January, 2012 - Vol 4, Issue 1

We are proud to announce we have 6 LC's on our team!

What does "LC" mean? Well, there are 150 definitions for it listed on an acronyms website including: "Letters and Cards" (in US Postal Service terminology) and "Leaky Cauldron" (as in the fictional pub from the Harry Potter series). In our case, however, LC refers to "Lighting Certified".

What is Lighting Certified? Developed in 1991, the Lighting Certified Program was created to identify professionals who have a superior level of knowledge and training as lighting practitioners. Setting the standards for required skills and expertise for those in the lighting field, it addresses all aspects of the industry including safety, health, productivity, energy conservation and effectiveness, environmental concerns, government policy and lighting technologies. The non-profit National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professional (NCQLP) oversees the program as part of its mission to serve and protect the well-being of the public through effective and efficient lighting practices. Through Lighting Certified, NCQLP establishes the education, experience and examination requirements for baseline certification across various lighting professions.

Most recently, Senior Lighting Designer Jamie Wilson became an LC, raising the count to six within our ranks. Learn more about Jamie in our "New faces of Atlantic Energy Concepts Continues: Engineering & Design" section of this issue.

Our other LC's are: Brad Salamone (our founder & leader), Jean Black (Project Development Team Manager), Scott Micucci (Senior Lighting Design Engineer), Kirk White (Senior Account Executive), and Kevin Campbell (Account Executive).

We are thrilled to have six full-time in house Lighting Certified individuals on staff. That distinction is a compelling testament to our commitment to being the trusted lighting experts.

As a result of the growth in our industry, we have added staff to our sales, engineering and construction departments. We've also expanded our presence in Florida and are opening a new office in North Carolina to better serve our customers in the southeastern region.

We started introducing the additions to our sales team in our last newsletter. In this issue, you'll meet the new team members in our Engineering/Design group in our Pennsylvania and Virginia offices.

Scott Micucci

Scott Micucci has been with us for a little over a year now. He moved from Texas to the Fredericksburg, Virginia area to join Atlantic Energy Concepts as our Senior Lighting Design Engineer/Project Developer for our South Atlantic Region.

Scott's wealth of experience includes 20 years of work in the lighting industry. He is skilled at lighting design and product engineering, and has served as a lighting engineering consultant for both commercial and residential customers. Scott has provided electrical designs for industrial and office buildings, school buildings and commercial complexes.

A graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder, Scott has a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering with an emphasis on Lighting Design. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in addition to being Lighting Certified.

Jamie Wilson

Jamie Wilson joined the Atlantic Energy Concept's team last May. He relocated from Pittsburgh to the eastern part of our state where he works as a Senior Lighting Design Engineer/Project Developer out of our Reading, Pennsylvania headquarters.

Jamie's professional experience includes ten years in the lighting industry. He has expertise in creating designs for interior and exterior lighting, developing lighting calculations and plans, and designing electrical lighting and fire alarm systems for both commercial and retail customers. Prior to his move to eastern PA, Jamie worked on many LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications for building projects in the Pittsburgh area.

Jamie is a graduate of the Penn State University, University Park, PA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering and Electrical Discipline; B.A.E. In addition to his recent Lighting Certified accreditation, he is working toward obtaining his P.E. (Professional Engineer) designation.

Jean Black

Jean Black is Atlantic Energy Concepts' most recent hire - and a valuable addition to our Lighting Design and Engineering department. Not only is she a Senior Lighting Designer and Master Electrician, she also serves as our Project Development Team Manager.

During her lighting career, Jean has specialized in implementing operational improvements for energy company facilities, and she has received recognition for her award-winning architectural lighting designs and "green" lighting upgrades both nationally and internationally for major retailers and the hotel industry. In addition, she has managed electrical budgets in the millions to successfully design interior and exterior lighting systems, establish specifications for low and high voltage distribution, and implement life-safety systems, generators, and telecommunications and security systems.

Jean's educational credentials include a Master of Business Administration degree from Drexel University and a Bachelor degree in Industrial Design from Carnegie Mellon University. She is a licensed Master Electrician, a Certified Lighting Designer and an EPA Certified "Green Lights" Surveyor.

Thomas Edison's Incandescent bulb

On January 1, the first of the 2007 new efficiency and labeling laws were to become effective, banning the manufacturing and importing of inefficient traditional 100-watt incandescent light bulbs in the US. The legislation will not outlaw incandescent light bulbs, but it will require that they be 25% more efficient. An extension to the January 1, 2012 effective date has been granted to give affected companies until September 30, 2012 to comply.

The new efficiency standards require the light bulbs to consume less electricity (watts) for the amount of light (lumens) produced. The new energy-saving light bulbs - including incandescent, compact Fluorescent and LEDs - are already available at most stores. According to the US Department of Energy's website, they can save the average homeowner approximately $50 per year if replacing fifteen traditional incandescent bulbs.

Energy Star statistics show that if one light bulb in every American home were replaced with an Energy Star-approved compact fluorescent, enough energy would be saved to light three million US homes a year, reduce energy costs by about $600 million and prevent nine billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions (the amount generated by about 800,000 cars). Energy Department officials say these traditional bulbs waste as much as 90% of their energy as heat. Officials say replacing a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 13-watt compact fluorescent light bulb can save a household at least $30 in energy costs during the life of that bulb - which can be up to ten times longer than an incandescent bulb.

Some governments around the world have passed measures to phase out incandescent light bulbs for general lighting. The objective is to encourage the use and technological development of more energy-efficient lighting alternatives, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LED lamps.

As part of its global efforts to promote efficient lighting, the United Nations Environment Program (with the support of the GEF Earth Fund, Philips Lighting and OSRAM GmbH) has established the en.lighteninitiative. En.lighten seeks to accelerate worldwide commercialization and market transformation of efficient lighting technologies by working at the global level to provide support to countries who strive to be more environmentally conscious. In doing so, it aims to promote high-performance efficient technologies, phase out inefficient lighting technologies, and substitute traditional fuel-based lighting with modern and efficient alternatives. It focuses on implementing environmentally sound technologies (including mercury-free).

Atlantic Energy Concepts Expo Display

Atlantic Energy Concepts will participate in this year's 23rd annual GLOBALCON Energy, Power and Facilities Management Strategies and Technologies Conference & Expo.

Save the dates! Wednesday, March 7 (10 AM to 4 PM) and Thursday, March 8 (10 AM to 2 PM) at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

You'll find us in the Northeast Green Section of Hall B at Booth 127. Feel free to stop by and introduce yourself to our knowledgeable staff. They'll be there to discuss any energy issues you're experiencing or have questions about.

For more details about the event, visit the conference website at http://www.globalconevent.com/. Admission to the Expo Hall is free if you preregister by February 24.

The Greek teacher and philosopher Plato wrote: "The life that is unexamined is not worth living"

The English essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle said: "What we have done is the only mirror by which we can see what we are."

One of the most direct ways to assess your effectiveness in handling customers is by asking yourself the question: "If I were the customer, would I buy from my company?" According to customer relationship expert, Arnold Sanow*, if you answer YES to all the following questions, there is a good chance you've got what it takes to attract customers and keep them coming back.

1. Is your image one of honest and straightforward sincerity?
2. Based on what your customers would say of their experience with you over the past year, would you call yourself reliable?
3. Can you say your customers obtained unique benefits by dealing with you instead of your competitors?
4. Do you think you're viewed as an expert in the eyes of your customers?
5. Have you been effective in helping to solve your customers' problems?
6. Would you say you handle customer complaints to the buyer's satisfaction whenever possible?
7. Is "integrity" one of the most important words in your vocabulary?
8. Apart from your business dealings, do you think customers believe you have their personal welfare and well-being at heart?
9. Can you honestly say that most of your company's customers think of you as a friend as well as a business associate?
10. Do customers look at you as a good reliable source of product and industry information?
11. Has doing business with you contributed positively to the majority of your customers' bottom lines?
12. Would most of your company's customers continue to deal with you even if a competitor approached them with a price that's a little bit lower?

~*Arnold Sanow is a Speaker, Seminar Leader, Facilitator and Coach. He is the author of "Get Along with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere" www.arnoldsanow.com - speaker@arnoldsanow.com

"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
- Peter Ferdinand Drucker
Drucker (November 19, 1909 - November 11, 2005) was an influential writer, management consultant, and self-described "social ecologist".