Today, there are three things that are impacting outdoor lighting trends, taller elevations, the shift from brown-based to grey-based exterior materials and the continued desire for Outdoor Living elements and accessories. Together or separate, these changes are having an impact on outdoor lighting.

Taller

For almost ten years now, the height of interior ceilings has been shifting from a longstanding norm of eight-foot to a minimum of nine-foot tall. Many homes and many geographic areas are seeing minimums of ten and even twelve-foot. Homeowners love the expanse this provides. The unintended result of this growth is taller exterior elevations. Because of these increases in the exterior elevation and the commensurate growth of exterior door size and height, the standard, wall-mounted lighting fixtures that flank the doors and garage of a home had grown. Gone are the 8” porch lights of the past. Consumers must seek out taller exterior lighting to compliment the extended expanses outside.

Occurring almost concurrent with the interior ceiling height increases has been a growth in urban infill architecture. Central city lots are not the same as suburban plots. They often were extremely narrow, but also quite deep. The resultant architecture is significantly narrower and usually over two-stories tall. A three-story or four story façade again warrants a taller lighting fixture, but these must also be substantially narrower. For this type installation, seek out narrow and tall lighting.

From Brown to Gray

The dominant color of residential exterior has been beige/brown/tan for an extremely long period of time. Over the last five years, a larger and larger percentage of new homes have been using grey, slate, black and even white. Stones, siding, roofing, trim and windows are all experiencing this shift. Exterior lighting has primarily been some form of bronze. That is shifting now to colors and finishes that work better with the new material palette. Look for more black, variants of grey and even aluminum, stainless and nickel finishes. Each of these will more effectively compliment the new colors.

Keep in mind that there is a fair amount of regionalism in this particular trend. Housing colors in “dessert” areas (Phoenix, Southern California, Nevada, Florida and parts of Texas) where stucco homes are de rigueur will not see this shift. The stucco is naturally beige and roofing must be terra cotta to withstand the elevated temperatures. It is highly unlikely to see the demand for bronze-based finished altering here. Expect continued demand in these specific locations.

Outdoor Living Continues

The trend toward more and more outdoor use of a home shows no signs of stopping. Homeowners want to maximize their living space and extending to the home’s exterior is a natural reaction. There are typically thousands of square feet of living space outside. Why not use it? That space has been filled with kitchen equipment that rivals the inside and seating and tables that delivers the same type of comfort as interior furnishings. Look for lighting to follow this path. Exterior chandeliers continue to grow in popularity. Pendants and linear lighting have recently appeared. Landscape Lighting provided by LED remains a viable way to add interest to these outdoor spaces. Relatively recent additions are battery-operated LED Portable Lamps than can be positioned around the area to add light where people tend to congregate. All of these forms of light are designed to enhance the already inviting outdoor spaces.

It is interesting to note, this is not a regional trend. People in the north are as likely as southerners to equip their homes with these accessories. It is often said that northerners must pack 12 months of outdoor living into four or five months and they do that with gusto! Every outdoor is primed and ready for these products.

Outdoor Trends

A tertiary trend that is slowing gaining foothold is a more contemporary overall design. Initially this started with architect-driven homes and urban infill architecture, but more contemporary or contemporary-leaning residences are appearing. For that reason, an uptick in the demand for modern designs is becoming evident. While small today, it cannot be ignored. More will inevitably be employed in the future.

Outdoor trends in residential exteriors tend to be slow in coming and they typically hold for a longer period of time than interior trends. These shifts have been accelerating for a while now. When they peak, they will hold for a longer period of time. Our love for the outdoor seems inexhaustible.

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.

Do me a favor and imagine that you are in need of suggestions for a Fourth of July party. You head to via Wikipedia

Of course, I’m not talking about snap pops, black cats, m-80s, or even those cool little paper cars that gush sparks, travel four feet, and then burn to death in a microblaze reminiscent of a 1970s action film.

I am talking about the ones that explode up there, the ones you have to tilt your head back to see. That the fireworks explode in the night sky is important because the very act of looking up immediately takes you out of the mundanity that the rest of the holiday will surely deliver – the planning, the decorating, the complications. No more overflowing trashcan with wing sauce-smeared cocktail napkins. No more ordinary stuff.

At the heart of the Fourth of July is a spirit of independence that is, actually, a big deal. When your eyes are on what’s going on at ground level, it can be hard to realize how big a deal ideas like independence and sacrifice are. Once your attention is arrested by the spectacle of fireworks happening up there in the sky, you’re taken out of the everyday and able to reflect on these things, which is important, I think.

2. They are glorious.

“And the rockets’ red glare/ The bombs bursting in air,” goes the song. Did you know that the word “rocket,” in the sense of the combustion-fueled projectile, dates all the way back to 1566? The Oxford English Dictionary notes that rockets have historically been “used for signalling, in maritime rescue, for entertainment, and as a weapon.” Fireworks symbolize communication, violence, and entertainment: A strangely fitting mix for the complex human heart.

The red glare of the rockets in “The Star-Spangled Banner” refers to the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. That the fort was not taken during the battle is indeed glorious, and fireworks are a reminder of the fortitude of the people who fought and suffered to keep America independent in 1776 and again in 1812. Boom. (Literally: boom!)

3. They are beautiful.

So, those are my three reasons that fireworks are the most important part of any holiday festivity: They happen above you; they are glorious; and they are beautiful. I think these are pretty good reasons for making sure you see some fireworks this Fourth of July.

Take a moment out of the hectic festivities to reflect on the spirit of rebellion, creativity, and inspiration that is involved in claiming and defending independence from parties eager to exploit the vulnerable. This is about more than just us. This unites us across time and space. Fireworks reflect the beauty of standing together for what is right, even when it hurts.

Energy efficiency starts in the home, but the policies and practices of your local municipality play a big role as well. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently compiled an efficiency ranking for 51 of the largest cities in the United States, looking at local government operations, community-wide initiatives, buildings, energy and water utilities, and transportation. The scorecard is mostly concerned with policy actions at the government operational level, but the criteria have an effect on consumers as well, through areas like building codes and efficiency incentives. Read on to find out where your city ranked.

Boston Takes the Crown

You don't have to be a master electrician to understand that saving energy means saving money. It also means less impact on the environment through fossil fuel-induced climate change. Therefore, top cities are being both fiscally sound and good members of the world community.

Boston is the top city for efficiency, followed by New York City and Washington, D.C. Washington was also one of the three most improved from a 2013 report, along with Los Angeles and Chicago. Bringing up the rear of the 51 cities ranked are Raleigh, Birmingham, and Oklahoma City.

“Our findings show that cities continue to be laboratories of innovation when it comes to energy efficiency, with many pushing the envelope for more energy savings in the last few years,” ACEEE research analyst David Ribeiro said in a press release. “Cities are also improving their approaches when it comes to tracking and communicating their efforts to save energy.”

Find Out Where You Rank

If you live in one of the ranked cities, you can check out how your community performed. If your municipality didn't make the cut, the organization encourages interested participants to fill out a self-scoring tool to help build up their data.

For each city that does show up in the rankings, you can drill into the information and see where they did well and where they came up short. For example, Philadelphia, slotted in 14th place, got credit for its government sustainability plan, its tracking of energy use for large buildings and its comprehensive public transit system. It scored lower in the community initiatives area, among other places.

What it Means for You

The building and community initiative sections are particularly relevant to homeowners. Building codes, of course, dictate what you can and can't do when constructing or adding on to a house. More stringent codes can mean more red tape, but they can also make buildings more efficient overall, which can save consumers money in the long run. Community initiatives, meanwhile, refer to programs that encourage, track or incentivize efficiency measures, which can take the form of elements like rain barrels and tree-planting programs.

You don't have to lobby your city government if you want to make an impact on energy efficiency in your own life. There are plenty of initiatives you can take to cut back on electricity use around the home and become an energy-saving master. Electricians will marvel at how low your bills are if you take just simple steps like using Energy Star-compliant appliances and unplugging your devices when they aren't in use. For even more ideas, have a master electrician conduct an energy audit on your home today. The expert electricians at you local Mister Sparky® are always here to help!

If you work in hazardous locations and conditions, you would understand the need to promote safety and ensure that the risk of explosions is reduced. It is crucial that you eliminate one or more component of the ignition triangle to minimize the chances of an explosion. The 3 protection methods listed below are widely used in hazardous locations, in the process control industry:

Before we delve a little deeper and understand these techniques, let’s take a quick look at the role electrical enclosures.

Electrical enclosures are cabinets containing different electrical components such as switches, sockets, plugs, knobs, transformers and controls. These keep the surroundings safe from any kind of electrical hazard. Such enclosures are resistant to spark and shock and they have a high tolerance to extreme temperatures. They must be used in hazardous locations as they keep an interior explosion from spreading to the external environment and damaging life and property. Let’s see how they are relevant in the Containment method of protection: