Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

The other night — somewhere between midnight and 1 AM — I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Figured I might as well burn a little midnight oil and make productive use of my insomnia.

Our hallways are lit with tiny LEDs embedded in the power outlets to cut down on stubbed toes. In the kitchen, soft lighting over the stove and sink allow even sleep-encrusted eyes to find the ON switch to my coffee pot.

Numerous electric utilities across the country have had to weather significant ice storms over the past several winters that have taken down overhead transmission and distribution lines.

Southwire has developed a new high-quality and high-strength overhead conductor designed to help power lines withstand extreme ice loads.

Atkore International’s AFC Cable uses color coding to save contractors and building owners time, money and maintenance costs when wiring new or retrofit locations.

The company’s Type MC cables including MC TUFF, MC Lite and other MC cables in a variety of specialty configurations do this using AFC’s ColorSpec ID System.

In new construction, sustainable building practices are becoming the norm. But even in existing buildings, simple strategies can be implemented quickly and easily to address inefficiencies, reduce energy use, improve comfort, and enhance productivity in the space.

Bonding and grounding are simple concepts, but, unfortunately, they’re also easily confused with each other. Definitions of one term often get wrapped up in the definitions of the other, and, before long, one can begin thinking the words are interchangeable.

“Grounding” refers to the creation of a path from electrical equipment to the earth. It is intended to protect equipment and help prevent fires that might occur due to high voltages resulting from lightning strikes, line surges or unintended contact with higher-voltage lines.

The dependence on quality, reliable data is now more business-critical than ever. Businesses rely on data centers for 24/7 connectivity; to uphold federal codes and regulations; and to ensure resiliency, performance, and more—all so the business can stick to meeting the demands of their own customers. Data centers should also be highly adaptable.