Time to fall back and re-adjust to a new light!  Daylight Savings Time ends on November 2nd and our circadian rhythms may be upset as we are forced to accept the darker mornings.

Don’t despair, a few simple tips will help make for an easy transition.  From landscape to living room, we’ll show you how to adjust your lighting design for the change of season.

3 Surefire Ways to Keep your Circadian Rhythm in Check and Attune your Light to the Season

1.  PERFECT TIMING:  Reset timers on outdoor and landscape lighting.  Timers for outdoor lighting should be set to go on after sunset.  Automated timers may be wall-mounted indoors or on transformers outside.  Newer systems may be powered to photocells which adjust light fixtures automatically for Daylight Savings Time. Photocells are activated by natural sunlight, so that lights will go as soon as it gets dark outset.  For the coming winter months–timers for outdoor lighting should be programmed to go on around 5 pm and shut-off around 3 am.

2.  KEEPING YOUR SPIRIT UP:  Many individuals experience a lack of energy and/or depressed mood during the winter months due to their decreased exposure to sunlight.  Adding daylight bulbs to table or floor lamps will brighten up your interior space and may help to keep your energy and spirit up throughout the day.

Frosted True Daylight lamps from Bulbrite Industries utilize neodymium to replicate sunlight to  help you “see better, feel better” and adjust to seasonal changes.

3.  STAYING IN TUNE TO THE NEW NORMAL:  Studies have confirmed that lighting our homes and offices in tune with our natural circadian rhythms is beneficial to overall performance and well-being.  “Tunable” lighting is the wave of the future.  From setting our lighting designs to be in perfect unison with our sleep-wake-performance schedules to illuminating entire rooms in our favorite colors, we have the technology to change our lighting design according to the season and the ceremony!

Visit with a professional lighting consultant at a Capitol Lighting showroom or 1800lighting.com for personalized attention to your lighting design scheme.  Keep abreast of the latest lighting news at 1800lighting.com.

With all of the information circulating around about renewable energy sources, it can be hard to keep everything straight. One of the most common sources of renewable energy actually comes from the sun, and is harvested with solar panels. The most common solar panel converts raw sunlight into electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells. These solar panels can be found in fields dedicated to their use. One of the most attractive things about solar panels, however, is that they can be installed directly onto your home by an electrician in Pasadena CA. This is becoming more and more common, as people are looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly, self-sustainable and reduce their monthly electric bills.

Installing and Using Solar Panels

There are two different ways to connect solar panels to your home. You can either connect them to a battery array that will store the power for you, or hook them directly into the existing electrical grid. Both methods have their pros and cons, which you can discuss with an electrician Pasadena, such as The Electric Connection.

One of the great things about having your own energy storage array is that you have reserve power if there is an outage. An electrician Pasadena CA who specializes in solar panel upgrades will place a panel in the optimal position on their home. They will then connect the panel to a voltage controller, which helps to control the flow of electricity into the batteries. The battery array is then plugged into a power inverter that converts the electricity from DC current to AC current, so that it can be used in your home. This type of installation is typically used to power just a handful of essential appliances, lights etc. In the case of a power outage, you will have a few hours of electricity by smartly using the battery array to power your home lighting, and essential electrical circuits.

The method of installation that is the easiest for the end user to understand and use is by hooking the solar panel directly into the main power grid. The Electric Connection, or the electrician in Pasadena that you have assisting you with your installation can actually connect your solar panel up so that it will feed the electricity back to the utilities company, rather than just to your home. This can work in one of two ways. Either you send everything you generate back to the electrical company, or you send anything in excess of what your battery array can handle back to the electric company. In either case, you receive credit for the energy you send, which can in turn lower your electric bills dramatically. This installation is slightly more involved, but only requires a minimal amount of home rewiring and/or electrical panel upgrade.

Regardless of the type of installation that you choose, adding a solar panel to your home is a great investment. Not only will you benefit from the peace of mind that you are using fewer fossil fuels to power your home, but you can even receive credit back for any excess energy that you create. To sweeten the deal, there are many state and national grants and tax credits that have been designed to assist people investing in renewable energy sources. Because of these tax credits, much of the cost of installation will come back to you on your tax returns. In just a few years, the majority of all solar panel installations will pay for themselves. If you are truly looking to increase your energy independence, and are interested in renewable energy sources, contact your Pasadena electrician today to talk about solar power.

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In recent years, homeowners throughout the country have becoming increasingly reliant on appliances and electronic devices. Many don’t realize this, but that means that the electrical demands we are placing on our homes are much higher than they used to be, and our homes may not be well-equipped to handle it.

You may use small, portable surge protectors or power strips in your home to plug in things like your TV, or computer equipment. However, this is typically not sufficient enough to really protect your home and electronics against the dangers of power surges. Fortunately, there is a solution—whole-house surge protection.

As we mentioned above, you may utilize power strips to plug electronics such as your laptop or entertainment equipment into. This isn’t necessarily a bad idea, as it does serve a purpose. However, the more demand you place on these, the higher risk there is for your electronic equipment.

Whole-house surge protection helps guard your electronics and appliances against a large power surge. Remember, a power surge can do more than just cause your lighting to go out or kill the battery in your laptop. It can damage your HVAC system and any other large appliance that’s hooked up to your home’s electrical system. Systems do not even have to be operating or turned on at the time for a power surge to damage them.

If you want full protection for your home and electrical system, then you need the right type of surge protector. No matter what type you choose, it’s important to have it professionally installed to ensure that it works properly and really does protect your electrical system when needed.

The burgeoning industry of solar installation and manufacturing companies is something of a new phenomenon. The sheer prevalence of solar panels for homes and businesses represents a huge business potential. As the market expands, it is increasingly volatile, with companies forming and folding faster than you can blink an eye.

But that doesn’t mean solar panels are going the way of the buffalo. Much the contrary. While the industry sees a lot of turnover, it is growing and some solar companies are just getting better. This has a few powerful benefits for consumers:

In fact, many homeowners are installing panels with zero money down and free installation. If that sounds like a gimmick, think again. Solar leasing is a powerful money saving mechanism for your home. Imagine saving money on your bill every month, immediately, without investing any money. Call us to understand exactly what the potential for solar leasing is in your area. We’re eager to help you explore the world of alternative energy.