New IFMA-Johnson Control Survey- Energy Effficiency Spending to Increase in 2010

According to a survey of decision makers responsible for managing commercial buildings, planned energy efficiency investments across North America are expected to rebound in 2010.

Known as the Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI), the survey was fielded in March 2010. More than 1,400 business leaders responded to the EEI, which was commissioned by Johnson Controls Inc. and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).

Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability for Johnson Controls’ Building Efficiency unit, said the EEI results show that energy efficiency is receiving more attention from the CEOs, CFOs, real estate leaders, and facility managers who were surveyed. “Sixty-five percent of those surveyed say they are paying more attention to energy efficiency than they were a year ago.”

When it came to prioritizing energy efficiency, Nesler said, “We observed a dip this year.” In 2010, 84 percent considered it a priority, compared to 93 percent in 2009.

But investment is still expected to go up in 2010. Fifty-two percent of respondents plan to make energy efficiency improvements financed with capital expenditures compared to 46 percent in 2009. Additionally, 60 percent (up form 55 percent in 2009) plan to make operating budget investments in energy efficiency improvements over the next 12 months. 

While enthusiasm for energy efficiency remains high, respondents said limited capital availability (38 percent) is the greatest barrier to capturing the potential energy savings, followed by issues with insufficient payback (21 percent) and savings uncertainty (16 percent).  

During  the last 12 months, 41 percent reported investing less in energy efficiency as a result of tough economic times, but 32 percent invested more in energy efficiency, and 27 percent invested at historically consistent levels. 

The most important factor driving energy efficiency, according to survey respondents, is energy cost savings. When considering energy efficiency investments, 44 percent require a simple payback of less than three years. Significantly, 64 percent believe energy prices will climb again during 2010, and the average expectation among respondents is a 7 percent increase. 

The survey found that the likelihood of investment depended on organizational size and industry sector. Small businesses and organizations are much less likely to invest in energy efficiency compared with large businesses. Government and education organizations are more likely to invest, while the retail sector particularly lags behind. 

“In summary, it appears that investment in energy efficiency is expected to increase in 2010,” Nesler said. “Even in the absence of federal climate legislation, the key drivers will be energy cost concerns, public image, climate leadership goals, and government incentives.”

For more information please visit www.edcmag.com

LED Lights Important Technology For Energy Savings


There is a general consensus that the easiest energy saving can be achieved through a lighting retrofit program. new LED lights provide energy savings between 30 and 50% depending on current lighting in the building. The life span of LED lights is up to 50,000 hours reducing the need to replace the lamps as frequently. Redbird LED has released a line of new high quality LED Tube lights that offers high quality illumination and lower pricing. Their LED Lights are suitable for parking garages, retail stores and corporate buildings. for more information please visit their new LED Tube Light website

Starbucks Uses LED Lights in new Soho Store

Chain Store Age presented information on new LEED Starbucks store in New York

There is nothing cookie-cutter about Starbucks’ renovated store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. From the furniture to the flooring to the lighting, the 15-year-old store has undergone a complete makeover.

In keeping with Starbucks’ commitment to build locally relevant stores going forward, the design draws upon SoHo’s rich heritage and its vibrant arts and cultural scene. The shop is warm and earthy, with industrial accents. It feels real and authentic -- and totally at home in its locale.
"Everything from the chairs to the smaller cafe tables were chosen to create a more intimate environment for our customers," said Tim Pfeiffer, senior VP global design, Starbucks. “There is soft seating in every seat, with the exception of the bar stools.”

The visual highlights include two large paintings by famed New York “messaging” artist Peter Tunney. Reflecting Starbucks’ mission, words such as “gratitude” and "peace " are integrated into the collage-styled paintings. A series of evocative black and white photos behind the counter show scenes from the communities scattered around the globe where Starbucks coffee beans are farmed.

“For the first time, we are providing a visual story of where our coffee comes from,” Pfeiffer said.

GREEN: The design emphasizes locally sourced materials and reused/recycled elements: A bench table, chairs and flooring are made from repurposed wood from Pennsylvania, while wallpaper comes from reused burlap coffee sacks from Starbucks roasting plants. Lighting is provided by energy-efficient LED lamps. The store is registered for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as part of Starbuck’s commitment to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Volume Certification pilot program. It’s one of 12 pilot stores worldwide that Starbucks is opening in conjunction with the Volume program

To read full coverage please visit http://www.chainstoreage.com/WebExclusives.aspx?storyId=138181









Redbird LED is based in Atlanta and has recently launched a new line of energy efficient LED Tube lights for commercial building applications. They have designed a new line up of products that provide high quality illumination, energy savings and reduced environmental impact. For more information please visit their LED Tube Light website.

Pike Research LED Lighting to Become 46% of Commercial Lighting Market

Lighting currently represents about 17.5% of all global electricity consumption. The U.S. alone accounts for approximately 20% of this amount at an annual cost of over $40 billion. As energy efficiency becomes increasingly important for controlling costs, improving energy independence, and reducing environmental impacts, governments and organizations have looked to lighting as the “low hanging fruit” of energy efficiency.

Wider use of energy efficient lighting technologies already available today would lead to huge energy savings. A range of government incentives and other programs currently exist to encourage lighting retrofits in existing facilities as well as to lead developers to install efficient lighting in new projects. In addition, government and industry are investing significant resources into the development of even more efficient and better performing lighting technologies.

LED Lighting Will be 46% of Commercial Lighting Market

This Pike Research report describes the key technology and market trends that are driving the use of LED and other high-efficiency lighting in the Commercial, Industrial and Outdoor Stationary sectors. The report analyzes the performance requirements for a number of lighting applications and assesses the suitability of various current and future lighting technologies for these applications. It also includes a 10-year forecast for lamp and luminaire sales in the U.S. across 10 different lighting technology categories in seven major building types and application sectors. In addition, the report includes SWOT analysis of 16 key industry players.

For more information please visit www.pikeresearch.com

 Redbird LED is An Atlanta based designer and manufacturer of premium quality LED Tube lights. Their new line of LED Tube lights can provide energy savings of between 30 and 50% for commercial buildings. LED Tube lights also contain no harmful mercury and do not need to be recycled like conventional lighting. For more information please visit their commercial lighting LED retrofit website.

Redbird LED Talks About LED Retrofits at Green Building Symposium

This past weekend Georgia Interfaith Power & Light and Southeast Green sponsored , Green Building Symposium at Trinity Presbyterian in Atlanta, Georgia. A number of the speakers discussed the many benefits of lighting retrofits in any energy efficiency program. John Noel of Energy & Environment told the audience that retrofitting lighting was " ..truly the low hanging fruit of any energy efficiency program.". Jonathan Barletta, with Redbird LED presented the many benefits of using LED Tube lights in a lighting retrofit program. Barletta quoted the EPA who has advocated LED Lighting as the future of energy efficiency lighting.

Redbird LED sees LED lighting as a way to reduce energy and maintenance costs as well as a reduction in environmental impact. Some other benefits that can be overlooked is that LED lights have a"tough" side and can withstand more shock and physical disturbance than conventional lighting. Also LED lights outperform other types of lighting in colder environments. This makes them the logical choice for grocery store refrigerated cases, warehouses and parking garages.

Redbird LED demonstrated one of their new LED Lights that they recently launched for parking garage lighting solutions. Just one fixture bathed the room with white light. It was very impressive. For more informtion on Energy & Environment please visit their website,www.energyandenvironment.com. For information about Redbird LED please go to either their www.commercialledretrofits.com or parkinggarageleds.com

EPA Announces New Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial Buildings

—In partnership with several states and utilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new pilot program designed to further improve commercial building energy efficiency. Building Performance with Energy Star will help utilities and state energy efficiency programs achieve increased energy savings and fight climate change by strategically pursuing whole building energy improvements with their business customers. The pilot program is being launched with Energy Star partners Com Ed, MidAmerican, National Grid, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and Wisconsin Focus on Energy.

Modeled after the successful Home Performance with Energy Star program, Building Performance with Energy Star will provide a framework for regional energy efficiency programs to align their financial incentives and technical assistance with a comprehensive approach to building upgrades. Building Performance with Energy Star includes several key elements to help states and utilities promote an inclusive strategy for improving energy efficiency. These elements include measuring energy use with EPA’s online energy measurement and tracking tool, Portfolio Manager, to score building performance; approaching energy efficiency opportunities in light of findings from whole building assessments; and creating a robust delivery network for whole building efficiency services.

Redbird LED has announced a new LED lighting retrofit solution that will save commercial building owners between 30 and 50 % on their energy costs. LED Tube lights have proven to save not only energy costs but also reduce maintenance costs and eliminate the recycling  that older lamps that contain harmful mercury need. For more information please visit their LED Lighting Retrofit website.

Hyatt Hotel Completes LED Retrofit.

—In an effort to become a greener, more energy-efficient hotel, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort has installed LED (light-emitting diode) lighting.  One of Orlando’s largest resorts, with close proximity to Walt Disney World, the hotel recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation that included replacing traditional, antiquated lighting fixtures in its 54 hallways, as well as its freshly refurbished 10,000-square-foot lobby.

The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress began its remodel to comply with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging program, a voluntary initiative for hotels and motels across the state to adopt cost-saving green practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality and reduce waste. In order to become a more environmentally conscious organization as well as to reduce its extensive utility costs, resort management turned to Regency Lighting to consult on energy conservation measures and to install LED lighting throughout the hotel.

“We are constantly looking for ways to cut down on utility costs, and our lobbies and hallways are lit 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” said Rick Jackson, Chief Engineer, Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. “Working with Regency Lighting, we were able to compare the cost and energy savings of Cree LED products with the traditional lighting we had been using. The LED lighting installations in the hotel hallways and lobby are not only significantly reducing our electric bill and saving on maintenance costs, but are providing better quality lighting for our guests.”

According to Regency Lighting, replacing the resort’s hallway lighting with Cree LR6s is projected to have a cumulative savings of approximately $131,659 in the first year, with a return on investment of about nine months. These savings include projected energy, labor and cooling expenses, as well as the cost of the lamps. A cumulative savings of more than half a million dollars are predicted by the fourth year of installation.

“LED lighting is a natural fit for hotels and resorts because it provides extreme energy efficiency and longevity with beautiful, warm color – a solution designers have been unable to find with any other technology,” said Gary Trott, Cree vice president of market development, LED lighting. “The savings associated with LEDs more than make the business case for switching to LEDs, and with its recent installations, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is certainly leading the hospitality industry in energy-efficient lighting.”

Sponsor; Redbird LED is an Atlanta based leader in the design and manufacturing of LED Tube lights. Their new product line is well-suited for lighting retrofit projects in hotels and other commercial buildings including parking garages, grocery stores and warehouses.For more information on the energy saving benefits of LED lighting please visit their commercial led retrofit website.

Redbird LED Will Join Panel Discussion at Green Building Symposium

Fired up after Earth Day, but want to do more? This event will include over 15 speakers and a featured keynote address at lunch. Plus, find out how your church might qualify for some of the $400,000 GIPL received for energy efficiency programs in churches.

Dr. David Gushee will be our keynote speaker discussing Faith, Ethics and the Environment. Dr. Gushee is a professor at Mercer Seminary and a nationally recognized figure for his role in environmental ethics.

Panelists Include:


Alexis Chase/Georgia Interfaith Power & Light
Jeff Dinkle/Sustain.ATL
Corey Arnold/Peachtree Pest Control
Tracy Yount/AECOM
John Noel/Energy and Environment LLC
Jonathan Barletta /Red Bird LED Lighting
Aldan Hathaway/Sterling Planet
Carla Hathaway/Lights For Africa

Registration fee is $15.00.  We will provide a yummy organic lunch for $15.00 or just Brown Bag it!  Space is limited, register now.

Are you a local green business interested in a resource table at this event?  Register on-line for a $50 table at this event, space is limited.

The Green Building Symposium will be held at Trinity Presbyterian Church from 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

3003 Howell Mill Road, NW · Atlanta, Georgia 30327 · 404.237.6491 Send a representative from your faith community to learn how you can green your congregation by making your building more sustainable!

Redbird  LED is an Atlanta based manufacturer of high quality LED Tube lighting for commercial buildings. Retrofitting with Redbird LED lights can save up to 50% on energy costs for more information please visit thier website www.commercialledretrofits.com