With the spring weather upon us, it is time to get outside and really enjoy the outdoors. Although it stays lighter longer, the evenings are still warm and beckoning, even though it is a bit dark. For early birds, getting up with the sun is exciting and invigorating. This is the time they like to go out and get the paper, water the blooming flowers or just sit outside and enjoy the sounds of nature when they are not masked by the hustle and bustle of life. If you have been out and about in the early mornings or late at night, you have probably noticed your outdoor lighting. Is it looking a little boring or maybe just a little too dark? An electrician in Burbank, like those at The Electric Connection, can help you revamp the outdoor lighting and make your yard much more inviting and safe.

When you step out your front door, you want to be able to see around the yard and if your car is in the driveway, being able to get a good clear view. This can be achieved with new lighting installed by your electrician. Burbank homeowners will appreciate the safety that comes with adequate and attractive lighting around these areas.

In the backyard or on your porch or patio, you will want enough light to read the morning paper, do a crossword or to talk with someone while looking at their face. It also allows you to see where you are going and whether or not the chairs are wet with dew. A little lighting installed by a Burbank electrician can completely change the way a space looks and feels. You will be inclined to spend more time outdoors when you know you can see clearly. Give The Electric Connection a call today and see what changes and upgrades you can make to your outdoor lighting.

One of the easiest ways to dress up your space and update the style is by changing your chandelier. Before you run out the door in search of the perfect chandelier, make sure you know the dimensions of your space. An appropriately sized chandelier should serve as a beautifying focal point that fits seamlessly into your overall design scheme.

For a room without furniture: Add the length and width of your room in feet, and then convert that number to inches. For example, a room that is 12 feet by 14 feet (12 + 14 = 26) would require a chandelier this is approximately 26 inches wide.

For a room with furniture: If you already have a dining room table in the space, the width of your chandelier should be about a foot smaller than the width of your table. This will leave a 6-inch clearance from the outer edge of the chandelier to the table’s edge.

The bottom of your chandelier should rest at least 30-34 inches above the tabletop. Adjust according to personal preference, fixture style and ceiling height. It is okay to hang your chandelier a bit higher in dining rooms with cathedral ceilings.

Chandelier height should be about three inches for each foot of ceiling height, so for a room with a standard 8-foot ceiling (3 x 8 = 24), choose a chandelier with an approximate height of 24 inches.

The electricity you use to power your home is most likely generated by burning coal, with some nuclear and natural gas-fueled current in the mix for good measure. However, that could all be changing, and faster than anyone expected. While renewable fuel sources like solar and wind power make up only a small part of the nation's electrical grid today, wind could actually be the leading source of electricity in little more than three decades.

Viable and Competitive

Wind could surpass other sources and provide as much as a third of the United States’ electricity by 2050, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies office. Wind currently weighs in at only 4.5 percent of the supply, but if projections hold, that will increase to 10 percent by 2020 and 20 percent by 2030.

“The wind industry can be characterized by the substantial growth of domestic manufacturing and the level of wind deployment seen in recent years,” José Zayas, director of the DOE Wind and Water Power Technologies office, said to EcoWatch. “Wind power systems are now seen as a viable and competitive source of electricity across the nation. Wind power’s emerging role is an important option in a portfolio of new energy solutions for future generations.”

Benefits to Public Health, Environment

Should the prediction of wind's dominance come to pass, it would have numerous benefits for the environment and for consumers. Even at current levels, wind has reduced water consumption by 36.5 billion gallons and carbon emissions by 115,000,000 metric tons compared to traditional power sources, according to the government.

That means a lot less carbon getting released into the atmosphere, helping to slow our contribution to climate change. Plus, once the infrastructure is built, wind is free to harvest, and doesn't have the same environmental tradeoffs as coal and natural gas. The benefits “can address key societal challenges such as climate change, air quality and public health, and water scarcity,” the report said.

Uncertainties Looming

The rosy projection is just that. There are numerous uncertainties that could affect how well wind power actually does in the future, including government policies to incentivize wind or decentivize coal usage, the supply and price of natural gas, and the demand for electricity overall in the United States.

The technology around wind generation will have to hold its own as well. Growth in market share depends on continued advances in efficiency, more transmission capacity and better weather forecasting so we can best take advantage of favorable gusts.

Global Optimism

Should the growth of wind continue as predicted, there could be hope for a cleaner, healthier future. And what's good for the United States can be good for the rest of the world as well.

“The global energy market of the future is poised to be the largest market the world has ever known,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a speech about wind power. “Pursuing cleaner, more efficient energy is actually the only way that nations around the world can build the kind of economies that are going to thrive for decades to come.