With energy costs on the rise, deciding whether or not to install solar panels is something that many people have considered. In the right areas, solar panels can provide clean, renewable and eco-friendly energy not only to your home, but also to your entire electrical grid. One of the greatest barriers to their installation, however, is the cost of solar panels. Although they can drastically lower your energy bills, solar panels have a relatively high up front cost. Fortunately for many, there are several different alternatives to purchasing solar panels outright. If this is something that you are interested in, there is sure to be a solution that will work for you. A great resource for solar panel information is solar-panel-info.

Solar Panel Info – How Much do Solar Panels Cost?

Many homeowners are put off by the prospect of sinking a sizeable investment into the purchase and installation of solar panels. While solar energy has been used for many years now, the equipment is still fairly expensive, and installation requires a highly specialized installer. Solar panels can vary in cost depending on the number of panels that you are interested in, and the amount of power that you would like to generate. In addition to purchasing them outright, there are also many other options for buying and installing them. Many solar installers will offer several different financing options, including solar leasing. Whenever you take advantage of a solar leasing program, you typically pay little to no upfront cost. You will sign a contract with the solar installation company to pay a monthly fee to use their equipment. In most cases, this monthly fee, combined with your new lower energy costs are lower than your prior energy bills.

Can I Install Solar Panels on My Home?

There are many different factors that should be considered when making the decision to install solar panels or not. If you live in an area with lots of sun, then you have the opportunity to generate much more electricity than in areas with less sunlight. Furthermore, you can see a greater benefit from solar power if you already have very high energy bills. You will want to make sure that your home is positioned in a way to where any installed solar panels will receive an adequate amount of sunlight. To discuss the viability of solar panels on your home, find solar panel installers in your area to provide you with an assessment. You can do so by going to solar panel info. Their experts can give you a much more accurate assessment on how much energy you can expect to generate, and whether or not the investment makes sense for you.

What Benefits do Solar Panels Offer?

The greatest benefit of solar panel installation is lower electrical bills. If your home is particularly suitable to generating solar energy, this can be a very significant change. In fact, most utility companies will even allow you to sell excess energy back to them whenever you generate more than you use. Many people are unsure of what additional changes to their electrical system are necessary. The only changes that will be made to your electrical system are the solar panels and the equipment that they use to connect to your existing electrical system. None of the components inside your home must be changed. This means that you can continue using all of your electrical devices and appliances just like before. It will just cost you less.

If you are considering solar installation, it is recommended that you research diligently so that you can understand the technology as much as possible. You can typically find many resources for local help, and general information online. One of the best resources for this is Solar Panel Info, and you can visit our website at solar-panel-info.

If you have been on the fence because of price or logistics, take some time to talk with the professionals at solar-panel-info. As mentioned above, you may find that they have a solution that will work perfectly for you. Regardless of the type of installation and financing that you choose, most Americans can save a significant amount on their electric bills while helping the environment when they install solar panels.

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Plenty of DIYers can complete an electrical project on their own without the help of a certified electrician. Sure, it’s easy to fix minor annoyances with light fixtures or outlets, but not installations, renovations, and major repairs. That’s because what starts out looking pretty straightforward can quickly turn into a disaster. Here’s a look at four specific examples that ElectricMan Inc. can help sort out.

Contact ElectricMan today to prevent a DIY disaster, or for any other electrical needs. ElectricMan is your trusted, local certified electrician with 27 years of experience. For more information, visit the ElectricMan website. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Cold winter months bring opportunities for cozy moments indoors  — but also some potential hidden dangers. More than 45,000 electrical fires occur in homes each year, according to thea licensed electrician update any damaged or two-prong outlets.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you have old and unsafe wiring because electrical work is mostly hidden behind the walls of your home. Remember, however, that wiring problems are a major fire threat. Pay attention to these signs of hidden electrical issues and then get safe by

Lamps and other light fixtures provide necessary illumination but can also pose a risk. Placing a bulb with a higher wattage than a fixture can handle poses a risk for igniting a fire. Heed the maximum wattage allowed for all fixtures and decrease the wattage or replace ones that seem to get excessively hot when lit.

Never decorate a lamp with paper or cloth that could ignite, and keep fixtures away from textiles, like bedding or curtains. Replace cords that are frayed or damaged.    

If you are sick, you call a doctor. If you air conditioner stops working, you call an HVAC repairman. We are fortunate to live in a world where we are only a phone call away from help. We are not expected to fix things ourselves. In fact, the economy relies on us calling in professionals who have went to school and made a living repairing things and making our lives a little easier. What about an electrician? When should you call an electrician, like those at The Electric Connection.

Here are a list of jobs that would require you to give your electrician a call.

This is not a comprehensive list, but it does include some of the more common reasons you would need to hire an electrician. If you have a job that is listed here or have any questions about what kind of electrical work you may need, give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your consultation.

Pool lighting makes up a major part of your overall swimming pool costs, so it’s important that you figure out which type works best before you install them. The two major types of pool lighting are in ground lighting and above ground lighting, and your budget, needs, and preferences all factor largely into deciding which type to install. We’ll help you break down all types of pool lights to help you make the best choice for your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC home—just keep reading!

One of the biggest benefits of in ground pool lighting is its streamlined look and even lighting. The two primary options for in ground pool lighting are LED lighting and fiber optic lighting (we’ll get into the pros and cons of each further down in this blog post).

Usually much cheaper than in ground pool lighting, above ground pool lighting is perfect for DC area homeowners looking to install a pool on a budget. There are a number of different ways to install above ground pool lighting, including:

Floating Pool Lighting

Floating pool lighting is exactly what it looks like. This type of pool lighting involves lights that bob up and down on the surface of your pool. It is available in a variety of colors and shapes, from orbs, cubes, and pods to more creative features like jellyfish shapes, flowers, and more. Floating lights can be solar powered and tend to use bright LEDs, but since they move around they don’t provide perfectly even lighting.

Magnetic Pool Lighting

If you have a soft-sided pool, magnetic pool lights are perfect for you. These two-part lights can be attached to the liner of your pool for an in ground pool lighting appearance with above ground ease.

The two major types of in ground pool lighting are LED and fiber optic, and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages for homeowners in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Consider the following:

LED lighting – LED lights are housed in waterproof bulbs that can be removed to change the bulb. The bulb itself should last around 10,000 hours, however, so you won’t need to perform even this simple task very often. One to two bulbs should be enough to illuminate your entire swimming pool.

Fiber optic lighting – bulbs for fiber optic pool lights are located out of the water, making them even easier to access and replace than LED pool lights. To illuminate a whole pool, you’ll likely need more than one fiber optic light, though, which can get expensive.

LED lighting – LED lights range from $400 – $900 installed, and bulbs can last anywhere from 10 – 15 years. Replacement bulbs will run you about $200 – $400.

Fiber optic lighting – a fiber optic pool lighting system will require a fan to keep the light cool, meaning fiber optic pool lighting will be more expensive than LED lighting—think anywhere from $900 – $1,500 per bulb system. Bulbs typically last about 3 – 7 years, and replacing them will cost about $200 – $300.

LED lights – despite having the lighting components under water, LED lights are very safe and have a very low risk of failure. In addition, LED lights use very low voltage, which mitigates the risk further.

Fiber optic lighting – since there are no electrical components housed in the water, fiber optic lighting has close to zero risk of electric shock.

LED lights – LED lights can be used to fill your whole pool with light and illuminate the whole thing at once. They can also change colors to create a truly unique look for your backyard.

Fiber optic lighting – these types of pool lights aren’t as good at illuminating the whole pool at once, but they can create points of light to give your pool a sparkling, starry appearance.

In purely practical terms, LED lights have the edge over fiber optic lights—they are less expensive, easier to maintain, and provide much brighter illumination. But there are advantages to both types of pool lights, and Kolb Electric can help you find the perfect fit for you and your home. We can also provide you with further pool lighting tips here.