thedynamictrend.com

By Dennis Jarvis

Most of this site deals with the raw savings and comparison of bulbs and watts. Does LED make sense just comparing these two criteria at a minimum and the answer for any period of time greater than 1 year is a resounding Yes. We want to be conservative because we know businesses and individuals are leery of promises made every day for 5000% savings and/or gains. We want to under promise and over perform in terms of LED savings. That being said, it would be remiss not to mention governments role in making LEDs more attractive and when you take into account rebates and special tax applications for switching to LED lighting, the savings only magnify. Yes, we get a little excited about this so were going to bring the LED government rebates and taxation out as our final straw to your utilitys back.

The best place to start for a thorough and specific listing of available Federal and State rebates, incentives, and tax treatment for LED lighting can be found here: http://dsireusa.org/ Theres all kind of information there but we recommend (and use daily) the Search feature on the left pane where you can bring up specific information for you State. Lets take a quick look at an example in our home State, California. For our example, well use a small commercial building and light installation. We have already gone through the watt to watt comparison in our How LED Saves You Money article but the savings from government incentives would be on top of this top level analysis.

The Search function is pretty fast and simple. First drop down would be Commercial/Industrial followed by our State, California. Under Select a Technology, we would select Lighting. For Implementing Sector and Incentive/Policy dropdowns, keep those at All to start. Youll find a quick listing of available rebates and programs. Lets look at a few of the big ones. Start with the Utilities as many of the actual rebates are actually administered through the utilities. For example, in our situation, clicking on PG&E Non-Residential brings up a list of incentives. A few catch our attention right off the bat. Lighting: $0.05 / kWh saved, Efficient Lighting Upgrades: $17 – $200/fixture, and Lamps: $1 – $20. This is amazing. We based our savings in the referenced article above on 10 cents/KWH. The Utility is now going to increase that savings by 50% for kWh saved. The Lighting Upgrades would primarily kick in for fluorescent strip replacement since LEDs do not require ballasts (which draw watts themselves), and finally, well get a fixed amount for the LED lamps of between $1 and $20. You can quickly watch just the rebates above double our savings calculated on a pure watt to watt, lamp to lamp basis. The best way to get a full idea of our particular situation is request the LED lighting quote but governments actions have a tremendous impact on the already existing savings that LEDs afford. Thats just the Utility specific rebate.

On the Federal side, we see Corporate deductions of $.30 to $1.80 per square foot. More detail is available through a link given on that page. There can also be depreciation advantages for LED installations on top of the above. New programs are constantly starting and ending so its best to check out the above page when considering LED transitions so that you dont miss specific rebates or tax advantages.

What does the future hold on the governmental side? At some point the bureaucrats are going to realize that the best and cheapest approach towards some semblance of energy independence is to foster efficiency gains available right now. The business is home grown with job gains in every local community. Theyll get there eventually. In the meantime, to the small and large business alike, there are significant savings to be had now and the existing government rebates amplify the underlying financial benefits of LED lighting.

About the Author: Dennis Jarvis writes extensively about

LED lighting and LED light bulbs

for industrial, office, commercial, grow lights, and residential lighting and how they can save energy costs and money.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=941255&ca=Finances

By Susan Willis

When you need cash, borrowing against your home can be a smart way to go. Since this is a form of collateralized loan, your bank can afford to offer you the loan at a lower interest rate than with most unsecured loans. This is because your bank knows that, if you were to default on the loan, they would be eligible to claim part of the proceeds on any sale of the home.

Equity loans are smart money because the interest rates for getting access to cash via this type of loan are on average much lower than what you qualify for when, say, borrowing against a credit card or getting an unsecured personal loan.

As you dig a bit deeper into learning about your options in this area, you will find that you have two main choices when considering borrowing against your home’s equity: a. a home equity loan (a.k.a., a second mortgage), and, b. an equity line of credit.

If you are wondering, “Which is better: a home equity loan or an equity line of credit?”, here are the answers to 5 FAQs:

1. Which is better if I want all my money at once?

A: Getting a home equity loan is the right choice if you need a lump-sum payout of cash that you can use all at once to make home improvements, pay for an unexpected large expense, or pay down your high-interest credit card debt.

2. Which should I choose if I do not want to pay interest on money I do not yet need to spend?

A: By contrast, with a line of credit, you basically only borrow what you need, as you need it. Depending upon your bank, you will be issued either a credit card or a check against which you can draw funds – up to the pre-specified limit.

3. Which option is best if I want a fixed monthly payment?

A: The standard equity loan (i.e., second mortgage) option is best when you want to have a predictable payment each month until you pay off the loan.

4. Which home equity option lets me pay a lower interest rate?

A: The answer to this question depends upon where average mortgage interest rates are today. If rates are relatively low, a line of credit will likely allow you to save money on payments in the short term since it is offered at a variable interest rate that is tied to the LIBOR or other bank-to-bank interest rate.

However, there is no guarantee that interest rates won’t rise in the future. Therefore, it may well be the case that getting a fixed-rate loan through a standard home equity loan may allow you to pay less in interest payments over time.

5. Which one will let me lock in my interest rate?

A: Again, the standard loan option may be the best for you if you are interested in having a fixed interest rate over the life of the loan.

As you can see, there are several important differences between these two loan options. Consider these differences carefully as you decide which is best for your situation.

About the Author: Find more tips on how to secure a home equity loan at the best rate at:

Faster Equity Loan Approval

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=632007&ca=Finances