GPA ROLLS OUT NEW MY ENERGY STATEMENT

This past week, the Guam Power Authority (GPA) rolled out its new My Energy Statement as an effort to improve the sharing of vital energy information with its customers.  For our small business, this new product is not just another social media campaign we helped roll out with GPA on Monday via the agency's Facebook page. As a home based business, the new GPA statement has features that really jump out at us. It is a product that all 50,000 GPA customers should take notice of. 

At first glance of the GPA My Energy Statement, the Read Date shown on the statement is key to knowing when GPA was in your neighborhood and monitored your meter for proper billing.  I think this issue puts to bed many concerns that questioned whether GPA actually did their job at our respective homes and home-based businesses each and every month.  Also, the outlining of the monthly customer charge is prominently displayed-even if you opted out of this by turning away the use of the Smart Meter. Effectively highlighted are the assortment of Energy Charges-well it better be prominent as Guam Public Law 21-142 mandates the GPA complete this important task for all  its rate-payers.  Not too far below this particular nugget of information is the infamous Fuel Recovery Charge. The Charge reference is the most well publicized of costs on this Statement and is followed closely by many on fixed incomes from Yigo to Merizo. While this blogger is not so crazy about the Emergency Water-Well and Wastewater Charge being shown on this product-the GWA Bill would be a better place for this-I am happy about the Average Daily Amount of Power Used Section. This bit of data is helpful for decision making for our homes and home-offices. This is the type of information that can drive the local sales of energy efficiency products like smart controls, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, solar thermal and even solar photovoltaic systems.

The GPA My Energy Statement is a great tool for all GPA customers. If you have yet to see it, we encourage you (yes-as a social media advisor to GPA) to visit myenergyguam.com to take that first step towards managing your household power use.

For more information on how GET, LLC can assist you with your social media and energy efficient product needs, please call us at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com. 

Wireless LED Controls-Making the "Switch"

There is a groundswell of support for switching to wireless control units for light-emitting diode (LED) lighting systems.  Now there may be some manufacturers out there that tout the effectiveness of their particular lighting control systems, but many rely on partnerships from major controls manufacturers to ensure that their collective efficiencies are achieved in tandem with saving energy.

Lighting is important to every operation of any organization. There is no question that lighting affects the productivity of employees, the impression of customers and clients, as well as energy expenditures.

Upgrading from a traditional lighting setup to a wireless controlled LED configuration will give you greater control over your lights, the aesthetics they generate, and the energy they use.

While traditional lighting solutions give you a one-size-fits all application for your entire facility, there are technologies in the market place that allow you to adjust light levels in different areas so that employees have exactly the light they need for their given tasks. 

Customization is key to any successful commercial LED lighting application, and with the right wireless controls for your facility, property managers and business owners alike don’t have to worry about too much or too little lighting in any one part of their space.

For instance, our friends at Deco Lighting have their DHBX multipurpose LED fixture that features integrated wireless controls that allow you to customize your lighting based on department and task, improving your organization’s overall efficiency and workflow.

The Commerce, California based company notes that if the sun is shining through your windows and your office is naturally bright, you may not need the full power of your lights, and while traditional lighting setups allow you to choose only “on” or “off,” Deco Lighting’s Linea Series of retrofit kits include wireless controls that make it easy to add and remove light depending on the time of day or outside lighting conditions. Also, Deco Lighting's commercial wireless LED solutions, allow you to adjust your lights according to your facility’s current natural light level.

GET, LLC and Deco Lighting agree that everyone is unique, and different people may have specific lighting preferences. For offices and other isolated workspaces, Deco’s wireless LED controls put lighting conditions in the control of employees, making it easy for them to adjust lighting scenarios based on shift time or personal comfort. Giving your employees a more enjoyable work environment is always a productivity booster.

The unique properties of Deco’s LED lights make them more attractive and more durable, but also more flexible and efficient.  Deco Lighting makes is easy for maintenance teams and operations managers to take charge of their lighting, offering several wireless LED lighting controls systems, such as the Deco Digital LED Cloud fixture.

For more information on bringing an LED lighting solution to your facility, please contact us at GET, LLC at 671-483-0789 or see our website at www.get-guam.com for details of the technologies that can be of significant value to all building owners-All Made in America!!!

US Department of Energy Releases Report on Dimming LED Lights

Our friends at the Tennessee-based EdisonReport recently wrote an on-line article on a recent publication of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Dimming LEDs with Phase-Cut Dimmers: The Specifier's Process for Maximizing Success.

This particular Solid-State Lighting GATEWEAY Demonstration Project was created in response to issues raised by the industry about dimming by energy efficiency organizations and specifiers-namely poor performance with existing dimming control systems.

The DOE report noted that while progress has been made in the dimming capabilities of LED luminaires with carefully matched dimming systems, challenges remain with compatibility and performance of LED replacement lamps and dedicated LED luminaires on existing phase-cut dimming systems, which dominate the installed base of dimmers. The new report reviews how phase-cut dimmers work, how LEDs differ from the incandescent lamps these dimmers were originally designed to control, and how those differences can lead to complications when attempting to dim LEDs. Such complications are often due to incompatibility between the LED source and the dimmer, rather than to any shortcomings in the LED source itself.

EdisonReport noted the report provides both general guidance and step-by-step procedures for designing phase-controlled LED dimming on both new and existing projects, as well as real-world examples of how to use those procedures. The general guidance aims to reduce the chance of experiencing compatibility-related problems and, if possible, ensure good dimming performance.

Specifiers should also consider alternatives to phase-control dimming for LED sources, such as digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) or even wireless approaches. While they, too, have their pluses and minuses and typically cost more, separating the control signal from the AC mains voltage may result in higher levels of performance, more predictability, and fewer headaches.

DOE's SSL Technology Demonstration GATEWAY program features high-performance SSL products for general illumination in a variety of exterior and interior applications. The  products are installed at demonstration host sites, where their performance can be evaluated. Performance measures include energy consumption, light output/distribution, and installation/interface/control issues. Qualitative performance is investigated via feedback surveys of the relevant user communities.

To learn more about the lighting controls products that GET,LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-Made in America!!!

Saving $4 Billion by 2020 by Using Wireless Lighting Controls

A couple of local mid-sized corporations had asked me in recent weeks just how much savings can be achieved combining an energy efficient light bulb, like the Independence LED Lighting products we represent, and lighting controls in their respective buildings.   I found the answer in a very unlikely place.  

Add caption

San Diego, California-based ON World Inc.,a provider of global business intelligence on smart technology markets in there recently published "Smart Building Wireless Sensor Networks found that wireless lighting controls in combination with energy harvesting, wireless mesh networking and wireless enabled smart LED drivers will save buildings $4 Billion in energy savings by 2020. 

“Today, a typical building wastes almost a third of its lighting energy due to inefficient or non-existent lighting control systems,” says Mareca Hatler ON World’s research director. “Wireless energy management systems that integrate with a building’s lighting infrastructure is one of the fastest growing areas in building automation.”

ON World’s survey of 85 professional installers found that 59% are providing wireless lighting controls. Over half provide a centralized wireless lighting control system and about a quarter install lighting systems that use wireless adapters. Nearly 6 in 10 provide a wireless lighting control system that features occupancy detection, 34% daylighting and 26% support utility demand response programs.

Maintenance-free wireless sensors and switches powered by harvested energy made up about 1 in 3 of the wireless lighting device shipments in 2012. Today, these mostly use the EnOcean wireless protocol that has over 1,000 interoperable products.   Wireless mesh networking avoids dependence on a wired backbone that is used by the majority of wireless lighting control systems. Targeted at building-wide wireless energy management as well as outdoor commercial areas, wireless mesh systems attach to, or integrate with, lighting luminaires. Competition is increasing from system innovators such as CIMCON, Convergence Wireless, Daintree, Enlighted and TwistHDM as well as lighting manufacturers such as Acuity, Digital Lumens, Harvard Engineering, Hubbell, Light Corporation and Venture Lighting Corporation.The migration to LED lighting is one of the biggest developments in building energy management systems by providing long-lasting light sources that are especially suited for digital controls. Software configurable LED drivers with integrated wireless communications such as those provided by Orama promise to reduce communications costs up to 90% by replacing the need for a separate device for the adapter.

Industrial, warehousing, parking garages/lots and outdoor area lighting are currently some of the fastest growing markets for wireless lighting controls. However, traditional commercial buildings such as offices, retail and restaurants will make up over 40% percent of the market by 2017.

The ON World report noted that by 2020, global wireless lighting control device shipments will increase by over 1500% from 2012 when they will save buildings $4.2 billion in energy costs.

Your mind made up yet?

To learn more about the lighting controls products that GET, LLC provides, please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or call us to discuss solutions for your important lighting needs-Made in America!!!

By 2020, Sale of Lighting Controls will Eclipse $5 Billion!!!

Photo sensors, occupancy sensors and networks controls. These are products that will certainly keep the lighting industry busy well into the next decade.  

The Wall Street Journal, citing a Navigant Research report, says that worldwide revenue from networked lighting controls will top out at more than $5.3 Billion by 2020.  This figure is up substantially from $1.7 Billion in 2013.

The Navigant report, analyzed the global market for lighting controls for commercial buildings to include new construction and retrofits.  Technologies ranging from Sensors, ballasts, drivers, switches, relays and controllers were all looked at. 

Throughout the U.S., municipalities and businesses are striving to replace their inefficient lighting to save energy, reduce their utility costs, and go green with more environmentally friendly, sustainable lighting solutions. New solid state lighting (SSL) technologies offer numerous benefits, including immediate energy savings of 50% or more, 50,000 hour lifespan for long term maintenance savings, and greater controllability. The use of controls, sensors, day lighting, and intelligent network systems offer an additional 25% or more in energy savings by adjusting light levels when and where the illumination is needed.

Navigant Research Analyst Jesse Foote told the Journal that,  "Building owners and managers, who are accustomed to the idea of centrally monitoring and managing their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, are beginning to expect the same level of control from lighting systems." Foote added that, "To meet this growing demand, a number of different types of vendors -- including pure-play startup companies and traditional lighting vendors -- are moving aggressively into the lighting controls market."

The report, entitled "Intelligent Lighting Controls for Commercial Buildings", noted that as falling prices for Light-Emitting Diode lighting (LEDs) drive up adoption rates of LED lamps, the adoption of lighting controls will also accelerate. Navigant Research opined that the semiconductor nature of LEDs makes them inherently controllable, with a high degree of dimmability, easy integration of controls with drivers, and instantaneous startup. Many LED lamps, according to Navigant, are being sold with built-in controllability, whether or not there are plans to make use of those features.

Want to get a jump on lighting controls for your building?   For more information on bringing controls and an LED lighting solution to your facility, please contact us at GET, LLC at 671-483-0789 or see our website at www.get-guam.com for details of the technologies that can be of significant value to all building owners-All Made in America!!!