Backup Power Needed for Safety in Mission-Critical Facilities

Emergency backup power is key for any facility in the Piedmont Triad to remain operational during a natural disaster. Keeping systems operational such as phone lines, fire sprinklers, air ventilation, and lighting are not only important for typical business operations, but for the health and safety of workers and customers.

Usually when thinking of backup power, one thinks of larger facilities such as power plants, data centers, and hospitals. However, many businesses that do not require backup generators legally are beginning to understand their value, not only for convenience, but for the safety of their customers an inventory as well.

The trend of backup power is surging through the East Coast, including central North Carolina. Many states are pushing legislation that would require gas stations and convenience stores to have generators. That way, they would still be able to serve gasoline in case of a natural disaster. Florida has already passed laws that require gas stations along hurricane evacuation routes to have backup power. While most of these examples are providing essentials, many small businesses are starting to understand the importance of being prepared for these types of situations.

When designing an emergency power system, it is key for the electrical contractor to equally prioritize installation and system function. In addition to the main installer, qualified electrical contractors should be a highly involved advisor during the entire build. Trained and knowledgeable on backup power system design, they should also understand the logistics that will make or break any project.

For decades, Beco has been providing backup generator installation for businesses and residences in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Burlington. Be sure to speak with a electrical contractor with generator experience when considering a backup power system for your business or home.

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Ten Electrifying Facts About Electricity

Electricity is an incredible force we use everyday across the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. It powers our lights, computers, phones, and even in some cases, cars. Even though we use electrical service in our daily lives, how much do you really know about it? Here are eight facts that may ‘shock’ you about electricity!

1. The Ben Franklin Myth – Contrary to popular belief, Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity; however he did discover that lightning is a form of electricity. It was actually the Greeks around 600 BCE who made the first discovery of this force of nature by rubbing animal fur and amber (fossilized tree sap) together. While this wasn’t enough to power anything, it was the first discovery of static electricity.

2. Solar Power – In just 15 minutes, the sun radiates as much energy as we use in an entire year. Solar Power is one of the most ideal ways for efficiently using electricity. Beco Electrical is the only Solar installer located in High Point, North Carolina, and hosting a working solar farm that serves both to produce power and educate Triad area schools about solar power.

3. First in Flick (of a switch) – The first lighthouse to use electricity was the Statue of Liberty (Yes, the Statue of Liberty used to function as a lighthouse!). The first bridge to utilize electricity was the Brooklyn Bridge and in 1882, the first power plant opened in New York City. The plant, located in the lower part of Manhattan, was named Pearl Street Station and was owned by none other than Thomas Edison. When the plant first opened, it had one generator that could power 800 light bulbs.

4. Inventor Edison – Thomas Edison is easily one of the first people you think of in the history of electricity. He invented the first light bulb, but did you know that he invented 2,000 products needed for the use of electricity in our homes? These inventions include fuses, switches, and sockets.

5. Nuts and Volts – A bolt of lightning measures about 3 million volts, while a small spark of static electricity measures up to about 3,000 volts. Meaning 1/1000th of a lightning bolt is equal to one shock of static electricity! An electric eel’s shock can produce up to 600 volts.

6. Holiday History – Driving through any Piedmont Triad neighborhood in December, it’s hard to find many houses that aren’t decorated in bright lights. However, in the early 1900’s, it was quite the opposite. Christmas lights were so expensive they were usually rented instead of bought. At that time, a tree covered in electric lights was actually a status symbol of wealthier households.

7. Bird on a Wire – Ever wonder why birds never get electrocuted while standing on telephone wires? There is actually one safe wire birds can stand on. However, if they stand on any of the other ones, this would cause the bird to complete the circuit and become electrocuted.

8. Google Power – Google makes up 0.013% of the world’s energy consumption. While this may seem like a small number, it is enough energy to continuously power 200,000 homes. The amount of energy it takes to run 100 searches on google.com is the same amount as running a 60-watt light bulb for 28 minutes.

While these facts about electricity are quite interesting, Beco Electrical has been providing High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Burlington residences and businesses with knowledgeable electrical service and repairs for over 50 years.

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10 Tips to Leave Your Home Safe this Memorial Day 2014

If you are like many of our neighbors in the Piedmont of North Carolina, Memorial Day 2014 means a long, well-deserved weekend in the cool mountains or on the sunny coast. As we leave our homes for an extended period, here are a few helpful tips to keep things safe while we are away.

1. Get a Friend to Help Out – For peace of mind while traveling, it’s nice to have a
friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your house while you are away. If they do not live on your street, ask them to drive by your home once a day or so to check on the place. Give this person a key, so they can collect any newspapers, mail, or door hangars that would tip off that you are out of town. They should also have your contact information and where you can be reached while away. If there is more than one person visiting your house while you're away, tell them about each other!

2. Get Timers for Lights – While leaving lights burning seems like a good idea to keep would-be burglars away, it can actually tip them off that no one is home. Electrical socket or light switch timers are inexpensive, and will turn the lights on and off at preset times. It will also keep your electricity bill lower!

3. Don't Announce Your Departure on the Web! – Many excited people broadcast on social media that they will be going on vacation. In a recent Nationwide Insurance survey, 41 percent of homeowners aged 18 to 34 years post photos and updates on social media while they're on vacation. A Department of Justice publication notes that burglars often know their victims. They may be neighbors or even friends or relatives of friends, aka Facebook friends.

4. Lock Your Windows and Doors – It seems obvious, but in springtime when the nights are cool, we often open our windows at night. While it won’t stop a break-in, making sure to lock all the windows and doors in your home makes it less attractive to opportunistic burglars. If you don't make it easy, there's a better chance they will move on.

5. Unplug the Vampires – Disconnecting the power to some of your electronics, like your desktop computer, printer, coffee pot, and television can save on your electrical bill while you're gone, as well as protect them from damage in electrical storms. Turning off your garage door is also an effective way to keep thieves from opening it with a universal remote. Don’t leave a portable GPS in your car when you leave your car at the airport. It will give thieves a convenient map to your house.

6. Turn up the Thermostat – As we pointed out in last week’s blog post, 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 weekend, turn your thermostat up to 85 degrees. Just be sure to think about pets when keeping the temperature up while you’re away!

7. Install Added Security Features – Installing a home security system or exterior lights that run on timers or motion is a good way to ramp up security and make your house safer whether you're around or not. Beco Electrical can help you to select the system that is right for you, and professionally install it to suit your budget and lifestyle.

Beco Electrical can help you make your home more energy efficient and safe. Our trained electricians can suggest energy saving products, security features, and/or our 20+ Point Safety Check to ensure that when you are out enjoying the peace and quiet this Memorial Day weekend, you can also have peace of mind.

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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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