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Constellation Energy Awarded More Than $1B in Government Contracts

William Attardi on January 7, 2025

Constellation Energy signed two contracts awarded by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) worth more than $1 billion. The contracts are to supply power to more than 13 government agencies and perform energy savings and conservation measures at five GSA-owned facilities in the Washington, D.C. region. One of them is a 10-year, $840 million contract, the largest in GSA history. Through this contract, Constellation will supply more than 1 million megawatt hours of nuclear energy annually to various government agencies beginning in 2025. The second is a $172 million contract to enhance energy efficiency. decrease emissions and save on energy costs at five government facilities through upgrades like LED lighting, electric boilers, heat pumps, upgraded HVAC and building control equipment.  Constellation Energy awarded more than $1B in government contracts – Daily Energy Insider

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

William Attardi on January 6, 2025

The report prominently highlights new uncertainties embedded in volatile shifts in power demand and supply dynamics, an ever-more urgent need for grid modernization, and the growing precariousness of supply chains amid geopolitical tensions.

    1. Electricity Demand Is Set to Skyrocket. Can the Grid Keep Up?
    2. Energy Security Ever-More Dependent on Electricity.
    3. Pressure Is Mounting to Sustain Adequate Power Supply.
    4. Natural Gas Demand Rising, but Long-Term Role Uncertain.
    5. Supply Chain Risks—the Achilles’ Heel of the Clean Energy Transition.
    6. China Is Now an Undeniable Influential Powerhouse.

Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor.

2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector

 

 

Why Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta Are Investing in Nuclear Power

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

Tech leaders are exploring nuclear power as a solution to the massive energy needs of their data centers, sustainability challenges, and the growing demands of their AI initiatives. SMRs, a new type of nuclear reactor, are gaining attention for their ability to provide round-the-clock power with minimal emissions. As some of the largest energy users, major tech companies are investing in these reactors, which could play a key role in global energy transformation. A must watch video:  Why Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta are investing in nuclear power | Watch

Ireland Embraced Data Centers That Now Consume Too Much Energy by Matt O’Brien

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

Dozens of massive data centers humming at the outskirts of Dublin are consuming more electricity than all of the urban homes in Ireland and starting to wear out the warm welcome that brought them here. Now, a country that made itself a computing factory for Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok is wondering whether it was all worth it as tech giants look around the world to build even more data centers to fuel the next wave of artificial intelligence. Fears of rolling blackouts led Ireland’s grid operator to halt new data centers near Dublin until 2028. What other countries can learn from Ireland’s experience is to carefully manage the effect of data centers on the stability of the electricity system.      Ireland Embraced Data Centers That Now Consume Too Much Energy – electrifiED

DLC Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The DesignLights Consortium (DLC) has released their Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0. The draft proposes three updates:

  • Efficacy increase: Hort V4.0 proposes to increase the efficacy threshold to 2.5 μmol × J-1, which is an 8.7% increase over the Hort V3.0 threshold. This will set the DLC efficacy threshold for LED-based horticultural lighting at more than 45% above the most efficacious non-LED option.
  • Removal of lamp categories: Hort V4.0 proposes to remove eligibility for lamps. This decision was made based on low application numbers in lamp categories.
  • Clarifications to various requirements: A variety of clarifications are proposed throughout Hort V4.0, including for definitions of key terminology and for certain testing requirements.

The Draft 1 Horticultural Technical Requirements V4.0 document is available here.

LightNOW: News and Opinion for the Lighting Industry

TCL Hosts Global Technology Innovation Conference, Showcasing Latest AI and Display Innovations

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The TCL Global Technology Innovation Conference, now in its 11th year since its inception in 2004, marked a significant shift from its previous internal forum to an open forum welcoming industry professionals. The conference served as a platform for scholars, top experts, industry leaders and partners to explore future industrial development. On December 11, the 2024 TCL Global Technology Innovation Conference (TIC) was held in Shenzhen. With the theme “The Future is Visible by AI”, the conference focused on AI applications, smart devices, displays, new energy photovoltaics. During the event, TCL unveiled 16 technological breakthroughs, including 5 all-scenario AI applications. [News] TCL Hosts Global Technology Innovation Conference, Showcasing Latest AI and Display Innovations – LEDinside

Registration Now Open for LEDucation 2025

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

LEDucation, a premier annual event for the North American lighting industry, is excited to announce that registration is now open for its 2025 Trade Show and Conference being held at the New York Hilton Midtown, March 18–19, 2025. New and returning exhibitors, industry influencers, and a myriad of engaging, educational experiences will help all attendees gain an advantage in the lighting business. With over 400 exhibitors gathered across four expansive Trade Show halls, attendees will be able to explore the latest advancements in lighting products and technologies that are shaping a brighter, more efficient future for our industry. For more information on these sessions including complete presenter bios, visit org/2025-presentations  Attendees can view registrations details and find a link to register at leducation.org/registration

2024 State of the Cannabis Lighting Market

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

This ninth annual exclusive report takes a deep dive into the fluctuating lighting trends among commercial cultivators. It has been nearly a decade since Cannabis Business Times first began publishing its “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report. There’s no doubt that the relationship between cannabis and light is one of the most crucial aspects of cannabis cultivation and ultimate success. From light intensity to spectral properties, to light uniformity, to dimming technology and much more, every new discovery in the cannabis industry opens another door for growers, researchers, and lighting manufacturers to explore. In this 2024 “State of the Cannabis Lighting Market” report, you’ll find exclusive data revealing practices of your cannabis cultivation peers, with valuable insights into the evolution of cannabis lighting trends through the years.

Federal Government Now Requires Energy Efficient Outdoor Lighting Products at Thousands of Government Sites and Facilities

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The federal government is the nation’s largest property owner, maintaining a portfolio of nearly 9,600 buildings that span over 375 million square feet. It’s the nation’s largest energy consumer, as well. The GSA’s 2024 P100 Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service — a key document guiding building design and the purchase of products for federal and other public entities — now points project actors to the DLC’s LUNA Technical Requirements and Qualified Projects List for certain types of outdoor lighting at public facilities. Specifiers, designers and installers wishing to identify outdoor lighting products for use in federal and other public buildings can find and compare LUNA-listed luminaires by creating a free myDLC account and then searching the LUNA QPL.  Federal Government Now Requires Energy Efficient Outdoor Lighting Products that Reduce Light Pollution at Thousands of Government Sites and Facilities | EC&M

Meta to Build $10B AI Data Center, Musk Expands AI Facility

William Attardi on December 31, 2024

The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city’s chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details. The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports. Meta to Build $10B AI Data Center, Musk Expands AI Facility – tEDmag

Interesting: The Three Pillars of Independence of an Organization

The 3 Pillars of Independence most commonly refers to a framework from the UK voluntary sector (specifically promoted by organizations like Bond and the Directory of Social Change). It is a toolkit for assessing and maintaining the independence of charities, NGOs, or civil society organizations.

The Three Pillars are:

  1. Independent of Party Politics – The organization (or regulator) must remain free from bias or influence by any political party or the government of the day. Decisions should be impartial, not favoring one political side.
  2. Independent of Populism – It should not be swayed by popular public opinion, media-driven campaigns, or transient public pressure, especially on controversial or unpopular causes.
  3. Independent of the Press – Freedom from media influence or pressure, ensuring decisions are based on evidence and law rather than headlines or public narratives.

This toolkit was created to monitor potential political encroachment on charitable regulation and to ensure charities can operate without undue external interference.

 

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