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Stores stock new bulbs for the light switch The Wall Street Journal via Yahoo Share    
Turns out, changing a light bulb is harder than it seems. New bulbs using halogen, compact-fluorescent and LED technologies have been sprouting up on store shelves recently. The flurry of products is a result of legislation passed in 2007 that requires general purpose bulbs, starting in January, to be at least 25 percent more efficient than those using standard incandescent technology. The light bulb industry now faces a daunting task of re-educating shoppers who are still in the dark about their choices. More Siemens sues 2 companies over patent infringement The New York Times Share
Siemens, the German industrial group, has sued Samsung and LG in Germany and the United States, claiming the consumer electronics makers infringed on its LED lighting technology. The lawsuits claim that Samsung and LG, both South Korean companies, used one of Siemens's patented light-emitting diode technologies. The technology transforms blue light into white light, a feature used in some flat-panel televisions and increasingly in common household LED light bulbs. More As San Francisco requires buildings to disclose energy use, the Obama administration pushes for federal action FacilitiesNet Share
California's energy policy is generally viewed as ahead of the curve, signaling where the country is likely to be headed, eventually. On the other side of the country, President Barack Obama announced the Better Buildings Initiative, which seeks to encourage building energy use efficiency by several means, many of which do not depend on the support of Congress. In the face of a still-weakened economy, political stalemate at the federal level and the ever-growing issues of energy resource scarcity and climate change, it seems some people have decided the time for waiting is over. More DOE announces $27 million to reduce costs of solar energy projects FMLink Share
As part of the Obama administration's SunShot Initiative to make solar energy cost-competitive with fossil fuels within the decade, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the availability of more than $27 million in new funding to reduce the nonhardware costs of solar energy projects. The funding will also support a $12.5 million "Rooftop Solar Challenge" to encourage cities and counties to compete to streamline and digitize permitting processes. More Sears Canada retrofits lighting across Canada, bans inefficient bulbs sales SustainableBusiness.com Share
Sears Canada just finished upgrading its lighting across Canada, in one of the largest retrofits yet, says the retailer. It's also the first Canadian retailer to announce it will no longer sell inefficient incandescent and halogen lighting. Sears replaced over 130,000 inefficient incandescent spotlights and expects the retrofits to reduce its electricity consumption by more than 16 million kilowatt hours a year — equivalent to the energy used by 197,000 efficient washing machines. More Puma installs 1.9 megawatt solar energy system Sustainable Business Oregon Share
Sportswear maker Puma North America has installed a 1.9 megawatt solar power system at its warehouse and distribution facilities in Carson and Torrance, Calif., one of the largest solar projects in Los Angeles County. The system uses more than 8,500 high-efficiency solar photovoltaic panels — equal to about 380 residential solar systems — covering nearly 340,000 square feet of rooftop area. More Customer intimacy versus operations excellence: Why not have both? Modern Distribution Management Share
While strategic focus is an appealing idea, MIT lecturer Jonathan Byrnes' experience working with companies on profitability management suggests that there are other dimensions that are much more subtle, powerful and profitable. Take the example of the choice between customer intimacy and operations excellence. It seems obvious that a company cannot both provide individual service to customers and drive operating costs down. How can you have both? More Why is your top talent walking out the door? Refresh Leadership Share
General Electric CEO, Jack Welch once said, "Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee." A company's greatest asset is its employees. Without a dedicated workforce of men and women who enjoy their job and take a special interest in its success, a company can't survive. As the economy slowly recovers, the talent war is becoming fierce. Retention of top employees is a major battle many businesses are currently fighting. Could you afford to lose your top performers? More |
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