FXSTD – Alternative Energy Center

By: Lloyd Mills
With ever increasing energy cost, and what seems to be an unnoticed trend in appliances and devices that draw even more energy, a new sub field of the electrical trade seems to be developing. Not to be confused with the alternate energy, or the clean energy fields, energy management is the blue collar revolution. With major corporations like GE, and BP spending hundreds of millions lobbying a green jobs friendly, congress to gain a strong foothold in the explosive solar, wind, and even hydro industries, the highest return on your dollar is still in conservation. Even with the billions being handed out in generous big government give aways, the average homeowner still views co-generation in the form of photovoltaic and wind turbines as unaffordable, leaving electrical contractors with a dilemma to invest in still unstable but growing markets or look for creative ways to diversify there services.

The creative contractors are looking for a transition between the traditional service field, and inevitable green and renewable energy technology fields by offering consumption reduction services and energy management programs. Energy management programs can be as simple as a commitment to turn off the light when you leave a room or as complex as power factor correction and line conditioning. Consumption reduction can be a little more complicated, it involves finding creative ways to make existing equipment more efficient, like capacitive start motors on older air handling equipment.

Most homeowners can handle changing a few bulbs, some even a timer on there hot water heater but electrical contractors haven’t been able to provide a service that can offer creative energy solutions. Enter the next generation electrical technician. While still able to perform the basic task like installing ceiling fans, service changes, correcting code violations, repairing or replacing knob and tube wiring and systematic diagnostics, the next generation of electrical tradesmen must also have a very specific skill set that hasn’t always been required within the field. The next generation electrician must possess the ability to sort through an abundance of new technologies and match what is available with a customers budget and be able to express it in terms of return on investment.