Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

I'm working on upgrading the electrical outlets around the outside of our house. In addition to adding more receptacles around the perimeter, I'm finally getting around to "electrifying" the shed and lean-to in the backyard.

Solar-powered exterior lighting has certainly gotten more popular over the last decade or so, given how inexpensive the fixtures are and how easy it is to install. But there remains a strong market for the hardwired variety in shady areas, where more powerful light is required and when you want to be sure the light works when you need it, even after a cloudy day.

Occupancy sensors are quickly becoming a regulatory requirement in many commercial spaces, thanks to evolving energy codes seeking to wring out kilowatt-hours of energy savings anywhere it’s possible.

During the Industrial Revolution, which started in the 18th century, the origins of automation emerged, leading to significant technological change. This era introduced the use of mechanized equipment, such as the steam engine and the spinning jenny, revolutionizing the manufacturing process by reducing the reliance on manual labor. These advancements laid the foundation for what we now know as automation.

They look a lot like a whiffle ball – and sound like one, too – but that thwok, thwok, thwok sound now resounding through cities and suburbs, alike, is probably coming from a pickleball ball, the centerpiece of a sport soon to be coming to a court near you (in the unlikely case that it hasn’t already), and possibly even to an Olympic arena, if proponents have their way.

Recently, my wife and I had the “pleasure” of visiting a relatively new hospital complex. For almost a year, I watched the 5-story edifice being built as I traveled up and down Highway 49 in Northwest Arkansas.