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ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES. The first significant application of controlled electricity in Cleveland was telegraphy, which made its appearance in the city in 1847 on the premises of the Lake Erie Telegraph Co. Fire-alarm boxes were the second useful manifestation of the “new” power in the city, and by 1865 there were 24 of them. The telephone came in 1877. Besides these communications uses, the other main areas of electric-industrial progress in the latter part of the 19th century were lighting, traction, and industrial motors, and in these areas as well, Cleveland’s technical-entrepreneurial talent was quick to perceive opportunities and act on them.

In the lighting field, CHARLES F. BRUSH was the most prominent innovator and entrepreneur of the period. His major contribution was the practical development and commercial exploitation of the arc light. Although the latter was invented in England in 1808, Brush devised its practical application by developing an improved dynamo to provide a steady current, and by making design changes in the arc fixture itself that improved the quality of the light and extended the working life of the carbon electrodes. He also redesigned the lamp’s circuit to make arc lighting possible from central stations. Brush began to sell small arc lighting systems in the late 1870s for use in stores, factories, and hotels. However, the potential of this equipment was first realized with Brush’s demonstration of its street-lighting possibilities on 29 Apr. 1879, in Cleveland’s PUBLIC SQUARE. The brilliance of the light produced by his 12 lamps caused a sensation and foretold the decline of the gas-lighting era. As a result, Brush sold central power stations to San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia. In 1880 Brush bought the Cleveland Telegraph Supply Co., where he had done the developmental work, and renamed it the Brush Electric Co. The battle between electric and gas lighting lasted some 30 years, and although advances were made in gas-lighting technology, electricity won out. During that time, CLEVELAND CITY COUNCIL, viewing comparative costs, voted to go back to gas light in 1883 but reversed itself 17 days later. About the time that Brush was developing his arc light, Thomas Edison designed a practical incandescent lamp which later had great significance for Cleveland, because the companies that formed the National Electric Lamp Assn. in 1906 centered much of their light-bulb production in this area. When NELA became the National Quality Lamp Division of GENERAL ELECTRIC CO., it established NELA PARK in the SUBURBS. The division took the leading role in GE’s incandescent lighting development program from 1915 until 1935, when fluorescent lighting research became prominent.

The equipment for the first electric streetcar line in the Cleveland area was developed and tested in the shops of the Brush Electric Co., and a Brush generator was used in the car barn that powered the line from its start-up, in 1884. The line, which operated as the EAST CLEVELAND RAILWAY CO., had technical problems with its underground power supply cable and closed down the following year. Work continued, however, and a successor line reached Public Square from its home station in East Cleveland in 1889. This event was followed by the electrification of other local car lines in the area.

The Cleveland-area electrical industry grew rapidly during the 1800s, led by the expansion of applications in communications, lighting, and traction. The Brush Electric Co. added the manufacture of arc light carbons to its activities and also began marketing an incandescent lighting system, the rights for which it had purchased from a British firm. As the use of electricity expanded, the need grew for added power-generation and -distribution facilities, and when the Brush Electric & Power Co. merged with the Cleveland Electric Light Co. in 1892, a large powerhouse was constructed on Canal St. These developments led to the formation of the CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO. the same year. By 1900 Cleveland ranked first in the production of electric automobiles, and at the end of the century’s first decade it also claimed first place in the production of carbons, lamps, and electrical hoisting apparatus. Its status as the site of a major exposition of the electrical industry in 1914 further promoted Cleveland’s claim to primacy.

The 1895 discovery of “x-rays” by the German scientist Wilhelm Roentgen touched off considerable activity in Cleveland. DAYTON C. MILLER , professor of physics at the Case School of Applied Science, improved the x-raying process for medical uses. Henry P. Engeln, in collaboration with Dr. George Iddings, was a pioneer in the x-ray industry, establishing the Engeln Electric Co. around the turn of the century. During its independent life, the Engeln Co. did highly innovative work in the development and marketing of x-ray equipment, and when it merged with Acme X-Ray Corp. of Chicago in 1929, it had 200 employees. The merged company was acquired by Westinghouse in 1930 who sold its plant at E. 30th St. and Superior to Picker X-Ray which became a leading firm in that field (see PICKER INTL., INC.).

Arc welding was an important industrial application of electrical technology in Cleveland, as was arc welding, largely due to John C. Lincoln, founder of the LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO., who had gained experience working in Charles F. Brush’s shops. Lincoln Electric, which began producing electric motors in 1896, pioneered in the development of arc-welding equipment, and by 1938 it claimed to be the largest manufacturer of that line in the world. Variable speed electric motors were designed by John Lincoln who incorporated the Lincoln Motor Works Co. in 1906 to produce them. In 1909 the firm changed its name to the Reliance Electric & Engineering Co. (see RELIANCE ELECTRIC CO.).

In addition to lighting, traction, and industrial applications, the electrical home-appliance field was richly represented in Cleveland by World War I. Heating-related appliances included coffee percolators, hotplates, frying pans, corn poppers, baby-bottle warmers, kitchen ranges, hair dryers, and radiant heaters. In addition, there was heavy production of vacuum cleaners, washing machines, fans, vibrators, and sewing machines. By 1919 Cleveland led the nation in the production of electric batteries and vacuum cleaners (7 different makes of vacuum cleaners were being produced in the city in 1931). In the mid-1920s, Cleveland ranked 3rd in the production of radios, after New York and Chicago. Theodore A. Willard, whose WILLARD STORAGE BATTERY CO. was Cleveland’s largest battery producer, founded the city’s first high-powered radio station, WTAM. By 1938, the Willard Co.’s 15-acre plant, built in 1914, was turning out 15,000 batteries per day.

In the 1920s, John A. Victoreen, an inventive Cleveland radio amateur, started a radio parts business. Soon, however, his attention turned to radiation measurement, and he developed the Condenser R-Meter, an instrument for measuring accurately the intensity and total dosage of x-ray delivery, which gained international fame. Radiation measurement remained a central concern of the Victoreen Instrument Co., founded in 1928 in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS The company provided 95% of the instrumentation for the atomic bomb tests after World War II, earning itself claim to the title of “first nuclear company.”

During World War II, Cleveland electrical firms reorganized their production around the needs of the military, which included the manufacture of miniature radio tubes at Nela Park for use in proximity fuses for antiaircraft artillery shells. Lighting and visibility research devoted to military problems also occupied the GE laboratories there. These wartime activities stimulated the formation of a new Electronics Department at GE in 1947. The postwar period was also one of rapid growth for the industry. In the Cleveland metropolitan area, electrical machinery manufacturing, for example, grew in value-added terms by 21% in the 1947-54 period. Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest industrial corporations for 1958 included 2 electrically related Cleveland area firms, Reliance Electric and the Addressograph-Multigraph Corp.

The demand for power was growing rapidly even before the onset of war pressed it more urgently. Between 1939-44, the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co.’s output increased by 30%. In 1944 76% of the power the company produced went to industry, with an estimated 90% of that being war industry. By 1946 CEI could count 370,000 customers, in contrast to the 1,400 it had had at the turn of the century. Its service covered 132 communities, with a total population of 1.5 million. Growth continued as relatively low power rates attracted new industries to the area, and in 1954 the company was serving 465,000 customers in 137 communities, from Avon Lake on the west to Conneaut in the east. CEI’s rates have on occasion become a political issue in Cleveland due to the presence of Cleveland’s municipally-owned light plant which caused disputes with CEI over comparative rates (see MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP).

Leading Cleveland companies active in the electronics field during the immediate postwar period were Victoreen Instrument Co., Hickok Electrical Instruments Co., and Brush Development Co. In 1946 Victoreen was the city’s major producer of electronic tubes, employed 75 people, and achieved a total output worth $4.5 million. The Hickok Co. manufactured precision radio and radar test equipment, and was active in exporting. Brush Development, founded in 1930 to market products developed by Brush Laboratories, began producing voice-recording equipment in 1938, and during the war was the main supplier of wire recording equipment to the armed forces. For industry, Brush made oscillographs and hypersonic analyzers, piezoelectric crystals, and other products. Cleveland Electronics, Inc., representative of other firms in the area engaged in the production of electronic goods, was turning out 50,000-60,000 radio loudspeakers per month and preparing to manufacture similar components for the new television industry by 1946. National Spectrographic Laboratories, Inc., another Cleveland firm, made electrical excitation units for spectrographic analysis. Phasing devices and tuning-fork frequency controls were produced by Acme Telectronix, while the Bird Electronic Corp. manufactured testing equipment, filters, and high-frequency antennas. The total value of the city’s electronic products for the year 1946 was more than $10 million.

Cleveland, while not industrially top-ranked among centers of the rapidly developing microelectronics field, had establishments that have made a considerable mark in it nonetheless. In research and development, the well-established solid-state microelectronics laboratory at CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY pursued studies in the area of integrated circuits, electronic materials, and new processing technologies as well as providing graduate engineers and computer specialists for the area’s electronic industry. The NASA LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER is heavily involved in applied microelectronics in connection with space communications. TRW is among larger Cleveland-area manufacturing firms having a considerable stake in the electronics field, playing an active part in the aerospace and defense industries by developing both spacecraft and the payloads for them, communications and guidance systems, and ground station equipment. BAILEY CONTROLS, with world headquarters in Wickliffe, utilizes electronic technology in its production of industrial-controls. The firm provides analog and digital circuit design, producing control systems of varying complexity. With a long history of supplying equipment for utilities, Bailey Controls has provided instrumentation for the nuclear power-generating industry since the latter’s inception.

Allen-Bradley, a Division of Rockwell Intl. in HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, is a long-established area firm producing programmable controllers and similar capital goods, incorporating electronics, for manufacturing industries. Keithley Instruments, Inc., based in SOLON, had its beginnings in a high-impedance amplifier, called the “Phantom Repeater,” invented by Joseph Keithley in 1946. This and other Keithley-developed instruments were manufactured for him by another firm for 5 years until 1951, when Keithley moved his operation to larger quarters and began manufacturing on his own. Sensitive measuring instruments remained the core of the company’s output, which came to include voltmeters, ammeters, digital multimeters, and complex testing systems incorporating both computer hardware and software. The company’s product-development path in itself traces some of the most important steps in the technological advance of electronics since the 1940s–vacuum tubes to discrete transistors to integrated circuits, and finally, to complex computer-linked systems that can handle the tasks of measurement and computation virtually simultaneously.

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Popped from their “holes” in the silicon atom, electrons flow through solar PV cells connected in series to produce useful electric voltage. This concept and a little more is the focus of this article. The United States is at the beginning of a huge, wide-spread, pervasive switch to solar energy as a primary energy source for our homes. The manufacturing costs are down, awareness and need is up, and new options to rent solar systems versus having to buy them all line up perfectly.

How do solar PV cells create an electric current?

The remainder of this article explains some of the details related to the internal workings of solar cells and how their arrangement, when placed into a solar array mounted on your roof can make a big difference in the energy output of your solar system.

The internal electric field of the silicon diode creates a flow of electric charges only when sunlight photons strike the silicon. As the photons hit electrons in silicon bonds, they create hole-electron pairs that are free to separate and wander around the silicon lattice or crystalline structure. Free electrons wandering near the p/n junction are pushed in one direction by the internal electric field.

This movement of electronics as a result of the photoelectric effect results in a steady flow of electric charges moving in a circuit within the silicon structure, i.e. an electric current. The flow is directly proportional to the intensity of light and the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells included in the solar PV panel. The greater the sunlight hitting the silicon atom the greater the number of electrons bumped free. Ultimately, this creates a greater number of electrons flowing in and out of the silicon and into the solar inverter.

This whole continuous movement of electrons illustrates why it is so important for all solar cells in a module or solar array to get the same intensity of sunlight. It is important for the solar panels to receive the sunlight from the same direction and not to be shaded by trees or buildings. The exact number of photons from the sun must must strike each solar cell in order to bump the corresponding number of electrons in the next solar cell. In essence, the photons from the sun hit the silicon and cause a chain reaction within the silicon.

The additional movement of free silicon electrons, in and out of the holes produced in the silicon atoms, creates the electric current and flow of energy. Think of a game of billiards; the pool player hits the white ball which in turn hits the green ball into the pocket. This occurs in a chain reaction fashion as you add more balls each hitting each other. The little twist here is the fact that the sun will continually hit the white ball (i.e. the sun photon hitting the silicon atom) as long as the sunlight hits the solar cell.

Solar PV Cells Connected in Series

Individual solar cells produce only a small amount of voltage. They are most commonly connected together in series, positive to negative poles within a solar array, to produce a useful electric voltage.

When photons of sunlight strike solar cells in a string, the internal electric field pushes the electrons out of the cells in a continuous flow through the string. The electrons moving through the silicon structure each gain about one half of a volt during the photoelectric process. The displaced electrons are collected in a grid pattern of wiring printed on the cells.

Module manufacturers connect enough solar cells in series in a single module to produce a useful voltage. The typical high voltage grid tied module has 72 cells in series. Electrons moving about the solar cells get about one half of a volt from each solar cells. After moving through 72 solar cells connected in series gain enough electric voltage to account for about 40 volts.

If more voltage is needed to produce useful electric current for home use, then solar modules can be connected in series. The most common solar energy unit configuration has a solar array connected in series with 8 other solar modules. This results in a final operational electric voltage of about 320 volts.

Solar Cells, Arrays, and Solar Modules Connected in Series

In the previous article, we explained a little about the Photoelectric Effect, where photons of light hit electrons in the silicon lattice and provide energy to flow. We also described how electrons flowing from one cell into the next cell in a module gain about 1/2 volt from each cell.

To Rent a Home Solar Energy System or Buy It

The Option to Rent a Home Solar Energy System is fast approaching as a viable option for home electricity needs. The American homeowner has the option to produce renewable energy from the sun by renting a complete solar energy system versus having to purchase one outright. This is an exciting solar rental service that allows the average homeowner to created their own solar generated electricity from the son and keep the energy savings they create.

Those who have a suitable location (i.e. good sun, enough roof space, and moderate energy needs), who follow the reservation steps, and who complete the requirements have a home solar system installed have good chance of getting a solar unit installed on their home on a rental basis.

“Every household needs electricity for it lights up your house and runs almost every pieces of appliance in your home. Television, refrigerators, ovens, iron, electric fans and many more are run by electricity, that’s why adequate knowledge and understanding on how electricity works is a must. As a homeowner, you have to make sure electrical installation is in good condition or else you will lose a large amount of money for your properties and your life will be at stake.

Electrical repair is the worst and the most dangerous repair in your home, that’s why you should hire a certified professional electrician in Putnam. Make sure that the Westchester electrician you’ve hired knows how to solve electrical problems and are equipped with well-functioning equipments to avoid accidents and fire. Always make sure your electrical repairs are done by a pros alone not by amateurs. Recalcitrance and non compliance often leads to further damage and accident. Numerous fires are caused by faulty home electrical wiring, faulty extension cords and defective electrical appliances.

Another thing, here are the tips to secure your home is safe from electrical problems.

Wiring

Home wiring should meet the standards of the national Electrical Code. Also, as early as possible detect all the poor wiring installation in your house to avoid further damage to properties. Don’t wait ‘til an appliance explode before you respond quickly. Check symptoms of poor wiring such as: fuses blow or circuit breakers trip often, extension cors frequently used, light dim and TV picture shrinks when refrigerator or other equipment is in use, and toaster and electric iron heat slowly.

Outlets

Outlets that have loose fitting plugs when overheat can cause fire. If you spot some faulty outlets, replace any broken and missing wall plates. Also, make sure that the outlets have safety covers and inaccessible to small children.

Cords

Cords shouldn’t be nailed or stapled to the wall or to any object for it can explode if improperly handled. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them.

Extension Cords

Extension cords should not be overloaded or it could lead to octopus wiring. Make sure extension cords have safety closures to avoid injuries.

Plugs

Make sure the plugs are properly fit in the outlets. Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong fit a two-conductor outlet; this could lead to an electrical shock. If the plug doesn’t fit in the outlet, do not force the plug for it can explode. Also, plug has corresponding number of voltage or watts so avoid overloading plugs with too many pieces of appliance. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) GFCIs can help prevent electrocution. They should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact. Test GFCIs following the manufacturer’s instructions monthly or after major electrical storms to make sure they are working properly.

Inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances.

As you add devices to your home, the power supply may become inadequate. If you have indicators like fuses or circuit breakers tripping, or lights dimming, it’s time to carefully look at your circumstances before equipment failure, fire, or other problems arise.

- 5 Causes of Inadequate Power in Your Home -

1.Limited service panel capacity

When the overall demand from total electrical devices is greater than what the panel is able to supply, the main service panel will likely fail, frequently. Excess demand indicates that the panel rating is less than needed or the panel might be limiting capacity because it has no space left for more fuses or circuit breakers.

In either case it’s time to make a circuit map to calculate demand and compare it with the capacity of the main panel to supply. If you find the power demand is less than the capacity and there is no room for more breakers, then a sub-panel might be the answer. Conversely, if the overall demand is greater than the main panel ability to supply, then you will need a licensed electrician to install a new main panel.

2. Overloaded circuits

Another use for the circuit map is to determine if demand on the circuits are greater than the amperage rating of the circuit controlling it. It is important to note peak demands of appliances that may draw more power on starting and create a power surge that trips the breaker.

A power surge that doesn’t trip the breaker is indicated by lights dimming when an appliance turns on. Appliances that produce surges should have their own separate circuit designed to tolerate the surge.

To prevent the risk of fire do not exceed the safe amperage of the circuit. Blown fuses or tripped breakers indicate an overloaded circuit. Do not replace breakers with ones of higher amperage just because they fail. Instead run a new circuit from the main panel that is within the supply capacity.

3. Insufficient number of outlets

A general recommendation is to have at least one outlet for every 12 feet of wall, ground fault interrupted outlets in bathrooms and exterior walls, one outlet for each counter top in the kitchen, or as required by local codes.

The most obvious indicator that more outlets are needed is when you start to use multi-outlet extension cords on a regular or permanent basis. Most low cost extension cords are not designed to carry heavy amperage demanded of permanent wiring. Excess loads may cause overheating and fire.

Computer workstations can require outlets for more than two devices from a single dual receptacle wall circuit. Older CRT monitors and laser printers can cause surges when they are turned on. The best solution is to supply the required outlets on separate circuit(s) designed to exceed the demand. The next best option is to use a fused and surge protected uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to protect your equipment. UPS are now available for less than $100 and can protect your computer investment from power problems better than anything else. The less expensive power bars and extension cords run risks of equipment damage or fires if the circuit is overloaded.

4. Inadequate feeder lines

Older houses may have original two-wire feed lines from the power company’s nearest utility pole. One of the wires is hot, delivering 110-115 volts and the other is neutral. Obviously these lines will not power 240 volt appliances nor is the amperage likely able to power more than a few newer appliances at a time.

The electric company should replace the two wire system with a three wire system at their own expense. Since you will have to pay an electrician to install a new service panel, use your circuit map and any expansion plans to determine future demand, then size the new panel capacity accordingly.

5. Overtaxed transformer

In older high-density neighborhoods electricity demands over time have increased. In some cases the transformer serving the area may not have been increased to meet the growth in demand. Although the power companies are required to scale up supply according to demand, it is wise to check into the matter before paying to connect a larger service.

Tips

Demand Side Management (DSM) refers to actions taken on the customer’s side of the meter to change the amount or timing of energy consumption. Utility DSM programs offer a variety of measures that can reduce energy consumption and consumer energy expenses. Electricity DSM strategies have the goal of maximizing end-use efficiency to avoid or postpone the construction of new generating plants.

A scary fact is that Nassau County electricians often come across panels or wiring that is overloaded or not the proper equipment/wiring for the job.  This inadequate electrical capacity is mainly due to increasing the number of devices that Nassau County electricians day consume electricity in your home like new heating and cooling equipment, frost free refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, dishwashers, and other powerful electric motor driven tools and appliances.

As you add devices to your home, the power supply may become inadequate. If you have indicators like fuses or circuit breakers tripping, or lights dimming, it’s time to carefully look at your circumstances before equipment failure, fire, or other problems arise.

- Five Possible Causes of Inadequate Power in Your Home To Watch

1.Limited service panel capacity

When the overall demand from total electrical devices is greater than what the panel is able to supply, the main service panel will likely fail, frequently. Excess demand indicates that the panel rating is less than needed or the panel might be limiting capacity because it has no space left for more fuses or circuit breakers.

In either case it’s time to make a circuit map to calculate demand and compare it with the capacity of the main panel to supply. If you find the power demand is less than the capacity and there is no room for more breakers, then a sub-panel might be the answer. Conversely, if the overall demand is greater than the main panel ability to supply, then you will need a licensed electrician to install a new main panel.

2. Overloaded circuits

Another use for the circuit map is to determine if demand on the circuits are greater than the amperage rating of the circuit controlling it. It is important to note peak demands of appliances that may draw more power on starting and create a power surge that trips the breaker.

A power surge that doesn’t trip the breaker is indicated by lights dimming when an appliance turns on. Appliances that produce surges should have their own separate circuit designed to tolerate the surge.

To prevent the risk of fire do not exceed the safe amperage of the circuit. Blown fuses or tripped breakers indicate an overloaded circuit. Do not replace breakers with ones of higher amperage just because they fail. Instead run a new circuit from the main panel that is within the supply capacity.

3. Insufficient number of outlets

A general recommendation is to have at least one outlet for every 12 feet of wall, ground fault interrupted outlets in bathrooms and exterior walls, one outlet for each counter top in the kitchen, or as required by local codes.

The most obvious indicator that more outlets are needed is when you start to use multi-outlet extension cords on a regular or permanent basis. Most low cost extension cords are not designed to carry heavy amperage demanded of permanent wiring. Excess loads may cause overheating and fire.

Computer workstations can require outlets for more than two devices from a single dual receptacle wall circuit. Older CRT monitors and laser printers can cause surges when they are turned on. The best solution is to supply the required outlets on separate circuit(s) designed to exceed the demand. The next best option is to use a fused and surge protected uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to protect your equipment. UPS are now available for less than $100 and can protect your computer investment from power problems better than anything else. The less expensive power bars and extension cords run risks of equipment damage or fires if the circuit is overloaded.

4. Inadequate feeder lines

Older houses may have original two-wire feed lines from the power company’s nearest utility pole. One of the wires is hot, delivering 110-115 volts and the other is neutral. Obviously these lines will not power 240 volt appliances nor is the amperage likely able to power more than a few newer appliances at a time.

The electric company should replace the two wire system with a three wire system at their own expense. Since you will have to pay an electrician to install a new service panel, use your circuit map and any expansion plans to determine future demand, then size the new panel capacity accordingly.

5. Overtaxed transformer

In older high-density neighborhoods electricity demands over time have increased. In some cases the transformer serving the area may not have been increased to meet the growth in demand. Although the power companies are required to scale up supply according to demand, it is wise to check into the matter before paying to connect a larger service.

More Nassau County electricians homeowner tips

Demand Side Management (DSM) refers to actions taken on the customer’s side of the meter to change the amount or timing of energy consumption. Utility DSM programs offer a variety of measures that can reduce energy consumption and consumer energy expenses. Electricity DSM strategies have the goal of maximizing end-use efficiency to avoid or postpone the construction of new generating plants.

As always contact your local licensed electrician for any repairs or advice before any project or work on your electrical system.