A solar energy system is designed to take the radiation from the sun, a totally renewable resource and turn it into electricity that can be used to power all of your electrical devices, such as computers, televisions, refrigerators and lights. Each solar cell will take the photons generated by sunlight and convert them into electricity. Regardless of the size and application of the solar panels being used, there are a few basic components that are necessary to turn this energy into a readily available and easily used electricity. Though the solar panels are the core of the system, these components are needed to complete the system.

Solar Panels: A solar panel is the array of photovoltaic cells that are used to convert the sunlight into direct current.

Rooftop Racking: This is the framework that is attached to your roof in order to give your solar panels the stability that they need. This is one of the most important parts of any solar panel installation.

Utility Meter: This component of your solar energy system integrates directly with your existing electrical system. After the solar installers have completed the installation of your solar power system, the utility meter will track the amount of electricity that you generate in excess of what you consume. This electricity is typically fed back into the power grid, helping you to earn credits on your electrical bill.

Batteries: The electricity that is generated from a solar panel is available for immediate use. In order to store this electricity for future use, it must be stored in a battery array.

Power Inverters: Although your solar panels generate and convert your electricity, you must have a power inverter in order to convert the power from DC to AC.

If you are interested in learning more about solar panels, start by browsing our solar power website. You can learn more about how much solar panels cost and the different options you have for purchase, leasing and more.

In the quest to stay comfortable and combat escalating temperatures in our area, many homeowners turn to fan installation to bolster the results of traditional HVAC cooling. Our Washington, DC electricians install them all, from ceiling fans, to mechanical attic fans. When choosing for your home, do you know which fan installation is giving you the best results? You might be interested in what our Washington, DC electricians have to say on the topic!

No matter the fan type, they can assist in reducing energy costs and increasing comfort in the muggier months. They don’t actually reduce the temperature of the room, so how do they help? Well, fans assist in removing moisture from your home, keeping humidity under control somewhat. Additionally, moving air naturally feels cooler on the skin, helping to reduce body temperature; thus, you need to run your AC a bit less.

Additionally, in the case of a ceiling fan, they can provide a unique and interesting way to add some style. Another layer of design, or an additional fixture can do a lot for the beauty of your DC home.

While ceiling fans are a slightly more direct cooling method, an attic fan can do just as much for your home, if not more! An attic fan is installed in ,where else, the attic. This fixture can assist in reducing your cooling costs by up to twenty percent! How? Well…

Think of your attic like a big envelope, or bubble. It tends to hold onto its temperature, and because it is exposed radiant heat (sun) and collects remnant heat from your home (heat rises), it tends to be much much hotter than the rest of your home. If the inside of your home is seventy, your attic could be up to one hundred! This basically boils down to you having a massive natural heat source directly above your home. Not good for business when you’re trying to cool things down!

Attic fans mitigate and reduce attic temperatures, and by extension, the temperature of your home! They do this by improving ventilation, and increasing cool airflow throughout the attic. The difference can be huge!

Honestly, our Washington, DC electricians would suggest both. With a proper attic fan installation augmented by ceiling fans, you can find yourself relying on your HVAC system so much less. This is drastically less expensive, and keeps your cooling system from overworking (which makes it last longer, and need less repair) to boot!

Looking to begin relying less on your cooling system? Or maybe you just want a little more comfort for your DC home. Either way, our experts can provide the installation services you need! Contact our specialists today to learn more!

Fun Fact:  A traditional New Year’s Eve religious service, “Watch Night” is observed to give thanks for life’s blessings and pray for divine favor in the coming year.  “Watch Night” was especially significant among African Americans in 1862, as President Lincoln vowed to end slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Wherever you happen to be, New Year’s marks a time for change, a time for making resolutions and a revival of hope.  Make a life changing resolution; Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom and work to improve your future illumination.  Rejoice in unbeatable promotional pricing on the year’s finest home lighting and accessories, including shining innovations from Forecast, Hanover Lantern and Thomas Lighting.

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.