The traditional lighting style–while tasteful and low-key–provides just the right touch when you want to draw the eye to a design focal point without overpowering it. Few lighting styles work as unobtrusively as transitional chandeliers while managing to showcase an advanced stylishness for discerning design aficionados. You can choose from Capitol’s vast selection of lighting features that include:

• Multiple glass shade shapes

• Brass, crystal and metal finishes to complement existing or planned furnishings

• Finishes that include bronze tones, gold accents, brushed nickel, polished nickel, clear and crystal

• Fixture styles that include pendant lights, chandeliers, mini chandeliers, island lights, flush-mounted lights, recessed lighting and track and rail lighting

• Bulb types that include incandescent, fluorescent, halogen and LED technologies

• Energy Star lighting efficiency

• Title 24 compliant

• Dimmable fixtures

Extension cords a quick tool that solves a lot of problems. Whenever we are at a lack of outlets, or need to use a device just a bit farther than the normal outlet can reach – extension cords are our best friends. But it is important to remember that extension cords were made for a specific reason, and using them incorrectly can lead to serious electrical hazards. Know the hazards and how to avoid them.

If you can identify with any of these hazards in your home it may be time to install additional electrical outlets to reduce dependence on extension cords. For assistance from a licenced electrician, contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338.

Good News! Electric vehicle-related jobs in Los Angeles grew by 15.3% between 2007 and 2010. While the number of these jobs is still small, totaling a little over 550 in 2100, the growth rate is a hopeful sign and is a small part of the overall growth in our green economy jobs. The growth rate in L.A.’s green economy jobs between 2007 and 2010 was 7.1%, yielding a total of over 89,000 jobs in 2010.

L.A. scored #3 in growth rate for electric vehicle-related jobs between 2007 and 2010, with Kansas City at #1 and Phoenix at #2. “Electric vehicle-related jobs” includes manufacturing of electrical equipment and other parts for electric cars. It doesn’t include, for example, what we at The Electric Connection do, install chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), nor the selling of electric cars. Nor does the 2007-10 growth rate include small companies of 5 or fewer employees. For these reasons, the 15.3% figure for 2007-10 is undoubtedly an underestimate of job growth in the Los Angeles area related to electric cars.

However, the figures are an indication of an exciting phenomenon occurring all over the country — the growth of the green economy. The green economy encompasses recycling, energy audits, solar cells, and other industries which, like EVs, have an environmental benefit. The growth of the green economy benefits not only the environment, but also has a particularly welcome benefit of creating middle income jobs that don’t require higher education.

Yes, many green economy jobs go to environmental engineers, computer programmers, and others who have gone to college. In fact, many of these college-educated people are the innovators who create the green jobs to begin with.

But many green economy jobs, like in the manufacturing of electrical parts for electric cars, don’t require a college education. People are calling them “green collar” jobs — jobs that can be filled by people who might otherwise fruitlessly look for blue collar jobs that have been lost to robots in manufacturing plants or have been shipped overseas to people who make low wages.

We’re experiencing a process that has repeated itself throughout history — innovation seeding job creation. When Scottish engineer James Watt created innovations that made the steam engine useful commercially, he made the Industrial Revolution possible. The Industrial Revolution started with steam-powered textile plants. Textile and other steam-powered manufacturing plants led to the creation of factory jobs, which at that time, required limited education. This allowed subsistence farmers to leave their fields and begin (in an admittedly arduous path!) upward mobility. This was the rise of the Middle Class.

Today, the green economy, created by innovation, yields both green collar jobs and those requiring higher education. The growth of jobs in the EV manufacturing sector in L.A. is good over the long term not only for our environment, but also for our job market, providing work for people with various levels of education.

For more information about the growth of electric vehicle-related jobs in L.A. and the rest of the country as well as other green economy jobs, go to the report, Sizing the Clean Economy, by the Brookings Institution, July 2011.

Click here for more information about installing a charger for your electric vehicle.

Do you know where your electric meter is located? Knowing how to find this piece of equipment AND how to read it are important for any home or building owner. Your electric meter reading provides you with information on your energy usage so that you can monitor it, helping you save energy and money. This also allows you to easily determine whether your monthly utility bill is accurate, so that you are not overspending unnecessarily.

It’s not difficult to learn how to read an electric meter. Most DC-area residences have one of two kinds of meters—a digital meter or an older model with a series of dials. Both types measure the kilowatt hours (kWh) that your household uses, which is also the measure used on your utility bill.

The secret to making sense of either type of meter is comparing the current reading with a prior reading or the number on your billing statement. Read the dials of older meters from left to right. There should be five dials. If the pointer on a dial is between numbers, choose the lower number. If the pointer looks to be exactly on a number, read the next lower number (unless the dial immediately to its right has passed zero). Digital meters are even simpler to read. The number displayed indicates the current usage.

To determine electric usage, take the reading from the previous day or month and subtract it from the current number. The difference will give you the amount of electricity your household used during that period. Any discrepancy between this figure and what’s on your energy bill is reason to take a second look.

If you have a question for your electric company, you’ll also want to tell them the meter number (usually located at the bottom of the meter).

Like any piece of electrical equipment, your electric meter should be handled (or NOT handled) with care. While it’s a good idea to monitor your electricity usage, it’s a bad idea to touch your meter. In fact, tampering with your electric meter is a crime in most areas. It’s also important to maintain clear access to your meter by keeping snow, trees, and bushes from obstructing view of the meter.

For more information on how to read an electric meter and how it can be helpful to you, call Kolb Electric. We can provide you with further tips to help you save on future electrical bills and install more efficient electrical systems, such as LED lighting, that will save you even more. We may also perform an infrared thermography inspection that helps to detect issues in your home, such as a roof leak or loose electrical connections, that are causing your heat to escape or your appliances to operate inefficiently.

Call now to schedule service if you’re located in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC—877-287-1179877-287-1179.