Had you taken a public poll 20 years ago about the future of solar power and solar energy, the public would have likely expected the technology to have made leaps and bounds by 2013.  Perhaps many would have expected to see solar panels installed on most homes and businesses by now, or even being used to power cars (ala the 1996 James Belushi / Halle Berry movie Race The Sun.) In 2013, in a technological age where most people use smartphones as pocket sized computers, why does it seem that solar power hasn’t progressed much at all?

There are many reasons to help to understand this phenomenon, so we’ve listed some of the most popular below:

One of the most obvious issues that may be holding solar energy back is the idea that if there is no sunshine, there is no power being generated.  Because of this, solar energy doesn’t have the capability to stand alone which will surely hinder its popularity.  Modern consumers are of the instant gratification mindset and are not always willing to take the inconvenient option, even if it may have strong benefits.

It’s no question that there are huge amounts of money tied up in the corporations and investors who control the major energy companies of the world.  The electricity companies have an interest in limiting their competition and they have lobbyists in that will work to protect their interests.  There is also strong opposition coming from competing industries like coal and nuclear energy, both of which are heavily financed and politically influential.

Even with the tax breaks and incentives cited as reasons for solar energy development, the upfront  costs for equipment and installation are still excessively high.   It’s often cited that it would currently cost around $20,000 – $30,000 to install a new solar system on an average American home (before incentives.)  The investment can pay for itself over a 20-30 year period of monthly savings, but most households in the U.S. don’t have the means to spend such a large amount of cash straight away.

As many companies have rushed to be the biggest and best producers of solar panel equipment, the market has seen high competition with most of the solar products being produced cheaply in China.  Because of this, there has been wide concern that modern solar panels are expensive, untested, and of low quality.  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory even estimates that solar panels degrade at a rate of 4.5% annually or more!  At this rate, a new solar panel will lose most of its efficiency before it ever becomes financially beneficial.

We will have to wait and see where solar energy goes in the coming years.  Maybe it won’t be popular for several more decades, or perhaps it will never become popular at all.  Either way, energy is a shifting business that constantly pushes and reinvents itself, so it will be exciting to see what the future has in store for the industry.

Many people have an old and unreliable electric service panel installed in their residence or office. You might be interested in getting a new panel installed but are concerned about the cost or time required. However, the process is quite simple; which means it won’t inconvenience you or cost lots of money. In this article, we will give you an overview of the installation process so that you know what to expect when you have us put in a new electric service panel.

There is nothing like a do it yourself project.  The satisfaction and reward of a job well done.  However, some projects are better left to the professionals.  Electricity is a powerful source of energy, if not handled properly can be dangerous and even deadly.  All to often we see projects started with good intentions, that end up costing the untrained person more than if they would of had a professional handle the project from the beginning.  Have your home electrical projects handled by licensed professional electricians.

Many homeowners carry out electrical upgrades in their home and they get the fixtures and fittings replaced. At times, switchboards etc. may be replaced or circuit breakers too. However there is one component of electrical installations that is typically out of sight, out of mind – wiring!

We at Allround Electrical always recommend to our clients that if their home and the wiring in it, is over two decades old, they should consider getting wiring upgrades done on their property. In fact, when you choose to upgrade the wiring in your home, it gives you the assurance that the system will be able to bear the load of all the electrical appliances that you add to the different circuits on your property.

It’s a good idea to plan wiring upgrades at the same time that you plan remodeling projects; this is when you might open up walls and ceilings anyways; and this reduces the hassle, expense and time spent on getting this work done. This is because most of the electrical wiring is fitted within your walls; and it often involves opening up various wall sections, that will later have to be patched & repainted.

This is why it’s important that you plan for current and future requirements; this will ensure that you don’t have to worry about the wiring upgrades for at least a few more years. So, what is it that makes wiring such an important aspect of the electrical installation on your premises? Wiring supports a range of critical functions including:

When you are getting any of these jobs done, it’s crucial that you hire the services of an expert and experienced electrical company for the job. They will ensure that high grade, appropriate materials are used in the work and that the workmanship is of the highest grade too. While you are getting this job done, there are certain things you should be doing, such as:

These are just some of the basic aspects that have to be attended to when electrical upgrades are being done in your home. When you hire the services of a vetted and credible electrical contractor, you have peace of mind that the job will be handled in the best possible way.

For more information, simply speak with the experts at Allround Electrical and take our advice on various aspects of electrical and wiring installations. The number to call is – 1300 169 263. You can also write to us at this email address.

Thanks for reading,1300 169 263

Explosion proof fixtures are a necessity for environments which output potentially explosive or flammable fumes, produce dust of dirt in the air, or similar situations in which a gas could enter the fixture and cause damage to the light or well-being of the facility.

If you are currently running or working with a facility which requires these explosion proof light fixtures, the list of 3 must-haves below will clear the air and hopefully set you on the right track to ensuring you have the proper setup and design.

First on the list, we are going to talk about the actual technology within the fixture and why it is so important.

While a big part of vapor proof lights is the actual fixture and its design, we think the luminaire within the fixture is equally as important.

We simply can’t recommend any other technology other than LED because we truly believe in it. To give you a little bit of insight on industrial LEDs, here are some of the reasons why companies of all sorts are converting to LED:

As you can see, just from these three main benefits that all sorts of facilities are realizing can really be game changing in terms of savings.

For these reasons (and more), we thought it was a must to have it first on the list.

Interested in learning more? Find Class 1 Div 2. For this reason, we suggest you always inquire with a reputable and knowledgeable company that offers and deals with explosion proof lighting when inquiring about your lighting project.

If you can’t find a reputable company to ask your questions, just LED explosion proofs offer the long-term solution is clear.

Especially when you consider in rebates, your initial upfront investment can be reduced greatly. While these rebates do vary from place to place, they are most often available when you buy DLC qualified fixtures. Not only are DLC qualified fixtures going to make you more eligible for rebates through your utility company, but they also provide other benefits. The biggest benefit of buying DLC qualified lights is they have ben tried and tested and, in most cases, do what they claim. In a busy world of lighting, not all products do exactly what they say. This is most common when a light is not qualified by something like the DLC.

Our main advice is this; to get the best value buy only DLC qualified fixtures. If you don’t, you may actually end up spending more upfront (by not getting any rebates) as well as more energy usage overtime, due to a less efficient build.

Another major cost saver can come through retrofitting. The only time you can retrofit is if your fixture is still functional and can fit a LED retrofit in it. If you do not match these requirements, then a full replacement will (typically) be required.

If you can, we suggest you retrofit. It saves money in two ways: retrofit kits are cheaper than full fixture replacements and the cost to retrofit is typically less time consuming and thus, less expensive.

In Summary

We know that a sensitive environment can be stressful to deal with, especially when it comes to the lighting system and the safety of the facility.

The above 3 must-haves are just the beginning, and each situation can vary greatly. As always, we suggest you consult with some lighting professionals to truly discover what you may require for your facility and operations.