Workplace safety precautions are becoming an increasingly important part of the working environments. Avoiding injuries on the job protects the best interests of both employees and companies. Unfortunately, accidents are never 100% avoidable. That said, there are still many things companies can do to reduce the likelihood of injuries in the workplace. Electrical safety in the workplace is an important, yet often overlooked part of maintaining a safe environment. Companies and employees all share the responsibility of reducing the risk for electrical fires, shocks and burns.

Common Guidelines for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Although your might have to call in an electrician to optimize your workplace for electrical safety, there are common sense things you can do today to make your workplace safer.

Educate Employees

Basic employee education can go a long way in keeping your workplace safer. Set up a guide of safety rules in your workplace, adding electrical safety as part of the guide. Even well-educated employees can fail to think of all the possible thing that could go wrong. Because of this, you should try to brainstorm problems that employees might overlook to help them remember.

It’s the preferred method of action to turn of electrical power at the mains in the event of an electrical shock. So, if one of your employees gets injured in an accidental shock, at least some of your employees must know where to the main switch is to turn off the power in order to avoid death by electrocution.

Keep Electrical Equipment in Safe Environments

Chances are, most of your workplace is safe for storing electrical equipment. Despite this, you have to be really careful about where you place any electrical tools or appliances. Keep all your electrical equipment away from taps, bathrooms and areas that get hot.

This seems obvious, but also keep in eye out for problems like damp walls. A piece of electrical equipment placed against a damp wall can cause the power to trip.

Also preferably keep your electrical equipment for from bathrooms. You never know when a toilet or tap can start leaking uncontrollably, damaging your equipment irreparably.

Regularly Check Equipment

Regularly inspect all your electrical equipment and wiring. While this is necessary in any industry, construction and maintenance industries are most vulnerable. If your staff use power tools and operate heavy equipment often, wear and tear can cause damage to your wiring.

Don’t Overload Outlets

Teach employees basic guidelines to avoid overloading outlets. For example, it’s recommended that you never run more than one high wattage appliance at a time from a single outlet.

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to distinguish between high, low and medium wattage appliances. Set up a list different appliances you run in the office and their wattage requirements (labelled low, medium or high). This can serve as a easy reference for employees whenever they want to use two appliances on the same outlet.

Don’t Overuse Extension Cords and Multiplugs

While extension cords and multiplugs are useful, they are risky. That’s because both extension cords and multiplugs make it easier to run multiple high wattage appliances from the same outlet.

In most cases, overloading an outlet will cause the power to trip. However, there is always a risk that your circuit breaker won’t kick in. In this case, your wiring can overheat, posing a significant fire hazard.

Apart from the risk of overload, electrical extension cords can also pose a tripping hazard if you overuse them.

Unplug Any Extra Equipment

Although it’s easy to keep all your electrical equipment plugged in at all times, it’s unnecessary. Only stationary equipment like photocopy machines, PCs and fridges need to b e plugged in at all times. The general rule should be that anything that moves, must be unplugged when not in use.

Never Ignore Potential Problems

Even something as seemingly insignificant as flickering light bulbs could pose a risk. This is especially true if your work environment uses LED globes, as they don’t generally start to flicker with age as often.

But sometimes, electrical problems are more obvious. It could be that you have certain outlets that often cause the power to trip when used – even if those outlets aren’t overloaded.

Pay attention to anything that looks suspicious and call in professional help to have it inspected.

Special Guidelines for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Electrical safety in the workplace is something every individual can contribute to. But there are some instances when it’s better to call in professional help than to do everything yourself.

Always Work with Certified Electricians

Even if you know how to do basic electrical work, don’t ever attempt to do it yourself. Certified electricians are more knowledgeable and skilled in doing electrical work.

Regardless of whether you’re looking to install new lights, get new power outlets or change wiring, the work must be performed by qualified electricians.

Double-check Your Switches

Even though fixed electrical equipment doesn’t have to be unplugged when not in use, outlet must all have switches. Switches are the easiest way to cut power to an outlet quickly during an emergency.

If you currently have outlets at your workplace that aren’t fitted with switches, call an electrician to assist in installing new ones.

Prioritize Electrical Inspections

To avoid any electrical hazards from developing in the workplace, it’s important to book professional electrical inspections. It’s recommended that you inspect your workplace electrics at least every 5 years, although more frequent inspections are advisable in some cases.

After inspection, you might have to update certain parts of your electrical system to comply with current safety standards. This helps you stay up-to-date with electrical safety protocols, avoiding major changes, which are much more expensive.

Staying up-to-date with safety also protects the company’s interests if any incidents do occur.

General Workplace Safety Guidelines

Although electrical safety in the workplace safety is important, general safety rules also apply.

Here are some general workplace safety guidelines:

• Don’t allow overtired or ill employees to operate power tools or dangerous equipment. If you know your staff had to work through the night on a project, send them home when they start to show signs of exhaustion.
• Don’t allow staff to run electric cords across walkways, passages and open spaces. If there’s any chance that someone might walk in a certain area, there shouldn’t be an electric cord on the floor. Instead, run extensions along walls and large furniture pieces.
• Encourage employees to take regular breaks when operating dangerous equipment.
• Regularly inspect your ceiling for roof leaks. A bad roof leak could soak your electrical equipment, leading to damages and a potential fire hazard.
• Keep different kinds of fire extinguishers on hand at all times.

Contrary to what you might think, not all fire extinguishers are suitable for any kind of fires:

• Class A extinguishers are suitable for ordinary fires, such as when paper, wood or other items catch fire.
• Class B extinguishers are suitable for oil-based fires. Such as when flammable gasoline, kitchen oil or paraffin is burning.
• Class C extinguishers are only suitable for electrical fires.
• Class D extinguishers are used to put out flames from flammable metals

For most workplaces, only a class A, B and C extinguishers are required. However, be sure you have different extinguishers and that employees are educated on which extinguisher to use for different kinds of fires. If necessary include a picture with each extinguisher of what kind of fire it can be used for.

Conclusion

By taking some simple measures, electrical safety in the workplace can be easy to implement. You don’t have to be a qualified electrician or contractor, even basic precautions can help greatly in preventing accidents.

Just be sure to educate employees on the proper use of extension cords and Multiplugs. Also be sure to equip your space with emergency tools like fire extinguishers and first ad kits in case an accident does happen.

Remember you can do so much to make your workplace safer, but always be sure to call in a qualified electrician for specialized jobs.

You flip the switch and the light goes on. You find yourself wondering how electricity really works. What is electricity? Where does it come from? And how is electricity stored in batteries? These are only a few questions you might be wondering about. If you’ve always been burning to learn more about how electricity really works, you’re in the right place. So, how does electricity work? Here’s a brief overview.

A Brief History of Electricity

People have been interested in using electricity for thousands of years. The first records of electric use come from the Roman Empire.

Back in the ancient times, Pliny the Elder (an author and natural philosopher) and Scribonius Largus (a court physician) spoke of how patients were advised to touch electric fish such as electric catfish or rays to cure ailments like gout or headache. The hope was that the electric shock would heal these conditions.

It was only in the 18th century things started to pick up. Particularly, when Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a lightning storm. By doing this, Franklin proved that lightning was a form of electricity – static electricity, to be exact. Although others are also credited with the discovery of electricity, Franklin’s story remains the most infamous.

Alessandro Volta made the first battery that could continually sustain electric flow in 1800. It was called the voltaic pile. Soon after, Michael Faraday invented the electric motor in 1821.

The 1900’s started saw more inventions come to life. From Thomas Edison with the incandescent lightbulb and his managerial counterpart, Samuel Insull, who made electricity affordable for more people.

After this, Alexander Graham Bell is known for inventing and patenting the first telephone. And lastly, there’s Nikola Tesla, who’s is well-known for his studies on alternating current.

Why Are Some Materials Conductive?

To understand this topic, it’s good to know about basic atomic structure. You might remember this information from school.

An atom’s nucleus (also known as the center or core), is made up of protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons don’t have any charge. On the outside of the nucleus, there are electrons, which have a negative charge.

The protons in the nucleus help to keep the electrons within the atom by exerting positive forces. Electrons, being negative, are attracted to the positive forces of the protons, seeing as opposites attract. Because of this, electrons are always found in the space outside an atom’s nucleus.

While some electrons can be found close to the core of the atom, many are further away. Bohr’s atomic model illustrates this concept in a simple way. The model shows a number of concentric circles similar to a dart board or shooting target. The “bullseye” in the model represents the atom’s core, as it’s found right in the center. The layers of concentric circles are called “atomic shells” and electrons are illustrated as dots on the lines of the circles to show in which shell they are located.

This is an example of Bohr’s atomic model with the electrons orbiting the nucleus in different atomic shells.

Once you have a basic understanding of atomic structure, it will be easier to know conductors and insulators work.

Insulators

Insulators can’t conduct electricity. When looking at the atoms of insulators, you will note that the electrons are kept close to the nucleus.

With all the electrons so close to the nucleus, there aren’t any electrons that can venture into shells that are far enough from the center to help insulators conducts electricity. Electrons can be shared by atoms, but not when they are too close to the nucleus.

Conductors

Conductors are materials that can conduct or “transport” electricity. The atoms of conductors have free electrons. Free electrons can escape the orbit of their neutron if you add energy. This sharing of electrons is what causes a material to be conductive. Electrons push each other away (or repel one another due to shared negativity). Because the free electrons can escape the orbit, the electrons start flowing, helping electric energy to be conducted.

The fact that electricity is conducted on the atomic scale by electrons is interesting, as this explains why the words “electrons” and “electricity” are related. Thus, electric energy can simply be explained as energy from electrons flowing through wires.

How Is Electricity Generated?

This is just the general concept of how electricity is generated. The process works almost the same for all the thermal power plants.

1. Fuel is burned in a furnace, which heats a boiler filled with water. Another way to create heat is by splitting atoms. This is called a nuclear power plant. The most common fuels used in power plants include coal, natural gas and petroleum.
2. Heat from the burning fuel causes the boiler water to boil. The boiling water turns to steam.
3. The steam then moves to a turbine, which looks like a fan with multiple blades. As steam moves through the turbine, it starts to turn.
4. The turbine is connected to an axle. On the other end of the axle is a generator. The generator is responsible for creating electricity. It turns the energy from turning, known as kinetic energy, to electric energy.

You might remember from school that energy can’t be created or destroyed, only converted from one from to another. Because of this, the process of generating electricity isn’t creating energy. Instead, kinetic energy, or “movement energy” is simply converted to electric energy.

There are other ways to generate electricity. Examples include solar, hydroelectric and wind powered electricity. Both hydroelectric and wind power work much like thermal power plants. The only difference is that wind or water is used to turn turbines rather than steam.

Solar power plants get their electricity from the sun with the help of photovoltaics. This process of producing solar power is very different from other methods of generating electricity and won’t be discussed in this article.

How Does Electricity Get to My House?

After electricity has been generated, it moves though wires. First it goes to a step-up transformer. When electricity moves through wires, it loses energy. To solve this problem, the flow of electricity is sped up. Higher-Voltage results in less loss of electric energy while moving through wiring.

Next, electricity moves to pylons. Pylons are big metal towers. They carry the high-voltage electricity to step-down transformers. Seeing as high-voltage electricity isn’t suitable to use directly in your house, a step-down transformer makes electricity low-voltage again. Finally, after going through the step-down transformer, the electricity can be used in your house or business.

How Do Batteries Work?

Batteries are made up of electrochemical cells. Either one or multiple cells can be used for a battery. The term “cell” doesn’t refer to a microscopic organism in this case. Instead, electrochemical cells are devices that generate electricity from a chemical reaction inside the cell.

Electrochemical cells have two electrodes (positive and negative), separated by an electrolyte – also called an ionic liquid.

The negative end of the battery is called the anode. Chemical reactions cause a buildup of electrons at the anode. As you know, same charges push each other away, so this buildup of electrons causes charge.

The charge travels from the negative terminal of the battery to the positive terminal. The positive terminal is called the cathode. Here, the chemical reaction receives electrons, after they have gone through the circuit.

The battery is filled with electrolyte (also called the ionic liquid). This liquid ensures the electrons don’t simply travel through the battery to the cathode, allowing the charge to flow through the wiring instead.

When you have a rechargeable battery – or secondary cell – this reaction happens in reverse whenever you charge the battery. In other words, all the electrons that flowed to the cathode moves back to the anode. Reversing the process allows you to use the battery’s charge until you have to reverse the process again through charging.

What Is the Difference Between Amps, Volts and Watts?

There are different ways to measure electricity and many find it confusing. Here are some electrical units and what they measure.

Amps

Amps is the flow of electricity, or as you now know, the number of electrons that pass a given point in one second.

Volts

Volts is the amount of force that the electricity is flowing with.

Watts

Watts is the power with which the electricity is flowing. Amps multiplied by Volts equals Watts

Conclusion

How electricity works is a long and complex subject, this was simply an overview. Learning how to use electricity has been one of the most fundamental discoveries in science. Almost every other industry, from healthcare and hospitality, to the automotive industry and manufacturing depend on electrical power.

Understanding how electricity works helps everyday individuals know more about the energy that powers our lives.

Electricity is an integral part of everyone’s lives. We use it to cook a meal, watch a TV show, make a pot of coffee and charge our phones. Without it, we would essentially be lost. But even though electricity is such a prevalent part of our lives, most people aren’t equipped with the right safety tips to ensure that they don’t cause harm to their electrical system or appliances, or worse, cause an electrical fire.

It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with using electrical equipment to ensure home electrical safety in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from harm. Read on for some tips to ensure that you are using electricity responsibly.

Don’t Plug Multiple Things into One Outlet or Extension Cord

Jam-packing your electrical sockets with numerous plugs and adapters may seem like a practical thing to do, especially if you don’t have the space to plug everything in. However, it’s also extremely dangerous to overload your wall sockets as it could damage your electrical system or cause a fire.

There are various adapters and extension cords that allow you to plug in anything from two to twelve different things in a single receptacle, but it’s important to know how much electricity each of the items you plug in require — you should be able to find this out on the information leaflet that is provided with the product. Because no matter how many things you plug into the same outlet, a single outlet will only serve 15-20 Amps and 120 Watts in total, which amounts to about 1800 to 2400 watts per outlet. So, the maximum number of items you can plug into an outlet is really determined by the total power they draw. If this is exceeded, it could cause your power to trip.

Other extension cord safety tips include ensuring that your extension cords are tucked away or fixed in place to prevent tripping over them and it’s advised to use socket covers on sockets that aren’t currently being used on the extension cord to prevent children from putting their fingers in them. Discard any damaged cords and store usable cords away when they’re not in use. When unplugging anything, always pull on the plug and not the cord. Also never use indoor safety cords outdoors as sun exposure and rain could damage them and pose safety hazards

Ensure Your Electrical Wires are Undamaged and Unexposed

Using damaged cords where the electrical wires are exposed is extremely dangerous, especially if the wires are ‘hot’ or ‘live’. Which is why it’s important to replace worn or frayed cords on appliances immediately. The electrical wiring that is under the protective plastic covering should not be exposed as this poses a huge safety risk.

However, if you do notice an exposed wire, even if you think it isn’t live, it could still have a current running through it, so bear in mind the following steps when dealing with exposed wires:

1. Turn off the electrical circuit. It is important to ensure that no electricity is running through the exposed wire before you touch anything
2. Try and determine what caused the wire to become exposed. It could be due to many factors, including old cabling or perhaps a puncture was caused by a nail or other sharp object.
3. Once you have identified the cause of the exposed wire and isolated it, you then need to remove the offending object and reseal the safety cable with electrical tape, which is made of vinyl, making it low in conductivity and very durable to wear and tear.
4. For larger lacerations, you may need to cut the wire and make a connection using wire nuts. Electrical tape should not be used if the connection between the positive and neutral wires is exposed.

If you’ve never worked with exposed wires and electricity before, don’t attempt any repairs yourself. Rather be safe and call in a qualified electrician to ensure the safety of your family.

Secure All Loose Electrical Connections

Electrical connections in light sockets, switches, and appliances can become loose over time. This is usually due to the fact that aluminum wiring is flexible, which causes it to move around over time. Loose connections not only cause circuit breaker tripping but pose a safety risk as well

The first sign that there may be a short in a wall or appliance is if the electricity in your home or business starts to trip. If you follow a logical diagnostic investigation, you should be able to locate the source of the problem in no time.

The first step is to look for a tripped breaker in the main panel — if one of the switches on the panel is down when it usually faces up, this is a sign that the electricity has tripped. If you can’t locate a trip in the electrical panel, the next step is to locate any overloaded sockets and unplug some objects. Appliances that are high in wattage are hairdryers and heaters, so they could be overloading your electrical circuit and causing it to short.

Once you have unplugged the offending appliance, switch the power back on at the main panel. If it trips again, try and look for signs of shorting such as black marks on the wall or light fixture. You can remove the outlet or light fixture and replace it.

Avoid Water Around Electricity

This one may seem obvious, but it’s still worth mentioning. Water is an electrical wiring hazard, which means it’s extremely dangerous to have any liquid too close to any electrical component or outlet. So, when installing new outlets, be sure not to install them in places where there’s water close by.

It’s not that you can’t install an outlet in a kitchen or bathroom at all, but be cautious not to place it near the sink, basin, bath, or shower. These areas are high risk zones, as water conducts electricity and there’s plenty of water here. If you do happen to get an electrical outlet wet for any reason, turn the circuit breaker off immediately. An important appliance safety measure to be aware of is not to use a radio, hairdryer, phone, or any other device near water. As a rule, appliances should be kept at least six feet away from water at all times.

Another electrical safety tip is to avoid touching any electrical device or outlet with wet hands, as it increases the chance of receiving an electrical shock. Many of people are guilty of reaching for a hairdryer or cellphone right after getting out of the shower. Avoid doing this and ensure you always towel yourself off before working with electrical equipment.

If an electrical fire does start, don’t try to put it out with water. Water is a conductor of electricity, so it could fuel the fire or lead to injury or death by electrocution. Use a fire extinguisher to put it out electrical fires. If you don’t have an extinguisher available, you could also try smothering the fire in sand or baking soda. You could also attempt to deprive the fire of oxygen using a heavy blanket. Unfortunately you run the risk of a blanket catching fire, exacerbating the problem, so an extinguisher is always the better option.

Electrical fires are class C fires, so when using a fire extinguisher, check that it’s the appropriate one. Most residential fire extinguishers are multipurpose and are labeled ABC. Check your fire extinguisher beforehand to make sure it’s suitable for use on an electrical fire.

However, if you are unable to stop the electrical fire, get out immediately and call the fire department. The safety of your family is more important than losing material possessions.

LED lights are incredibly useful. Unsurprisingly, they’re fast becoming the top pick for property developers, facility operators, and lighting experts. More people are opting to use LEDs in their homes and businesses every day. But you might be wondering – what’s all the rave about? Is it worth the fuss to switch to LEDs? Are LED lights better than their traditional counterparts? To help you get closer to deciding, here’s a list of some of the advantages and disadvantages of LED lights.

What Are LEDs?

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. These globes work through special materials that emit photons (light particles) whenever current flows through them.
LED bulbs can be big or small, so they can be used just about anywhere. The quality of LED lighting has greatly improved since earlier years. Nowadays, LEDs offer some of the most versatile lighting solutions available.

Are LED Lights Better? Benefits of LED Lighting

Long Lifespan

Durability is probably the most notable advantage of LED lights in comparison to other kinds of lighting. Most LED bulbs will outlast alternatives by far, meaning you won’t constantly need to replace burnt out light bulbs.

The average lifespan of an LED light is around 50,000 operating hours or more. To put this into perspective, the average lifespan of an incandescent light bulb is 1,500 hours and fluorescents last for 8,000 to 10,000 hours. One LED light can last for several years in constant use before a replacement is needed (just make sure that you’re buying quality LEDs to enjoy this benefit).

Cost-effective

An overlooked advantage of LED lights is how affordable they are. Because they last longer, they don’t require frequent replacements, saving you money in maintenance and operating costs in the long run.

Some people look at the initial cost of an LED light bulb and are put off by it. But what you should be looking at is that the initial cost will save you time and money on replacing cheaper light bulbs. Because of this, LEDs are more financially feasible than traditional lighting.

Energy-efficient

Another standout advantage of LEDs is their efficiency in consuming low amounts of power. Their energy consumption is so low that, in comparison to incandescent light bulbs, they consume as much as 90% less electricity.

This lower power consumption doesn’t just look good on paper. If you switch to using online LEDs you’re sure to see a drop in your monthly electricity bill. Businesses are especially prone to overspending on lighting and using LEDs can combat inflated energy bills.

Eco-friendly

Unlike other lighting such as fluorescent and mercury vapor lights, LEDs are environmentally safe.

Fluorescent lights and mercury vapor lights contain mercury, which is dangerous for the environment. The mercury contents of these bulbs also means that they have to be handled with special care once they have reached the end of their lifespans.

Such precautions are’t required for LEDs, making them more convenient and environmentally safer. In addition, LEDs are made from recyclable materials that are non-toxic, making them the perfect ‘greener’ option for environmentally conscious individuals.

Increased Productivity in the Workplace

LED lights can mimic natural light, which is highly advantageous in the workplace because as studies show, environments that are well lit without being too harsh help employees maintain a more positive mood, perception, and overall performance.

Another benefit of LEDs in the workplace is that LEDs regulate circadian rhythm, which is your internal clock that regulates feelings of sleepiness and alertness throughout the day. This is why it’s also referred to as your sleep/wake cycle. Lighting plays a role in your circadian rhythm, which in turn affects your productivity. When light is low, your body releases melatonin, which is what makes you feel tired. Since LEDs produce excellent lighting, they can suppress melatonin, which means your employees should feel less tired and maintain high levels of productivity.

They Don’t Heat Up

When it comes to lighting, one hazard you have to look out for is heat. The good news about LED lights is that even after hours of use, they remain considerably cooler than other alternatives.

This is thanks to the fact that they generate close to no heat, making them safe for touching. And because they don’t consume as much power, they can operate efficiently on low-voltage electrical systems.

LEDs easily comply with commercial safety standards. They reduce electrical safety hazards like burns or fires, making them a much safer option overall. When it comes to safety, LEDs are simply superior.

They Are Adaptable

LEDs are adaptable because many are quite small in size. This makes them ideal for an infinite number of different lighting applications. They can be used in circuit board lighting, mood lighting, outdoor lighting, as well as stadium lighting. Because they are focused lights, they are excellent at performing specific lighting tasks like, for example, spotlights, torches, night lights, reading lights, desk lamps, security signals and accent lamps.

Switches on Instantly

LED lights instantly turn on and off, which means they don’t have a warm-up period as is the case for metal halide lamps. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about possible degradation caused to the device due to frequent switching. LEDs don’t burn out easily.

Color

LEDs come in a variety of different colors, allowing you different options and choices to find one that matches the theme you want. You can choose anything from ‘warm’ to ‘cold’ lighting, depending on your preference.

No Noise

The buzzing sound that many incandescent lights make isn’t something you have to deal with when it comes to LEDs. Even after years of being used, your lights won’t start buzzing. In the office, this is very beneficial because any noise can disrupt concentration, disturbing workflow and productivity.

Disadvantages of LED Lights

High Upfront Costs

Unfortunately, LEDs do initially come with a bigger price tag compared to other light bulbs, which is why some people don’t install them. Having to spend more is unappealing to if you don’t know about the benefits of LED lighting. Even though the price has decreased over the years, it’s still too much for a lot of people.

Voltage Sensitivity

LEDs require specific power supply specifications to work optimally. The quality of your lighting can drop if there’s an increase in the electrical current.

Temperature Sensitivity

LEDs can overheat in environments that have high temperature levels. If you want to place an LED in an area where there’s often high temperatures, like in a kitchen, you’ll need to plan properly. A heat sink can ensure your bulbs continue working efficiently without failing.

Light Distribution

LEDs distribute light which is not spherical, making them an unsuitable lighting option for use in large, open fields.

Electric Polarity

In order to light up, LEDs require the right electric polarity. Without this, they simply won’t light up. Electric polarity refers to the direction in which the electric current runs. So if you’ve connected the direction of the current incorrectly, there’ll be no electricity to flow through and the light simply won’t go on. Other lights like incandescent lights don’t have this sensitivity, but you can easily fix the problem by swapping the connection around.

Blue Light Hazard

Due to the blue light they produce, continued exposure to very powerful and intense LEDs can cause irreparable damage to the retina, causing vision to become less sharp. But you don’t have to worry about your cellphone, tablet and computer screens, as their luminosity is too low to cause eye damage.

However, exposure to LED lights can cause a disruption in sleep patterns when used during the night – especially in young children. If you want LEDs in your home, there are some things you can do to prevent exposure to lights interfering with your sleep:

• Get ‘warm light’ LEDs
• Limit your exposure to high blue LED light sources, especially before bedtime
• Avoid using LED screens before going to bed

As long as you follow the above guidelines, using LED is still safe and healthy.

Are LED Lights Better?

At the end of the day, looking at the pros and cons of LED lights, it’s hard to argue against their value and overall usefulness. If you were wondering whether to convert all the lights in your home or property to LED, there’s nothing that should hold you back. Hopefully you now understand the many benefits of LED lights.

From incentive programs to team building events, there are many ways to boost employee productivity in the workplace. One of the most important ways to increase employee performance, however, is improving the office space to be functional for work. An often overlooked aspect in improving office spaces is lighting. Lighting is fundamentally important for work. After all, employees can’t work in the dark. Here’s how you can enhance office lighting to make it ideal for work and productivity.

The Importance of Lighting for Employee Performance

Bad lighting in the office can lead to several problems. Poor lighting will put strain on employees’ eyes – this, in turn, can lead to headaches and eye problems. Of course, an office worker with a headache won’t be nearly as productive. To ensure that employees work at their full capacity, it’s important to provide workplace lighting that offers a good balance between vibrancy and comfort.

Just as bad lighting can cause headaches and health problems, good lighting can improve employee motivation and mood. Conversely, bad lighting can have a negative impact on mood and motivation. In fact, the shorter duration of sunlight exposure in winter months is what causes many people to feel bluesy in winter.

Lighting might seem like a simple thing and chances are most office planners don’t put too much thought into it. But thoughtful lighting choices in the office space has a lot of potential to improve employee motivation and productivity. When employees view the office space as a positive environment, employee turnaround will be less.

A lot goes into planning the interior of an office to make it a productive, attractive and comfortable working environment. Don’t jeopardize all other décor efforts with bad lighting choices in the office.

How to Enhance Natural Office Lighting

When thinking about lighting, a lot of people will automatically think about artificial lighting choices. While artificial lighting is also important to enhance office lighting, it’s great to take advantage of natural sunlight.

Why Sunlight is Important?

Sunlight is one of the healthiest kinds of light to have in the office space. Artificial light does play a big role in enhancing office lighting, but where possible, artificial lighting should be planned around the natural sunlight. An office space that relies mainly on artificial lighting, even in the brightest times of day, would feel somber and closed off.

Natural Lighting Tips

It’s not always easy to control windows on the office building, but where possible, choose to rent an office space where there are plenty of windows allowing light in from the outside.

If possible, place desks near windows. For optimal lighting, desks must be placed close enough to windows to get light from outside, but far enough so they won’t receive direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can be too harsh at times. Sunlight reflecting off a piece of white paper can be almost blinding!

If dividers are being used for office cubicles, be sure to make them low enough so they don’t block out too much sunlight. Also, when sectioning off parts of the office building for boardrooms, offices and kitchens – using glass walls instead of real walls or dividers will allow light to flow freely through to office space.

Consider a Lighting Control System

It can be difficult to know how to enhance office lighting to combine natural and artificial light in perfect balance. Natural light levels will always be changing throughout the day. This means standard lighting options are unlikely to provide the best level of lighting at all times of day.

A lighting control system is a great workaround for this problem. Lighting control systems will automatically adjust the brightness of lighting in different areas of the office based on the levels of natural light from outside. When the light coming in from outside is very bright, the lighting control system will only provide a minimal amount of artificial light.

At times when there isn’t much light coming in from outside, such as rainy days or at night time, the lighting control system will automatically adjust to provide more light.

Not only will a lighting control system provide better light and improve employee performance, it will also save electricity. This is because the system will use less energy whenever more natural light is present.

How to Enhance Artificial Office Lighting

As mentioned, installing lighting control system is a good way to improve office lighting. But an office lighting control system isn’t the only way to improve artificial office lighting. Artificial light is far easier to control directly than sunlight, so it should be taken advantage of.

LED vs Fluorescent Office Lighting

Fluorescent lighting is a popular choice in many offices worldwide, but it might not be the best. While fluorescent bulbs are relatively cheap and easy to replace, they’re not as reliable as LED.

Like most other lightbulbs, fluorescent bulbs will age with time. As the bulb ages, it will provide less light. Aging fluorescent bulbs are also prone to flickering and buzzing, which can distract workers.

Apart from being cheap and easily accessible, the only real benefit of fluorescent lights is that they can light up large spaces.

LED bulbs are typically more expensive, but they provide more consistent levels of light and save energy. Despite the higher initial cost of LED bulbs, they will work out cheaper over time. This is because LED lights last much longer.

Using LED also offers the benefit of adjustable light levels. If you’re planning to install a lighting control system, you’ll need to use LED bulbs. Even without a lighting control system, LED’s can offer the option of adjusting light levels manually.

Provide Desk Lamps

Even the best lighting won’t be perfect for every task. Make sure to put a desk lamp on every desk. This is a great way to help individual employees get some more light if they feel the need for it. While there are lighting conditions that are clearly better than others, not everyone will prefer the same lighting. Older employees might struggle to see, which means they often need some extra light.

LED Lighting Panels

LED lighting panels are panels that hang from the ceiling with LED globes fitted into them. This offers a fresh alternative to placing lighting fixtures directly in the walls or ceilings. Lighting panels look modern and often help to reduce glare. Hanging lighting panels above boardroom tables is a great way to add an interesting design element to the office space.

Add Wall Lighting

It’s easy to get carried away thinking about the lighting from above, but lighting in the walls can also help a lot. Consider adding lighting in certain areas of the walls. This could be great for dark hallways, for instance. Wall lighting is also great if you are looking to add decorative lighting elements.

Important Lighting Tips

Lighting can be tricky. Measuring levels of light in a space isn’t as easy as measuring temperature or physical size, which makes lighting more challenging to get right. There are a few things you can do to ensure your office lighting is optimal:

• Use matt surfaces and indirect lighting to prevent glare
• Make sure your color rendering is good. The Color Rendering Index is a system to measure how accurate colors appear in a given source of light. It’s measured on a scale from 1 to 100 and the ideal figure for offices is 80 or more.
• Use light contrasts to avoid a uniform lighting. Lighting decorations and contrast in décor colors can help make for a more visually interesting and motivating space.
• Don’t cut corners on costing. Good lighting costs a lot upfront, but it will pay for itself over time in improved efficiency and lower electricity bills.

Lighting costs generally account for 30%-50% of office energy bills, so a proper lighting system that saves power can undoubtedly save money. LED globes have a longer life expectancy, so maintenance costs for lighting will be higher, but less frequent.

Hiring an Electrician to Enhance Your Office Lighting

Many office lighting changes will require a licensed, qualified electrician to install. When choosing an electrician for your office lighting renovation, be sure to choose a company with experience. Have a look at reviews online and get recommendations.

For lighting projects in the Miami area, Miami Electric Wizards can help. As an experienced and trusted electrician operating in the Miami-dade area, we offer quality services you can rely on

Solar panels stand out among other sources of alternative energy as a clean and effective way to supply electricity to households. While many other sources of alternative energy aren’t accessible for homeowners, solar is easy to come by. But before switching to solar power, it’s best to weigh up all the pros and cons. This will help you make the best choice for your household. It’s a big commitment to install solar panels at your property, so you’ll want to make sure you do it right.

Benefits of Going Solar for Residential Power

Homeowners differ in why they choose to go solar. For some, it’s simply a desire to reduce their carbon footprint, but there’s more to going solar than pure philanthropy. Installing solar panels at your home could save a lot of money long-term.

On average, American homeowners who get solar panels installed break even after about 7.5 years. So, after approximately 7.5 years homeowners will save the entire sum spent on the initial solar panel installation. After this period, all the money a homeowner saves by using solar panels is a true saving.

When buying a good brand of solar panels, a residential solar system can last anywhere between 25-30 years. This means that most homeowners can expect their solar system to “pay for itself” in savings about threefold.

However, many homeowners are concerned that they won’t stay at their current residence long enough to warrant such investment. If you want to install solar panels on you home, but you’re not planning to stay another 25 years, there’s good news for you. Solar panels can increase the value of your property and can also help you sell your home faster.

Unfortunately, installing a solar power system isn’t as simple as buying panels and placing them on your roof. There are some things you’ll need to know about getting solar panels before you buy them.

What are the Requirements to Get Solar Panels?

Solar panels require the right conditions to work properly. If your property gets too much shade, installing solar panels won’t help much. This means that solar panel installation at your home could see you chopping down trees and changing your initial plans to ensure the solar power system produces enough electricity.

Solar Panel Roofing Requirements

Thankfully, solar panels can easily be installed on most common roof types. As far as roofing materials are concerned, asphalt shingles are among the most popular choice for homeowners. Solar panels can quite easily be installed on asphalt shingles, making them accessible for the majority of homeowners.

Materials that are generally suitable for solar panel installations include:

• Asphalt shingles
• Metal roofing
• Various flat roofing materials

There are some materials, like slate and wood that aren’t suitable for solar panel installation, however.

But before considering your roofing material, it’s good to have a look at the current state of your roof. On average, asphalt shingles last about 20 years or more. If your roofing is older than 5 years, chances are it won’t last as long as your solar energy system. In such cases, you might have to add new roofing onto your list of expenses for installing solar panels on your home.

Another common roofing issue is the pitch of your roof. Solar panels require a pitch of about 30 degrees to work effectively. This can pose a problem is your home has a flat roof. To solve to pitching problem, solar panels can be installed onto mounting brackets that tilt them up at the optimal angle.

One of the last things to consider is the size of your roof and the amount of sun it receives. There’s no use installing solar panels in areas of your roof that don’t get a lot of sun throughout the day. Areas of your roof facing south will usually receive the most sun.

Whichever way it goes, chances are good your whole roof area won’t be suitable for laying solar panels, so it helps if you have a large area to begin with.

Must Solar Panels Always Be on a Roof?

It can be disappointing to learn that your roof isn’t suitable to install solar panels on. Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get a solar energy system at all. If you have a large yard that receives a lot of sun throughout the day, installing a ground mount solar system might be an option for you.

Are Solar Energy Systems Connected to the Grid?

Ideally your solar energy system should be connected to the grid, yes. Staying connected to the grid will help if your solar panels aren’t generating enough electricity to keep up with your energy consumption. In times when there isn’t a lot of sun, such as rainy days and at night, being connected to the grid will also help you keep the lights on.

Another benefit of connecting your solar power to the grid is net metering. With net metering, you’ll receive credits from your power company whenever your system is generating more electricity than you consume. During times when your system isn’t generating enough power, these credits can go towards paying your electricity bill.

How Much Electricity Can Residential Solar Panels Generate?

Like most homeowners, you’re probably interested to learn how much of your electrical needs a solar power system can cover. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple answer to this question.

The output of your system will depend on a few things such as:

• How much space you available to install solar panels.
• Your average household energy consumption.
• How much you’re willing to spend on a solar energy system.
• The weather conditions at any particular moment.

To begin with, you can monitor your power usage closely to get an idea of your energy consumption. This is the best way to go about getting solar power at your residence, as you can try to plan your system based on your power usage. Even if you’re unable to get a system that covers 100% of your energy needs, knowing your average usage will help you get the best idea of what your system will do for you.

In some cases, it can help to reduce your power usage, as your system might fall just a bit short of generating enough electricity to fulfill all your current energy requirements.

When calculating how much power a system will ultimately produce, it’s best to give yourself about a 25% buffer. Even if a system could theoretically produce enough electricity for your household, its true capacity will vary depending on the weather, season and time of day.

With solar power, it’s better to overestimate rather than underestimate. If your home is connected to the grid, the extra power from your solar panels could earn you enough credits so you don’t have to pay for electricity even when your system isn’t generating enough power to meet your energy usage requirements.

Installing a Solar Panels on Your Home: What You Should Know

When push comes to shove and you’re ready to install your solar energy system, you’ll need to do it the right way. This will involve some paperwork (like energy audits and paperwork for energy rebates). In many states, you’ll also require permits. Finding a reliable electrician to help, as your electrician might be able to advise you
with regards to what permits you’ll need.

Additionally, working with a qualified, licensed electrician on your solar panel installation will ensure that all the necessary wiring is connected in a safe way that meets the safety standards and laws.

Choosing an electrician for your home solar panel installation shouldn’t be something you base purely on price. Although you’re likely to incur many expenses to get solar panels, trying to save on electrical installation can be counter-productive. After the hefty investment of buying quality solar panels, you don’t want to risk damage to your solar panels because of poor installation.

It’s important to ask your electrical installer about previous experience on similar jobs. Also ask contractors if they have the necessary licensing to operate as a contractor or electrician in Florida. If a contractor claims to have the required licensing, don’t relent from asking them to prove it. Only a qualified electrician can sign off on the installation work, so it’s important to ensure you’re getting what you pay for.

There’s no doubt that light bulbs are a simple, yet profound and often overlooked electrical invention. Without light bulbs, humanity would still be stuck with candle light after sundown. Most people don’t notice the significance of light bulbs until one blows, leaving them in the dark.

Unfortunately, sometimes light bulbs in certain fixtures can blow far too quickly, or even immediately, leaving you in the dark far too often. If you have a few problematic light bulb fixtures in your house, learning more about what causes the problem can help you keep the lights on for longer.

Can Faulty Wiring Cause Light Bulbs to Burn Out?

Blaming faulty wiring for blowing light bulbs won’t help you solve your problem. Faulty wiring is vague and undescriptive. To say that faulty wiring is causing your light bulbs to blow isn’t any more helpful than to blame bad weather. To solve the problem, you need to know where the faulty wiring is so it can be fixed.

If you already got an electrician out to look at your problem and you were told faulty wiring was the issue, but the electrician was unable to tell you where the wiring problem is, then chances are your problem isn’t caused by wiring at all.

Sometimes the reason behind your blowing light bulbs can be simple, other times it might require some investigation to get to the root of your problem. Regardless, don’t assume your light bulbs are blowing due to “faulty wiring” and simply leave the problem to persist. If faulty wiring really were the cause, it might pose a risk, which you’d surely want to know about.

Causes for Light Bulbs Burn out Too Quickly

There are some common causes for light bulbs burning out too quickly and some of them are surprisingly simple to fix.

Bad Light Bulbs

Sometimes the reason why a light bulb burns out quickly isn’t so much about your home’s wiring or the light bulb fixture. Often, bulbs burning out are just poor quality from the start. Buying a different brand of bulb may solve your problem.

This can especially be the case if you find that light bulbs in your house burn out quickly, but inconsistently. In other words, you might replace the same light bulb twice within six months, only for it to last up to a year the next time you replaced it. Assuming there’s no difference in the type and brand of light bulb you bought and that light bulbs across different fixtures show no consistency in how long they last, inconsistent bulb quality could be your problem.

LED bulbs are a high quality bulb alternative that can last much longer than traditional bulbs or compact fluorescent lights.

Before you rejoice, however, there are other underlying problems that could manifest in a similar way that aren’t quite as simple to fix.

Too High Voltage

Another problem that can have symptoms similar to bad light bulbs, is if your light bulbs are getting too much power supply. American homes typically receive 120v power supply, however, the 120v power supply isn’t as consistent as you may think.

It often happens that some homes receive a slightly higher voltage. Most appliances have no problem running on a power supply that’s a bit too high, but light bulbs can be sensitive to changes in voltage.

To identify this problem, you’ll need to measure the voltage at different electrical outlets in your house, especially in areas where your light bulbs often blow. If the voltage consistently reads higher than 120v, this is most probably your problem. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to test the voltage of your electric outlets, or if you don’t have the equipment. You can hire a qualified local electrician – it’s quick, easy and should be relatively cheap if measuring voltage is your only requirement.

Switching to 130v globes can solve your problem if it’s only in certain areas of your home. On the other hand, if you’re constantly replacing light bulbs everywhere in your house, calling your electrical provider might be a smarter choice.

Light Fixture Vibration

When light bulbs are often exposed to fixture vibration, it can shorten their lifespan. Examples of light bulbs that are at risk for high fixture vibration include light bulbs attached to ceiling fans, garage door openers or below rooms with lots of activity (such as children’s rooms or indoor gyms).

Buying light bulbs that tougher is the easiest way to get your bulbs to last. Rough service bulbs, 130v bulbs and LED globes are all great options for difficult light fixtures.

Light Bulbs are Overheating

Using light bulbs with the wrong wattage for a fixture can cause your globes to overheat. This is because your globes will heat up unevenly, which leads the them burning out prematurely.

Light bulbs in closed fixtures are also at higher risk for burning out quickly, as there isn’t enough ventilation in a closed fixture to keep the bulb cool enough.

Switching to a lower bulb wattage, as well as using bulbs that are approved for use in closed fixtures could solve your problem. Alternatively, you could replace your fixtures so all of them are the same, in which case you can buy the same light bulbs for any place in your house.

Faulty Light Fixtures

In some cases, your blowing light bulbs have nothing to do with the globes you use or your power supply. Your light fixtures might be the problem. Especially in cases where one specific bulb in your home keeps burning out constantly, or even immediately after installation, the fixture is most likely to blame.

Screwing a light bulb into a fixture too tightly can permanently damage the socket. Even if you know how to change a light bulb the right way, without using too much force, if any other person has ever screwed a light bulb too tightly into one of the light fixtures in your home, it could be permanently damaged.

Seeing as excessive force can damage your light fixtures, you should also exercise caution not to use too much force whenever you’re inserting a new light bulb. Learn how tightly your bulbs need to be screwed in so they’re not too loose or tight.

Poorly Installed Fixtures or Wiring

While faulty wiring is a vague and often isn’t the problem with your light bulbs that burn out immediately, there are cases where poor connections can problems. When your either fixtures or wiring aren’t properly connected and there are wires that are half loose, you might find that some of your light bulbs burn out within a matter of days.

Worse yet, poorly connected wires are a danger, as they can lead to electrical burns in your home. If you’ve explored some other options and your have reason to suspect that your light bulbs burning out could be the result of loose electrical wiring, you should contact an electrician to help you fix the problem as soon as possible.

What if My Circuit Breaker Trips?

Tripped circuit breakers and blown fuses are normally caused by a short in an electrical circuit. This could be because of a defective plug or light socket. Whatever the reason, you shouldn’t reset the breaker until the underlying problem has been fixed, so calling in an electrician to help before proceeding is the best thing to do.

When to Call an Electrician?

It’s frustrating when your light bulbs burn out at a faster pace than you’re able to replace them. On top of this, the underlying reason why your light bulbs are burning out could also pose a risk for an electrical fire.

If you’ve explored options such as installing 130v bulbs, or your problem seems to be unrelated to basic causes such as vibration, overheating due to closed fixtures or a bad brand of bulb, then calling an electrician is your best option. Especially if you find that a single light in your house is burning out on a regular basis, perhaps even monthly, this may be cause for concern.

A qualified, licensed electrician can help you replace damages fixtures, fix loose wiring and test the voltage supply to your home. For electrician services in Miami, you can contact Miami Electric Wizards today. We are a qualified electrician company who will help you get to the root of your problem.

As the general population realizes the importance of living an environmentally friendly lifestyle, alternative energy sources have been gaining more popularity. There are multiple ways to generate electricity that emit no greenhouse gases, as well as some alternatives that emit less greenhouse gases.

Currently, fossil fuels are the main source of energy worldwide, and powers up most cities globally. To understand the importance of alternative sources, it’s good to understand the negative impact that fossil fuels have on the environment, as well as how renewable alternative energy sources eliminate those concerns.

The Negative Impact of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are any fuels that are taken from the remains of dead organisms, such as plants and animal life, that roamed the Earth a long time ago. Once these organisms were buried, they’re remains decayed under the Earth’s surface in hot conditions without any oxygen. This resulted in the formation of fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil and natural gas (also called fossil gas).

These fossil fuels are burnt to release energy. The most common source of electricity is coal. Coal is used to generate electricity in many powerplants all over the world. While crude oil is also used as a fuel quite often, it’s used to keep cars running rather than to produce electricity.

There are several disadvantages to using fossil fuels as an energy souce.

Fossil Fuels are Non-Renewable Energy

Fossil fuels take a long time to form naturally under the Earth’s surface. To get the energy from fossil fuels, we burn and destroy them.

If humanity doesn’t come up with technology to allow rapid formation of new coal, crude oil and fossil gas, our supply fossil fuels will run out.

This energy source is finite, and if we don’t willingly switch to alternatives now, we’ll have to do it forcibly later. According to current predictions, our supply of fossil fuels will run out within the next 50 years.

Air and Environmental Pollution

Burning fossil fuels releases a large amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Even though CO2 is a gas that naturally occurs in the atmosphere, the overabundance of CO2 that comes from burning fossil fuels is contributing to global warming.

However, not everyone is concerned about the effects of global warming, as it’s a process that’s somewhat difficult to observe. To encourage the use of alternative energy sources, it’s important to also focus on other pollutants that come from using fossil fuels.

If you’ve ever been in a big city, you might’ve seen a foggy haze covering the air close to the ground. While occasionally, this can just be fog, the source of the “fog” is usually more worrisome. This fog is actually a cloud of fossil fumes, which is a form of toxic air pollution. Toxic air pollution contains pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde. Both these chemicals are known carcinogens.

As and added disadvantage to the air pollution caused by fossil fuels, other areas of the environment are also negatively affected, particularly during oil spills and other disasters involving fossil fuels.

Mining Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels don’t only cause pollution we burn them for fuel or spills occur. Even regular mining practices are damaging to the environment. Mining fossil fuels involves moving large amounts of earth, either underground or on the surface.

Arguably the most damaging form of mining for fossil fuels are surface mines. Surface mines are mainly used to obtain coal. Once an area is fully mined out, it’s often left as a wasteland, as rehabilitation of open mines is costly. Even if land is rehabilitated, might not be the same as before.

In natural areas where wildlife roam freely, this form on mining completely destroys large areas of an ecosystem where animals previously lived in peace. In areas already inhabited by humans, open mines are often established on areas of land previously used for agricultural purposes. This means land that sustainably produced food for humans (and even animals owned by humans) to eat, is converted into an unproductive wasteland harvest its fossil fuel benefits only once.

Top 10 Alternative Energy Sources

We’re running out of fossil fuels. Using fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases. There’s a lot of pollution of environmental destruction involved in both extracting and using fossil fuel. All these are reasons to switch to renewable alternative energy sources. But what are some of our options in terms of alternative energy?

1. Solar Power

Perhaps the one of the most well-known and widely used forms of alternative energy is solar power. The benefit of solar power is that it uses energy from the sun and converts it into electricity. Energy from the sun is a completely renewable resource, seeing as the sun won’t burn out any time soon!

However, the biggest problem with solar power is that we use solar panels to harvest it. Solar panels take up a lot of space, making them reasonably impractical for mass production of electricity.

To solve the problem of space, Japan has a large solar energy plant that floats in the sea off the shore, however, this may still have a negative effect on the organisms living in the sea, as less sun reaches beneath the surface of the water – only time will tell.

On top of that, solar panels themselves contain a number of pollutants, which is concerning. Solar panels aren’t made to last forever and must be replaced every few years.

Because of this, solar power can be wonderful for households. Seeing as homeowners can all fit their solar panels to their own home, so enough space doesn’t have to be an issue. For mass-production of electricity, solar power still poses problems.

2. Wind Energy

Wind energy is harvested using wind turbines. Just like solar power, wind energy is a renewable resource, as we won’t be running out of wind any time soon. However, the challenges of producing wind energy is also similar to that of solar power. Both energy sources rely on optimal weather conditions to produce power, and both require quite a lot of space.

However, wind energy is more viable for mass power production than solar power. Many countries around the world have already built power stations that harvest wind energy for power.

3. Hydropower

Hydropower is power produced from moving water. Common sources of hydropower include waterfalls and rivers – where the movement of water is used to generate electricity. Dams can also be used to generate hydropower whenever the floodgates are opened as this creates a type of manmade waterfall.

Like solar energy and wind energy, hydropower is renewable, as rivers keep running, dams keep filling up. However, hydropower is also dependent on weather conditions, as draughts can lead to rivers, waterfalls and dams drying up. Unlike solar power, hydro electricity isn’t usually accessible to homeowners, unless there’s a river or other body of moving water close by.

4. Tidal Energy

Tidal energy can be seen as a form of hydropower, but unlike normal hydropower, tidal energy harvests electrical power from waves in the sea. This is more sustainable, as draughts won’t affect waves. However, tidal energy still isn’t widely implemented.

Another problem with tidal energy is that many countries are landlocked, and can therefore not harness tidal energy to produce electricity.

5. Biofuels

Biofuels aren’t commonly used to produce electricity. Instead, biofuels are used as an alternative to crude oil for fueling cars. Biofuels are typically made from plants which are often specifically farmed for the purpose of making fuel.

The good thing about biofuel is that it’s a renewable source of electricity, as agricultural activity can sustainably produce more plants to turn into biofuel. The bad thing about biofuel is that it still pollutes the environment when burnt. Another disadvantage is that converting society to run solely on biofuel would require humans to use more land for agriculture, destroying natural habitats to do so.

6. Nuclear Power

Nuclear powerplants are a popular source of alternative energy, but it’s definitely not a clean one. In a way, nuclear power only replaces the issues of fossil fuel power with a potentially worse problem – radioactive pollution. Radiation is a known cause of cancer, and is far more carcinogenic than any pollutant released by burning fossil fuels.

Nuclear power production produces large amounts of nuclear waste. In reality, it’s impossible to sustainably dispose of nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is usually buried beneath the Earth’s surface – often even in concrete slabs or stainless steel to contain the radiation.

Despite the disadvantages of nuclear power, many countries use it. These countries often pay the price when disasters such as Fukushima and Chernobyl strike.

7. Hydrogen Gas

Hydrogen gas is great as a fuel, because it burns completely clean. In the future, scientists may be able to develop technology to sustainably burn hydrogen to generate electricity for large populations, but currently, this isn’t a reality.

A large issue with hydrogen gas is that it’s also often derived from fossil fuels. However, there’s an abundance of hydrogen available in outer space. With technology to harvest this hydrogen, it could become a sustainable form of energy, but currently there’s no technology to make this possible.

8. Biomass Energy

Biomass energy is derived from burning biological matter – usually wood. In recent years, biomass energy technology has developed, so waste from landfills can also be used.

The production of biomass energy might also pollute the air, although less than fossil fuels. When organic waste is used to produce biomass energy, it’s a good form of recycling. However, this form of energy isn’t as commonly used on either a domestic or industrial scale.

9. Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy uses energy from in the form of heat to produce power. This heat energy is obtained from deep beneath the Earth’s surface in areas such as hot water and rock beneath the surface of the Earth. Currently, geothermal energy is one of the newest and most promising sources of alternative energy. It’s clean and produces no pollutants. At present, one of the biggest challenges for geothermal energy is the large upfront cost of power plants.