George J. Hayden, Inc. - Commercial Electrical Contractor, Independent Electrical Contractors, Master Electrician, Electrical Contractors - Harrisburg, Hazleton, Wilkes Barre, Poconos, Lehigh Valley PA

WHY SOLAR - WHY NOW?                                                                                  By: Greg Kurtz, Project Manager

Hayden Electric has seen a tremendous amount of change in the electrical field over the past three decades. It had always been a goal to continue to train technicians and stay ahead of the competition in having the largest team of qualified personnel in our field.

One of the latest advances in production of electricity in our country has been with Solar Electricity. Although this form of electricity production has been popular in Europe for many years, it has most recently caught on it the states due to the recent rise in energy costs, combined with the efforts to produce more clean (green) methods of producing energy.

With State and Federal government incentives in place over the past year, Solar has become a very attractive option for producing electricity for homes and businesses in Pennsylvania. To consider a system like this one must first determine what the return on investment would be. Today the return on a solar investment can be a little as five years. This means in five years the system has produced enough savings and/or earnings to pay off the initial system investment. From this point, all electricity produced is done at little or no cost. Imagine reducing or eliminating your electricity bill with a system that is warranted for 25 years and paid for itself in 5 years! State funding is in the 3^rd of 4 phases. Money is granted on a first come first serve basis, regardless of income.

To get started one must call George J. Hayden, Inc. for a on-site evaluation, where a trained professional will review the building and/or property for its ability to house a solar production system. Solar arrays can be effective mounted on a flat roof or a roof facing toward south. If land is available, the system can be mounted on the ground in a location where shading is minimal, or non-existent.

Most effective systems in our area are those that are connected to the utility grid. A utility grid refers to the wired system that currently supplies electricity to a home or business. The solar array would produce the electricity and make it readily available for use before using power sent from the utility company. When solar production exceeds the power required at any given moment, the power is sent back through the grid to the utility company, spinning the home or business' electric meter backwards. Basically like storing the electricity on the grid, to be used later when more electricity may be required, at night for example once everyone is home from work or school.

Electricity produced by solar saves the property from buying that amount of electricity from a utility company. Once 1000 Kilowatt hours are produced, a state monitored system generates a Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC). The SREC's are purchased by utility companies. Utility companies buy the credits to meet state requirements for solar electricity production. Each PA SREC normally sells for over $300.00 each. The sale of the credits play a significant part in reducing the investment on the system.

PA State currently is approving grants on a first come first serve basis. High or low income have no relevance to application approval. PA State is currently paying $1.25  per watt for residential systems. Similar grants are available for businesses. Grants are available only until monies earmarked are awarded. The federal government is providing for 30% tax credit on the remaining cost of the system.

Hayden Electric has a full team of individuals trained for the installation of solar electric production systems. Call us today at 455-6109 to schedule a free, on-site, evaluation for solar electric production with the mention of this article. Or visit us on the web at www.haydenelectric.com.

Solar 101

The solar electric installation on the Hayden office roof has now produced over 10 megawatts of electricity. From an electricity cost standpoint, this equals approximately $1350.00 in electricity savings. In addition to that savings produced, for every megawatt generated, one (1) Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) is acquired. The SREC's can be sold anytime within 3 years of being produced. Since the start-up on March 17^th,  the average sale price of each SREC is $347.07 each. This totals another $3,470.70 of positive cash flow. Utility companies need to buy the SREC's to meet the renewable energy requirements that the government mandates. All SREC's are traded/sold through a company that the state designated to do so. Their website can be visited at https://gats.pjm-eis.com

Upon installation the expected solar electricity production for 12 months was 12.976 megawatts. At our current 10.380 megawatts in 6-1/2 months, we are clearly on a pattern to exceed this projection due to the sun filled summer we recently experienced. The original projected return on this investment was expected to be approximately 5 years.

To date the return on investment since 3-17-2010 is $4821.00.

   Turning Off the Lights Made Easy

Almost every parent has come home exhausted from a long day at work only to find the lights on in several rooms and the kids outside playing with their friends. Sounds picture perfect with the exception of the money being spent to illuminate those unoccupied rooms. Well we now have a solution that doesn’t involve those constant reminders to the kids; light motion sensors. Motion Sensor Switches automatically turn lights ON when you enter a room and OFF when you leave. In addition to the convenience of hands-free switching, motion sensors ensure that lights are not left ON unnecessarily for hours at a time. Occupancy sensors employ “passive infrared technology” in order to detect human presence in a room, and respond to the infrared heat people naturally emit to monitor a specific area. When this “heat” is sensed, the lights will automatically turn ON in the room, and then turn OFF again, when the space is vacated or are unoccupied. These occupancy sensors are designed to provide cost-effective lighting control anywhere inside or outside the home. Motion Sensor Switches are beneficial in work places too in places like conference rooms, restrooms, stockrooms, stairwells and parking garages. So why continue to let your hard earned dollars slip through your fingertips, instead call Hayden Electric to discuss what they can do for you to make your life easier while you cut your energy use and do something good for the environment all at the same time.

   Reap the Benefits of a Ceiling Fan  

Let your memories float back to those famous old time movies showing a warm summer day and the ceiling fan blades turning the air above. What a relaxing image! But now we find that there was a good reason for the ceiling fan – the perception of cool. Human comfort studies have shown that people can withstand higher temperatures when they are exposed to moving air. When summertime cooling is desired, running a ceiling fan in the counter clockwise direction will achieve the sensation of skin comfort while reducing energy use at the same time. In most situations the air conditioning settings can be set two degrees higher with little or no discernable difference noticed by individuals in the room. While a ceiling fan does not necessarily lower the temperature, it does make the room feel cooler by providing a circulatory breeze. If the outside temperature is not too high, you might be able to achieve a comfortable environment by turning off the HVAC altogether, opening a few windows, and allowing the ceiling fan to circulate warm air from the outdoors. Effective circulation of the natural air could make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler, and reduce air conditioning bills by up to 40%.

Using ceiling fans in the winter can be equally beneficial. Warm air is less dense than the cooler air and so it rises upward toward your ceiling. By having your ceiling fan operating in a clockwise direction at a low speed it will gently recirculate the warm air through the room without creating a cool breeze. This gentle updraft will force the warm air near the ceiling back down into the occupied space. This technique has been shown to lower home or office heating costs by as much as 10% by offsetting the HVAC work load.

All of the most frequently used rooms should have a ceiling fan. For maximum energy saving benefits, you might consider an Energy Star ceiling fan. These fans circulate an average of 15% more air than other ceiling fans, without sacrificing style or attractiveness. Energy Star ceiling fans are 60% more efficient than a 150 watt incandescent bulb. For optimal performance, the blades of your ceiling fan should be between 7-9 feet above the floor, and 10-12 inches below the ceiling. If the blades of your fan are too close to the ceiling, you will not be able to make use of the winter time benefits, and may be 40% less efficient even in the summer time. Finally, the blades should be at least 18 inches from the nearest wall.

When used properly, ceiling fans can save you money in utility bills in both the winter and summer months. But remember ceiling fans cool people; not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.

  What Complies With the Energy Tax Credits Presently Available?

 Have you considered updating you home to take advantage of the tax credits presently available? Do you know the three major categories the updates may fall into? Here is a breakdown of the categories and deadlines associated with each.  

Building Envelope: this includes the windows and skylights, storm windows, exterior doors, storm doors, insulation, and metal and asphalt roofs

HVAC Systems: central A/C, air source heat pumps, furnaces, got water boilers, advanced main air circulating fans, water heaters, electric pump water heaters, and biomass stoves

Renewable Energy: solar water heaters, solar electric, fuel cells, geothermal heat pumps, and wind turbines.

 The tax credits may provide you with 30% of the total materials and labor costs and a $1500 maximum for all improvements combined. The updates you choose need to be “placed into service” by December 31, 2010.

There are additional programs available to you through 2016

Products eligible for tax credits include geothermal heat pumps, solar energy systems, wind energy systems, and fuel cells. Tax credits for these products are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit, through 2016. You can find out more by going to U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website,  http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/70010.html   

 Another good site that may assist you in finding financial help in the form of grants, loans, or incentives to defray the cost of your energy upgrade is http://www.dsireusa.org/.

Investigating energy efficiency is good for you as well as the environment.

Summer Electrical Safety Tips

The summer can be a great time of the year, but with the added outside activity comes the possibility of accidents. Here are a few electrical safety tips to keep in mind to help ensure a fun-filled and safe summer.

Always be aware of the location of power lines, particularly when using long metal ladders, pool skimmers, and pruning poles, or when installing rooftop antennas and satellite dishes or doing roof repair work.

If your project includes digging, like building a deck or planting a tree call your utilities hotline before you begin. Never assume the location or depth of underground utility lines. Call at last three business days ahead of your dig date. This service prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted, and can help you avoid serious injury

Electricity + water = DANGER. If it’s raining or the ground is wet, avoid using electric yard tools. Never step into a flooded area, especially basements, if the water is in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords.

Be sure outdoor outlets and outlets near wet areas of the kitchen, bath and laundry room have ground fault circuit interrupts (GFCI) to prevent serious shock injuries

Make sure tools and extension cords are marked for outdoor use.

Read and follow the manufacturers' instructions when using any product that is power by electricity.

Don’t touch anything that has a downed wire laying on it. Electricity can travel more than some people might realize. Call to inform the power company of downed wires right away

Never try to rescue a family member, friend or pet that has come into contact with any electrical equipment -- Call 911 immediately

· Contact Hayden Electric for any of your electrical questions or concern.

Summer Electrical Safety Tips      

The summer can be a great time of the year, but with the added outside activity comes the possibility of accidents. Here are a few electrical safety tips to keep in mind to help ensure a fun-filled and safe summer.

·        Always be aware of the location of power lines, particularly when using long metal ladders,  pool skimmers, and pruning poles, or when installing rooftop antennas and satellite dishes or doing roof repair work.

·        If your project includes digging, like building a deck or planting a tree call your utilities hotline before you begin. Never assume the location or depth of underground utility lines. Call at last three business days ahead of your dig date. This service prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted, and can help you avoid serious injury.

·        Electricity + water = DANGER. If it’s raining or the ground is wet, avoid using electric yard tools. Never step into a flooded area, especially basements, if the water is in contact with electrical outlets, appliances or cords.

·        Be sure outdoor outlets and outlets near wet areas of the kitchen, bath and laundry room have ground fault circuit interrupts (GFCI) to prevent serious shock injuries

·        Make sure tools and extension cords are marked for outdoor use.

·        Read and follow the manufacturers' instructions when using any product that is power by electricity.

·        Don’t touch anything that has a downed wire laying on it. Electricity can travel more than some people might realize. Call to inform the power company of downed wires right away

·        Never try to rescue a family member, friend or pet that has come into contact with any electrical equipment -- Call 911 immediately

·        Contact Hayden Electric for any of your electrical questions or concern.

What are CFLs?
Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, produce light differently than traditional, incandescent bulbs. In a CFL, an electric current flows through a tube containing argon and a small amount of mercury vapor. This generates invisible ultraviolet light that stimulates a fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube which glows, producing the light that you see.
Are CFLs safe?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury; the average is around 4 milligrams in each bulb. No mercury is released into the air when the bulbs are being used and intact. Because CFLs use less electricity than incandescent light bulbs, they reduce demand for electricity. The lower the demand for electricity means that less mercury is emitted into the air and water from power plants and, it saves your energy!
Why should I use CFLs in my home?
If every American home replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an energy efficient CFL, it could prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year; that’s equal to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.
Just one compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb which, saves you energy and money.

CFL What a bright idea!

Ask our energy professionals at Hayden Electric about how a home energy evaluation could save you hundreds of dollars on your electric bill.

What does Solar Energy mean to me?
With the ever rising prices of oil, gas, and electricity wouldn’t you like to save money while making your home more energy efficient? There are exciting new technologies available to help you achieve your efficiency goals. One of these advancements is in the use of solar energy.
The sun’s energy can be harnessed and converted into electricity. Solar panels are placed on a flat surface, such as a house roof. These panels are made from semiconducting materials which absorbs the sun’s rays. The photovoltaic effect occurs, which is the process of light converting into electricity, when electrons are loosened from their atoms. This direct current electricity enters an inverter which converts the power to 120 volt AC used to power your home, saving on your electric bill and saving you money.

The Green Team of Professionals at Hayden Electric can show you how you can save money and go green. Ask about how a Home Energy Evaluation could save your energy and money.