A More Attractive and Cost-Friendly Home Lighting Plan

One of the best accents of any home is the lighting. Inside, it highlights the walls, brings life to dark corners and prevents countless midnight toe-stubbing accidents every year. Outside, it shows off your home's best features and gives light where you need it most (such as the walkways and back doors). Proper lighting, however, can sometimes cost more than you would like. With a subtle touch and a smart plan, you can use your home lighting to its maximum in both looks and efficiency and save money along the way. To help you get started, we've put together our top four home lighting efficiency tips.

1. Inside, we recommend you replace at least five of your standard light bulbs with CFL, Energy Star-certified bulbs instead. Not only are they roughly five times more energy efficient, they can often last up to ten times longer.
2. Outside, you should consider installing light timers and motion activated sensors. It's too much hassle to plug outdoor lights in and out every night and morning, but it's too much money to keep them on all the time. A simple timer or motion sensitive device can ensure your lights are on when they need to be and off when they don't.
3. Decorative lighting can be tricky to get just right, but consider your approach. Lighting designer Randall Whitehead says, "Think of decorative lighting as architectural jewelry. It can dress up or dress down the look." Find a look that compliments the room but isn't overbearing.
4. Lastly, you can ensure your home lighting is extra efficient by installing dimmers. Not only will dimmers let you set the mood, they also offer a great degree of control over how much electricity certain lights are using.

There is certainly more to a smart home lighting plan than these four tips, but it's a good place to start. Whether you're a first time or longtime homeowner, you can always contact us for more tips, advice and guidance with your home lighting plan.

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The Importance Of An Annual Electrical Inspection

Few things are more worth your time than making sure your home is safe and secure. It seems like every year, electrical equipment fails at the worst this-can’t-be-happening-now time. Whether this has happened to you or not, call a Beco electrician for help any day or night. It will save you more money, and gray hairs, to do an annual electrical maintenance 20+ point safety check.

An annual checkup on your home’s electrical system can be just as beneficial as an annual physical or car tune-up, except you don’t even have to leave the house. A Beco electrician will check each system to ensure it’s operating at optimal levels. Not only can this kind of service save you money down the road, it can give you peace of mind and the knowledge that the wiring behind the scenes isn’t causing you any trouble. Here’s a list of three easy things you can look for today that might indicate something is up.

1. Circuit Breakers: Circuit breakers can trip when they’re overloaded, old, corroded, or otherwise. Using a working appliance, check each outlet in and outside of your house to make sure they’re functioning properly.
2. Light Switches: Along the same lines, take a minute to check each light switch. If you notice unexpected flickering, or a switch doesn’t work at all, take note. This could be due to faulty wiring, which can be hazardous if left unchecked.
3. Light Fixtures: Turn off the lights, reach up and feel the area around each light fixture in your home. If it feels warm, it could be under-insulated, or it’s possible the bulb is exceeding maximum wattage. If surrounding area is warm to the touch, this can run the risk of starting an electrical fire and causing serious damage.

An annual electrical maintenance check is a proactive way to keep your house’s energy and safety in order. A single sparking wire has the potential to be a much bigger problem, but it’s hard to fix what you don’t know about. Contact us to schedule an annual electrical 20+ point safety check today.

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Super-Cold Winter Predicted for Eastern U.S. Means More Electrical Outages

The Old Farmers Almanac, the New Hampshire based chronicler of climate, planting information, celestial calendars, folksy advice, and funnies, has predicted a colder than average winter for the Eastern two thirds of the nation in 2014. Using over a hundred year old formula that includes the position of sunspots and other meteorological data, the editors at the almanac have had a notorious success rate of nearly 80% over its lifetime. The organization also predicts that while Florida will have a wetter than average winter, the Southeast will see less rain. While the prediction of a colder winter may cause panic in some peoples minds, the change in average temperature will only be about 2 to 5 degrees.

The projected frigid winter will undoubtedly mean more strain on the nations electrical grid. Even a slight decrease in temperature can mean the difference between rain and freezing rain on power lines and where they terminate into residences. More power outages are expected as a result. One of the most often damaged components electricity delivery to a home is at the weatherhead, which is the point where a power line attaches to a home. The service line then leads from the weatherhead down a conduit to the meter base. When power lines go down, they can often pull down the weatherhead to the home. Contrary to popular belief, repairing a damaged weatherhead, conduit, or meter base is the responsibility of the homeowner, not the power company. An experienced electrical contractor should be contacted in the event that any of these components are damaged.

With more severe winter weather expected to put greater stress on the electrical power grid this winter, many homeowners are considering a backup home generator to keep critical electrical systems, such as heating or kitchen appliances, running in the event of an outage. Often running on natural gas instead of backup batteries, these systems provide a constant supply of electricity to the home over longer periods of time. Gas powered generators that can be purchased at any home improvement store do not generally provide as much electrical power as larger, permanent systems, and also require constant refilling of fuel to maintain constant power supply. More permanent, natural gas powered systems provide uninterrupted power supply for weeks, but typically require the training and knowledge of an experienced electrician to safely install at a home.

Beco, Incorporated is a preferred Generac™ generator dealer, providing recommendations on various sizes of permanent generators for residences or businesses, with expert installation and maintenance.

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Energy Efficiency - State Standards Raise the Bar

In an article featured in June’s edition of Electrical Contractor magazine, Rick Laezman explains that despite all the current hype about alternative-energy practices gives the movement all the momentum it needs, there is still a long way to go. Rick points out that in reality, the movement is a long way from self-sufficiency, so government incentives, whether positive or negative, is still necessary.

North Carolina electrical policy is a good example. Incentives created by the state attracted huge energy users like Google and Apple to set up large solar farms within the state to fuel their server farms and customer service centers. These policy moves brought many jobs to the state, while also making North Carolina 4th in the nation for installed solar capacity in 2013 (see previous post – North Carolina Ranks in Top Ten for Solar Power Generation). As one of the very few installers of solar power systems in High Point, North Carolina, Beco understands the promise of this technology. Other states, however, make the argument that alternative energy caused a burden on the electrical grid. Oklahoma just passed a law that forces homeowners to pay a fee for the right to remain connected to the local power grid, although most of those homes are actually contributing solar generated power back to the system.

The Electrical Contractor Magazine article uses an April report released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy to point out that 26 states who adopted standards that encourage utilities in a variety of programs saved enough electricity to power 2 million home for an entire year. The ACEEE report added that if the 26 states continue these standards, savings will be equivalent to 6.2 percent overall electricity sales in the US in 2020.

No matter what alternative energy policy does for the overall economy, energy efficient practices save businesses and homeowners money. The professionals at Beco Electrical can make recommendations on products and practices to make your home or business more energy-efficient, as well as provide an estimate for a solar power generation system.

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Growing Trend: Safety Lighting

An effective lighting system cannot only provide a feeling of safety; it can also deter possible wrongdoers from your residence or place of business. While any light is nice for security, it is important to have a well-planned, well-designed system of lights for the best possible result.

However, there is a difference between lighting for safety and lighting for security. When lighting for safety, it is key to have enough lighting, to prevent visitors and workers from tripping on curbs or bumping into objects. Where as lighting for security, lights should provide facial recognition as well as determining intent of a person from over 30 feet away. In the application of security lighting, vertical foot-candles carry much more importance than horizontal foot-candles.

Technology is growing in security lighting, the electronic components, controls, dimming capabilities, and advanced LEDs are all new factors to provide better security and safety in your lighting system. LED advancements make more lumens and less maintenance, while increasing uniformity to provide better visual perception. LEDs have low energy consumption, which help save the user money while providing stronger lighting.

As new policies and utility rebates become available, they help push the security lighting market forward. Many communities are utilizing the newest developments in the industry to provide their residents with safer way of living. Since cities in the Piedmont Triad are 24/7 areas, security lighting is of high importance.

Beco Electrical Contractors provides commercial and residential security and safety lighting to its customers in the Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and Burlington area. With over five decades or experience, Beco is knowledgeable of all of the latest trends and newest advances in the lighting industry. If you want to install lighting to keep your place of business or residency safe, remember . . .

It’s Best to Call Beco!

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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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