This week’s Product Spotlight has fallen on Valentine’s Day, and that couldn’t be more apt, since our

If you’re looking for a way to add a little dazzle back into your landscape, halogen landscape lights might be just what you need. Imagine being able to stroll with your sweetie down softly lit pathways on warm nights under the stars, or showing off your prized garden to friends and family, even after the sun goes down.

You can use halogen landscape lights to enhance walkways and flowerbeds or the areas around your decks and patios. These lights can also accent plants or architectural features, adding beautiful points of light around the outside of your home or business.

Find Your Perfect Style Match

Each of our halogen landscape lights is made of elegant black powder coated metal, and comes with a mounting spike and halogen light bulb.

You can choose from 3 different shapes:

1. Seashell

3. Cone

Nearly every neighborhood has that one person who has taken the leap of faith and invested in solar panel installation. Maybe you have driven by and looked at the roof of your neighbor’s home and seen the solar panels. You have probably realized they don’t stick out like a sore thumb and they are not unattractive in the least. In fact, they blend in with the roof and in many cases you really have to look to see the panels. With rising electricity costs, now is the time to learn more about solar panel installation for your own home. An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, can tell you everything you need to know about solar power.

One of the hesitations homeowners have about solar power is the fear of “running out” of electricity. Fortunately, this isn’t a problem for those who still want to stay on the power grid as a backup plan. You can choose to supplement your electricity with solar power or rely on solar power for the majority of your power needs. There is no right or wrong way to use solar power. Another concern that is often brought up is the initial investment cost of solar panels. There are plenty of incentives and affordable payment plans that can be used to buy solar panels. Lease options are another possibility.

Getting on board the solar power bandwagon has never been easier with the number of companies promoting alternative power. You can supplement your current Burbank electrical system with solar energy or go completely solar. The choice is yours. There are some minor adjustments that will need to be made and there is a slight learning curve when you first switch to solar power. However, once you get that first electric bill and realize the cost savings of solar energy, you will be thrilled. Give The Electric Connection a call to learn more about solar panel installation.

The commercial electricity for HVAC systems accounts for about 50 percent of a building’s total energy consumption. Being one of the major energy costs in a manufacturing facility, it dominates the building’s peak electricity demand. As such, improving the system’s efficiency, in order to cut energy costs, should be every facility manager’s priority.

The energy consumption depends on the climate, comfort preferences, building design, insulation, the timing of use, the size of the HVAC system, heat generated by electrical equipment, and other site-specific factors.

Building owners and businesses can reduce their energy costs by combining several measures that increase an HVAC system’s efficiency while reducing the demand for heating and cooling.

When selecting HVAC systems, pay attention to its design and controls. Components such as motors can impact heavily on the running costs of equipment because some are usually oversized to meet peak demands. An ideal system should have more variable speed control, inverter controls, economizers, demand controlled ventilation, advanced sensors and monitoring, as well as superior diagnostics. In addition, the system should be the appropriate size; not too small or oversized.

By controlling and running the HVAC motors at speeds based on the heating or cooling needs, consumers are able to realize energy savings of between 30 and 50 percent compared to the conventional constant speed operations. Most manufacturers prefer newer algorithm-driven smart microprocessors.

These provide a refined speed control that responds to the changing load in the building. Instead of using on and off cycling, these controls adjust the system according to the actual cooling or heating needs of the facility. More functions can be added through software add-ons as opposed to costly hardware upgrades.

Some of the ways to optimize HVAC systems include the use of thermostats and control systems, locating the HVAC unit in the best place possible, and modifying the ventilation and distribution. These are discussed more fully below:

A HVAC energy audit helps in identifying the operational deficiencies, hence allowing the building manager to take the necessary measures to enhance performance. The audit is often necessary because it helps in determining the amount of energy use, maintenance and upgrade requirements.

Consumers can then reduce their energy costs by optimizing, replacing or retrofitting the HVAC system to become more energy efficient. This not only increases efficiency and reduces the amount of commercial electricity for the HVAC system, but also improves the air quality.

The push for solar power is growing stronger and with good reason. There are several benefits that solar power offers and many homeowners have gained from these benefits. If you’ve been dragging your feet on looking to solar for your electrical needs, you are missing out! Solar panels have a lot to offer your home.

Solar power systems derive clean, pure energy from the sun. Installing solar panels on your home helps combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduces our collective dependence on fossil fuel. Here are a few more benefits that you will get by installing solar panels on your home:

Solar Panels Help Save You Money.

How much can you save on your electric bill with solar panels? Depending on the sun exposure we receive here in Virginia, solar energy could save you well above $100 a month. Multiply that savings times the length of a typical solar panel warranty (25 years) – and that’s some serious cash!

Solar Panels Pay for Themselves.

Panels purchased in cash typically pay for themselves in less than 10 years courtesy of lower electricity costs. In some states, like here in Virginia, as little as five years to pay for themselves. The more sun exposure your solar panels endure, the more they will pay for themselves!

You can Start Saving from Day One.

Solar purchase power agreements (PPAs) and solar leasing has made it possible for homeowners to go solar for little or no money down.

Many homeowners choose to finance their solar panels with one of the “pay-as-you-go” financing options. This means that a third-party company – the solar provider – owns the solar system and takes care of installation, maintenance, monitoring and repairs. You simply pay the solar provider for electricity – less than you would`ve paid the utility company.

As of June 2013, 75% of all American homes have access to pay-as-you-go solar.

Solar Panels Add Value to Your Home.

Solar panels lower your home’s electricity costs, increasing its attractiveness to potential buyers. How much? A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study showed homes with solar panels sell 20% faster – for 17% more!

Taking Advantage of Solar Energy Offers Tax Incentives.

As of 2009, there is no cap on the Federal Solar Tax Credit, giving you access to up to 30% of total system costs back, including equipment and installation. State, local, and utility incentives may also be available in your area, as well as Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs). Use them while they last – they could cut your costs in half!

Solar Panels Benefit the Environment.

We know that the majority of homeowners choose to go solar because it makes good sense from a financial point of view. That being said, the environmental benefits are also clearly worth mentioning.

The U.S. places second in the world in annual carbon dioxide emissions at 17.9%, right behind China. You can go a long way in lowering your carbon footprint by replacing utility power with clean electricity from solar panels.

A solar panel system can really help you lower your carbon footprint. In fact, the installation of a typical residential system offsets carbon dioxide emissions the equivalent of driving a car for 100,000 miles.