Are you impressed by the nation's current lineup of efficient electrical appliances and devices? You ain't seen nothing yet, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The DOE recently released a report previewing some of the big technological breakthroughs that are poised to help you get the most out of your residential electrical work. These advances promise to reduce the energy consumption of the average household while still delivering effective performance. Read on to learn what your next refrigerator, clothes dryer and lighting system could look like.

More Efficient and Effective Electrical Work

The Department of Energy predicts the following leaps forward for some of our commonly used appliances:

Cut Back on Energy Use Sooner, Not Later

Don't wait until the future to beef up the efficiency in your home electrical work. For help identifying opportunities to cut back on energy use, contact a licensed electrician to conduct a thorough energy efficiency audit.

Picture this scenario: you’re sitting at home with your family watching television and enjoying an otherwise run-of-the-mill evening. Then, all of a sudden, *poof*! Your power goes out, leaving you in the dark.

Here’s a quick question: do you know what to do when this happens?

Have a look at our guide to understand your best course of action after an outage. That way, you can keep you and your family safe no matter the situation.

When the power first goes out, take the following steps:

This is a non-issue if there’s a power interruption. But in cases of extreme weather or other emergencies, guarantee the bodily safety of you and your family first.

If you have telephone or cellular service, a quick call to the power company can give you information on the cause, extent and estimated restoration time for an outage.

Depending on the expected outage time, you may want to put a plan in action for your food/water. If the outage is less than two hours, food in your refrigerator and freezer will be fine. After that, however, temperatures may rise high enough to cause food-borne illness. To minimize the risk, avoid opening and closing the refrigerator as much as possible.

In most power outages, municipal water should remain unaffected. However, extreme weather or extended outages could compromise water safety. In cases like this, it’s recommended to avoid using it for anything that could come in contact with your mouth or body:

If possible, use boiled or bottled water to avoid the risk of getting sick.

If an outage knocks out air conditioning during hot weather, your risk of heat stroke will increase significantly. It’s important to identify the signs of heat stroke and address it as soon as it happens. Symptoms include hot/red skin, dizziness or nausea, headaches, rapid heartbeat and a high body temperature.

To reduce the risk of heat stroke, follow these guidelines:

Just like the heat, a prolonged power outage in the cold can quickly create an emergency situation. This holds especially true with most in-home heating systems that rely on electricity in some capacity.

Remaining warm is especially important in these situations. One of the largest risks with prolonged exposure to cold is hypothermia. Signs of hypothermia risk include cold skin, shivering and a body temperature below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Without proper steps in place, hypothermia can quickly escalate into a life-threatening situation.

Maintaining a warm environment is the most important step in a cold temperature power outage. Use all the following tips to keep your family safe in the cold:

Museums have a hard line to walk, exhibiting items for public education and enjoyment while protecting those same collections from damage. Today’s museum also carry the additional weight of safeguarding the future of the environment – as well as their financial future – against the dangers of unnecessary energy consumption. What advancements have been made in preservation lighting technology to help accomplish these goals?

Light, including all three types: ultraviolet (UV), infrared, and visible light, causes permanent and irreversible damage to museum pieces. Cumulative and dependent on the intensity and duration of exposure, light affects chemical composition, physical structure, and, the appearance of a collection. There is no conservation treatment that can repair it. Light damage is forever.

Only complete darkness ensures conservation, since exposure to light in any form naturally breaks down items. However, keeping pieces locked away in the dark defeats the mission of the museum – sharing those works with the public. It is thus a museum’s dilemma to find a suitable solution that balances the best of both worlds, in addition to considering energy costs and the environmental impact of its lighting selection.  

In your search for preservation lighting, you will find that a great deal of lighting solutions involve UV (ultraviolet light), the most energetic and destructive form of light. These include natural light, fluorescents, HID, and tungsten halogen lighting. Fortunately, the effects of UV can be controlled with simple filters, offering a greater variety of lighting options. UV filters are hard plastic tubes or soft sleeves wrapped around bulbs/light sources, which filter and block up to 98 percent of UV light, preventing its damaging effects. NOTE: UV filters lose efficiency over time and must be replaced every eight-10 years.

Specific, detailed recommendations for preservation lighting levels based on your collection type can be found from various sources, including the Library of Congress, National Park Service, UNESCO, and more.

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Wiring over 200 new construction single family and multi-family homes every year Custom Electrical Services offers the same great service to home owners.  We offer upfront pricing and can provide estimates upon request.  You will know exactly what your next service call will cost before the work begins.  And to top it off your satisfaction is our top priority!  Our electricians stand behind there work!

We offer many electrical services throughout Central Iowa.  Just some of our more popular services include: service calls, estimates, whole house surge protection installation, emergency backup installation, hot tub wiring installation, pool wiring installation, landscape lighting installation, sump pump alarm installation, emergency electrical services and hundreds more!  We can even provide you with custom lighting solutions, LED lighting upgrades, new service, or new electrical panels.  Just a small project?  We love small projects.  Have a huge project?  Go ahead try to challenge us!  We absolutely love big electrical projects!

We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau!  You can also check out some of our reviews.  Or check out the pictures of our recent electrical projects in Ankeny.  Wiring over 30 high end units in Ankeny last year.

Capitol Lighting Offers Green Ceiling Fans and Energy Efficient Lighting Solutions for your Home!

You don’t have to sacrifice style when you select energy efficient lighting for your home. Capitol Lighting offers sophisticated lighting designs and green ceiling fans from such makers as Casablanca and Monte Carlo Fan Company.  Get high quality energy efficient lighting from Minka Aire and Hunter Fans too.  Being Green, when it comes to lighting your home, is easy with hundreds of energy efficient lighting styles and designs to choose from at Capitol Lighting.