The general population knows very little about solar panels, their cost or the process of installing them. What little most people know is that they are expensive but energy saving and good for the planet. Thankfully, there are new options available that make solar installation a lot more doable for the average household.

Solar panel installation, up until not too long ago, was fairly expensive. The fact that solar panels cost so much deterred many people from making them a part of their home. However, recently a new program has began that gives you the option of leasing solar panels. Solar installers place the panels on your home, then you pay a monthly leasing fee.  Even with this fee, the difference on your electricity bill will be significant enough to make it worth switching, especially when you throw in the fact that you are being kinder to the environment. Also, if more people decide to have a solar panel installation done on their homes, the cost to buy the panels would go down.

Becoming educated about how beneficial solar panels can be to your home, your pocket and your entire environment is essential. Knowing this information, and passing it on, may just be the ticket to pushing solar panels into becoming mainstream. The sun and the energy it produces is one of the most amazing, barely tapped natural resources available for our use. Especially when you consider the fact that only 1 percent of one second of the sun’s nuclear fusion is enough energy to give power to the entire earth’s population.

If you are interested in learning more about solar panels and solar installation, check out The Electric Connection’s “Solar” section of our website. You can also give us a call if you have any questions or are considering having solar panels installed.

You may not have thought about the Advantages To Wind Energy lately, but every month when you get your electric bill in the mail, you may find yourself asking, “Isn’t there a better way?”, or “How can I have Plano Electrician, ElectricMan Inc. is now offering something that will definitely spark your interest!

The Advantages To Wind Energy can now be felt by homeowners and business owners through more efficient, highly cost effective, and easily installed wind power generators.  Standing only five feet tall, with the capability of harnessing even a slight breeze coming from any direction, these new wind generators are a drastic improvement on the standard “Propeller Style” wind power generators that most people are familiar with.  Now you don’t need an open field or even a very windy area in order to start declaring your independence from the high costs that electric companies place on the electricity that they provide to you.

Partnered with a system like the Indoor Generator, which allows you to program the system to use stored electricity when it is most efficient for you, you can do two major things.  First, at times when you are creating more energy than you need, that energy can be funneled into a battery system and stored for your higher usage time, avoiding those peak usage premiums that power companies have put in place to raise profits and revenue. Secondly, once your stored supply of electricity is at full capacity, you can actually sell your surplus electricity back to the power company, offering you the possibility of income without any labor on your part!

Everyone is looking for a way to save money these days, so here is one more incredible Advantage To Wind Energy.  If you install a renewable energy system for your home or business before the end of 2016, your entire system is eligible for a 30% federal tax credit!

To see this amazing product in action, visit www.electricmaninc.com!

To commemorate our fifteenth year, we are taking a look back at what life was like 15 years ago. Do you remember May 1999? It was a month of ups and downs. We gained Star Wars: The Phantom Menace but lost Shel Silverstein. Natural disasters of epic proportions and new leadership in world powers made the month one that would change the course of history. Legal precedents were established and technologies that we all utilize now were just being announced. Here are fifteen moments in history from fifteen years ago. Next stop: May 1999.

1. Bluetooth Is Announced

Early in the month, for about six days, 152 tornadoes ravaged the mid-west and eastern U.S. It was the worst in Oklahoma, with one F5 tornado – the second strongest recorded in U.S. history – that caused $1 billion in damage.

3. Goodbye, Shel Silverstein

In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci’s newly-restored masterpiece The Last Supper was put back on display. This is an unforgettable moment in art history.

5. The Ancient Operating System

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The Mummy, a horror adventure starring Brendan Frasier, was released in the U.S. in May 1999. Although the film was originally meant to be a low-budget horror series, it turned into a blockbuster hit.

7. Not So Entertaining Anymore

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released in theaters, and millions of children began having nightmares about red-eyed guys with horns chasing them with two-sided light sabers. And we thought Darth Vader was intimidating…

9. Italian Stallion of Politics

Teenie boppers lost their minds as they excitedly tore open the packaging on their copies of The Backstreet Boys’ newest release, Millennium.

11. Here’s SpongeBob!

Kansas City, Missouri, wrestler Owen Hart (Blue Blazer) fell 78 feet to his death while being lowered into a World Wrestling Federation ring during WWF Over the Edge.

13. So Long, Home Improvement

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 11,000 for the first time in its history at 11,014.70. Many speculate in hindsight that this bump was actually artificially created by overlending and that in retrospect this was a warning sign for the future recession. It was a cause for celebration then: Now, it’s something from which we have hopefully learned a lesson. 

Home lighting serves two major purposes: functionality and aesthetics. When walking into a dark room, the last thing you want is to have to navigate to the other side to turn on the lights. This can be unsafe and highly impractical. When it comes to aesthetics, the right lighting can change an entire room and its atmosphere. With dimmer and three way switches, you can bring functionality and aesthetics to any room in your home.

Standard switches control a light fixture or set of lights from one location. For larger sized rooms or long hallways it isn’t practical to have one light switch placed at only one end or in the middle of the room. This is where three way switches come in handy. With a three way switch, you can have two separate switches to a single fixture or set of lights. In this way you can strategically place light switches around your home to ensure there is always easy access to light.

Three way switches can be complex and difficult to install. When replacing standard switch it can be easy to mix up the wiring and your light switch will no longer work. This is where a professional electrician helps you out the most. Plan out where you feel more light switches are needed and contact one of our electricians to install the switch correctly the first time and help you avoid a headache and potential safety risk.

When it comes to dimmer switches, not only can they help you accomplish beautiful lighting in your room, but it can also be a practical decision. With a dimmer switch you can adjust the voltage going to your light rather than simply having an “on” or “off” setting. With either a slider or a knob you can adjust your light so it is perfect for reading, movies, or a romantic evening.

Dimmer switches can also help you save money by lowering your electrical bill. By having the ability to lower the voltage to your lights, you can use only the electricity you need and lower the lights to the perfect level. Remember, if you are planning to use LED lights on a dimmer switch, make sure you purchase LED bulbs that support dimming. If you choose the wrong type of bulbs, your dimmer switch will not leave you with the desired effect.