Doesn’t it seem like electricity costs are always on the rise? Monthly bills are especially expensive during Florida’s hot and humid summers, when you need air conditioning to stay comfortable. Fortunately, you can lower your electric bill—and do your part for the environment—by following these five tips.

Making the decision to install solar panels in Los Angeles is one of the biggest decisions (and investments) a homeowner will make. When it comes to solar panels, and living ‘green’ it is important to do your homework. Here are a few things that you need to know before you go solar.

Increased Property Tax

Adding solar panels to your Los Angeles home will not cause a reassessment of your property. The only way that a reassessment of your home’s value would happen (in most states) is when you add on square footage to your home such as a room addition.

Electric Bill

Before purchasing and hiring a solar panel installer in Los Angeles, pay close attention to your electricity bill for a month or two. The more you spend in electricity the higher your tier is. What this means is the more money you have to send to your electric company, the more you will save by installing solar panels.

How Long Do Solar Panels Last?

Typically, solar panels will last approximately 30 years. In Los Angeles, all you need to do to maintenance them is to hose off the panels during the summer and keep leaves off them. It’s really that simple!

Harm Roof?

If a professional solar panel installer in Los Angeles installs your solar panels, they will not harm your roof. In fact, they actually protect the roof directly under them from weather, heat, and light. Not only that, but you can save on heating and cooling costs of your home when your solar panels are installed properly.

The Electric Connection is waiting for you to pick up your phone can call them with any questions you may have. They will answer all of your questions and ensure you are satisfied before you purchase your solar panels for your home.

If you are interested in learning everything about electricity, you should start by understanding the basic components that make up any electrical design and how they work. Think about how the great pyramids of Egypt were built using just blocks of rock. The rocks themselves were nothing, but when combined with careful design they formed such grand structures!

Similarly, you need to know about the basic electrical components and how they work together to create wonderful modern electrical systems. Below you will find information about the most common electrical components:

The very first component that you should know about is the resistor. It is fairly easy to assume that a resistor, as the name suggests, will resist electricity that flows through it, and you would be correct in that assumption too! Any situation that demands the flow of current to be controlled at a desired level will require a resistor.

Here are two scenarios that better explain what a resistor does. In both cases, we will be turning on a LED:

Scenario 1 – Without Resistor

Scenario 2 – With Resistor

If a resistor is like a cushion that is used to control the flow of electricity, then capacitors are like small rechargeable batteries that store small amounts of charge in them. Capacitors do two things at the same time:

By so doing, they are able to stabilize almost any circuit. There are two types of capacitors that are primarily used:

I briefly alluded to LEDs in the scenarios that were used under “Resistors” above. LEDs are just like bulbs except that they are extremely reliable. You can find them on practically every appliance in your home that features some kind of an indicator light. A typical LED bulb can last decades with no sign of dying.

Since they are so reliable, they are used to indicate the state of current at any point in a circuit. An important task like checking the output voltage or current on a circuit becomes simpler with these light-based indicators.

The resistors, capacitors, and LEDs are the simple stuff in electrical circuits. Now, let us talk about the first complicated component – the transistor. Transistors are used to build complex electrical systems, such as amplifiers for instance. A simple way to understand transistors is to think of a switch. A basic switch has an “on” and an “off” state. These are controlled by the position of the switch, which is changed manually.

A transistor is a more advanced switch that has multiple output states. Unlike a switch, you cannot change these states manually. The only way to switch the transistor between various states is to run current through it. By controlling the current that flows through the transistor, you can control the output state to achieve the results you desire.

Solar energy generation has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. One Thursday in March, 2013 a major mark was hit. California surpassed the 1500 megawatt mark for the first time. This is a major accomplishment. While the concept of 1500 megawatts may not mean much to many people, that is enough power to supply 300,000 homes the energy they needed for the day. This would cover every single-family home in San Diego! The best part about this is that solar energy usage is still growing, so over time this number will likely increase.

Solar energy is an exciting frontier; if you are interested in helping the environment, you may wish to start with an installation for your home or other property. Solar energy is very clean, affordable and a great way to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. If this is something that interests you, consider calling a Los Angeles electrician and discuss the possibilities for your home. Perhaps you could become part of surpassing the next major milestone.

Solar power is no longer a pipe dream; it is a reality. Californians are learning that this power source is not only useful and friendly to the environment, but it is also affordable. To date, there have been around 140,000 installations of rooftop solar collectors on buildings such as homes, schools, hospitals and office complexes. Each property owner decided it was important to make a positive impact on the environment by choosing solar.

Now that thousands of other California residents are finding that solar energy is a great choice, perhaps it is time for you to learn more too. Call the number one electrician in Los Angeles—The Electric Connection. Our electricians have a passion for solar power and will be glad to work with you to create a solar electricity plan that will work perfectly for you.

Phil Neal, originally from Massachusetts is Custom Electrical Services new construction manager.  Phil has a variety of responsibilities including overseeing installations, scheduling, and quality control.  Phil is a very experienced electrician in areas such as residential electrical, commercial electrical, service and repair and has received his certification as a licensed Journeyman electrician.

Phil is a 4 year veteran of the U.S. Navy and a 4 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps.  Phil has been deployed to Iraq and has traveled the globe throughout is military career.  He has a wife Deanna a son and twin girls.  With his free time Phil enjoys spending time with his family and taking his kids to the park.

Thank you Phil for your service and being such a critical park of Custom Electrical Services!

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