Acuity Brands expanded its minority stake in Renaissance Lighting acquiring the remaining outstanding capital stock for an undisclosed cash payment. The deal gives Acuity outright ownership of Renaissance’s luminaire line and extensive intellectual property portfolio related to LED-based optical technology. Acuity also announced a separate intellectual property acquisition including patents that had been exclusively licensed to Renaissance.

Acuity had previously invested $9.1 million in Renaissance and received a license to certain intellectual property including the Constructive Occlusion optical system that is used in the Gotham (an Acuity Brand) Ecos downlight luminaire family. Now Acuity will have full access to Renaissance’s LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) portfolio.

“The acquisition of Renaissance and the purchase of related intellectual property support the Company’s strategy to deliver superior, technologically-advanced lighting solutions,” said Vernon J. Nagel, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Acuity Brands. “This acquisition will extend our innovation capabilities in solid-state lighting and controls, enabling Acuity Brands to continue to deliver leading-edge lighting solutions to the market.”

Acuity did not reveal the name of the company from which it acquired the intellectual property that had been previously licensed to Renaissance. It did say that the acquisition would add to its capabilities in the sensor and adaptive controls area.

The announcement of the acquisition didn’t specify how Renaissance would be integrated into Accuity Brands, but it will likely join the roster of individual brands that live under the Acuity Brands Lighting banner. Presently, that roster includes Lithonia Lighting, Peerless, American Electric Lighting, Gotham, Roam and several more.

“The merger into Acuity Brands is a tremendous opportunity to broaden the impact of Renaissance’s technology as it is showcased in Acuity Brands’ expansive lighting and controls portfolio,” said Barry Weinbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Lighting. “Since its inception in 2005, Renaissance has amassed a high-caliber team with exceptional vision about the future of lighting and has developed a patent portfolio to foster the realization of that vision.”

The US Department of Energy (DOE) used its SSL Market Introduction Workshop in Philadelphia as a venue to preview a new consumer-education campaign to promote green lighting options. The DOE will partner with GE, Philips, Cree, Osram Sylvania, Home Depot, Costco Wholesale, and Grainger to promote LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) and other energy-saving lighting options.

The DOE is planning the initiative to coincide with upcoming changes in light-bulb regulation. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will begin to phase out incandescent bulbs in 2012 – beginning with the 100W lamp and then continuing with lower wattage bulbs on a progressive basis over a two-year period.

According to the DOE press release, “The ultimate effect of phasing out inefficient light sources will be significant national energy savings and a shrunken carbon footprint. However, without an effective consumer education process, these new performance levels could cause considerable confusion.”

The point that the DOE is making is that consumers will need to understand a new figure of merit in place of wattage as an indicator of light output. Indeed wattage has never been a direct measure of light output and new products such as SSL replacement lamps will user a fraction of the wattage or power used by incandescent lamps.

The DOE plans to work with the lighting industry to educate the public on lumens as a measure of light output. The new campaign will also seek to define other benefits of new lighting technologies including for instance the long life promised by SSL.

Expect more details on the education campaign in the coming months. The DOE will formally launch the initiative this fall. It expects other partners to join what’s an impressive group of brand names from both the retail market and the component and lighting manufacturing segment.

Walking the walk is key when playing the environmental game, which is why we’re thrilled to report that the United States Department of Energy has completed their new zero-energy research building in Colorado. It clocks in at 222,000 square feet and is the largest zero-energy building in the United States. Boasting 50% less energy usage than a conventional building of its size and a huge array of on-site solar panels, the new Research Support Facility is able to produce all the energy it needs to function without borrowing from the grid. The US government certainly seems to be leading by example with this passive beauty.

The Research Support Facility is located on the Golden, Colorado campus of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It will officially open in late August and it will be the working home of 800 federal employees. The building employs techniques new and old to reach its zero-energy status, many of which are hundreds of years old and help the building make the best of natural light from the sun as well as use the earth below it to help heat and cool the building.

Typical office buildings use as much as 30% of their energy expenditure on lighting – not so with the Research Support Facility. The entire east-to-west facing facade is made of as much glass as possible and brings light to all of the building’s interior spaces. It is also outfitted with a smart lighting system which sends employees an on screen message on their computer monitor telling them when to open their blinds. Much of the construction material in the building is recycled including reclaimed steel natural gas pipes that are being used as structural columns. The DOE is hoping that this new building achieves a LEED Platinum rating for all of its green bells and whistles, and it looks like they have a great shot.

Green building items

Power LED manufacturers claim many advantages for their products over traditional light sources; one is their presumed ultra-long life. In applications that cannot tolerate failure, or where maintenance and repair are difficult or costly, long operating lifetime and extended maintenance cycles are attractive, even when balanced against relatively high purchase costs.

Luminaire manufacturers, and lighting designers and specifiers, have generally been reassured by the claims from LED manufacturers that their devices will typically operate for 50,000 hours. But in fact, the claims of long operating life for LEDs, as for any component, only apply under certain conditions. What is more, LEDs can and do fail in rare cases

• Use the back side of paper
• Don’t use post its, use free online apps like: TaDa
• Ship packages from reused boxes, alert your customers why you are reusing boxes, they will know you are energy conscious, and be more likely to come back
• Provide employees with non-disposable forks / plates / mugs as opposed to paper or throwaway items
• Print less out
• Buy recycled copy paper, refillable pens, and recycled office supplies.  Here is a great place for that: The Green Office

Reduce Energy Consumption

• Use fewer gas powered products
• Use Solar, wind and water energy generators.  View our Solar options.
• Regulate your Thermostat
• Bring a sweater in the winder
• Purchase energy –efficient heaters

Use Biodegradable and Less Toxic Cleaning Products

• Sea salt makes a course but gentle cleanser for scouring when mixed with baking soda.
• Baking soda not only cleanses but also gets rid of odors.
• Vinegar removes grease and dirt, and white vinegar gets rid of carpet odors.
• Essential lavender oil makes for a nice room deodorizer with a calming effect.
• Citrus juice and peels are great room fresheners.
• A great new technology that uses only water!!  Check it out (Promise it amazing)

Make Your Business Environment Greener

• By adding living plants and/or a water feature to your business, you make it a healthier workspace. Living plants such as spider plants, peace lilies, and philodendrons filter out the pollutants in the air. You can save money by taking cuttings from one plant to make new plants. A water feature in your business humidifies and ionizes the air, cutting down on the level of static electricity. The sound of the water both relaxes and energizes you while you work.  Get a money tree for good business prosperity!

Lighting:

• Buy Energy efficient lighting solutions.  Think of them as an investment that will pay off in the long run.  View our selection of LED Light bulbs for restaurant, home, and business use.

1. Recycle aluminum and glass.

2. Buy energy efficient appliances

3. Run clothes washers only when fully loaded, but don’t overload

4. Plant a tree

5. Do all ironing at one time

6. Buy recycled paper

7. Buy low wattage or compact fluorescent light bulbs

8. Turn off lights that don’t need to be on

9. Use cold water instead of hot

10. Use small ovens or stove-top cooking methods instead of your large oven

11. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store

12. Write companies urging them to use paper rather than plastics and styrofoam

13. Buy products that will last

14. Support environmentally conscious businesses.

15. Don’t drive when air pollution is bad

16. Teach your children about these ideas

17. Avoid buying rainforest products

18. Take the bus, walk or ride your bike to meetings

19. Buy locally produced foods; avoid buying goods that must be trucked in

20. Support or start local tree planting programs

21. Recycle aluminum and glass

22. Recycle newspapers

23. Reuse glass containers

24. Buy a house plant

25. Plant a tree

26. Copy this list and send it to ten friends

27. Defrost your freezer

28. Do all ironing at one time

29. Buy environmentally safe products

30. Run dishwashers only when fully loaded

31. Request paper instead of styrofoam whenever possible

32. Hang your laundry to dry

33. Start a garden

34. Carpool to go shopping

35. Install water-efficient showerheads and faucets

36. Turn down your water heater to 121 degrees

37. Start a recycling program in your neighborhood

38. Defrost your freezer

39. Buy recycled paper

40. Cook with quick-heating, copper-bottom pans to conserve energy

41. Teach your children about these ideas

42. Use your microwave instead of the oven

43. Limit or eliminate using disposable items

44. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store

45. Reuse your paper and plastic bags

46. Write companies urging them to use paper rather than plastics and styrofoam

47. Request paper instead of styrofoam whenever possible

48. Use water-based paints whenever possible

49. Buy products that will last

50. Don’t buy fire extinguishers containing halon

51. Support environmentally conscious businesses

52. Buy environmentally safe products

53. Buy products that minimize packaging

54. Avoid buying rainforest products

55. Buy locally produced foods; avoid buying goods that must be trucked in

56. Start a garden

57. Support or start local tree planting programs

Urge local and state government to buy recycled paper

At the Office . . .

59. Schedule deliveries together

60. Subsidize and sell employee bus passes in the office

61. Encourage employees to phone first rather than driving

62. Use teleconferencing instead of driving to meetings

63. Take the bus, walk or ride your bike to meetings

64. Offer employees incentives for not driving

65. Buy gas-efficient or alternatively fueled vehicles for your fleet

66. Put a carpool matching map in the office

67. Buy a bike rack for your employees

68. Buy an office bike for employee use

69. Buy recycled paper for office use

70. Start a paper recycling program

71. Make two-sided copies whenever possible

72. Put an aluminum can recycling bin next to the pop machine

73. Bus, carpool, walk or bike to work

74. Ask if you can work at home one or more days a week

With Your Car . . .

75. Recycle motor oil and batteries

76. Don’t drive when air pollution is bad

77. Call your local transit system for bus schedules

78. Call your local carpool program or start one in your town

79. Carpool the kids to their school events

80. Carpool to the ski slopes

81. Carpool to go shopping

82. Eat lunch at the office instead of going out

83. Call stores first to see if they have what you want

84. Combine several small trips into one

85. Shop by mail and catalogs

86. Plan an evening at home with your kids

87. Do errands on the way home from work

88. Encourage your teens to walk or ride their bikes rather than taking the car, and do the same yourself

89. Shop for a neighbor when going to the grocery store or form a neighborhood co-op

90. Have your car’s emissions tested regularly

91. Tune-up your car, especially before winter

92. Check for proper tire inflation when gassing up

93. Don’t repair your car’s air conditioning yourself, have it serviced at a station that recycles CFC’s

94. Don’t buy a car with air conditioning

95. When buying a new car, let dealers know that fuel efficiency is important

96. Park and go inside instead of idling at a drive-up window

97. Remove unnecessary articles from your car; each 100 lbs. of weight decreases fuel efficiency by 1%

98. Enjoy sports and activities that don’t require gas or electricity

99. Avoid accelerated starts to save gas

100. Copy this list and send it to ten friends

101. Think often about the future and how you would like the earth to be 100 years from now for your grandchildren and their grandchildren

US Lighitng Products a large selection of low energy solutions to be green and save the planet.  For business checkout our cost effective low energy signage.

Or use the sun for you energy!  Check out our solar charging devices.

There is no comparison between the cost of LED lights vs.  the traditional incandescent options. With incandescent bulbs, the true cost of the bulb is the cost of replacement bulbs and the labor expense and time needed to replace them. These are significant factors, especially where there are a large number of installed bulbs. For office buildings and skyscrapers, maintenance costs to replace bulbs can be enormous. These issues can all be virtually eliminated with the LED option.

The key strength of LED lighting is reduced power consumption. When designed properly, an LED circuit will approach 80% efficiency, which means 80% of the electrical energy is converted to light energy. The remaining 20% is lost as heat energy. Compare that with incandescent bulbs which operate at about 20% efficiency (80% of the electrical energy is lost as heat). In real money terms, if a 100 Watt incandescent bulb is used for 1 year, with an electrical cost of 10 cents/kilowatt hour, $88 will be spent on electricity costs. Of the $88 expense, $70 will have been used to heat the room, not light the room. If an 80% efficient LED system had been used, the electricity cost would be $23 per year – there would be a cost savings of $65 on electricity during the year. Realistically the cost savings would be higher as most incandescent light bulbs blow out within a year and require replacements whereas LED light bulbs can be used easily for a decade without burning out.

“The successful Borealis LED streetlight pilot test has saved the City of Naperville in electricity use, in turn
saving tax payer dollars,” said Carl Scianna, President and CEO of PolyBrite International. Mr. Scianna further noted, “The test concludes that Borealis LED streetlights consumed a remarkable average of 57.6% less energy than the HPS streetlights. The goal is to replace all public lighting with LEDs to significantly reduce electricity use and green house gas emissions…a win-win situation for our city budgets and for the environment.”

PolyBrite’s patented LED technology, used in all Borealis lamps and lighting systems, will reduce the city’s
operating costs, including lower energy usage and reduced maintenance and bulb replacement. The City of
Naperville’s cost saving calculations project an annual GHG (green house gas) savings by 2015 to be 4,739 metric tons of CO2e (Carbon dioxide equivalent) per year and an annual financial savings, by 2015, of at least $500,000 per year once all the streetlights and traffic signal are converted to LED. These estimates are based on a conservative electricity rate and increases in energy costs would result in higher cost savings.

Borealis LED streetlights produce a sharp, pure color without glare and feature an instant “on” with no cold
starting as compared to HPS street lights, which typically take several minutes to get to full brightness. Motion sensors and lighting controls can also be used with Borealis LED lighting since they can be turned on and off instantly. Furthermore, Borealis LED streetlights are better equipped to withstand extreme hot and cold temperatures and provide more control over what is illuminated, thus reducing light pollution making it an ideal solution for public lighting.

The City of Naperville requested public input and approval of the test installations. The response from the
community has been extremely positive.

The APEC conference featured a series of Special Presentations focused on application areas this year, and the lead session in the consumer space focused on LED backlighting for LCD TVs. Gartner Research Director Steve Ohr presented “The promise for LED backlights in consumer TVs” and questioned just how quickly LEDs will penetrate the application, but still offered a positive market outlook.

Ohr started the presentation stating, “I thought LEDs would be too expensive to use as backlights.” But Ohr noted that consumers seem to be buying the LED sets despite the price premium – and in many cases without a discernible difference in picture quality. Ohr questioned whether the edge-lit sets offer any real improvement in image quality relative to fluorescent-lit sets.

While Ohr noted that some analysts and the TV manufacturers are predicting 50% market penetration in 2010, he takes a much more conservative view. Ohr sees 50% penetration by 2013, but notes that bearish outlook still results in a $2 billion white LED opportunity in 2013

Ohr isn’t alone questioning some of the bullish forecasts. Strategies Unlimited’s Bob Steele also questioned some of the high market projections two weeks ago at the Strategies in Light conference. In his annual market forecast presentation, Steele noted that some analysts are projecting that 39 million LED-based TVs will ship in 2010 while he believes 22 million is a more reasonable projection.

Despite his analysis of the financials and questions about the advantages of LEDs in edge-lit configurations, Ohr said signs are pointing potentially to a more rapid adoption of LEDs. He stated, “Promotion of LED backlights may result in high consumer acceptance despite the higher price.”

Ohr also noted that there are signs in the semiconductor space that those companies see a more rapid transition than most expected previously. He noted that NXP had discontinued development of a new fluorescent driver IC. And he displayed a slide of a Marvell fluorescent driver data sheet with discontinued stamped across the sheet.

Ohr concluded stating, “We need $0.05 by 2013.” He questions whether the LED industry can deliver components at that price both because of the manufacturing and packaging cost, and the need to test and bin the products for intensity and color.

The APEC conference featured a series of Special Presentations focused on application areas this year, and the lead session in the consumer space focused on LED backlighting for LCD TVs. Gartner Research Director Steve Ohr presented “The promise for LED backlights in consumer TVs” and questioned just how quickly LEDs will penetrate the application, but still offered a positive market outlook.

Ohr started the presentation stating, “I thought LEDs would be too expensive to use as backlights.” But Ohr noted that consumers seem to be buying the LED sets despite the price premium – and in many cases without a discernible difference in picture quality. Ohr questioned whether the edge-lit sets offer any real improvement in image quality relative to fluorescent-lit sets.

While Ohr noted that some analysts and the TV manufacturers are predicting 50% market penetration in 2010, he takes a much more conservative view. Ohr sees 50% penetration by 2013, but notes that bearish outlook still results in a $2 billion white LED opportunity in 2013

Ohr isn’t alone questioning some of the bullish forecasts. Strategies Unlimited’s Bob Steele also questioned some of the high market projections two weeks ago at the Strategies in Light conference. In his annual market forecast presentation, Steele noted that some analysts are projecting that 39 million LED-based TVs will ship in 2010 while he believes 22 million is a more reasonable projection.

Despite his analysis of the financials and questions about the advantages of LEDs in edge-lit configurations, Ohr said signs are pointing potentially to a more rapid adoption of LEDs. He stated, “Promotion of LED backlights may result in high consumer acceptance despite the higher price.”

Ohr also noted that there are signs in the semiconductor space that those companies see a more rapid transition than most expected previously. He noted that NXP had discontinued development of a new fluorescent driver IC. And he displayed a slide of a Marvell fluorescent driver data sheet with discontinued stamped across the sheet.

Ohr concluded stating, “We need $0.05 by 2013.” He questions whether the LED industry can deliver components at that price both because of the manufacturing and packaging cost, and the need to test and bin the products for intensity and color.