Solar panels are an increasingly popular way to provide electricity for your home or business, but few people understand the process to install solar panels. It’s a simple process, carried out by professional installers. If you’re contemplating installing solar panels, this brief overview of the process shows you what to expect.

The process starts with a site visit, during which a contractor reviews your energy needs and the structure or area where the panels are to be installed. Keep your electric bills for the last year handy so that determining the size and arrangement of the panels is easier. The custom design is very carefully calibrated to your exact needs and will be reviewed by you and the contractor at the same time.

After all the materials are ordered and delivered, the mounting system for the panels must be installed. To take advantage of solar radiation, panels are carefully oriented and positioned so they can be turned several times of year for maximum efficiency with flush mounts.

A cheaper, but less effective solution is to mount them flat on a roof. This is more aesthetically pleasing, but don’t have the flexibility to change with the seasons.

Once the mounts are in place, the panels are set in place and wired to a system of transformers and batteries. This is the nerve center of your solar array and interfaces with the electric system in your house. If you live in an area where excess solar power is sold to utility companies, there may be additional wiring to send power back to the grid.

Every instance of solar panel installation is slightly different, and the only way to really know what to expect is to schedule a site visit with a solar panel installer that can give you an accurate estimate of the price and scope of installation. Solar power has never been a better investment, so find out how to get on board with it today.

Right this instant you are probably enjoying light provided by a CFL or an incandescent bulb. Buying and installing this kind of light sources is an automatic process. It`s popular, you buy it and when it does not work anymore you just go to the store and replace it. Little do people know about the hidden dangers of these light sources and their utter inefficiency, not to mention the way they damage the environment.

Let`s take each one and see why they are not the best option.

Incandescent bulbs have been around for a long time, being quite simple and cheap. While in the past they may have been revolutionary, today they are ineffective and their production will soon be stopped. Incandescent bulbs have several disadvantages and can`t even compare to, for example, LED lighting:

Sure, manufacturers strive to create better variations but they are all costly and do not improve the initial concept by a whole lot.

CFL are much better than incandescent bulbs and replaced the latter in many places but they are still not quite the best option, even if they can last up to 12000 hours (no match to LEDs, which go up to 200000 hours). What are the problems?

A deep and attentive analysis like this one reveals just how many things we are used to ignore. Fortunately, a better alternative makes both CFL and incandescent bulbs seem utterly irrelevant. The alternative is LED lighting, a known technology that is now applied to public and private lighting. It is ten times more efficient and it is not a threat to the environment or to you.

constant-current LED driver or constant-current driver is used to regulate the amount of current that is supplied to an LED or LED array to maximize LED lifetime. If current is not regulated, LED brightness can fluctuate and life span can be shortened. The constant-current driver is used for LEDs or light fixtures that require a stable output current and operate within a range of voltages. Most finished LED products already have a constant-current driver or resistors to regulate current. If you’re building an LED fixture or replacing a constant-current driver, it’s important to verify that the output current and voltage of the driver is compatible with the LEDs’ current and voltage. If your LED product already has a constant-current driver or uses resistors in the LED array, you might need a constant-voltage power supply.

If your LEDs are dimmable and you want to change their brightness, choose a Magnitude Dimmable Power Supplies. These dimmable power supplies work by varying the power on the AC input side of the power supply by means of a TRIAC dimmer. This change in power on the AC input side will vary the voltage on the DC output side and control the intensity of the LEDs. TRIAC dimmers are common hardware store and household dimmers, which include brand names such as Lutron and Leviton.

Pulse-Width Modulation Dimming: Pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as Mean Well LPF Series. This type of dimming control adjusts the output current based on the duty cycle. As the duty cycle increases, current will increase and the LEDs will be brighter. Conversely, if the duty cycle decreases, the current will decrease and the LEDs will be dimmer. Pulse-width modulation for these drivers is based on a 10-volt signal level with a frequency between 100Hz-3KHz. The MLD-5A are compatible for this application.

Resistive Dimming: Resistive dimming can be used to control dimmable power supplies such as 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-40-240 Series or 12-Volt Mean Well HLG-600 Series or here.

The efficiency of a power supply or driver indicates the percentage of power that goes toward making your LED product function. An efficiency of 80 percent or higher is recommended for operating LEDs. 

When choosing a driver or power supply, the size of an LED product’s housing or area of installation is important. If you wish to put a constant-current LED driver inside of a product, the driver must be small enough to fit in the product’s housing. Similarly, if the driver or power supply is used outside of the product’s housing, it should fit the area of installation. Drivers and power supplies are available in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.

A Class 2 driver or power supply is in accordance with limited power levels defined by the National Electric Code (NEC) and fulfills the requirements of Standard UL 1310. Output is limited to 60 volts DC and 100 watts. Because power sources with this rating have limited output, it might not be possible to power as many LEDs or lights as those that don’t have a Class 2 rating. However, these power supplies and drivers provide protection from fire and electric shock.

A Class II rating refers to a double insulation layer between AC input and DC output wires. These drivers and power supplies do not require a ground connection.

A good, reliable microwave can be an important part of any modern kitchen. But is your microwave working a little too well? If you’ve got a microwave that just won’t quit, even when the timer goes off, you’ve certainly got a bit of a problem on your hands. But not a problem that our Electricians in Laurel can’t fix! Here are the most common causes for a microwave that won’t stop, and what you should do about it.

Looking for appliance wiring services in your area? Our electricians in Laurel are always ready to help! Contact Kolb Electric any time online and a member of our team will be more than happy to help!

There’s some good news to be had here, and some quite likely bad news. The good news is that no matter what folks say, you are not going to be radiated to death by your microwave. They’re generally quite safe, even if they’re running with the door open. However having said that, there are certainly risks, and the problem should not be left alone.

The bad news? The odds are pretty strong that you’re going to need a new microwave, or that replacing your microwave is going to be faster, easier, and safer.

So what causes this problem? There are actually very few causes, which lets us narrow things down pretty quickly. It tends to depend on how and why:

In our honest opinion, you either call in a professional, or you get a new microwave. The door switch is a fairly cost-effective repair if you’ve got a pro, but the panel issue is more complex. And while there are lots of “DIY” solutions out there, videos, mostly, we can’t really in good conscience suggest repairing a microwave on your own. Why? Because a microwave carries a potentially lethal charge, even when unplugged. It’s just not worth the risk!

Looking for a certified electrician to suss out your microwave woes? If so, you can always count on Kolb! Reach out to our team today and we can have one of our professionals on the way and ready to help in no time!