Osram Sylvania launched the Network as an alliance between its global lighting brand, ESCOs and its electrical distributors nationwide. Through the program, ESCOs can redeem QUICKPoints for various marketing communications project and training services. ESN offers ESCOs preferred benefits including a dedicated management team, field sales, application engineering and training options as well as marketing programs to support ESCO and distributor development of energy-efficient lighting upgrade projects. Seventy-three ESCOs have signed on for the program since its inception last fall. ESCOs develop, install, arrange, finance and manage available utility financial incentives for various energy efficiency projects. They can monitor and verify a completed project’s reduced energy use and assume the performance risk the project will achieve for the projected energy cost savings from a seven to 10-year period.

As part of the agreement, BSE will market PV panels and complete solar systems from CENTROSOLAR at BSE branches in Phoenix, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Austin, Texas. The two companies are working together to target utility, commercial, and residential PV solar projects, which are expected to amount up to an order volume of 10MW until the end of 2010. Coupled with its current product offering in wind energy and its specialized projects team called Grid Solutions, it adds to BSE’s position as a leading distributor in the renewable energy market. For more information on the two companies, click here.

“T12 fluorescent technology is 70 years old and is generally considered outdated when compared to the far more efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent technologies currently available,” said Susan Bloom, NLB’s vice chair and director of corporate communications for Philips Lighting and Philips Lighting Electronics. “Nonetheless, industry sales data reveal that less-efficient T12s still account for three out of every ten four-foot fluorescent lamps sold in the U.S. This means that literally millions of existing T12 fluorescent lighting sockets will have to be upgraded sooner rather than later, because the lack of these replacement ballasts will make T12 lighting harder to maintain. The good news is that owners and managers of America's commercial, industrial and institutional facilities who still rely on T12 lighting can rest assured that there are high-performing and more energy-efficient lighting technologies readily available to them that will also serve to support our national goals of energy independence and a clean environment.” For more info on NLB’s findings click here.

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