Diverse and impressive changes have been taking place in the lighting world this month. Read on to discover the fun and innovation!

In Lighting News…

Across the web, there was a consensus that LED holiday lights were the thing to have for the holidays. Not only are they energy-efficient, long lasting, and durable, they can also be interactive. We’ve seen families across the country creating Image via USA.Lighting.Philips.com

Other Cool Stuff…

In the last days of November, New York City residents were surprised by a light show atop the Empire State Building, synchronized to Alicia Keys’ “Empire State Of Mind.” The building’s new LED lighting system has over 16.7 million color possibilities, compared to the old system, which had only 10.

You probably know the iconic Pixar lamp – we usually see it hopping around before our movies start. Well, three students from Victoria University of Wellington have created a real-life replica of Luxo Jr., called Pinokio. With six servo motors, a webcam, some Arduino, and a bit of processing, the lamp came to life. Check out this video:

How about you? Any big lighting changes in your life this month? Please share!

One of the most popular ways for the average homeowner to decrease their dependency on fossil fuels for electricity is solar installation. As it becomes easier to access this incredible source of renewable energy, more and more homeowners are considering it as an actually viable option for energy generation in their home. Here are a few of the options that you have, when it comes to installation solar panels on your property.

Professional Solar Installers Provide Value

Although you may be tempted to try to install solar panels on your homes in order to avoid much of the solar panels cost, there are a number of benefits that come from working with a qualified solar installer. By working with a professional, you will know that your panels were installed by someone who works extensively with this technology on a daily basis. This means that they have ongoing and extensive training installing panels and connecting them to your home under a number of different conditions. Plus, these are the people who have all of the best connections with your local solar power industry, giving you extended insight into options, discounts and special programs.

Are You Aware of Solar Leasing?

Because most homeowners have never heard of solar leasing, it’s no surprise that it is less utilized than it actually should be. This great innovation is a great way for homeowners of all different income levels to lease a solar panel array that is perfect for their home. Whenever you enter a solar lease, you simply pay a monthly fee to have the panels installed on your home. Once the panels are installed, they remain the property of the solar leasing company. All of the electricity generated, however, belongs to you. In most cases, this results in a net gain as a result of the energy savings experienced.

Working indoors with very little windows can be depressing. An office that is full of bored employees who long to see the outdoors can have a negative impact on the work environment in general. One way an employer can change that is by updating the lights in the work space. The lights don’t necessarily need to be brighter, but more aesthetically appealing. An electrician in Santa Monica can help you work through some of the lighting options available and help you decide which lights would best accomplish your goal of creating a cheerier, more inviting work environment. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help.

The typical fluorescent lights that are in an office can be harsh to work under day in and day out. The eyes tend to strain under the lights. A Santa Monica electrician can install new lights that resemble the daylight outside and are more energy efficient. Maybe the office is dark because of a lack of lights in general. This is something that can be quickly fixed by an electrician. Santa Monica managers and business owners who want to brighten up the employee work space or maybe spruce up the area where customers frequent will appreciate the expertise of a professional. Lighting can make a huge difference in a room or large space. Lots of light makes it look bigger and of course, brighter and more inviting.

Because your business needs to remain professional, you only want contractors in the work area who reflect those same high standards. Choosing a team that wears clean uniforms and maintains a professional demeanor while in the work place is important. You don’t want customers to see an unprofessional crew working behind the scenes. It gives a bad impression. When you call The Electric Connection, you can be assured you will get a professional team who will adhere to your high standards.

Is your utility company planning on installing a smart meter on your home? You're not alone. These meters have been implemented in a number of regions across the United States, as well as in other countries in North America, Europe and Oceania. Read on to find out more about why these smart devices are growing in popularity and what you need to know about them.

Three Advantages for You

Smart meters have several big advantages over your traditional electricity meter. For one thing, they send their data to the utility company automatically, so there's no need for a meter reader to come by once a month. That also means they can turn your service on and off remotely, so you don't have to sit around and wait all day to get the power switched on after you move into a new home.

To take advantage of the remote reading capability, smart meters calculate your usage frequently, between every fifteen minutes and one hour, so you get a much better idea of when you use the most electricity. Additionally, most smart meters let you access a granular breakdown of all the data they collect about your energy usage, so you can make informed decisions about how and when to use your appliances. If you notice a big spike during the daytime, for example, you can turn the air conditioner down a notch or two, or cut down on the number of televisions you have on. It's easy to save electricity if you break down your consumption device by device, and a smart meter gives you the ability to get started.

Real Time Feedback

The smart meter also helps your utility company respond quickly to any outages and fine-tune its production. Since the company gets feedback about your consumption within an hour, it will know automatically if your power goes out and can see what other houses are having problems. That way, the company can get a jump-start on addressing the outage and act quickly to alleviate any accompanying safety concerns, like a downed wire.

What's more, the meter tells the company exactly when people are using power, so it can adjust its supply accordingly. From there, utilities have the option of instituting time-of-day pricing, selling electricity at cheaper rates during nights and weekends. This allows utilities to balance out their production schedules and use fewer auxiliary plants during the day, which reduces fossil fuel consumption and helps keep prices lower overall.

Spreading Across the Country

As more people discover the benefits of smart meters, their adoption is poised to increase across the country. Next time your utility provider upgrades its equipment, chances are you will get a smart meter installed if you don't have one already. If you have further questions about smart meters, how they work and what information they collect, contact your local electrician today.