Energy + Environment

According to the latest Department of Energy figures, the U.S. average commercial cost per kWh of electric energy to commercial end-users was 10.7 cents as of March 2009, up 4.7% from the same period in 2008. Get the latest energy data by state, region and end-user market here.

Up to $24 million in loan funds from the California Energy Commission are available at a new low 3% interest rate for energy cost saving projects on a first-come, first-served basis. (The new rate applies to loans made on or after July 9, 2009, and ends when a new notice is issued; it cannot be [...]

The passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES 2009) has been highly publicized for its Cap and Trade Program, but there’s another provision that is of significant interest to the lighting community: the requirement that national building energy codes for residential and commercial buildings [...]

Writing for the February 2009 issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine, I make the case that lighting quality should be an equal partner to energy savings in an upgrade of an existing building. In fact, doing so can can result in a larger project and more work for the contractor. The article includes references to the [...]

The Department of Energy’s Building Codes Resource Center has published a summary of the ASHRAE guidelines for achieving 30% savings over ASHRAE 90.1-1999 in small office buildings. One of the interesting features of the website is a series of layout templates. Check it out here.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has revealed the results of new market research that provides a clear picture of America’s need for information about energy and cost saving through modern lighting systems. The research, conducted in conjunction with Today’s Facility Manager magazine, focused on nonresidential building owners and managers. Findings indicate that 41% of [...]

Lighting designer Jim Benya of Benya Lighting Design has published a great presentation on his website talking about opportunities in the retrofit and relighting market, available free here as a PDF file.

Days after his appearance on the Oprah Show, environmentalist and actor Ed Begley Jr. gave a humorous and empowering keynote address on sustainable living at Lightfair International on May 3. Attendees heard how Begley began his global climate change activism, first in the ’80s with a wind turbine and now with lighting playing a critical [...]

Most lighting professionals are aware by now that the Commercial Buildings Deduction has been extended to 2013. Here is an article I wrote for Electrical Contractor Magazine, published in the March issue, that describes the Interim Lighting Rule, which in my opinion is the easiest and fastest path for an indoor lighting project to qualify [...]