Maciej Winiarcyzk using more than two thousand digital photographs just over a month ago.

I have never had the privilege of seeing the northern lights in real life, but my sister lives in northern Canada and has told me about them. (She’s a pretty credible source: She even named her daughter Aurora.) After asking her, “What ARE the northern lights,” several times, I now understand the aurora borealis to be a visual effect of the collision of solar wind and magnetospheric charged particles with the thermosphere. Can you see why I had to ask what the northern lights were more than once? The northern lights are most spectacular near the North Pole and during spring and autumn equinoxes. (And, by the way, no. The northern lights are not Santa’s off-season hobby.) But the northern lights, if there are some geomagnetic storms a-brewin’, can be seen closer to home, too, visible occasionally as far south as Chicago or New York.

Anyway, this guy Winiarcyzk is an astronomy enthusiast who lives in Caithness, which is at the tippy top of Scotland. There’s isn’t much light pollution way up there, so it’s a good place for such a sky-minded person to live and enjoy his hobby. Wonderfully, with this time lapse video of the northern lights, we get to enjoy his hobby, too.

Take a look. Have you ever seen anything more lovely occurring in nature? You know, with all this solar wind, magnetospheric particles, thermospheres, and geomagnetic storms, it sure seems like there is a lot more going on in nature than we can readily sense.

When you own a home, it’s easy for household expenses to spiral out of control. Every year, the average homeowner is in the unenviable position of spending thousands of dollars on owning and maintaining a home- and that’s just when everything is going well! If an emergency hits, many homeowners have to make sacrifices they can ill afford just to keep the home up and running. The best strategy to avoid disaster is to work on cutting down the everyday household expenses associated with owning a home.

So where does the money really go? On average, American homeowners spend about 34 percent of their income on home expenses. Paying for the house itself, of course, is the largest chunk of that expenditure, but does it surprise you to know that utilities make up the next largest amount? Most Americans spend about seven percent of their income on utilities; that’s more than what they spend on entertainment, clothing for the family and even health care! Obviously, that’s an area where it makes sense to find ways to scale back. If you live in Texas, it’s even more important than it is for people in other states as Texas electricity rates are 30 percent higher than rates elsewhere.

To save money on electricity, you need to understand it. Electric companies measure energy usage in kWh, which is a measurement of the hours you spend using 1000 watts. By lowering your kWh, you will, of course, lower your electricity cost, but where do all those kilowatt-hours go? Appliances can be huge energy hogs but so can game systems, televisions and computers. Older homes are often ill-equipped to handle the energy demands of a modern lifestyle, and this can be not only costly but dangerous, as faulty electrical systems can lead to house fires. Modernizing your home can save on more than just household expenses- it might also save your life.

Fortunately, there are some easy ways to save on energy (and its associated costs). If your home is more than 20 years old, get your electrical system checked out by a professional to determine if you need any upgrades. Buy ENERGY STAR compliant appliances whenever possible, and turn off anything you’re not using, from lights and appliances to your Xbox 360.

Are you ready to lower your household expenses? It helps to find a company such as ElectricMan, committed to providing low-cost electrical services without sacrificing high-quality service. A family owned business, we offer quality electrical services, and we only employ professional, licensed, certified electricians. And we’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether it’s a general electrical repair or an electrical emergency, ElectricMan has you covered! Visit the ElectricMan website to learn more, or connect with our online community on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus.

In our previous blog, we covered some of the benefits your home may enjoy by installing outdoor lighting, such as flood lights or accent lighting; however, running permanent electrical to the corners of your property is more complicated than just draping an extension cord to the desired lighting area. Often, lighting and other external electrical elements require electrical trenching to safely run power lines underground, and the season for safely and easily digging these trenches is quickly drawing to a close.

There’s never a good time to dig up your yard, but fall is far from the worst time. By choosing to install necessary subterranean power lines during the fall, you can enjoy these benefits:

Getting your yard equipped with subterranean wiring is no small feat: It requires careful planning and expert execution. Between local and regional zoning codes, inspection parameters and availability, and overall safety and execution of the work, each electrical trenching is a big job that requires expertise and knowledge. Some of the things our Des Moines electricians offer homeowners looking for electrical trenching include:

Reach out to Electrical Gurus today, before winter sets in and causes delays in your outdoor plans! By getting a jump on the work with our expert electricians, your yard will be ready to go well before summer comes.

Get in touch with our Des Moines electricians today!

Fully automated homes offer the ultimate in Smart Home Technology, boasting George Jetson-like advancement once believed to be many years in the future.

Today’s Smart Home Technology offers everything from Wi-Fi home thermostats, to wireless door locks and outlets that can be turned on and off remotely, as well as inform you if your infirm Granny has started her morning pot of coffee. What’s more, the ability to manage outlets, appliances, heating and cooling, and more with the help of the wireless Internet, a smart device, and a few apps is now an affordable reality.

How can you make your home a bit smarter? Mr. Electric® has ways to help you power your tomorrow with these technology options.

Fitting over your existing deadbolt, smart locks automatically disengage when a phone with a digital key is near. They allow for remote operation, unlimited keys for family and friends, and notify you of activity at your home.  

Control your home’s lighting wirelessly, including lighting intensity, color and scheduling.

Smart open/close sensors for windows, doors, and cabinets can text and inform you of a breach, and when used in conjunction with other home automation products, can even turn on lights, adjust the thermostat, and more.

Plug smart outlets directly into existing wall outlets for remote on/off operation, create a schedule, and track power usage of plugged-in appliances.

As technology rapidly advances and becomes affordable, upcoming Smart Home Technology is sure to be limited only by our imaginations. Visit our website or give us a call to find out about how we can help you capitalize on home automation opportunities today! The future is waiting…