2009 Focus on Energy Program Participation

Although 2009 was a rather challenging year in the construction industry, there was a bright spot that we at Current Electric can be thankful for. As a promoter and participator of the Focus on Energy incentive plan, we installed and provided energy efficient products for 45 projects in and around the Milwaukee area.  In a letter we received from Focus on Energy, we were informed that those 45 projects received a combined total of $144,186.00 of financial incentives that went directly to our customers.  In addition to the incentives, the energy savings associated with these projects reduced annual usage by 1,604,322 kilowatt hours - further reducing our customer’s energy bills by $128,346.00 at $.08 per kwh. 

According to Focus on Energy, the measurable energy savings is equivalent to preventing 802.16 tons of coal from being burned, or removing 259.10 cars from the road.  In 2010, Current Electric will continue to be a leader in the education and promotion of energy efficient products, and provide the support to our customers that they need to  improve their bottom line and help reduce their carbon footprint.

Tamper Resistant Outlets: Protection for your Little Ones

We always marvel at the endless curiosity of children – but sometimes that curiosity gets them in trouble when it comes to electrical outlets in your home.  Studies have shown that approximately 7 children per day suffer from injuries related to electrical receptacles.  That is why the 2008 NEC has changed their code requirements to include tamper resistant outlets in all new construction dwelling units.  As of January 1st, 2010 in the State of Wisconsin all newly installed outlets must be rated tamper resistant – and all major manufacturers have redesigned their products to meet this code.  The new outlets block objects such as paperclips or keys from being inserted into a plug by internal shutters, keeping your children safe from electrical shocks and burns.  This method of protection is far safer than the plastic caps which were easily removed and were not much of a deterrent for little fingers. 

It’s impossible to keep your eyes on your child every second – tamperproof outlets could give your home one additional method of keeping your child from harm.

2009 End of the Year Party

Check out some of our pictures of our recent annual end-of-the year party.  Our employees enjoyed themselves at the Bavarian Inn with dinner and drinks followed by a night of Vegas-Style gambling for prizes at the end of the night.  It was a fun-filled evening where everyone got a chance to relax and socialize.  The Bavarian Inn provided us with great service and delicious food while the entertainment was provided by Tasse.  More photos are available to view on flickr – just click on the link that reads “More Photos” to the right of our blog!

ABC Skill Competition – State Champion, On to Nationals!

We are excited to announce that Brandon Barlament, one of our talented 5th year apprentices, is the 2009 State Champion in the ABC of Wisconsin Skill Competition for the Electrical Division!!  He is our second apprentice to compete in the ABC National Craft Championship.  This year the Championship will be held in San Diego from February 3rd through 5th, 2010 where he will compete against the other top apprentices from each state. 

 The ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors) State Competition consists of a written exam and a hands-on project, which allows apprentices to demonstrate their skills and knowledge they have acquired through the Apprenticeship Program.  Only the 1st place recipient in each of the five trades (carpentry, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and sheet metal) proceeds to the national level, so having Brandon as a part of our team is a great asset and attests to the success of Current Electric’s apprenticeship program participation.  We are so proud of Brandon’s accomplishments, and wish him the best in the upcoming national competition!

UPDATE:  2/23/2010

Although Brandon didn’t come home with a top 3 spot, the results of his performance did land him in the top third of the competition in all three areas – Written Exam, Practical Performance Test, and the Composite Score.  We are especially proud of his performance, considering he was competing against the best on a National Level.  Great Job, Brandon!

Current Electric’s Superheroes at Work

This past week, members of our team volunteered to provide their time and effort to help out a local family in need. The sister of one of our customers, Michelle Riehle, generously welcomes children into her home that need a refuge and a break from their troubled home lives. She was in dire need of an electric service upgrade, and our electricians came to her aid and donated their labor to make that upgrade happen. It was time well spent, and she now has a safe, code compliant electric service for her home. It was our way of saying “Thank You” to someone who devotes so much of herself to her local community. If anyone would like to contribute a donation of childrens clothing or other items such as gift cards to Michelle, please contact our office and we can make sure that she receives them.

The Breakwater Condominiums

The Breakwater at 1313 N. Franklin Place, Milwaukee

After 2 years of construction, and countless hours of hard work, we are putting the finishing touches on the few remaining units of the Breakwater Condominium Project, Current Electric’s largest project to date.  

We are still performing custom upgrades for the condo owners, and will be on site periodically to handle additional requests.  One of the highlights was our design and installation of home theater upgrades in several of the units.  We listened to our customers and provided a customized theater system based on what they really wanted, not what the “big box” stores wanted to sell them.  And since we were involved at the beginning of the project, we were able to seamlessly integrate all the “behind the scenes” wiring so the look of the system matched the clean, modern feel of the units. 

We would like to thank our team of electricians and project management for their dedication to making this a successful project. The 101-unit high rise tower, developed by Renner Architects, is a great addition to the downtown/east side Milwaukee skyline, and we are proud to be a part of a talented design and construction team.

Construction Update

Our construction department is currently working on two exterior sites – a new Oak Creek restaurant and an adolescent center in Mukwonago.  The Oak Creek site will be converted from a tavern to an Italian pizza restaurant, and Current Electric has been contracted to furnish and install the site lighting.  We hope to be awarded the contract to perform the restaurant buildout when the owner decides to move forward with the project.  Norris Adolescent Center in Mukwonago has contracted with our company on a project to install a fiber optic backbone between their campus buildings.  The fiber optic installation will greatly improve the center’s networking abilities, and our team is proud to be working on this project.

With the holidays quickly approaching, our service department is busy performing seasonal work for our residential customers.  Many of our customers have been calling us to install landscape lighting or additional exterior outlets to dazzle their relatives and neighbors with their holiday lighting displays.  We have also had a surge in service calls for installing automatic standby generators so our customers have that extra reassurance that they will be protected if there is a power outage in their area.

Is your home ready for the winter season?

Heat Tape can help solve this problem! Don't let your roof get damaged by those nasty ice dams.

As we are all well aware, the winter season is quickly approaching and cold weather and snowstorms will soon be upon us.  Did you know that those icicles that form along your gutters can be very damaging to your roof and could cause major problems down the road?  Now is the time of year to think about installing electric heat tape in your gutters as a possible solution to your ice dams.  It is recommended that you do not attempt to install these products yourself as there are many factors that need to be considered before the project is started.  A licensed electrician trained in heat tape installations should be called to assess your situation, design your system, and install it the correct way.  Our service technicians are busy installing these systems for our customers this early fall season, so what are you waiting for?  If you are located in Southeastern Wisconsin, please visit our website  and call us for more information.

Pfeiffer Farm Up & Running!

Recently our team at Current Electric designed and installed a photovoltaic system mounted on a dual axis solar tracker for one of our customers.  Today we are excited to announce that the system has been fully inspected and approved, and our customer is thrilled to start producing clean, renewable energy to power part of his electrical system for his home.  The sixteen panels, at 180 watts each, are expected to produce around 4,800 kilowatt-hours per year, and can track the sun along its axis which provides the maximum efficiency possible.  We also assisted the customer with all of his applications for the renewable energy cash-back reward program offered by Focus on Energy, which could be directly applied to the cost of the system.

 As this was the 2nd photovoltaic system we have successfully designed and installed, we are now considered a Focus on Energy approved installer, and can become NABCEP certified.  What this means is we can tell our customers that we have been nationally recognized to design and install PV systems, and they can be confident that Current Electric will give them the professional results that they expect.  For more information, please visit our web site, www.currentelectricco.com.

Meet Our Superhero!

Once in a while, a superhero swoops in to save the day, and our customers know who to call when they need one. As a company, we believe the Superhero represents our superior customer service, whether you have an electrical emergency, or you just want to remodel your home or office and you need us to design and install your lighting or electrical system. 

We believe that each of our electricians and office staff are superheroes in their own right, providing our customers with efficient and quality solutions for all their electrical needs.  If you have a need for an electrician, we answer the call! 

Please visit our web site – www.currentelectricco.com – for more information on the services we offer.