But Iowa has us and the rest of the country beat when it comes to percentage of electricity demand provided by wind. Their wind power farms set a record of 20% of state electricity needs in the second quarter of 2011, with 4,000 megawatts of installed wind farm capacity.

In terms of total generation, the top wind power state is Texas, with 9,000 megawatts of installed capacity. Of course, Texas has a lot more people than Iowa, so wind power accounts for a lower percentage of its electric needs.

After the 2008 financial crash, the wind power industry, along with a lot of the economy, declined. However, it’s now on the upsurge. According the American Wind Energy Association, “7,354 megawatts of new capacity was under construction nationally by July 1, more than at any time since the third quarter of 2008.”

(Information for this article provided by Care2 newsletter and Brian Merchant, a Treehugger blogger.)

For information on how you can use your electricity more efficiently and save money, click on my tips.

Kim Hopkins

CEO, The Electric Connection

Click here to visit our website.

If you own a business and you’re considering exterior pole lighting, you might be unsure of whether or not it’s the right choice for you. Read on to discover the various ways your business can benefit from this illuminating investment.

Exterior pole lighting might not seem like a necessity, but it comes along with certain advantages for both residential and commercial properties. Many homeowners enjoy having this kind of lighting near their porch or front walkway, as it can help give their property a more pleasant appearance. Although this is certainly great for nighttime dinner guests, the benefits of exterior lamps are even more noticeable when it comes to businesses.

When the sun goes down, and all the other storefronts fall into the shadows, exterior pole lighting can help you stand out. Exterior lamps can light up your sign and make your business more recognizable, all while helping people spot you with little difficulty.

Beams from pole lights can provide a large amount of illumination, which you can use to direct people’s attention wherever you want it to go. Like the walkway leading into your business, for example.

There is a lot of variety when it comes to exterior pole lights and the options at your disposal. A number of different looks can be achieved, such as using frosted glass to hide the bulb while also creating a more elegant appearance. With all the options available, you can easily get exterior pole lights in a design that compliments the theme of your business.

Aside from adding functionality and attractiveness to your space, exterior lights can also help your place of business look more impressive and legitimate to prospective customers. If a person walking down the street one evening needs to choose between two competing businesses, it’s likely they’ll come to the storefront marked by a welcoming light out front. Especially if the competitor has a shadowy awning with words they can barely read.

The good news is that heating systems in modern homes are safer than they’ve ever been before. But while many people never experience any major risk to their safety due to a furnace or boiler, it’s still a possibility. Any heating system that uses combustion to work, like a natural gas furnace, could potentially leak a dangerous gas called carbon monoxide (CO, for short) into the home.

The heat exchanger is where combustion produces a flame as natural gas ignites. This heat is contained within a heat exchanger made of aluminum or steel. It is essentially a curved tube, and the smoke and carbon monoxide byproducts vent through the other end and out of the house. Air blows over the heat exchanger to heat up and is sent to the ducts running throughout the home.

Unfortunately, over time, the heat exchanger can become damaged. This is especially true if you have anyone but a professional technician work on your furnace, but it can also happen with time. You should have HVAC technicians inspect your heating system each and every year to check for leaks and cracks.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. That means you wouldn’t have many ways to notice if it were in your home. It is poisonous, and sometimes people don’t know about it until people in the house start to get sick.

Carbon monoxide detectors save lives. A CO detector near each room where people sleep (and throughout your living spaces) should be tested each month and replaced every 5-10 years. You should also replace the batteries for your CO and smoke alarms every 6 months (even if the test works).