May 1, 2006
Cover Story
Guiding the Light
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Eric Richman and Pam Cole, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Energy codes many designers and builders view them as a necessary evil or just another set of requirements that must be dealt with in order to obtain...
Features
Why Do Daylight Harvesting Projects Succeed or Fail?
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Craig DiLouie, Lighting Controls Association
In recent years, the sustainable design movement has returned daylighting to the fore of mainstream construction. In its simplest definition, daylighting...
Powerline Play
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Beck Finley, Staff Writer
Home automation began with lighting control. Basic on/off and dimming functions, as well as extensive pre-set lighting scenes activated by a single touch...
Shortcuts on the Fast Track
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Beck Finley, Staff Writer
Long Island City, N.Y.-based E-J Electric Installation Co. recently completed work on a 500MW natural gas power plant in Queens. The electrical contracting...
National Electrical Code
Power to the Pump
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Mike Holt, NEC Consultant
One of the principal NEC requirements for circuit protection is that you shut down the equipment rather than let supply conductors melt from overload....
NEC and IECC: Friends or Foes in the Lighting Arena?
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Steven Owen, National Code Seminars
Is there a positive relationship between the National Electrical Code (NEC) and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in the area of lighting,...
Illustrated Catastrophes
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Joe Tedesco, NEC Columnist
As usual, never consider the following commentary associated with these photos as a formal interpretation of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Without...
What's Wrong Here?
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Joe Tedesco, NEC Columnist
Hint: Look at all those pretty colors — especially those orange circles....
Stumped by the Code?
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Mike Holt, NEC Consultant
All questions and answers are based on the 2005 NEC. Q. I have six 18-foot metal poles to install in a parking area. Is a ground rod required at each...
Industry Viewpoint
Show Me the Light
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Michael Eby, Editor-in-Chief
When we first started to pull this month's issue together I felt like I had a pretty good idea about the hot topics in the world of lighting. But after...
Correction
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Due to an error on the part of the EC&M editorial team, last month's cover story about the Top 40 electrical design firms misstated the 2005 total design...
Forensic Casebook
Don't Discount the Danger of 120V
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Michael S. Morse, Ph.D., University of San Diego
Many a seasoned electrical worker will tell you that 120V is low voltage and pretty much harmless. More than one electrician has told me with almost some...
Products
Remote Transforms Traditional Exit Sign Testing
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Jaclyn Alcantara, Associate Editor
Responsible for preventive maintenance for East Carolina University's 115 buildings in Greenville, N.C., PM engineer Anthony Patrick says his employees...
Product News
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Fixed capacitor assemblies The StacoVAR ML line of fixed capacitor assemblies is designed to provide power factor improvement for applications from 2...
Product News
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
AC drive The Square D S-Flex enclosed AC drive is designed for new and retrofit HVAC applications and features the Telemecanique Altivar 31 drive. The...
Product News
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Linear task lighting The Little Inch Xtra is under-cabinet linear task lighting available in high-power LED, T5 linear fluorescent, halogen, or xenon...
Power Quality
Identifying and Mitigating Harmonics in AC Drive Applications
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Rick Hoadley, Rockwell Automation
Common to any production operation is movement, usually driven by electric motors. Better control of this movement contributes to improved operational...
Applying Pole-Mounted Overvoltage Protection
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By John DeDad, Editorial Director
A modern distribution system that feeds a facility having a significant environment of susceptible electronic equipment requires protection against lightning-induced...
Market Watch
States Lax on Industrial Equipment Standards
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Keeping corporations happy while ensuring necessary safety standards can be tricky for state governments, especially when major companies are threatening...
Retail Update
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Jaclyn Alcantara, Associate Editor
In the past year alone, the value of retail construction starts grew by nearly 25%, according to Jim Haughey, director of research and analytics for Norcross,...
See SPOT Run
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
The latest weapon unleashed to battle California's growing energy demand comes in the form of free software. The State of California Energy Commission's...
Uncovering Hidden Downtime Costs
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Does your plant underestimate revenue lost due to downtime? Many plants do, according to Dave Crumrine, president of the Construction Services division...
Lighten Up
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Looking for the latest info on residential lighting? Try the American Lighting Association's recently updated Residential Lighting Training Manual. Now...
Short Circuits
Everyone makes mistakes. Some are just funnier than others
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Bombs Away! I was helping another electrician install 4-inch PVC conduit from a basement to a second floor panel box. After the panel box was mounted...
Construction Watch
ABC Names Nation's Top Projects
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
At its 2006 National Convention in Las Vegas held in March, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Arlington, Va., recognized the nation's top 2005...
New Cabling Association Takes Shape
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
There's a brand new non-profit on the block, but the model for this organization is anything but. Officially launched recently to promote the application...
Lighting and Control
Emerging Trends in Building Lighting Control Systems
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Craig DiLouie, Lighting Controls Association
Now required by most energy codes, automatic shutoff of building lighting has proven to be a reliable source of energy savings. For example, the ASHRAE/IES...
Focus on Lighting Design Software
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
Single Line Drawing Generator This online drawing tool is an application-based Internet approach to generating specifications. The Single Line Drawing...
Focus on Lighting
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
LED bulbs High-powered drop-in replacement MR16 TrackLEDs are designed to withstand voltage variations higher than the lamp's capacity caused by noisy...
Voice/Data/Video Today
Coaxial Cabling 101
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By John Pryma, P.E., RCDD, Honeywell Cable Products
In an effort to support cable television and surveillance video systems, not to mention enable high-speed Internet access, electrical contractors are...
