Home fires devastate hundreds of thousands of families each year. In 2015 alone, there were 1,345,000 fires reported in the United States, resulting in over 3,000 deaths and 15,000 injuries. Among the most common causes of fires are kitchen stoves, faulty wiring, lighting, clothes dryers, and candles. Monday marked the beginning of National Fire Prevention Week, and because we’re committed to ensuring the safety and peace of mind of home homeowners, we’re going to spend this week helping you safeguard your home against a possible fire.

It’s essential to note that you can’t prevent 100 percent of fires; however, there are certain measures you can take to significantly reduce the possibility of one. The most important thing you can do as a homeowner is always be proactive and vigilant. We’ve put together what we believe to be the most important tips you can follow for fire prevention.

Emergency power systems are vital for any business or IT operation to keep mission critical systems operational and avoid equipment damage during a power failure. Don Jennings, President of Network Computing Technologies discusses the value of emergency power systems in preventing the loss of electricity to data sources and other IT operations such as servers, point of sale systems, PC’s, routers, switches, telecommunications, and other equipment. The Indoor Generator offers IT professionals an affordable solution that provides hours of backup power at a fraction of the cost of current UPS products on the market. For more information on the Indoor Generator, visit the ElectricMan Inc. website at www.electricmaninc.com.

Does nuclear energy have a role in the clean energy future of our country? Currently, nuclear production accounts for 797.1 billion kilowatt hours annually, or 19.5 percent of total generation in the United States, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute. About 30 percent of all the nuclear power in the world is generated in the U.S. by 99 power reactors in 30 states, the World Nuclear Association reports. That number could grow or fall in future years, depending on a variety of factors. Read on to learn more.

Clean Power Opportunities

Nuclear power is far less harmful to the environment than burning coal or natural gas, most notably in its relatively negligible contribution to air pollution and climate change, according to NASA. If we want to make dramatic cuts to emissions, nuclear can be a major player along with wind and solar generation.

Despite its promise, nuclear power fell out of favor in the United States for decades, following the Three Mile Island accident in 1977 and cheap natural gas prices making nuclear less competitive for powering the country's electrical work. The World Nuclear Association does expect six new plants to be completed in the country by 2020, however. That number could rise in future years, depending on several variables including natural gas prices, public sentiment, technological advances and progress toward meeting emission reduction goals.

The Challenges Posed by Nuclear Energy

However, nuclear generation is not a panacea for our electrical work, and it does pose two large problems. The first is what to do with spent nuclear fuel, which can remain dangerous to humans for millennia. Currently, spent fuel is usually stored on-site at generating plants after it is used, but the country has still not figured out an effective long term solution.

The other big caveat when it comes to nuclear energy is the capacity for disaster. On a day-to-day basis, nuclear plants are far less harmful to humans and the environment than coal, but in the event of a meltdown or other malfunction, the damage can be catastrophic. Look no further than the ongoing health and environmental problems that stemmed from the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan to see the consequences when nuclear power goes wrong.

The Cloudy Future of the Nation's Electrical Work

For now, there is no firm answer to what the future of nuclear energy is in the United States. The industry could grow into a larger piece of the nation's clean energy future, or it could end up phased out entirely if there is another major accident, or if renewable sources continue to grow in market share and effectiveness.

If you have any questions about where your electricity comes from, or need any electrical work performed in your home, call a residential electrician today.

1) Totally Tubular

We’ve seen words written on walls in LED rope, but never with this kind of frame. How clever! As the evolution of LED rope continues, I would expect to see even more eye-catching wire frames. It’s all about making something that looks good even when rope is not illuminated. This DIYer is definitely on the right track.

3) LED Rope with a Side of More Rope

It seems to be true. She wore garments with integrated LEDs at the Grammy’s and loves to have LED lighting on stage with her. Here, we can see how cool LED rope can be on the stage. There are innumerable shapes and symbols that could be constructed or outlined with LED rope to make a musical performance more visually appealing. Rock on!

5) Wrap Your Porch like a Present

Using rope to play with LED rope has become wildly popular during the past year or so. I love the way this piece displays what I think of as a controlled tangle. This lighting application is artistic in the way it arrest attention and invites questions. Like, “What is the point of this?” And you’re led to answer yourself: It’s a source of light that serves a function while it conveys a unique look. Good stuff.

7)  LED Rope for Starting Seedlings

This is another application that is not new but should be restated. LED rope is a great, relatively inexpensive way to install cove lighting. This is great in residential and commercial settings and needs to be restated because cove lighting creates such a dramatic transformation for any space, and LED rope is just an excellent way to achieve it.