NYSERDA Small Commercial Lighting Competition Prizes Awarded to Two Companies

November 6, 2007

Albany, NY , November 6, 2007 - The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced that Ace Energy Supply Company, Inc. of Buffalo, and Wolberg Electrical Supply Company of Albany are the winners in the New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program (SCLP) Quarterly Installation Competition for the third quarter of 2007. The award recognizes those participating companies (called Allies) that are the most active in supplying or installing projects during the previous quarter. The new lighting systems are providing better lit spaces for employees and customers, while saving New York small businesses thousands of dollars in energy and maintenance costs.

“These awards are evidence that economic development and energy-efficiency go hand-in-hand in New York State, and that NYSERDA is committed to both of these objectives,” said Paul D. Tonko, President and CEO of NYSERDA. “Lighting practitioners and small companies have come to recognize that effective, energy-efficient lighting not only reduces operating costs but can increase sales and productivity. This is another example of how Governor Spitzer’s goal of reducing electricity consumption 15 percent by 2015 can be realized.”

NYSERDA made the following three Installation Competition awards for the 3rd Quarter of 2007:

• In the small contractor category, Ace Energy Supply Company, Inc. of Buffalo received two $1000 awards for the most qualifying projects and for the largest amount of square feet impacted. Ace Energy completed ten projects, impacting more than 104,000 square feet of commercial space
• The $1000 award for most qualifying projects in the small distributor category was awarded to Wolberg Electrical Supply Company of Albany with seven projects completed in the third quarter of 2007.

“We appreciate the recognition by NYSERDA and hope to continue this success in the future. Effective, energy-efficient lighting has a big impact on the reduction of our customers’ electric bills and makes the world a greener, energy-smart place,” said Steve Lynch, President of Ace Energy Supply Company, Inc.

The New York Energy $mart^SM Small Commercial Lighting Program, which recently received an Exemplary Program Award from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, is open to lighting distributors, contractors, designers, and manufacturers. The Program promotes The Right Light^TM, an effective, energy efficient lighting products and designs for commercial spaces between 1,000 and 25,000 square feet. The program is changing the way the lighting market designs and manufactures lighting systems by providing businesses the option of improved lighting systems that are designed to reduce energy usage, save the customer money on electric bills, and improve the lighting for employees and customers. To date, over 6.7 million square feet of small commercial and institutional building spaces in New York State have been upgraded to effective, energy-efficient lighting through this program.

Ace Energy was also awarded a $45,000 incentive for a Demand Response project undertaken at the Spence School in Manhattan. Ace Energy installed interval meters, and advanced controls and communications in Spence School’s two buildings, including new Load Shedding Ballasts in lighting fixtures. The Load Shedding Ballast is a new technology developed by NYSERDA, Osram Sylvania, and RPI’s Lighting Research Center. The Load Shedding Ballast was developed as a low cost technology that allows lighting fixtures to be dimmed by a fixed amount to reduce electric consumption during times of high energy prices or when requested by grid operators. Spence School used a comprehensive control package to control lighting, cooling, motors, and fans to reliably and instantaneously reduce consumption when requested by grid operators. With the click of a button on a laptop computer or mobile phone, Spence School will be able to reduce their electric demand by more than 261 kW during electric grid emergencies.

NYSERDA’s Peak Load Reduction Program facilitates energy efficiency and demand response in order to displace the need for new power generation by providing incentives to end users pursuing energy conservation. Projects like the Spence School have proven to be a cost-effective alternative to building new power plants.

Funding for the awards comes from the New York Energy $mart^SM program which is designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging energy efficiency. Programs are available to electric distribution consumers of Central Hudson Gas and Electric, Consolidated Edison, NYSEG, National Grid, Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Rochester Gas and Electric, and to the businesses that sell energy-efficient equipment and services to those customers. All New York Energy $mart^SM programs are funded by a System Benefits Charge (SBC) paid by customers of these utilities.

CONTACT:

Colleen Ryan, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3359
cqr@nyserda.ny.gov