July 9th, 2009 · No Comments

From Green Right Now Reports:

The promise of energy-efficient LED light bulbs is getting brighter, with technological advancements and new entrants turning up regularly in the retail market.

The latest new bulb comes from GE, and while it may not be the perfect fit for home use, it could work for certain applications. For retailers and commercial customers who need display lights, GE’s new LED lamps could mean big energy savings.

And if that seems like a small matter, check out this tidbit from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Lighting uses nearly 40% of all electricity used in commercial buildings, according to the Department of Energy.

The two new GE LED lamps, a 7-watt “PAR 20″ and a 10-watt “PAR 30″ use far less electricity than competing incandescent bulbs and Halogens.

GE says its new 10 watt, 3000K “GE Energy Smart” LED lamp produces 340 lumens while offering up to an 80 percent energy savings compared with a 45-watt standard incandescent R30 Lamp (which puts out 485 lumens).

That’s a lot of numbers. Translation in words: The LED light far out performs the comparable incandescent in terms of energy costs, but with some loss in overall lumens. GE notes, though, that the better-directed focus of the new LEDs means less wasted light, which can make up for the difference.

The LED also lasts “up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent or halogen light sources,” which means both the new 10-watt and 7-watt LEDs are easier to maintain, GE reports in a press release.

Oh yeah, unlike CFLs, which can be buggers to dispose of, the LEDs contain no mercury.

US-based GE, which sells in 100 countries around the world, is one of the globe’s largest LED producers. The company points to its installation of LED refrigerated display case lighting systems at Wal-Mart stores as one success story in its LED commercial business.