The electricity you use to power your home is most likely generated by burning coal, with some nuclear and natural gas-fueled current in the mix for good measure. However, that could all be changing, and faster than anyone expected. While renewable fuel sources like solar and wind power make up only a small part of the nation's electrical grid today, wind could actually be the leading source of electricity in little more than three decades.

Viable and Competitive

Wind could surpass other sources and provide as much as a third of the United States’ electricity by 2050, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind and Water Power Technologies office. Wind currently weighs in at only 4.5 percent of the supply, but if projections hold, that will increase to 10 percent by 2020 and 20 percent by 2030.

“The wind industry can be characterized by the substantial growth of domestic manufacturing and the level of wind deployment seen in recent years,” José Zayas, director of the DOE Wind and Water Power Technologies office, said to EcoWatch. “Wind power systems are now seen as a viable and competitive source of electricity across the nation. Wind power’s emerging role is an important option in a portfolio of new energy solutions for future generations.”

Benefits to Public Health, Environment

Should the prediction of wind's dominance come to pass, it would have numerous benefits for the environment and for consumers. Even at current levels, wind has reduced water consumption by 36.5 billion gallons and carbon emissions by 115,000,000 metric tons compared to traditional power sources, according to the government.

That means a lot less carbon getting released into the atmosphere, helping to slow our contribution to climate change. Plus, once the infrastructure is built, wind is free to harvest, and doesn't have the same environmental tradeoffs as coal and natural gas. The benefits “can address key societal challenges such as climate change, air quality and public health, and water scarcity,” the report said.

Uncertainties Looming

The rosy projection is just that. There are numerous uncertainties that could affect how well wind power actually does in the future, including government policies to incentivize wind or decentivize coal usage, the supply and price of natural gas, and the demand for electricity overall in the United States.

The technology around wind generation will have to hold its own as well. Growth in market share depends on continued advances in efficiency, more transmission capacity and better weather forecasting so we can best take advantage of favorable gusts.

Global Optimism

Should the growth of wind continue as predicted, there could be hope for a cleaner, healthier future. And what's good for the United States can be good for the rest of the world as well.

“The global energy market of the future is poised to be the largest market the world has ever known,” Secretary of State John Kerry said in a speech about wind power. “Pursuing cleaner, more efficient energy is actually the only way that nations around the world can build the kind of economies that are going to thrive for decades to come.

Unite to Light, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing low-cost solar lighting to global communities without electricity, and were humbled to learn just how much lighting is taken for granted. Recently, Mark and Valerie Malangko sent us a note of thanks along with heartwarming photos as the lights were handed out to the students at St. Augustine’s Secondary and Technical School, one by one.

We are proud to have played a small part in this huge effort to bring light to deserving students across the globe, and we thank all of our customers that celebrated with us by contributing to this terrific cause.

Learn about the Pegasus Lighting Bring the Light Campaign at www.unite-to-light.org.

Inspection is performed after job completion, and a certificate issued to confirm that the wiring meets all the regulatory and operational requirements. Building wiring will only pass when properly done. This includes items like adequate grounding, no short circuits, overloaded circuits, or ground faults.

If parts of the wiring do not function during the tests, these issues must be rectified before the utility company will connect their supply.

Once operational, it is necessary to carry out regular inspections to identify and repair potential or existing problems. Residential home wiring requires a comprehensive inspection every 10 years.

To answer the question “Should I worry about electrical repairs in a new home?” we need to specify what new means. Was the house built recently? Or is it “new” because it is new to you, regardless of its age? In either case, there is a simple rule to follow: if you think you need electrical repairs, you probably do—no matter how old the house is. Always worry about electrical repairs if there are signs that you need them.

When you move into any home built more than 10 years ago, you should hire an electrician to check the system for problems. Despite surface appearances, a home may have wiring troubles from DIY repair attempts from a previous owner; you want to make sure there are no serious problems that need immediate repair to prevent safety hazards.

With a home built pre-1970, you may encounter difficulties from an electrical system that cannot support modern demands. Check on the outlets and the circuit breaker panel. If the home has two-prong outlets and a fuse box instead of a circuit breaker panel, you should have new installations done to upgrade the system. Otherwise you may end up with some major repair worries in the near future. Older circuit breaker panels are often not up to the task of contemporary power needs. If you experience frequent blown fuses or tripped breakers, have a repair technician investigate right away.

With a recently-built house, you shouldn’t have many concerns about your power needs: the home should have sufficient wiring, updated GFCI outlets, and a new circuit breaker panel. However, you can’t simply go lax about small signs of difficulties or indications of improper electrical installation. Look for flickering lights that indicate small power surges. Although these rarely trip circuit breakers, they can cause damage to appliances over time. Call for a repair technician to see if your new home will benefit from a whole-house surge protector.

Check around your ceiling fixtures on occasion to see if they are growing hot. This indicates poor electrical insulation and sometimes occurs in new homes due to poor installation. If you detect poor electrical installation problems in one place in your home, they probably exist elsewhere; call for an electrician to examine your home’s electrical system thoroughly for faults.

Cost, energy savings, maintenance and aesthetics must all be taken into account to optimize your budget and bring out the best in your home with the finest lighting design.

1.   Fluorescent and CFL (compact fluorescent) lamps work well in areas that require cooler, energy-efficient general illumination, such as undercabinet lighting and cove lighting in kitchens or flush-mount ceiling fixtures in garages and basements.

2.  Low-voltage halogen lamps are best for accent lighting and to provide luxurious illumination in areas of the home that call for a more up-scaled look, such as living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and master bathrooms.

3.  For task lighting, choose LED (light-emitting diode) desk lamps, reading lamps, track lighting and mini-pendants. Bulbrite’s Generation 3 dimmable LED lamps provide great color rendering and light output, perfect for track and recessed fixtures. 

 4.  LED lamps are becoming the standard for outdoor lighting, too, due to their low-maintenance and high energy-efficiency. Although the initial cost for LED lamps is considerably higher, you will find tremendous long-term savings in energy, maintenance and replacement costs—especially in areas where illumination is frequently needed such as outdoor security lighting.

5.  Incandescent lamps are still popular for portable lighting and ceiling fixtures to provide pleasant general illumination.  Aim for energy-efficient incandescent:  Bulbrite’s Eco-Friendly Halogen A19 standard bulb is energy-saving, fully dimmable and available in clear or soft white.

Note:  Do not skimp and buy bulbs of lesser quality, because substandard bulbs may emit a poor quality of light and may burn out prematurely.  Purchase your lighting from a reputable dealer who will stand behind the quality of their merchandise.

For more information on updating your home with quality, energy-efficient lighting, visit a Capitol Lighting showroom and meet with a professional lighting consultant.