Electrical Industry Articles and Stories

Submetering used to only be an issue for landlords of multitenant buildings, but new energy standards are adding new submetering requirements for a range of commercial facilities, even those that are fully owner occupied. Electrical contractors involved in specifying panelboards should be familiar with these new provisions, as it could impact the products they order for projects in jurisdictions incorporating these standards into to their building codes.

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?

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.

Some facilities are changing their requirements for motor and appliance installations. This could be due to OSHA Lock-out and Tag-out requirements or NFPA 70E. The change is toward using pin and sleeve devices instead of having a hard-wired installation.

Safety requirements often have the maintenance person checking for the absence of voltage before touching. The rules are quite specific and are enforced by OSHA.

Switchboards are critical to the dependability of any electrical power installation because they represent that pivotal point at which incoming power supply is divided into separate circuits, controlled and protected by fuses and switchgear, metered, and then divided into a number of functional units for its given applications. In general, switchboards distribute power to transformers, panelboards, control equipment, and to system loads.

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.