By Clarissa Allison | August 14th, 2015

Look up at the sky tonight in your town. Odds are it will be almost completely devoid of stars. This is the product of light pollution and urbanization. Since human beings are used to dwelling in the sun’s light, we have essentially engineered the dark to surround ourselves with light during nighttime hours.

What exactly is astronomers and the occasional stargazer, uplight causes atmospheric scattering making distant celestial light sources difficult or impossible to see. Uplight often also goes along with two other light quality culprits by producing both glare and light trespass.

Once you’ve accomplished the above tasks, go out and buy yourself a telescope to view the night sky and enjoy its beauty.

Enjoy a tour of the wonderful Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona

Skip all the site hopping and countless hours in department stores; finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to be a hassle. We’ve put together a list of the best LED Christmas gifts for mom, dad, brother, sister, and any friend or family member. From custom-printed LED panel lights to rechargeable LED flashlights—we’ve got a great mix of LED lighting products that are sure to be a hit.

This LED strip light kit is great for cabinet lighting, under-cabinet lighting, cove lighting, bookshelf lighting, and any other hard-to-light space. The weatherproof kit comes with everything needed for installation: a 16 1/2″ plug-and-play LED light strip, push-button dimmer, remote, UL-Listed 12V power supply, and connection accessories. Designed to last 30,000 hours, the LED light strip is available in cool white, natural white, or warm white colors.

Perfect for students or late-night workaholics, this long-lasting LED desk lamp offers a lot in the way of customization. Four dimming levels (up to 170 lumens) are available at the tap of its touch-activated button, and the sleek LED lamp is fully adjustable for the perfect amount of light right where it’s needed.

This REDLINE® RC™ Rechargeable LED Flashlight is a gift that keeps on giving. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the compact flashlight emits up to nine hours of powerful illumination, and its MagDock magnetic docking station provides a full charge in just two hours. Four different light intensities are available along with a strobe mode and 4x adjustable zoom. This durable little light is water and impact resistant with a non-slip grip, magnetic base, and an attached lanyard.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

As Texas struggles with 2012 predictions of problems reminiscent of last year’s power outages and power grid malfunctions, residents are scrambling to find a Dallas electrician that can provide answers and help them create contingency plans to ensure they are minimally affected. Electric Man, a reputable Dallas electrician provider for over 27 years, provides some insight into the situation facing Texans today and what they can do to avoid costly and inconvenient side effects stemming from such possible scenarios.

A Look Back At 2011

Texas residents suffered damaging and costly electrical problems in 2011. Three major blackout incidents, two of which happened in the winter months of February and December respectively, left residents without heat and without power for hours and, in some cases, days at a time. Equally distressing was the 71-day drought that had Texans begging their local Dallas electrician for relief, as 100-plus degree heat waves weakened the power grid once again and left residents without air conditioning or electricity.

2012: Not Much Better

Unfortunately, 2012 does not seem to be the year for relief. Experts warn that several factors point to an even more severe blackout and power grid problem in the state of Texas for 2012.

 These factors translate into miserable, costly blackouts and power grid failures throughout North Texas.

Dallas Electrician Company Provides Solutions

There are some solutions for customers looking stay ahead of the game when it comes to protecting their home and appliances from the inconvenient and sometimes dangerous conditions that stem from power grid failures. With the help of a knowledgeable electrician, Dallas residents can acquire an indoor generator, which can serve as an effective emergency power source for your home or business in the event of a blackout.

One of the most convenient features of these indoor generators is that there is no need to use electricity to recharge the battery bank that runs the generator. Without the mess of a fuel-powered engine generator, customers can count on reliable and steady power output and a quiet supply of power for your appliances. Furthermore, the convenience of a solar-power or wind-power battery charge ensures that customers need not worry about using electricity to recharge generator batteries.

For over 27 years, Electric Man has been a leading provider of Dallas electrician services for residential and commercial customers. There is no job too big or too small. Call Electric Man today at 972-792-7270 and connect on our social media sites…

If you're looking to increase the efficiency of your home, there's some good news: Not only can you save a bundle of money with lower utility bills, studies show that you will be able to sell your house faster, and for more money as well. Green houses are attracting more attention on the market, so when it does come time to sell you could see a big increase in the price.

Decision Influencers 

Efficiency matters. Ninety percent of potential homebuyers rate home efficiency features as “very important,” according to a survey by the National Association of Homebuilders. The survey went on to report that 61 percent of buyers would pay up to $5,000 more for a house that promised lower utility bills. Other studies found that green-certified houses sell for $34,800 more than similar homes without efficiency features in California, and green houses in Seattle, Wash., and Portland, Ore., sell at a premium of 8.5 percent and 12 percent, respectively. The Seattle study also found that the green homes sold 22 percent faster than others.

Make sure your realtor is aware of all the efficiency upgrades you’ve made and can highlight them to interested buyers. If you provide old utility bills you can really showcase the savings. 

Keep that Electric Bill Low

The electric bill is one of the biggest ongoing household expenses, so any reductions you make will go a long way. There are a lot of places to look for savings. For starters, if you have old, outdated appliances, replace them with new Energy Star-certified models so you know that they meet the strictest efficiency standards. Your lighting system is another place to upgrade -- it's time to toss old incandescent bulbs and replace them with compact fluorescents or LEDS. Finally, if you really want to save money and make your house look good to buyers, install some solar panels on the roof, which can reduce the electricity bill to near zero. 

How Else Can I Increase My Efficiency?

Don't forget to take other steps to increase the energy efficiency of your home, especially when it comes to heating bills:

You can also hire a qualified professional to conduct an energy audit and point out other ways to increase your efficiency and save money. Even if you don't plan on selling your house any time soon, you can enjoy seeing the savings in your bills each month.

If you are planning on renovating or sprucing-up your kitchen, it’s probably a good idea to map out a detailed lighting plan as well. Most people find this a little strange as they feel that lighting in a kitchen isn’t something that needs too much of consideration or planning. It’s just a place where you cook and probably where you have an informal meal after all.

However, the fact is that it’s important to plan kitchen illumination well if you want to make optimal use of your kitchen spaces. Here, we would like to share some basic lighting ideas to create the right balance of functionality and aesthetics.

If you want to get a better idea about what type of lighting would work best for your kitchen, it’s vital to understand how your kitchen spaces relate to the different type of lighting. Let’s start off with understanding what type of bulbs you can use for the best effects:

These bulbs emit a yellowish light and you will now find many artistic versions of these on the market today.

These bulbs throw off a flat, cold light that has a bluish tinge, which lends a very harsh effect to the room.

These have a warm light that makes the place look very inviting and comfortable

These are the latest in light bulb technology and are available in a range of effects including white, cool daylight, warm light, yellow and a range of other colours and hues. Aside from this, LED bulbs are also 80% more energy-efficient than standard bulbs; and most property owners are now opting for these fixtures.

In addition to the types of bulbs used, the style of lighting or the lighting effects are what impact the ambience and appearance of a room. With this in view, here we discuss the different lighting effects that can be used in your kitchen:

This is one of the simplest ways to create the right lighting effect in your kitchen. This type of lighting is designed to help you move comfortably around the room. In most instances this type of lighting comes from grid-style can lighting, widely-spaced, wall and ceiling lamps, semi-translucent skylights or even the natural light that streams in through glass windows and doors. This is the base layer of any lighting plan.

In your kitchen, task lighting would be required to illuminate kitchen counters and food preparation spaces. Since you will be cooking in your kitchen every day, it’s important that the task lighting be planned and installed well. If you have only recessed lighting fixtures in your kitchen, you will feel the lack of focused light when you are cleaning, cooking or prepping in that space.

If you install one-dimensional lighting in the kitchen, it creates unsightly shadows in different areas of the room, while ceiling lighting is ineffective in illuminating spaces like sinks, under counter or cabinet areas etc. On the other hand, if you add special pendant lamps over the counters or even your kitchen island it can prove to be a more practical solution. Under-cabinet lighting can also help in illuminating the cabinets that are positioned there.

This effect doesn’t seem as necessary as ambient or task lighting does in a kitchen space, as the illumination it provides isn’t as functional as the first two. However, it can have a significant impact on the way your kitchen spaces look. If you want to enhance the appeal of your kitchen (regardless of whether you are getting it entirely renovated or are opting for a lighting upgrade), it’s important that you plan your accent lighting well.

For more information, contact the friendly team at AllRound Electrical at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.You can also write to us at this email address.

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