So, you want to become an electrical contractor/engineer? Selecting electrical work as a profession brings several rewarding growth opportunities. After all, the need for electricity is on the rise in today’s society. But before you reach a decision, it’s not only important for you to know the numerous duties of an electrical contractor/engineer, but also the requirements for becoming a certified electrician.

Luckily, in this article, you will learn everything about becoming a certified electrical contractor in a step-by-step process. It doesn’t matter if you are looking to start a career in electrical contracting, or are still only considering it, the information provided below will prove useful. Here’s what you need to know:

An electrical contractor or engineer designs, develops, tests and installs electrical hardware, systems and equipment. They work in a variety of settings, including commercial and residential structures. To become an electrical contractor, you have to receive extensive training and obtain a license according to the local regulatory guidelines and standards which apply to your country.

Steps to Become a Certified Electrical Contractor

Several schools and colleges offer instructional programs for prospective electrical contractors. Moreover, a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering offers comprehensive training in electrical design and systems. Academic programs generally include hands-on coursework and internships to help you gain practical experience.

Novice electricians can also gain supervised training under an experienced master electrician through apprenticeships. National organizations, state agencies and unions can introduce you to contractors and companies offering apprenticeship programs. These typically require a high school diploma. If you qualify, you will be offered paid positions that will last at least five years.

As mentioned earlier, electrical contractors perform a range of services for commercial and residential properties. In addition to installing and maintaining electrical systems, hardware and equipment, electrical contractors also train and hire new electricians, do administrative work, as well as plan and schedule projects with clients. They can be an integral part of the team involved in the building process, ensuring the electrical systems are up and running before the final work is completed.

Therefore, mentored training and experience in various electrical positions will provide you the industry-related and foundational knowledge and skills required to become an electrical contractor. Additionally, working under a master electrician can give you the experience and skills required for a journeyman or novice electrician to obtain a license, get certified, and perform independent work.

Some countries require electrical contractors to acquire an electrical contractor or master electrician license, while others don’t. If it’s mandatory in your state or country, you can obtain your license from the relevant state boards. However, keep in mind the requirements to get licensed will vary from state to state.

But generally, the requirements include meeting the experience requirements by working under an experienced master electrician, paying a certain amount as fee, as well as passing a written examination. Also, your license has to be renewed every few years, where you will have to pay the fee as well. You should contact the licensing agency in your state for a clearer picture about the requirements.

Once you have acquired your license, you are a certified electrical contractor and start working independently, or by joining a contracting company. But you should also understand that being an electrical contractor requires ongoing education to stay up to date with the technical advancements in the electrical domain, as well as any changes to the standard electrical code.

Electrical contractors with enough experience under their belt can also consider starting an electrical contracting business of their own. By starting your own business, you can increase your earnings from your work. Not to mention, you will have increased scheduling flexibility, which means you can employ other electricians to work under you and dispatch them to work on projects offered by clients.

And with that, we come to the end! As you can see, this article covers all you need to know to become a certified electrical contractor. Hopefully, now, you will have a better understanding about the requirements and duties the job entails.

Solar energy is taking off. In the first quarter of 2015, solar accounted for half of all new electricity production in the United States. That's great news for consumers, because a good deal of that energy is generated by residential solar panels, which reduce the amount that homeowners pay for electricity. These sun-loving panels aren't just for experts and electricians – they are becoming ever-more accessible to the average homeowner. Read on to learn more about how the industry is heating up and how you can come along for the ride.

Prices Falling, Installations Rising

Solar, as well as its renewable energy cousin, wind, are poised to produce an ever-increasing share of the nation's energy in the upcoming decades. That's game-changing for the environment, because neither source requires fossil fuels to produce. Furthermore, an economy based on renewable energy should theoretically reduce destabilizing fluctuations in energy prices because the fuel for wind and solar is free, unlike coal, oil and natural gas.

The trend is already picking up steam. The residential solar market grew by 76 percent this year compared to the first quarter of 2014, according to a report by Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) and GTM Research. About 645,000 homes and businesses across the nation are hooked up to solar, according to SEIA, and the installation price has fallen by 73 percent since 2006. At the projected rate of growth, the nation's capacity could double in as little as two years.

An Electrician's Dream Come True

The data give “a clear glimpse into the future role that the residential sector will play as a primary driver of not only solar market growth, but the overall electricity generation mix,” Shayle Kann, Senior Vice President at GTM Research, said in a press release. “In the first quarter of this year, the U.S. installed more residential solar than natural gas, and solar on the whole accounted for 51 percent of all new electric generating brought online. We expect more than three million residential solar installations over the next five years.”

Consumer engagement is another reason for optimism. As homeowners take proactive steps toward controlling their own energy through solar, experts expect that people will also take an interest in other efficiency technologies like electric cars, smart homes and energy-efficient appliances.

Sign Up for Solar Today

Homeowners have multiple options available to help them invest in solar energy on their property. Federal tax credits will refund up to one third of installation costs through the end of 2016. Furthermore, companies like Direct Energy Solar are offering leasing options so that consumers can enjoy the savings from solar panels while fronting none of the up-front costs. If you’re interested in taking the plunge, call up an electrician or solar specialist who can assess your house for suitability and walk you through your options.

I grew up in the 90’s, back when thrift store shopping was considered alternative and grunge.  While I tooled around Goodwill listening to Nine Inch Nails on my Walkman, my more sophisticated friends were at the mall, looking adorable & stylish in the latest trend from The Limited.

But that was the 90’s.

Thrift-store shopping, dumpster-diving, and hand-me downs deliver a new parlance that has clever DIY’ers quaking with excitement for Saturday yard sales and obsessively scouring Craigslist for the Next Big Find.  This elegant new term for taking used items and making them new = REPURPOSING.

Also commonly referred to as recycling, upcycling, reinventing, revitalizing and/or reusing, entire boards are dedicated to this subject on Pinterest. Everything – and I mean everything – can be repurposed.  So why not the light bulb?

With a few basic tools and a steady hand, a light bulb can be hollowed out and transformed into a unique gift or decorative project.  Prepping the bulb, however, is not a task that we recommend for the kids.  Before you undertake any of these projects, take a moment to read a tutorial on how to safely hollow out a light bulb.

1. Witches Brew

Last night, thousands of walkers and hundreds of runners in Edinburgh kicked off the Courtesy of NVA.org.uk

A bunch of research went in to creating this light up gear to meet the NVA’s head designer James Johnson’s following standards:

For the runners, the design team wanted something dramatic, so they ended up going with concentrated point source LEDs, which looked great both close and at a distance. The LEDs allowed them to mix color and adjust intensity of the lights remotely. The runners themselves had to be in tip-top shape, able to run 10 miles at a 9-10 minute pace in all kinds of weather. Therefore, as to not hinder them in their physical feat, the design team fashioned a webbing suit out of the LEDs, complete with a radio and battery pack. Check them out:

The only shortcoming of these suits was that they couldn’t be powered by the runner’s motion. After attempting to harvest energy via knee braces, they determined any impediment to the runner’s motion dramatically affects his or her performance.

For the walkers, Johnson and his team wanted to build something subtler, to provide adequate safety lighting, but not to distract from the viewing experience. They decided to go with staffs/walking sticks illuminated by a combination of electroluminescent tape, fiber optic fabric, and diffused and non-diffused LEDs. Each staff housed a micro-computer that would synch up the flashing patterns with the Orchestra’s score, with changes triggered by movement and altitude. And here they are:

The research team was able to use motion to generate power in this instance, since walking is a more leisurely, steadier movement. To harness the power of movement, two LEDs, two high power Neodymium magnets, and a copper coil go in the top of the staff, then as the walker strides along, striking the stick against the ground, one of the magnets oscillates through the coil, creating a small electrical current. One LED lights up when the magnet travels down, and the other when the magnet travels up, producing a twinkly effect.

The runners also received a smaller version of this staff in the form of a baton.