Make the Switch to LED Lighting - Your Electric Bill Will Thank You

In today's economic state, people are looking for everything they can do that will help them save some of their hard earned money.  Whether you are looking to make drastic changes or just a few minor ones, there are ways you can save.  Reducing your electric bill is a great place to start and LED Lighting is part of that answer.  Not only will reducing your electric bill keep some money in your pocket, it will also help to reduce your carbon footprint on the earth!

But why is LED lighting so energy efficient?  What are the real differences between traditional incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs, and even halogen bulbs versus LED bulbs?

Pretty soon you won't be able to purchase incandescent light bulbs anymore.  In January 2012, the Energy Independence Security Act began phasing out production of general-purpose incandescent lightbulbs, starting with 100-watt bulbs.  Exceptions will be made for some incandescents, however, including 3-way, appliance, and ceiling fan bulbs.

Fortunately, the alternatives are more energy efficient, better for the environment, and provide similar - or better - light quality.

Let's take a look at the comparison of LED's vs. compact fluorescent vs. halogen.

LED
1. The estimated cost per year is $1.58 compared to $7.90 for a 60-watt incandescent bulb (keep in mind that currently there are no 100-watt equivalent LED bulbs on the market).
2. Will last approximately 25,000 hours
3. Are the most energy efficient and long lasting and come with dimmable options.
4. Are best for your health, as they are mercury free, as well as other health benefits.
5. They do cost more to purchase, but you make up for it in energy savings over the life of the bulb.

COMPACT FLUORESCENT
1. The estimated cost per year is $3.42 compared to $13.17 for a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
2. Will last approximately 10,000 hours
3. Are a cost-effective, energy saving solution.
4. Many color temperature options are available.
5. Do contain mercury and requires safe disposal.

HALOGEN
1. The estimated cost per year is $9.48 compared to $13.17 for a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
2. Will last approximately 1,000 hours.
3. Produces a high quality of light.
4. Give off a lot of heat.
5. Are not as energy efficient as CFL or LED.

Well there you have it, an actual comparison of the three lightbulb choices you have.  It seems pretty clear to us which bulbs you should choose!

New Tek Partners is an LED technology based company and our mission is to develop and produce high quality LED lighting products and provide alternative lighting solutions to our clients.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions about how we can help you reduce your electric costs, as well as reduce your effect on the environment.   Like our Facebook Page for free shipping on certain bulbs, helpful tips, lighting ideas, pictures, and much more!

The Future of LED Lighting

LED's are on the verge of reaching nearly every technological sector of your daily life.  From remote control key chains to household lighting to even industrial warehouse applications, this young technology is quickly gaining a foothold and looking to become the standard of lighting for years to come.  Before it became mainstream, LED lighting was used in niche applications.  With technology growing at such a rapid rate, it gave LED technology a chance to become involved with recent technological advances, like video displays on GPS and handheld devices.
 
While LED lighting prices remain high, their energy-efficient qualities combined with the phasing out of incandescent bulbs are combining to give this technology a platform on which to prove itself.  Prices, however, are expected to steadily decline in the next few years.  LED's are semiconductors, and since they are solid-state technology, they follow a fairly predictable curve as far as affordability and technological advancement go. 

A Hewlett-Packard semiconductor researcher estimated that light quality in LED's would increase by a factor of 20 per decade, while the cost would inversely drop by a factor of 10.  LightFair, an annual international architectural and commercial trade show, has seen its displays of LED lights rise of the last few years, reflecting this LED curve.  The industry as a whole is depending on LED's to supplant incandescent and fluorescent technology.  Even the government is joining the mindset of business enterprise. 

Just last year, the Department of Energy announced over $30 million in grants for solid state lighting research.  This grant money will go towards research and manufacturing of current LED's, in addition to new LED based technology.  Government estimates show that widespread LED use could cut U.S. electricity costs for lighting by up to a third by 2030.  This includes using LED's for traffic signals and flashlights and throughout civic centers and sports arenas.
 
New Tek Partners provides the latest in LED technology for private and commercial use.  With the increase in demand of LED products, New Tek Partners has an expanded line which features screw-in bulbs, wall packs, floor lights, and street lights.  As LED technology continues to follow the curve, New Tek Partners will be there to guide the way and inform you of the latest LED upgrades.

New Tek Partners is an LED technology based company and our mission is to develop and produce high quality LED lighting products and provide alternative lighting solutions to our clients.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions about how we can help you reduce your electric costs, as well as reduce your effect on the environment.  Also connect with us on our Facebook Page.

LED Lighting – Busting Electricity Myths

Whenever exploring new technology it’s common to hear many different arguments which blur the line between fact and fiction, making it hard for the average consumer to make an educated choice.  Here are a few myth-busting facts to help clear up any misconceptions you might have had about LED lighting:

• Myth:  An LED bulb is more expensive than an incandescent bulb.  Truth:  Although the one-time cost of an LED may be slightly higher than an incandescent bulb, it lasts up to 10 times longer and uses a much as 80% less energy than a standard incandescent.  Factor in the decreasing prices of LED bulbs due to the phasing out of incandescent bulbs and you have superior technology for a considerable increase in long term savings.
• Myth:  It is better to wait on LED technology and use my existing incandescent bulbs until they burn out.  Truth:  Every hour an old incandescent bulb is used, they more money is added to your electricity bill.  Incandescent bulbs burn more energy than they give out; thus there is no benefit for waiting for them to burn out, even if it does only take a few short months for them to do so.  Replacing them immediately with energy saving LED bulbs will prevent wasted electricity, possible safety hazards from the bulb popping and radiating intense heat, and provide an immediate return on savings.

• Myth:  Installing CFL lights will help me cut my electricity bill more than LED lights.  Truth:  Compared to LED lights, CFL lights consume twice as much energy to produce the same amount of light.  LED lights also last up to 5 times longer than CFL’s.  Additionally, CFL lights contain mercury and have to be safely disposed off to prevent this hazardous material from harming the environment.
Energy efficient, myth-busting LED lights are a must have technology for your home or office.  New Tek Partners provides the latest in LED technology, helping you fight against increasing electricity bills and environmental issues.  These cost effective solutions from New Tek Partners can save you a bundle when paired with energy consumption reducing techniques such as switching off lights when not in use. 

However, replacing your 50-watt bulb with a 6-watt LED light from New Tek Partners, for example, will give you the same amount and quality of light and use a fraction of electricity.  Through offering proven solutions in the LED lighting world, New Tek Partners can help bring your household into the emerging world of LED technology.

New Tek Partners is an LED technology based company and our mission is to develop and produce high quality LED lighting products and provide alternative lighting solutions to our clients.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions about how we can help you reduce your electric costs, as well as reduce your effect on the environment.

LED Lighting is Most Cost Effective Lighting Solution

Consumers commonly hear one main argument against LED bulbs: they are too expensive.  However, factor in that LED bulbs last up to 6 times longer, use as little as 1/30th the wattage of incandescent bulbs or CFL’s, and can offer a large dent in your electricity bill, and buying LED bulbs becomes more cost effective than purchasing new incandescent bulbs.  Although the cost of current LED products are higher than that of incandescent or CFL bulbs, the savings are recovered in the long run because your LED bulb will last longer, use less energy and ultimately result in less trips to the store for more bulbs.

As LED bulb usage picks up steam, new LED products are hitting the shelves at lower prices.  Certain new LED products will be priced for less than $15 and represent a new move to not only be superior to incandescent and CFL technology in terms of quality, but also in terms of cost effectiveness at the check-out counter.  As incandescent bulbs are phased out and LEDs take the forefront in the lighting battle, prices will continue to lower on LED products.  By 2015, LED lighting should hold around 30% of the commercial lighting market alone.  The upcoming change to packaging by the Federal Trade Commission will also make buying LED bulbs as simple as incandescent and CFL products.  No more need to calculate across lighting products; you will be able to directly see the energy efficient savings that purchasing LED products provides.

The trend in lighting is moving towards more widespread use of LEDs for residential as well as commercial use.  As LED bulb prices continue to go down, this trend is going to grow.  New Tek Partners is an LED provider who can help you save during the phasing out of incandescent bulbs.  They carry cost effective LED lighting solutions for residential homes and commercial use, such as screw-in bulbs, flood/wall packs, street lighting and tube lighting.  New Tek Partner’s LED GREEN technology provides a state of the art and cost effective product to this trending market.

Your Guide to Making the Change From Watts to Lumens

Most times, with new technology comes a new vocabulary.  Many consumers have gotten used to using “watts” to refer to how much energy an incandescent bulb will use when lit.  We can see the difference in brightness between a 60-watt and 150-watt bulb, but the term gives us a basis of comparison for when comparing across the different lighting platforms such as LED, CFL and incandescent.  For example, with the introduction of CFL’s, consumers had to get used to thinking about watts in a new perspective, since a 15-watt CFL bulb produces equivalent light of a 60-watt incandescent.  To take the comparison even further, a 6-watt LED is equivalent to a 15-watt CFL bulb. 

Mental lighting math, however, will become a thing of the past.  Now that regulations are changing in the lighting industry and new technologies are emerging, consumers will have to get used to new terms such as Coloring Rendering Index (CRI) and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) to help standardize the lighting solutions available.  Luckily for consumers, to make this easier, the Federal Trade Commission has mandated a change in the packaging for all bulbs. 

Effective in 2012, the new standard for measuring a bulb’s brightness will be “lumens”.  Lumens will replace wattage as the reliable way to gauge a bulb’s brightness.  To give you an idea of how lumens scale, a standard 60-watt incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens.  Even though a CFL bulb uses fewer watts to produce that same amount of lumens, you don’t need to convert since lumens refer to light output rather than energy consumption.  This means that lumens can be used to compare brightness of any bulb, without conversion, whether it’s CFL, incandescent, or LED technology. 

The good news for consumers is that this change in labeling allows you to better compare lighting solutions available and determine which is best for your budget.  Pairing this change in labeling with the emergence of LED technology and the phasing out of traditional incandescent bulbs, consumers will find it even easier to choose their lighting solution.

New Tek Partners can help ease this transition.  We carry a wide range of LED products to help familiarize you with the latest in lighting technology.  Our lighting products are efficient, durable and environmentally safe.  In addition, our products meet the latest changes in packaging and lighting regulations.  Let us show you how to save with LED lighting today!

How to Lower Your Energy Bill with LED Lighting

These days, everyone has gadgets around there homes.  TV’s, computers, multi-use monitors, kitchen appliances and many other electronics that make it necessary to have power strips protruding from almost every electrical socket in your home.  Not every gadget is completely necessary for daily function, however it is nice to retain the ability to use your devices when you want them, while also being able to employ cost saving techniques to lower your energy bill.  Also, don’t forget: the bigger the gadget, the more power you will draw.  So how do you cut down on electricity?
 
A couple of common sense solutions spring immediately to mind.  You can start by turning off your devices when they are not in use, unplugging appliances when they are not in use and setting you’re A/C at an acceptable, consistent level.  Another common energy drain is lighting.  Simply turning your lights off when they are not in use, especially if your current lights are incandescent bulbs.  Incandescent lights use up to 6 times more energy (measured in KHW) and have a tenth of the lifespan of LED bulbs. 

While your common household appliances and devices are limited in how often you can change them out (because of the cost, convenience and material attachment), light bulbs are easily replaceable.  In the case of LED lights, due to their approximately 60,000 hour bulb life, the ease of replacement is increased ten-fold.  Using LED lights in your home means less bulb swapping and less energy usage and ultimately results in a significant savings in your energy bill; especially when paired with the aforementioned common sense solutions.

New Tek Partners offers LED lighting products which can complement the common sense solutions you implement around your home.  New Tek Partners even offers a free lighting audit to help you ascertain how much energy your current lights are using and provide you with an assessment of how much LED lights could save you.  With the way the lighting market is moving, LED lights are poised to be the future lighting solutions for your home; and with good reason: they will save you money and help you lower your energy bill.

What other tips do you have to help lower your electric bill?