Imagine a future free from electricity bills. A home where you can maintain or improve your current levels of comfort, but one that is so efficient that it costs little to nothing to power its electrical work. Someday soon, this vision could become a reality, with a combination of renewable power generation and hyper-efficient technologies allowing Americans to enjoy elevated standards of living without placing a burden on their pocketbooks or the environment. Read on to learn more about the ultimate in energy-efficient homes.

Testing the Effectiveness of New Technology

One hotbed for innovation in efficient home construction is in the Pacific Northwest. A pilot program comprised of builders and utility companies is studying new homes built in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington to discover how new technologies are functioning and which ones are most effective. The program is looking at homes that are at least 30 percent more efficient than required by local code and monitoring them for a year after they are built to ensure that their performance is living up to their promise.

Among the energy-saving features that are included in the new houses:

Filling in the Other Side of the Equation

Naturally, any modern home should also include features like LED lighting technology in lieu of incandescent bulbs and efficient Energy Star-rated appliances to keep the costs for your electrical work low. Add smart technology to the mix, which can automatically find extra savings, and you are looking at a historically low electrical bill.

Of course, it's extraordinarily rare to find an American household that gets by without electricity at all, so no matter how efficient you are, you'll still have some level of energy consumption to power your electrical work. That's where the other side of the equation comes in: personal, renewable power generation. Once you install solar panels or a wind turbine on your property, you can make your own power. Pair that with a good electricity storage option and you're well on your way to being free from electrical bills forever.

Conservation in Your Circuits and Wires

The nation hasn't realized its efficiency dreams yet, but we are well on our way. If you need electrical work in a new or existing home, call up a qualified residential electrician today.

If an entire home lighting renovation isn’t feasible right now, a simple and affordable way to update your style is by getting creative with what you already have and combining it with what others have left behind.

There is nothing quite as rewarding to me as a good ol’ thrift shop gem. When my family moved into a new home last year, the builder-grade light fixtures didn’t do much for the decor, but upgrading them just wasn’t in the budget. I was faced with the challenge of incorporating my style into the house without spending a fortune — a perfect excuse to pay a visit to my favorite local resale shops. Check out what I came home with…

QUICK TIP: Don’t forget about Ebay, consignment stores, flea markets, Craigslist, Freecycle, local yard sales, or non-profit donation centers like Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity ReStores.   

I always loved the height and elegant shape of this lamp. When the shade was damaged in our move, it was a perfect opportunity for me to get creative. A new lamp shade ($9.95 on consignment), a decorative finial (taken from another old lamp), and some leftover twine gave this light new life!

Doing your own yard work is a rewarding experience. While there is always the option of hiring a landscape company to take care of your lawn needs, it is often a job many homeowners would like to take on themselves. It is an excellent way to get some exercise while working with your hands. One of the biggest motivators to taking care of your own yard work is the cost savings. The money you save by taking care of your own landscaping needs gives you more money to put back into the landscaping. Landscaping is not complete without adequate lighting. Although you may want to do all the work yourself, landscape lighting is one job you will want to hire a Glendale electrician to take care of. The team at The Electric Connection is here to help you.

Many homeowners who tackle their landscaping needs on their own will usually opt to install solar lights. These lights are quick and easy to install and require very little effort. They can be placed anywhere in the landscaping, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will work effectively. Solar lights need at least 8 hours of sunlight to recharge. If the lights are placed under trees or thick shrubs that get very little sun, the solar lights will not recharge and will not light up when darkness falls.

Electric landscape lights require a little more effort to install, but they will remain lit throughout the night whether the sun shone on the lights or not. Because the lights will require electrical wire, you will want to hire an electrician. Glendale residents will appreciate the reliability of electric landscaping lights. Your electrician will wire the lights into the home’s electric panel. You can opt to have a timer installed for the lights or a manual switch for you to control when the lights are turned off and on. Give The Electric Connection a call today and schedule your landscape lighting installation.

When it comes to creating stunning interior spaces in their homes, property owners pull out all the stops. They hire the best designers, choose the best materials and hire the best contractors for all the installations. While all these aspects are important, it’s also important to have the right kind of lighting. After all, you do want your home to look as stunning after dark, as it does during the day, don’t you?

However good lighting is never a matter of chance. It takes a great deal of planning and choosing the right fixtures and lighting systems and bulbs to ensure you are able to achieve the effect you want. Lighting has the potential to completely transform the look of your home and it can turn your house into a welcoming and comfortable home.

Regardless of how well thought-out all the other details in your décor and interior design are; all your luxurious flooring, stunning wall coverings and superb furnishing won’t have the right impact if your lighting isn’t planned well. Here are some aspects you should consider while lighting any residential space:

Every room will need a different type of lighting; and this will be dependent on the activities that take place in that room. Here are some pointers:

If your home has high ceilings, you can use recessed lighting- these fixtures are inserted into ceilings and the fixture is fitted inside it. Adding dimmer switches to these directional lights allows you the flexibility to change the lighting effect from subtle to full-bright.

It’s a good idea to add this in most rooms; it’s especially important that you have night lighting incorporated into kid’s rooms and nurseries. Table lamps and wall sconces are a good option for these spaces.

Many people like to have chandeliers in these rooms. Choose these smartly and ensure that the one you opt for doesn’t date the space. If you have very elaborate and embellished interiors, a traditional, opulent chandelier might look stunning, but it will look completely out-of-place in a modern-styled home.

For the latter, you should opt for more minimalistic chandeliers that have simple designs with small and ornate crystals to throw more light. No matter what type of décor you have, it’s important that you measure-out the entire space as well as the ceiling height in every room before you order pendant lights or chandeliers, and ensure there’s sufficient head room under these fixtures.

We at Allround Electrical are licensed and insured electrical contractors. We can provide consultation on different types of lighting systems, and offer a range of electrical services to commercial and residential customers. For more information, contact our friendly team today at this number – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address. You may also reach us through this online contact form.

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