying they can beat those prices, at least one already is, and all the firms are jockeying to be the best, brightest and "first" in a number of descriptive categories. For example, among the recently announced products:

The new, dimmable Philips EnduraLED will save businesses and households buying it about $120 per lamp because of its long life and energy efficiency, the company said, adding it expects to have the product on store shelves sometime in the final quarter of the year. With plans to go to market in August, Osram Sylvania said its ULTRA LED A-line 12-watt bulb will be brighter than its rivals. It's also expected to be cheaper than the competition -- though the company isn't discussing pricing publicly for now. Sylvania said it will release a 75-watt retrofit LED lamp in 2011 and then, staking a claim for another "first" title, declared that its announcement marked the first discussion about creating such a product.

Those products join a field that includes:

Panasonic's LED alternative to the 60-watt incandescent bulb. The replacement bulb is one of eight in the EVERLEDS line. They were announced in September 2009 and made available the following month in Japan. Demand for LEDs is so high, Panasonic Electronic Works said in March that it is expanding the product line to 1,100 items by March 2011. General Electric's 9-watt LED replacement for 40-watt incandescent bulbs. The new bulb, part of GE's Energy Smart line, is due out later this year with a price ranging from $40 to $50. The Home Depot also has entered the fray with the EcoSmart LED A19 40-watt equivalent light bulb, which has an online price tag of a wallet-friendly $19.97.

The introduction of other products and advancements in technology are expected to help fuel the growth of LEDs in the lighting market. In addition to bulbs, developments in LED fixtures and systems, such as the networking platform introduced by Redwood Systems in March and launched at Lightfair, are occurring with greater frequency. "LED lighting will reach an inflection point in the next five years," Pike Research Managing Director Clint Wheelock said in a prepared statement about his study. "As solid state lighting costs come down and performance increases, LEDs will become a practical option for an increasing number of commercial applications." Pike projects that outdoor stationary will be the next growth sector for LEDs with retail, office and professional buildings and institutional facilities following. Top image -- Philips Lighting CEO Rudy Provoost shows off his company's LED replacements for traditional 60-watt bulbs, courtesy of Philips. Inset images courtesy of product manufacturers: Philips, Osram Sylvania, GlacialTech Inc., Panasonic, GE and the Home Depot.

Read more: http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/05/20/leds-poised-outshine-all-others-44b-lighting-market#ixzz0rsH16GpR

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