Momentum Building for Lighting Efficiency

by Jon Linn
Commercial Programs Manager

Lighting accounts for a huge portion of electric energy used in commercial buildings- estimates run from 25 to 50 percent of a building’s loads. This represents a significant opportunity for energy savings in the Northeast. NEEP’s Commercial Lighting Initiative aims to capture these savings by focusing on equipment, operational and design improvements, and leveraging local and national resources and relationships.

The DLC HPT8 Program

Soon after the efficiency community and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) defined and specified High Performance T8 (HPT8) commercial lighting systems in 2006, program sponsors incorporated HPT8 into their lighting programs. Most offered incentives for HPT8 fixtures but they found that customers could not find qualifying fixtures and were unable to participate.

Program administrators discovered that the fixture supply structure functioned on a regional basis, with warehousing covering the entire Northeast. This made it clear that there was an opportunity for programs to work together in a joint effort to transform the market. It also made it clear that working with upstream channels - manufacturers and regional distributors- would get the job done better, quicker and cheaper.

At the same time, the Department of Energy (DOE) was looking for partners to increase use of efficient lighting, through its Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). NEEP and NYSERDA answered the call, and DOE grabbed the opportunity to fund what became the HPT8 program. Sponsors joined the effort from all corners of the Northeast:

• Cape Light Compact
• Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (Connecticut Light and Power and United Illuminating)
• NSTAR Gas & Electric
• National Grid
• Western Mass Electric Company,
• Efficiency Maine
• New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program
• Efficiency Vermont
• New Hampshire Electric Co-op
• Public Service of New Hampshire
• Long Island Power Authority
• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority,

The sponsor group developed a program strategy that includes joint regional technical resources, which are web based, under the banner of DesignLights Consortium (DLC), and outreach to lighting suppliers serving the region with information, education and training. They solicited a program implementer, and selected ICF International to do the job.

By early 2007, ICF had produced marketing materials, technical resources, and training methods, centered on the DLC web site: www.designlights.org.They quickly engaged all the major fixture manufacturers, regional distributors, manufacturer rep agencies, and state and local government purchasing managers.

By the end of 2007, the hard work paid off: availability of qualifying equipment nearly doubled, and program activity increased by nearly fifty percent over the previous year.

Still the program sponsors recognized the remaining opportunity, and decided to continue the HPT8 promotion through 2008. Through the program ICF and sponsors will deepen the market transformation of linear fluorescent systems, and strengthen relationships with market players.

Regional Lighting Strategy for Commercial Buildings

Efficient lighting equipment is only part of the story for lighting efficiency in commercial buildings. Leading edge equipment such as HPT8 systems can meet the new energy codes based on ASHRAE/IES 90.1 2004. However with program goals of reaching 30 percent beyond code, more than just efficient fixtures are needed.

Saving significant amounts of energy in commercial lighting requires effective overall lighting design that accounts for efficient equipment, the use of daylighting, controls, and task and ambient systems..

At the same time that the Northeast started thinking about integrated lighting design strategies for commercial buildings, the DOE launched its Commercial Lighting Initiative (CLI). The CLI is structured three major components:

• The challenge: savings of 30 percent beyond ADHRAE/IES 90.1 2004 in 5.5 billion square feet of commercial buildings in three years.
• Technical Resources: design solutions in four major markets: retail, office, health care and schools. Web-based tools to guide design professionals in design, cost and savings.
• Marketing. Bringing the tools and resources to programs and customers who can make them work.

Recognizing the confluence of objectives, NEEP’s sponsor group and the CLI team began and continue to work together toward mutual goals. The CLI design solutions for the first market segment, retail buildings, is set for launch at Lightfair International in May, 2008. This timing is just right for the Northeast’s 2009 planning process.

The CLI team is working closely with the NEEP Commercial Lighting Initiative sponsors to define strategy and program plans, toward improved energy efficiency and quality of lighting in commercial spaces. The strategy will include a combination of joint activities that engaging upstream market players and expand on relationships in the HPT8 program. It will also include individual program use of coordinated messages, methods and tools. The strategy is expected to take shape over the coming months.

Beyond 2008

As already described, lighting in commercial buildings represents a huge market for savings, and there are major developments coming around the bend that will further increase the opportunity.

The CLI is proving that moving to 30 percent beyond code is possible with today’s technologies. The regional strategy continues to confront and embrace this challenge of getting this message out.

Just over the horizon, though, is a technology that may change all the rules. Solid State Lighting (SSL) for general illumination is only a couple years away from being market ready. Some niche applications are already in use including: traffic lights, food case lighting, sign illumination, truck tail lights, consumer items such as flashlights, desk lamps, etc. But, the real impact will be in the general illumination of building spaces.

SSLs are now based on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). But Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), sheets of lighting material, are an emerging technology that has the possibility of changing everything we know about lighting sources, fixtures and physics.

NEEP’s Commercial Lighting Initiative will continue to be involved in developments around this issue to inform and engage regional audiences in the latest energy saving approaches and technologies impacting commercial buildings.

For more information, contact Jon Linn, Commercial Programs Manager.