Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

Next time you’re helping a customer design a new lighting layout (or upgrading an existing one) don’t forget the blinds.

That’s right. Window blinds.

Lighting automation has bells and whistles, but a lighting contactor is necessary to switch the actual lighting circuits. Properly selecting lighting contactors can save installation and maintenance costs. What are some of the important considerations in addition to the correct voltage and current?

Installing and maintaining lighting in commercial and industrial settings was my job for the better part of 36 years. While I worked solo for much of that time, I often worked with other team members. And sometimes, my “joy and delight” was following up on installations and repairs done by others.

My home is taking on the aura of an art museum gallery. Canvases are popping up on the walls everywhere throughout the house.

Not that it’s a bad thing. There are some real benefits, like hiding holes in the walls, and not having major areas to paint.

When working as an electrician in a processing plant, I was often called in to work on renovations, new area construction, and emergency repair scenarios. Often there wasn’t permanent power available, so temporary power using extension cords was necessary to power up tools and equipment for the job.

Earlier this year at the Light + Building 2018 trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, Philips Lighting announced a string of new initiatives aimed at the transition to more LED lamps as well as the inclusion of LEDs into the “Internet of Things” (IoT) in homes and buildings worldwide.

First the company announced IoT platform called Interact, designed to handle data collected from connected light points, sensors, devices and systems.