When you want a relaxing evening after a long day at the office, or when you want to throw a party for your closest friends and family family members, we hope that you’re able to look to your home as a place of safety, comfort, and peace of mind. If you’ve been experiencing electrical troubles, such as tripping breakers, outlets that emit a foul odor, defective lights, or frayed wiring, it’s difficult to love where you live. You can restore the affection you once had for your home by enlisting the help of a licensed professional to complete an electrical safety inspection.

Deciding whether or not to install solar panels is a big decision for anyone who owns a home or commercial building. The good news is that solar power is becoming more common, meaning that there are more installers and other companies that work with solar power. Because of this, you have more options when it comes to purchasing or financing your solar panels. Kim Hopkins, the owner of Solar Panel Info has set up this website to share his extensive knowledge of acquiring and installing solar panels. One of the most interesting things that discussed is the relatively new opportunity of the solar lease. Options such as this make the cost of solar panels attractive to many more buyers than ever before.

How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?

One of the greatest barriers to solar installation has always been the huge up-front investment that can be required. In recent years, however, there are many companies that offer alternatives to this, such as the solar lease. Programs such as this allow you to actually lease the panels for a monthly fee. This fee is typically based on the size of the system installed, your credit and other factors. The company leasing the panels will send their own solar installers to install the system on your home or business, and maintain ownership of the system. All of the electricity that you generate, however, is your own. In most cases, according to www.solar-panel-info.com, your new (lower) electric bill, plus the solar leasing costs will be less than your electric bill before your panels were installed. This means that you can start saving money during the first month of ownership.

If you wish to do so, you can also purchase solar panels outright. This can be done through the same companies that lease, or through other solar panel installers in your area. One of the benefits of purchasing your own solar panels is that you can take advantage of many tax benefits, rebate programs and other incentives. While this option may not work for everyone, you still have the ability to finance the purchase of the equipment, as well as the cost of installation.

Will Solar Panels Save Me Money?

According to the experts at www.solar-panel-info.com, most homes and businesses will start saving money during their first month of solar power generation. This is especially true if you choose to take advantage of a solar lease. In addition to lessening your dependence on electricity from your utility company, many utilities also give you the option to sell your electricity back to them. This can be incredibly beneficial on days that you can generate much more than you use. In most areas, especially during the summer, you will be generating the most electricity during peak hours, and drawing electricity during off-peak hours. Because of this, you will use lower-cost off-peak power from your utility and sell them back higher-cost peak electricity. This is perfect for offsetting cloudy, stormy days that will generate little to no electricity.

If you are looking for a great way to lower your energy bills, while also helping the environment, solar panel installation may be perfect for you. Now is an ideal time to start looking into this type of technology. There are many different incentives, rebates and leasing options that make getting started easier than ever before. If investing in the purchase of your own solar panels has been holding you back, take some time to look into companies that offer solar leasing. Experts in this field, such as Kim Hopkins, can give you some valuable insight and information into the options that you have in your area. If you have any additional questions, you can visit for more great information on solar installation.

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Infuse outdoor entertaining with a festive air by garlanding your gazebo, patio awning or deck railings with popular Bulbrite string lighting. It brightens up your outdoor vistas after sunset with the warm glow of vintage elan. Try connecting several strings together to create a border that keeps the dark at bay, or use a single string as a decorative accent in a seating area or your barbecue station. Because it’s so portable and versatile, it’s a great do-it-yourself hack that works in all sorts of settings.

Rope lighting really jazzes up outdoor living space with a minimum of fuss. This kind of string lighting works great in unobtrusive places like below a handrail cap to or around the edge of your deck to frame your spaces with a warm, welcoming glow. If you wish to create a more celebratory vibe, place rope lighting in plain sight like you would holiday lights, encircling structural posts with festive glimmer.

LED strip lighting is another option that saves energy while instilling your outdoor atmosphere with a distinctive verve. LED strips from WAC Lighting and Koncept are rated for use in damp places, as long as they are not exposed to the weather. Get creative with your deck lighting by incorporating strips of various lengths in covered areas like your deck or patio. Use led step lighting from some of our most popular manufacturers, including Kichler and Sea Gull Lighting, to improve visibility as well as aesthetics.

Use light as a medium to paint your landscape and make your carefully manicured plantings and special features pop at night. When you are planning your backyard lighting scheme, be sure to bring some of the following areas into focus:

• Gates and entryways

• Footpaths

• Stairs

• Fountains, waterfalls, ponds

• Statuary

• Seating areas

Solar landscape lights from Kenroy Home cast soft haloes along pathways or beside garden benches, creating an aura of enchantment. You can position solar lights as far from an electric power source as you wish, so they are ideal for the far reaches of your backyard.

Strategically placed spotlights show off your most distinctive flower beds, trees or shrubs to their best advantage while providing attractive pockets of brightness that banish shadowy corners, making your backyard more welcoming. You can also hide spotlights behind shrubbery but aim the light toward the sky, backlighting plantings while illuminating the perimeter of your home or patio. Keep in mind, though, that too much light can be as ineffective as too little. Think Cinderella’s castle rather than Times Square.

When the party is over and it’s time to retire, you can rest easy knowing that your motion sensor lighting is keeping vigil, ready to reveal any interlopers in your personal space. Wall sconces from Designers Fountain do more than just decorate your porch, deck and patio beautifully. They serve double duty as security features while your family sleeps. For locations where utility takes precedence over decorative appeal, select from our Craftmade security lights, and get the coverage you need to feel secure all night long.

PRO TIP: Ensure your outdoor light array works perfectly by using timers. You will have one less task to remember, and your landscape will always appear in its best light.

Time, experience and technology are constantly improving the way we do things. This includes how we build homes. We need electricity in our homes, but at times, it can prove to be dangerous. Because of this, we are constantly learning new ways of making electricity in the home a little safer. New guidelines and updated code requirements are designed to make homes safer, but older homes that were built more than 30 years ago are still using outdated wiring methods. An electrician in Beverly Hills can help you determine what kind of wiring is in your home and whether or not it is outdated and in need of updating. You can rely on The Electric Connection to tell you what you need in order to make your electrical wiring as safe as possible.

An initial inspection will need to be done to verify the condition of the home’s wiring. There is a chance it has been updated at some point. One of the biggest hazards that may be lurking behind your walls is cloth-insulated wiring. This is typical in homes built before 1950. The cloth breaks down over time and leaves wires bare and prone to electrical fires. If this is the case and the cloth insulating the wires has become brittle, it is important to have the home rewired.

Beverly Hills electrical codes do not typically require homes with outdated wiring to be redone, but it can save you a great deal of money on your homeowner’s insurance as well as give you peace of mind that your home is not a fire risk. If you are not sure about the status of your current electrical wiring, call for an inspection. An electrician, like those at The Electric Connection, can give you the details you need to make an informed decision about what to do.