10 Ways to Save Electricity this Summer

As they travel around the Piedmont of North Carolina performing electrical services, Beco electricians are often asked by customers “How can I save money on my electrical bill during the hot summer?”

Turns out there are several things homeowners can do to shave dollars and cents off of their electric bill. Here are our top ten energy-saving suggestions for Triad homeowners:

1. Turn Up Your Thermostat – For every degree that you turn up your thermostat above 72 degrees, you will save from 1 to 3% on your electricity bill. When you are away for the day or longer, turn your thermostat up to 85 degrees. For convenience, you can install at “thinking” thermostat that learns your life patterns and automatically adjusts the thermostat accordingly.

2. Turn Off the Energy “Vampires” – Many household electronics still consume small amounts of energy even when turned off. Combined, all of these electronics add up to higher cost. Unplug electronic devices and chargers when they aren’t in use, and turn computers and printers off at the power strip.

3. Use Ceiling Fans Properly – Ceiling fans help to circulate air within the home, bringing the ambient temperature down. The cooling “wind chill” effect on skin can make a room feel up to 8 degrees cooler. In the summer, make sure that your fan blades are turning counterclockwise in order to create a downdraft of cooler air.

4. Replace Air Conditioner Filters – Dirty filters in HVAC and window units make those systems work harder to pull air through by restricting airflow, requiring more electricity. Replace filters often and as recommended by the manufacturer of your system.

5. Install an Attic Fan – Properly installed attic fans will cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents and pushing hot air to the outside. However, if your attic has blocked vents and is not well sealed from the rest of the house, attic fans will suck cool conditioned air up out of the house and into the attic. Beco offers a SolarAttic Fan that runs on solar power and may qualify for tax incentives.

6. Use ENERGY STAR® Products - Whenever replacing an appliance, lamps, light bulbs, or other electrical device, look for the ENERGY STAR logo on products you buy. These products are specifically designed to use less energy to perform the same job, thus reducing your electric bill.

7. Plug Your Homes Leaks and Seal Ducts – As cooled air escapes, even the smallest leak in a home can waste electricity. Weather-strip, seal, and caulk leaky doors and windows and install foam gaskets behind outlet covers. Leaking ductwork accounts for 25 percent of cooling costs in an average home, so have your ducts tested and have any leaks or restrictions repaired by a qualified contractor.

8. Air Dry Dishes and Clothes When Possible - Turn off the dry cycle on your dishwasher and allow the dishes to air-dry instead. Line dry clothes whenever the weather allows.

9. Operate Swimming Pools Efficiently – Consider reducing the operating time of your pool filter and automatic cleaning sweep to four to five hours, and only during off-peak times. Always check with manufacturers recommendations for operation.

10. Get Outside! – Its summer, after all! More time spent out-of-doors conditions our bodies to tolerate higher temperatures,so slightly higher settings on your thermostat will feel cooler when you are used to the heat. Pools are a great way to cool off in the hot of the day, and activity promotes greater circulation and health.

The electrical professionals at Beco are happy to consult with Triad homeowners to keep their electricity costs down during the summer and all year round.

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How Do Solar Panels Work? An Electrician’s Simple Explanation

For the last several weeks, we’ve been talking about the advantages of renewable and clean solar power for both businesses and residences in the Piedmont of North Carolina, where BecoElectrical operates, and beyond. Many have asked “How exactly do solar systems convert the photons from sunlight into electricity to run appliances in our homes?”

Solar energy has been used to power satellites and other space vehicles for decades, but only recently has it become more economical and available for residential and business use.  This energy is generated by the use of solar panels, which are photovoltaic (derived from the Greek word photo meaning light, and volt for a unit with electrical potential). Materials that are photovoltaic capture light and convert it into electricity.

The photovoltaic cells contained in solar panels are made primarily of silicon, which is an excellent conductor of electricity (and thus why they are widely used in computer chips). Inside each cell, there are two layers of silicon. The top layer contains many electrons, while the bottom layer contains empty spaces with fewer electrons. In simple terms, when sunlight strikes the cells it causes the excess electrons in the top layer to overflow into the bottom layer, generating electricity.

The electricity generated by photovoltaic cells is called direct current, or DC. However, in order to provide usable power to residences or businesses, the DC must be converted to alternating current, or AC. The piece of equipment needed to convert DC to AC is called an inverter, which allows homes and businesses to connect solar generated electricity directly to appliances and equipment through a fuse box.

In order to store electricity for use when sunlight is not available, direct current solar generated power is sometimes stored in a battery, where it must then still run through an inverter to convert to AC. More often, homes or businesses using solar power are connected to the electrical utility grid so that they can have power around the clock without the need for battery storage. In peak times, the electrical utility will often pay these establishments to feed inverted AC back into the electrical grid.

Consumers interested in having solar power installed in a home or business don’t have to understand the physics of photovoltaic systems. While some may have the knowledge to install these systems on their own, its important to understand that the slightest change in angle of an installed solar panel can drop its efficiency by up to fifty percent. The installers at Beco Electrical, the only solar installer located in High Point, North Carolina, are trained experts on how to get the very best efficiency out of your residential or commercial solar system.

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Why Go Solar, Piedmont Triad?

We have written about how North Carolina is one the nations leaders (see previous post - North Carolina Ranks in Top Ten for Solar Power Generation) in solar power installation. While solar farms for technology companies such as Apple and Google are leading the way in making North Carolina’s energy portfolio more diverse, its not just businesses that are moving towards cleaner, more sustainable solar systems. Homeowners across the Piedmont Triad, as well as the rest of the state, have begun to realize the advantages of what a solar installation in their homes can provide:

• Selling Your Solar  - In most cases, your public utility will actually PAY YOU for your generated solar energy. Net energy metering (NEM) is legislation that requires utilities to credit solar-generating customers for the full retail value of the energy they produce (called SRECs, or Solar Renewable Energy Certificates). But because solar is an intermittent energy source, and would require a large storage system to be truly independent, solar producing homeowners remain connected to the electric grid 100 percent of the time and use the utility to help meet their electricity needs 24/7. As a result, there are construction regulations and inspections on installed solar systems that homeowners must understand. 

• Offset Rising Energy Prices – Many solar systems, such as the ones provided by Beco Electrical in High Point, NC, have manufacturers warranties and estimated lifespan of 25+ years, meaning that as energy prices continue to increase over time, your solar system will continue to offset the cost for decades to come.

• Tax Credits and Rebates for Installing Solar Power Systems – To help offset the cost of installing solar power systems, North Carolina has one of the most generous tax credits in the nation, set at 35%. In addition, the Federal tax credit for installing solar is 30%. For Beco Electrical customers that are in the Progress Energy service area, the utility is now offering rebate program of $500 per watt for residential solar installations.

 

•  Increase Your Home Value - Residential solar installations increase the value of your home, but do not increase your property taxes.

 

• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint – Solar is a clean, silent, and renewable energy source that has ZERO emissions. No matter how you contribute carbon in other ways, your footprint will shrink with the use of solar.

 

With solar tax credits, rebates, buy back programs, and construction requirements and regulations, trying to understand the advantages of installing a solar system on your residence can often be overwhelming. That is why Beco Electrical has solar installation professionals who can guide you through the process and help you to understand the cost and benefits of a solar project for your home.

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North Carolina Ranks in Top Ten for Solar Power Generation

Thanks to recent moves by both private industry and state government as well as the local power utility, North Carolina now ranks third nationally for installing the most solar electric capacity in 2013. The designation is no small feat, considering:

• More than 138 solar companies employing approximately 3100 people throughout the state installed 335 Megawatts of solar electric capacity in 2013 (SEIA).
• The State ranks 4th in the nation for installed solar energy capacity, enough to power 52,900 homes.
• North Carolina investment in installing solar in homes, businesses, and utilities increased by 156% from 2012, totaling $787 million.
• The average price for installed solar photovoltaic systems in North Carolina has fallen by 29% in the last year (compared to 12% nationally from 2012).
• The solar installed at data centers throughout the state produce enough energy to power over 213,000 computers.

There are a couple of notable reasons for these prestigious and encouraging statistics for the state. The first started back in 2007 when then Governor Mike Easley signed into law Senate Bill 3 - making North Carolina the 25th state, and the first in the Southeast, to enact a mandatory renewable energy and energy efficiency portfolio standard (REPS). The law, known as Session Law 2007-397, requires North Carolina electric utilities to include renewable energy and energy efficiency in their electric generation portfolios. They must do this by ensuring that a percentage of the electricity they sell is created through the use of renewable energy resources (such as wind or solar) or energy efficiency measures.

The second reason for the increase in solar energy is due to the state’s cheap and reliable power, along with its aggressive tax incentives. North Carolina has emerged as one of the newest mega data center clusters in the United States, attracting business from big hitters like Apple, Google, Facebook, and AT&T among others. Many of those companies, notably Apple and Google, have insisted that Duke Energy provide sustainable and clean-energy as part of its supply. Apple has built several solar farms to provide its data centers with electricity, sending unused power back into the electrical grid. This has prompted Duke Energy to step up its attention to solar power, even so much so that it formally asked state regulators last year to be able to sell clean power to large corporations that asked for it (amazingly, this was previously prohibited).

The solar energy industry is taking off in the Old North State. With the utility provider now on board to provide cleaner energy to businesses, falling prices and tax incentives provide new opportunity for smaller businesses and residents of the Triad to enjoy the benefits of solar power. Beco Electrical is proud to be one of the 70 installers of solar electricity across North Carolina, and the only installer located in High Point. The solar farm located at our home office on Surrett Drive has provided over 100 Megawatts of clean energy since its construction, and is designed to serve as a clean energy learning center for residents, schools, and businesses across the Piedmont.

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Bright Ideas Will Look Very Different Thanks to CFL and LED Bulbs

You may not even have noticed, but on January 1^st, the United States no longer manufactures or imports incandescent light bulbs. You know the ones, the classic bulbs that appear above your head when you have a bright idea. You might still find them in stock at stores, but that will be the last of them. While this transition may seem “mandated” and unnecessary, the truth is that even with the electrical cost savings these energy-efficient alternatives provide, most people had still not yet made the switch.

The main reason for this slow adoption is up front cost. An incandescent light bulb costs as little as $ .70 each, whereas CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) cost up to a couple of dollars each, and LEDs (light emitting diodes), can cost from $10 to $20. Incandescent light bulbs are inefficient, using 90% of their electricity for heat, and only 10% for light. According to Energy.gov, electrical bills can be 25% - 80% less with energy-efficient bulbs. Incandescent bulbs also don't last as long as the new alternatives, lasting only 1000 hours compared to 10 times that with CFLs and nearly 25 times that with LEDs.

So why haven’t Americans made the switch? The answer is that lighting is a relatively small portion of our home electricity bill. According to the U.S. Energy Administration, while an office building may use as much as 21% of its electricity for lighting, an average household only spends about 13%. According to a study done by Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, the energy costs for an LED added up to only $30 over a 22-year life span, whereas electricity consumed by an incandescent over the same period of time cost $165. With a little over $6 a year in savings, that is hardly enough to alter buying habits, especially considering the up front retail prices. However, when considering that there are about 15 – 20 light bulbs in the average house, the savings begin to add up.

There are other reasons that Americans are slow to adopt energy-efficient light bulbs:

• Color – Incandescent bulbs are known for their warm light, whereas the original fluorescent and LED bulbs have gained a reputation for casting a harsh, “bluish” light. They now come in a variety of colors that match the classic light exactly, but perceptions still remain.
• Life span – Some consumers complain that the new bulbs don't last as long as they claim. CFL bulbs are fragile and can become overheated in the wrong application. Beco recommends using these in well-ventilated fixtures.
• Time to light – CFL bulbs are notorious for taking a few seconds to come on and emit peak light. In American society where instant gratification is becoming a pre-requisite, this can be a “turn off” for many.
• Mercury content – CFL bulbs do, in fact, contain harmful Mercury. But the energy saving they provide puts less Mercury from power plants in the environment overall. Each CFL bulb contains only about 4 milligrams each, and unless broken, do not pose any threat. While not an environmental or health disaster, care should be taken when cleaning up broken bulbs.
• Strange appearance – Human beings naturally resist change, even if it is for the better. The new “twisted” look of CFLs is troubling for some consumers.
• Cost of fixtures – Some consumers with recessed lighting, and businesses with commercial lighting fixtures, fear the cost of new fixtures required for these new lighting technologies. But read on…

There is an answer to the cost of getting new LED light fixtures in a home or office. Beco Electric offersinstallation of a new “retrofit” system that actually uses existing lightfixtures to install LED lighting. The cost of these new systems are comparable to standard light fixtures, and come in a variety of styles, and with a variety of features, for home and business alike.

So while there are still a lot of bright ideas coming to light out there, they just won’t look the same when they appear above your head.

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Recent North Carolina Weather Sheds Dim Light on the State of The US Power Grid

What was originally predicted to be two tenths of an inch of ice in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina on early Friday morning, turned out to be more like half an inch of ice, with 3 inches of snow and sleet. By the end of the day Friday, nearly 450,000 North Carolina residents found their homes without power. Even the friends and family of Beco Electrical Contractor who did not have a backup generator at their residence were affected. This blogger was without power until Sunday night. While Duke Energy crews still work feverishly to restore power to the remaining residents still without power, high winds threaten the area yet again on Wednesday!

This recent bought of severe winter weather has started a serious discussion about the health and reliability of the U.S. Power Grid. The Washington Post reports that not only is the power grid getting less reliable, but it’s also getting pricier to maintain and repair. U.S. electric customers are now paying 43 percent more to build and maintain local power grids than they did back in 2002. At the very same time, the grid is much less reliable, with blackouts taking 20 percent longer to fix.

In theory, this is solvable — though it wouldn’t be cheap. A recent study from the Electric Power Research Institute estimated that it could cost up to $476 billion over the next 20 years to establish a nationwide smart grid. But with a belt tightening Congress that can’t seem to agree on anything, relief does not look to be anywhere in sight. With government failing to provide a solution, the responsibility seems to fall upon us to prepare our homes for these ever increasing outages.

There are some things we can do. Automatic Standby Generators can supply homes with power during outages because they run on natural gas. Natural gas lines are typically buried and protected from strong winds and ice that commonly take down trees and power lines. Depending on budget and needs, back up generators can provide partial power for 8 to 12 circuits in a home for things such as a few lights, refrigerator, a microwave, and a TV, or whole home installations that would include HVAC units, water heater, stove, and washer/dryer.

Automatic Standby Generators provide continuous service on demand, with the ability to regularly running tests and provide mobile device notification to owners that their system is ready to go up when the grid goes down. This notification can be very useful for second homeowners, who need to know that their investments are safe in their absence. Portable, gas powered generators do not provide very much power, and require refilling, not to mention the noise that they cause for neighbors and owners alike.

Beco Electric has installed over 600 Generac and other automatic standby generators across North Carolina, providing residents on demand power when the grid lets us down. We can help you determine if an automatic standby generator is right for you.

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Smart Home Technology – One Electrician’s Point of View

Some readers may be a bit too young to remember HAL 9000 (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer), the primary antagonist of Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. As a sentient computer possessing artificial intelligence, HAL ran all of the systems of the spacecraft Discovery One. Learning that HALs astronaut associates are contemplating shutting it down due to an apparent error, HAL decides to kill them in order to protect and continue its programmed directives.

Over a decade after this epic tale was to have occurred, Smart Home Technology has come a very long way indeed. Forms of it are being installed in homes and businesses across the nation, and the North Carolina Piedmont is no exception. These devices are designed to create convenience while helping to save on electricity bills.  While they should not be technically considered Artificial Intelligence (AI), some are designed to “learn” about us in order to make us more comfortable. Does anyone get the irony here?

Yet the nightmare scenario of computers taking over our homes here in the Triad may not be as far fetched as you might think. Take Nest for example, the new technology that allows homeowners to control their thermostat, lights, security systems, and even smoke alarms through the use of tablets and mobile devices. The system even “learns” your living patterns, enabling it to adjust your thermostat when it expects you to arrive home or be away. While these technologies are amazing in their conception, some things should be considered when installing smart home components in your residence or business. Because these systems are often haphazardly connected to the Internet, security has been a struggle. A Forbes magazine staffer recently successfully hacked into eight smart homes from her living room. Calling each on their phones to inform them, she was able to control their lights, heating systems, and security systems.

I don't want to alarm you to a point where you shy away from these new, ingenious technologies that are available to us more and more every day. These homeowners made simple mistakes that lead to their vulnerability. But it emphasizes how important it is to have these technologies properly and professionally installed in order to protect the system and ultimately, its masters.

Beco Electrical utilizes and installs the devices often considered smart home technology. Lutron’s RadioRA, for example, is a lighting system that wirelessly connects control panels with existing and newly installed lights. No internal wiring need be installed in the walls, saving our customers money in installation time. Another convenient innovation, MobileLink, notifies customers via text messaging that their Generac™ generator is running efficiently. That provides peace of mind for home and business owners, especially those who have second homes with backup generator systems.

If you are considering any of these convenient new technologies for smart home capabilities, it is important that they are professionally installed and tested to ensure security and safety. After all, convenience is only that if it does not cause additional problems down the road.

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