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It is pretty much a standard for Android phones (or at least will be in the next couple of years.) But Apple is in no hurry to make the switch for one very important reason: they're making a killing selling lightning cables.And now it's time for a little history lesson. In what we now refer to as the dark times, every single phone manufacturer had their own type of charger with their own type of plug. Some even had unique chargers for each model. And it truly, truly sucked. You needed to carry a bulky wall wart with a fully integrated cable (that was never long enough) with you wherever you went, because the only alternative was hoping that someone else nearby might happen to have the same model phone you did and be able to lend you a charger.It was a great time for cell phone manufacturers and the makers of cell phone accessories though. If anyone wanted a second charger, a data cable, or something they could plug into their car's 12v socket, they had no choice but to go to the manufacturer or one of their authorized licensees and buy the exact model of charger for a horrendous markup. And if it turned out that they no longer made that charger, well, it was obviously time to buy a new phone!This continued until the mid-oughts, when the EU got involved. At the time electricity was being widely deployed across Europe, most of the countries within it were more focused on trying to blow up or absorb one another than they were coming together and agreeing on a single standard for what a wall outlet should look like. This made Europeans taking advantage of ease of traveling between different EU member states particularly lucrative to the cell phone charger industry, and the EU was none to happy about it. As such the EU standards commission came together with a singular goal: designate a single design for cables to transfer power and data for all mobile devices to be sold in Europe to reduce electronic waste and consumer frustration in a single blow.The cell phone companies were understandably upset by this, and fought it tooth and nail for a while before finally realizing that the only people who seemed to have their backs were the ones fashioning garottes out of old Nokia chargers. So in a last ditch effort to avoid having the decision taken out of their hands, in 2009 cell phone manufacturers agreed to enter into a voluntary agreement to all use microUSB as a standard interface for data and power for everything sold in Europe. And since it's not particularly cost effective to design and build a European only cell phone model, that basically meant it was a worldwide standard. The overpriced charger market began to shrivel up, and there was peace across the land.…For about 3 years.You see, while most manufacturers took their commitment to mean that they would just start building microUSB ports into their designs, Apple took a different route. They started producing microUSB to 30-pin adapters, arguing that it was necessary to maintain compatibility with a wide array of accessories such as speaker docks and the like that were already widespread. The assumption was that once the 30 pin connector was retired, they'd switch to microUSB like everyone else. But they didn't. Instead they introduced another proprietary cable we now know as Lightning - basically an early implementation of ideas that were being floated for what the next generation of USB might look like (which later gave rise to the USB-C standard we know today.)This raised a few eyebrows at the time. There were some rumblings about possibly getting the standards commission involved again, but since the lightning cable could still be joined to a USB-A plug for power it was ultimately decided that it was close enough to a standard to pass. It also helped that Apple suggested that other devices could perhaps incorporate the design as a new charging/data standard going forward, possibly in concert with the new thunderbolt port. But much like Thunderbolt 1, no one was really interested in paying the licensing fees needed to use it in a non-Apple product. So, after that brief disturbance, peace reigned once more.…For five years, this time. During the intervening time, another new charging port had rolled out: USB-C. And while many had hoped that this would be adopted as a universal charging standard by everyone (Apple included) Apple didn't seem that interested, despite it being a superior design capable of faster charging and higher data transfer rates. Near the end of 2017, the EU loudly cleared its throat to remind everyone that they were supposed to be creating a single standard, and that somehow they'd gotten three. They were apparently getting a little tired of this whole voluntary non-binding agreement idea, and starting to wonder if perhaps banning the sale of non-compliant hardware might have been the right idea after all.Coincidentally, Apple announced shortly after that they were going to start retiring the lightning connector on their iPads in favor of USB-C, and it's believed that iPhones may follow next year. So it's possible that this may end up being the one standard to rule them all.

Solar panels will be a required feature on new houses in California, after the state's Building Standards Commission gave final approval to a housing rule that's the first of its kind in the United States. Set to take effect in 2020, the new standard includes an exemption for houses that are often shaded from the sun. Installing Solar panels is a wise choice. It will help you to reduce your monthly electricity bill. But I won't advise you to completely cut-off power from grid. If you completely cut-off from grid, then you will be needing batteries for storage. Go to my Profile and you can find all about Solar Panel material there...

GREEN BUILDING DESIGNMaximum Energy Professionals “MEP” assists our customers with adoption of California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) in their design approach. We offer specialized energy conservation consulting services, from feasibility studies through design and preparation of construction documents and construction phase services to assist our customers in all phases of green building design. As part of Title XXIV (24) and CALGreen, commissioning is now required in the state of California for all new non-residential projects over 10,000 square feet. Maximum Energy Professionals offers commissioning service that helps customers comply with these regulations.Green BuildingGreen building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.[1] The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen)The California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) is Part 11 of twelve parts of the official compilation and publication of the adoption, amendment and repeal of building regulations to the California Code of Regulations, Title XXIV (24), also referred to as the California Building Standards Code. The purpose of this code is to improve public health, safety and general welfare by enhancing the design and construction of buildings through the use of building concepts with a reduced negative impact or an increased positive environmental impact and encouraging sustainable construction practices in the following categories:1. Planning and design2. Energy efficiency3. Water efficiency and conservation4. Material conservation and resource efficiency5. Environmental qualityTitle XXIV (24) ComplianceThe California Energy Code, part 6 of the California Building Standards Code which is Title XXIV (24) of the California Code of Regulations, also titled The Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings, was created by the California Building Standards Commission in 1978 in response to a legislative mandate to reduce California's energy consumption. The standards are updated periodically by the California Energy Commission to allow consideration and possible incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies and methods.