It is becoming more common to see solar panels on top of the roofs of homes and buildings in suburbs and throughout the city. The panels are sleek and actually add to the look of the structures they are mounted on. The stigma that solar power was only reserved for cabins way out in the boondocks is over. Nowadays, it is become quite trendy to supplement your home or business with solar energy. The use of solar panels has been a long time coming and now everybody needs to know one thing; what is the cost of solar panels? How much will it set you back and is it worth the cost. The team at The Electric Connection wants you to know that yes, it is certainly worth looking into.

Solar panels installers are going to be one of the expenses you incur when you decide to augment your electricity with solar power. Typically, you will be able to find a company that offers installation packages with the sale or lease of the panels. This allows you to make monthly payments that would be similar to that of your monthly electric bill. You can choose to rely completely on solar power or to use solar for the majority of your needs with the typical power supply from the grid as a backup. There are numerous scenarios. You will need to choose the one that works best for you and your family. You can certainly ease into solar power, which is a good idea. There is a learning curve.

To install solar panels, you will need electricians who are familiar with and trained to handle the convertor systems. The systems will need to be wired into your home’s electric panel, which should only be handled by professionals. Solar power is one way to do something good for the environment while saving money on your electric bill. Give The Electric Connection a call today if you have any questions about solar panel installation.

If you’ve been trying to save a little bit of money on your heating bills, shutting off the heater every day for a short while certainly isn’t the most comfortable way to do so. If you feel you’re running out of ways to save a few bucks on your heating bills, you might consider installing a zone control system. A zone control system involves investing in an initial installation, but the results for your comfort and for your bills should very well be worth it. Zone control allows you and your family members to control the level of heating in one area of the home individually from the others, for maximum comfort and savings.

A thermostat capable of controlling all of the dampers at once. When you raise or lower the temperature in a particular zone, the damper that leads to that area opens or closes to allow more or less airflow.

This is only a job for a professional as it involves knowledge of duct design and the proper methods of dismantling the ducts and sealing them to protect against leaks. But once you get a new zone control system, you’ll notice the benefits right away. If there is an area of the home that goes unoccupied throughout the day or night, you can shut off the heat in that area only to save on your utilities.

You can also use zone control to adjust the heating throughout a house with multiple floors or a unique architectural design or feature that makes even heating difficult. Sometimes, the way your home is designed makes it difficult for heat to distribute evenly in every room. But with zone control, you can make sure that each area is the same with separate thermostats that ensure that room is heated to the desired temperature. As an added bonus, you’ll never have to hear the people in your home bicker about the temperature in the house when they can control their own area individually, and you get zone cooling in the summer as well for year-long savings.

Call the heating and air conditioning professionals at FB Electrical Services to learn how you can get zone heating in Newton today.

1.  Invest in a Few Strategically Placed Garden Lights–Do not over light your landscape. Be sure to check the “dark sky”* ordinances in your town so that your landscape lighting design will be within legal limits of illumination.  Try a few garden spread lights to softly highlight flowerbeds, rock gardens and sculpted shrubbery.

2.  Work It Wisely—Put the ultimate control in the palm of your hand. Whether hand-held or on automated timers, outdoor lighting controls are the utmost in energy-saving and convenience to promote safety and security effortlessly and instantly.

3.  Prepare Your Patio for the King of the Grill—Task lighting is often neglected when planning your landscape and outdoor lighting design. While aiming for subtle illumination in most backyard areas, you need shielded, but plentiful focused task light over outdoor cooking stations.  An adjustable spot light installed in a rooftop corner or an attached grill light will help you to see that your chicken is thoroughly cooked and your burgers are not too well-done.

4. Watch Your Step and Provide Shielded Path Lighting —LED path lights and strip lights are available in a variety of colors and sizes to uniquely define and expand the boundaries of your outdoor living space while providing nighttime illumination for safe navigation.

5.  Go for the Life Time Guarantee—Superb new vendors are featuring landscape lighting products guaranteed to withstand the elements and weather naturally overtime without peeling or rusting.  Check out new post lamps from Northeast Lantern–all parts, with the exception of glass, are guaranteed for life!

 Say “Happy Father’s Day!” and bring it on home. Great landscape lighting will truly make his home feel like his castle. 

 Best Landscape Lighting Finds For Summer 

Path Lighting: “Nexus,” new from Hinkley Lighting featuring LED and a Bronze finish; “Dwell”  1547 from Hinkley in a Buckeye Bronze or Hematite finish.

Garden Lights: “Intaglio” Brass Crook Neck 1543 landscape light in Olde Bronze from Kichler Lighting; Tiffany path light in Antique Bronze with Green Faux Tiffany shade (P5271) from Progress Lighting.

Grill and Wall Lights: Barn Lantern from Northeast Lantern available in a choice of unique finishes including: Antique Brass, Dark Antique Brass, Dark Brass and Verdi Gris.

Step and Deck Lighting:  LED-TO24-5 Tape Lights from WAC Lighting, available in Amber, Blue, Green, Red, and White.

 Be sure that your new outdoor lighting purchases are in keeping with the dark-sky outdoor-lighting codes in your community.

*The latest landscape light fixtures are energy efficient and in keeping with new “Dark Sky” regulations.  “Dark Sky” ordinances continue to spread across the country in an effort to reduce light pollution.  Check the latest nighttime light restrictions in your town, to make sure your outdoor and landscape lighting is in keeping with new code laws.  Call your local government’s community planning and zoning office.  Fines for violating dark-sky ordinances may cost up to $100–Consumer Digest Communications, LLC.

The emergence of shielded dark-sky-compliant fixtures makes it easy to update your landscape lighting in keeping with the new laws. In addition to being environmentally friendly, these fixtures reduce glare, and they are affordable and energy saving.