The Outlet: October 13, 2026
Hi there,
New tools from NECA, a growing solar market, and practical ways to learn from other contractors fill this week’s short list.
🔦 Fun Fact
Bright LEDs helped earn a Nobel Prize, but making an LED smaller brings a new challenge. NIST researchers describe efficiency droop: beyond a certain point, feeding an LED more electricity can make it less efficient instead of simply brighter.
😆 Laugh of the Day
Why did the electrician bring a ladder to the study group?
To take the learning to another level.
🧰 NECA Names 25 Showstopper Tool and Product Winners
NECA’s 2026 Showstopper Awards selected 25 winners from nearly 200 entries at the Las Vegas show. The list includes a transportable label printer, a hydraulic conduit bender, and a cordless wire-puller kit. Use it as a starting point for a supplier demo, then check whether a tool solves a problem your crew actually has.
☀️ Solar Growth Keeps Electrical Skills in Demand
Electrical Contractor reports that the U.S. added 11.4 gigawatts DC of solar capacity in the second quarter of 2026, citing SEIA and Wood Mackenzie. Solar and storage together accounted for 70% of new grid capacity in the first half of the year. For electricians considering this work, that scale makes solar and storage training worth a look, without assuming every local market has the same pipeline.
🤝 NECA’s Innovation Zone Puts People Beside the Technology
This year’s NECA Innovation Zone paired podcasts and a new Creator Circuit with an Ask an Expert area for contractors’ practical questions. Its Exhibitor Market Map remains online year-round, helping people find vendors after the show ends. The useful idea is simple: before buying another system, find someone who has already worked through the problem you’re trying to solve.
One useful tool or one good conversation can change how the next job goes.
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