Lately, I have been coming across lots of photos of cool applications of kitchen track lighting. So this week I thought I would share some of my favorites with you. I hope you find some inspiration below. Or, if not, I hope you at least enjoy seeing how relevant via Pinterest (Marcia Moore)

It’s not a huge, luxurious kitchen. It is something better: Real. Track lighting functions to illuminate kitchen tasks while accenting the wall. All is taken care of with one fixture. It’s the perfect solution in this kitchen full of well-used space.

2. For Gigantic Kitchens, Too

The lighting design pictured above calls attention to the right angles in the kitchen. It’s a metropolitan look that gives the room a sense of cohesion. Track lighting like this can also be used in kitchens with exposed beams. Using tracks to cross gaps or grades in the ceiling can be really cool.

4. Pendants and Spots, Spots and Pendants

Another new trend in kitchen track lighting is the flexible track. While this kind of track is generally not malleable by hand, a special track bending tool allows you to create a custom shape. I’m not sure who bent the track above into that nice curve, but it sure looks good in this real-life kitchen, which is complete with baby pictures on the fridge.

6. Wire Track Lighting

Kitchens like the one above make you see the brilliance of modern design. To put it simply, this kitchen is beautiful work of art, from the brushed metal ceiling to the glass tile to the granite to the smooth top range. To the track lighting! Can I hang out in here? FOREVER?! Muah ha ha. Ahem. Moving on.

7. Very High Ceiling

These very bright track lights look great with their blue glass shades. And they are task-oriented lights, a clear choice for the chef of the house. The aesthetic and functional dualism embodied by kitchen track lighting echoes the aesthetic/functional dualism of the culinary arts. It provides something you need and looks good while it does it.

9. Pendants Done Right

And here we have a lovely kitchen island situation. Notice that the island is dynamic. There’s a gas range for the chef and chairs for the kids. Quite a lot going on. So they had to be very deliberate and smart about the lighting. These white pendants are perfect. What was once utilitarian is now elegant – even graceful.

10. Kitchen Track Lighting Mash Up

Here we have a kitchen doing it all with track lighting. There are spot lights, pendants, and it’s even on a curved monorail. These contribute warm light to a comfortable environment, and they go well with the chandelier. Win.

11. Stunningly Wrong

You have probably been going through life completely unaware of some very serious electric safety problems. We don’t always stop to read the fine print or think twice about plugging something in. Unfortunately, there are some habits that could be putting you, your family and your home at serious risk of an electrical fire or even electrocution. An electrician in Glendale has some electric safety tips that you really need to pay attention to. If you have any questions about these items, give The Electric Connection a call today.

*Putting a 75 watt bulb in a fixture that is designated for a 40 watt bulb is a problem. You risk overloading the circuit, which could trip the breaker or overheat the wiring to the fixture. Follow the guidelines. If you need more light in the room, call an electrician and replace the fixture.

*Outlets that are warm to the touch are not normal. It is a sign of a problem that you really need to pay attention to. Overloaded or inadequate wiring to the outlet could trigger an electrical fire. It needs to be replaced and rewired as soon as possible.

*Outlets that jiggle are not okay. This usually happens overtime as people yank cords out. Glendale electrical outlets should be snug against the wall. Loose outlets mean loose wires that can cause a spark and ignite a fire.

*Fire extinguishers should be in every house. Many people assume they will toss a bucket of water or turn on the garden hose to put out an electrical fire. Water and electricity don’t mix! A fire extinguisher is your only option to put out a fire near an outlet or exposed wire.

If you have concerns about your home’s wiring or have noticed any of these issues, give The Electric Connection a call today to get these problems taken care of.

Finding affordable electrical service for a large-scale remodeling job isn’t always easy. Remodeling of older homes and structures often requires a great deal of work, including the removal of wiring and replacement with code-approved new systems. Yet, with the help of the right professional, it is possible to get the updated electrical system a home needs without the frustrations and costs that tend to go with the process.

Every home is different. If your home is older, the amount of work necessary to completely upgrade the electrical system can be significant. Older homes, such as those more than 40 years of age, tend to be at the highest risk for needing significant remodels. However, most homes don’t require such complete tear-outs and may be more affordable to repair.

Many factors play a role in how much you’ll pay for electrical services for remodeling homes. These may include:

A home battery can solve a lot of problems. With enough storage, you can buy electricity when it's cheapest, then dole it out when you need it. Plus, you'll be protected in case of a blackout. Until very recently, the technology for a practical home battery system wasn’t powerful enough to keep the average home humming. However, several companies are now producing or developing home batteries that can change the way we power our residential electrical work.

High Generating Costs at the Margins

Many areas of the country are shifting toward variable time-of-day pricing models for utilities, in which electricity typically costs more during the day and less at night. Utilities want to incentivize daytime conservation because they need to meet the demand at any given time or risk brownouts. Since demand is much higher during the day, utility companies needs to bring on extra generating equipment, which is expensive. The more they can smooth out demand so they can produce similar amounts of electricity around the clock, the lower the overall costs will be.

That's where batteries come in. There's no way around consuming more power during the day – that's when Americans typically use their electrical work to power air conditioning, televisions, computers and other appliances. However, with enough home storage capacity, you can purchase electricity at night and store it in your home battery until you need it. That way, you pay less, the utility can ameliorate its variable demand problem, and everybody wins.

Competition Hits the Market

Tesla Motors was one of the first companies in the home battery field with its Powerwall, but now other competitors are swiftly preparing to hit the market. Currently, LG Chem and Samsung SDI are working on their own battery models, with LG Chem's product projected to be available in North America before the end of the year.

Globally, the home battery market could grow nearly tenfold, from $388 million today to $3.2 billion by 2020, according to Business Korea. The home battery field is poised to grow hand-in-hand with that of batteries for electric cars, since the technologies have a lot of overlap – in fact, some experts project that electric cars themselves will soon serve a second function as an energy storage unit for your home. They won't be as practical as stand-alone batteries for many families, since the cars are liable to be away from home during the day when the electricity is needed, but they can add capacity in an emergency.

A Helping Hand for Your Storage Capacity

We're just at the start of what promises to be a revolution in home energy storage options. For more information about what home batteries are available in your area, or if you need any other residential electrical work, contact an expert electrician today.