Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

When dimming technology first came to the mass market in the early 1960s, ambience-setting was a major motivator. With a simple turn of a dial, a brightly lit restaurant or home dining room could take on the appearance of a candlelit retreat. Then in the 1970s and 1980s, energy savings became a big sales driver, as lower light levels helped to drive down rising utility costs.

There’s no question the U.S. solar industry is growing by leaps and bounds. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the nation’s solar capacity was 2 gigawatts (GW) in 2012 – by the end of 2019, capacity topped 71 GW. Utility-scale solar arrays are a major market driver, with a record number of projects now under contract and waiting to be built.

At home, most hazardous or harsh conditions we face would be weather related. Rain and snow and sleet might be the worst, although temperature can be a factor as well.

However, in the industrial environment, hazards go way beyond that.

Recently, I was in a processing plant where they were upgrading the alarm system. This was a major overhaul that included more than just a fire alarm array. In fact, they were installing systems for fire, weather, and chemical emergencies.

Letting employees and other people know about impending danger is vitally important in today's work environment. You need to give them adequate warning to get to a safe place of refuge.

Photocontrols have long been a feature on exterior street and area lighting. These devices help ensure that outdoor fixtures only operate when they’re needed. And, unlike time clocks or other centralized control systems, photocontrols allow each fixture to respond to its unique surrounding environment, including the presence of shade or existing illumination from an adjacent building or event.

Have you ever caught yourself wondering why someone hasn’t invented a GPS that works indoors? Maybe it’s been during a rush through an airport or while wandering a hospital’s hallways trying to find a loved one’s room – or, maybe, just last week, trying to find where the mayonnaise was moved to in your local supermarket’s latest reorganization. We’ve got smartphone apps that can tell us the fastest way to drive across the country, so why isn’t there an app for navigating big box stores and conference centers?