Photovoltaics employ solar panels to create energy. Solar power remains a rapidly growing field in the renewable energy sector. It has the potential to completely power our world and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Aside from large-scale solar plants, photovoltaics can also be found in a variety of places from calculators and watches to electric planes and the space station. The lack of moving parts makes them valuable in portable devices and in areas without other sources of power. And because the only source of fuel required is sunlight, they can produce power continuously for years without maintenance. Thanks to the falling cost of installation and the potential savings on utility bills, many homeowners are now choosing to install rooftop panels on their own homes.

As the cost per watt of solar power continues to plummet, new solar technologies are emerging. Therefore, the second generation of solar panels, known as thin-film PV, consist of extremely thin panels only a few micrometers thick. These panels are much more versatile and have found their way into Tesla’s solar roof tiles, among other things. They are less efficient than first-generation panels, but much cheaper, simply due to the fact that they require less material to manufacture.

Most noteworthy, third-generation high-intensity solar cells are also in development and promise to be even thinner and extremely efficient. Perovskite PV cells and Organic and Polymer Photovoltaic (OPV) cells are some of the newest third generation solar technologies and use materials other than crystalline silicon.

Photovoltaics remains a quickly growing field that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This technology provides energy independence, while powering the world reliably and efficiently.

The lives of 21st Century Americans are filled with endless electronic gadgets and appliances. A modern home filled with computers, entertainment systems and portable devices can quickly run short of convenient electric outlets to provide power to the media extravaganza. That makes power strips a must. In addition to providing ample plug space, power strips can also protect your devices, help keep them organized, give a boost to your energy efficiency and provide a flash of style while they're at it. Check out a sampling of models that show off some of the best that power strips have to offer:

If you need advice on powering and protecting your devices, or have any other electrical work that needs to be addressed, contact a qualified electrician without delay.

You have probably heard it time and again; we need to reduce the demand on our natural resources. We also know we should be saving a little more for our retirement, but it seems like there is no way around the basic monthly bills. No matter what you do, it may seem like you are still breaking even. You shut off lights and walk to work once a week, but the electric bill stays the same and your gas bill is the same. That is likely due to rising rates. Imagine if you didn’t make an effort to reduce your monthly bills? You would be paying more! Your Pasadena electrician is here to encourage you to learn about phantom power and to do your best to fight back against it. You can always call The Electric Connection if you have questions.

Phantom power is a very real thing! You can put a few extra dollars in your pocket every month by fighting back against this electricity sucking phenomena, but it will require your whole house to be on board. According to the Lawrence Berkley National Library, every home has about 40 appliances in the home that remain plugged in around the clock. The appliances may rarely be used, but we keep them plugged in because it is convenient. This is costing us money. In fact, it is estimated phantom power accounts for about 10 percent of an electricity bill. So, assuming your electric bill is $100 every month, $10 of that is all for naught. For the blinking light on the DVD player you haven’t used in a month or the cell phone charger that stays plugged in all day and night whether your phone is attached or not.

If you are not completely sure what phantom power is or have more questions about it, call your electrician. Pasadena residents can count on the team at The Electric Connection to provide the answers to your electric questions.

Will Los Angeles Drivers Ever Switch to Electric Cars?

Electric cars have been driving L.A. roads in large numbers since 2003. The Toyota Prius is a type of electric vehicle (EV), a “hybrid.” Despite a price tag of about $36,000, Toyota says that by December 2009, it had sold over 800,000 Priuses in the U.S. Its engine is powered by both electricity from a battery and by burning gas in its internal combustion engine. The battery is charged whenever the driver puts a foot on the brake. Braking triggers a mechanism that generates electricity and stores it in the car’s battery. In 2009, the Toyota Prius was rated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the most fuel-efficient car on the road, averaging 50 miles per gallon.

The Big Leap Forward – Plug-in Electric VehiclesA plug-in EV can be plugged into a regular electrical outlet or special charger to charge the battery. It is currently not possible for drivers of a Prius to charge the battery by plugging into anything, only by stepping on the brakes. There is a big change coming this year when the new plug-in electric cars, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, are fully launched.

The Nissan Leaf, at about $33,000, began deliveries in L.A. in December 2010. The Chevy Volt at about $40,000, will begin deliveries in L.A. early in 2010. While these prices may seem high, they’re effectively lowered by government tax and rebate incentives.

President Obama, in his 2011 State of the Union speech, set an objective of one million EVs on the road in the U.S. by 2015, four years from now. The Administration’s goals, of course, are to reduce our dependence on oil, deal with air pollution and climate change, and create new, green jobs. The federal government gives a tax credit of up to $7,500 to buyers of the Leaf and Volt. The State of California, on a first-come-first-served basis has limited funds available to give EV buyers up to an additional $5,000 as a rebate on purchase. These incentives can lower the effective price of EVs so that they’re competitive with similar gas-burning cars, especially when considering the savings on fuel year in and year out.

The Leaf had a waiting list of 40,000 buyers when it started delivery in L.A. in late December 2010. The Chevy Volt is expected to start delivering vehicles to L.A. buyers early in 2011. Several other car companies are developing EV models. By 2012, there will likely be a dozen different EVs for sale in L.A. including a plug-in version of the Prius.

The actual number of electric vehicles that will be sold in L.A. is hard to predict. A 2009 University of California study determined that even if gas prices rise only slightly, by 2030 about 75% of new car sales will be electric. If gas prices jump, we’ll start hitting 75% of new car sales a lot sooner. The safest thing one can say about plug-in EV sales in Los Angeles is that they’re starting now in a big way and they will be increasing over the years.

We at The Electric Connection install chargers for electric vehicles. Click here for more information on installation of EV chargers. 

constant-current LED driver or constant-current driver is used to regulate the amount of current that is supplied to an LED or LED array to maximize LED lifetime. If current is not regulated, LED brightness can fluctuate and life span can be shortened. The constant-current driver is used for LEDs or light fixtures that require a stable output current and operate within a range of voltages. Most finished LED products already have a constant-current driver or resistors to regulate current. If you’re building an LED fixture or replacing a constant-current driver, it’s important to verify that the output current and voltage of the driver is compatible with the LEDs’ current and voltage. If your LED product already has a constant-current driver or uses resistors in the LED array, you might need a constant-voltage power supply.

If your LEDs are dimmable and you want to change their brightness, choose a Magnitude Dimmable Power Supplies. These dimmable power supplies work by varying the power on the AC input side of the power supply by means of a TRIAC dimmer. This change in power on the AC input side will vary the voltage on the DC output side and control the intensity of the LEDs. TRIAC dimmers are common hardware store and household dimmers, which include brand names such as Lutron and Leviton.

Pulse-Width Modulation Dimming: Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as Mean Well LPF Series. This type of dimming control adjusts the output current based on the duty cycle. As the duty cycle increases, current will increase and the LEDs will be brighter. Conversely, if the duty cycle decreases, the current will decrease and the LEDs will be dimmer. Pulse-width modulation for these drivers is based on a 10-volt signal level with a frequency between 100Hz-3KHz. The MLD-5A are compatible for this application.

Resistive Dimming: Resistive dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-40-240 Series or 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-600 Series or here.

The efficiency of a power supply or driver indicates the percentage of power that goes toward making your LED product function. An efficiency of 80 percent or higher is recommended for operating LEDs. 

When choosing a driver or power supply, the size of an LED product’s housing or area of installation is important. If you wish to put a constant-current LED driver inside of a product, the driver must be small enough to fit in the product’s housing. Similarly, if the driver or power supply is used outside of the product’s housing, it should fit the area of installation. Drivers and power supplies are available in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.

A Class 2 driver or power supply is in accordance with limited power levels defined by the National Electric Code (NEC) and fulfills the requirements of Standard UL 1310. Output is limited to 60 volts DC and 100 watts. Because power sources with this rating have limited output, it might not be possible to power as many LEDs or lights as those that don’t have a Class 2 rating. However, these power supplies and drivers provide protection from fire and electric shock.

A Class II rating refers to a double insulation layer between AC input and DC output wires. These drivers and power supplies do not require a ground connection.