April 1, 2008

Cover Story

STANDARDS DEVIANT

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer

All lighting products sold in the United States are subject to industry standards governing safety and performance. Because testing and rating systems...

Other Features

Switching Sides

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By David Moye, Moye Electric Co.

Just as an NFL cornerback would face tribulation from teammates for playing wide receiver, an engineer turned contractor knows he must run the gauntlet...

Beyond Web Sites

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Beck Ireland, Staff Writer

For more than four years, Phoenix-based Watt Masters, formerly Buehler Brothers Electric, a third-generation, family-owned electrical service business...

Business Opportunities in the Commercial Lighting Arena

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Marc Hoffman and Ed Winsniewski, Consortium for Energy Efficiency

There's no doubt the growing demand for energy efficiency is and will continue to be a source of new business for electrical contractors. Efficiency makes...

The New Generation of Fiber-Optic Cables

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Trevor Smith, ADC, and Larry Johnson, The Light Brigade

Fiber that bends around pencils and sharp corners without a significant increase in attenuation has captured the collective imaginations of fiber pundits...

National Electrical Code

Article 424: Fixed Electric Space Heating

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mike Holt, NEC Consultant

Considering the fact that it has nine parts, at first glance, Art. 424 might seem like overkill for a device as simple as a heater. Walk into any hardware...

Illustrated Catastrophes

Apr 1, 2008 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?

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Joe Tedesco, NEC Columnist

How well do you know the Code? Think you can spot violations the original installer either ignored or couldn't identify? Here's your chance to moonlight...

Stumped by the Code?

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Mike Holt, NEC Consultant

All questions and answers are based on the 2008 NEC. Q. What size THHN conductor is required for a 320A 3-phase feeder load for commercial office buildings?...

Industry Viewpoint

The Fight is On

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Michael Eby, Editor-in-Chief

There's no doubt solid-state lighting (SSL) technology has progressed rapidly in recent years. Most every small research group and high-tech firm focused...

Market Watch

Asbestos: Don't Let Your Past Come Back to Haunt You

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Asbestos is the generic name given to a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals with high tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat,...

SHOCKING STAT OF THE MONTH

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Number of homes one lightning bolt has enough electricity to service200,000 Source: Forte Electric...

Picture This

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

What it's not: Bean sprouts What it is: Zinc whiskers. These small particles of zinc are typically less than a few millimeters long and a few thousandths...

DOE Expands CFL Program

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington, D.C, has expanded the categories of compact fluorescent lamps (CLFs) under the Energy Star label. CFL...

Manufacturers' Top Economic Concerns

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

A recent study from Prime Advantage, a Chicago-based buying consortium for small- and mid-sized industrial manufacturers, found that raw materials and...

Product of the Month

Field Layout Software Simplifies Installation

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Stefanie Kure, Senior Associate Editor

Increased productivity and accuracy can add to the bottom line of almost any business. Trimble MEP, a new field layout software solution from Sunnyvale,...

Inside PQ

Understanding Harmonic Indices

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By John DeDad, Senior Director; Editorial and EC&M Development

The power quality industry has developed certain index values that help us assess the quality of service as it relates to distortion caused by the presence...

PQ Corner

Simplifying the Search for Unwanted Ground Current

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Tom Shaughnessy, PowerCET

Ground fault circuit breaker problems look simple on the surface: Too much current and bang, breakers trip. And when they trip, everyone pays attention....

Construction Watch

Northeast Serves as Bright Spot in U.S. Industrial Project Outlook

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

If you watch the evening news, listen to the daily headlines on the radio, or surf the Web for top stories, it's easy to get bogged down by the constant...

New Study Evaluates Residential Photovoltaic Metering and Interconnection Issues at Utilities

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

There's no question the solar industry has reached a crossroads entering the beginning of a potentially phenomenal growth spurt that will continue for...

SHOCKING STAT OF THE MONTH

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

The maximum number of volts a spark of static electricity can measure.3,000 Source: Alliant Energy...

Project Spotlight

Solar Project Upholds Company's Commitment to Renewable Energy

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Stefanie Kure, Senior Associate Editor

Delta Products may be one of the Delta Group Companies whose business offices and manufacturing plants span three continents, but its corporate mission...

Back to Basics

Calculating Single- and 3-Phase Parameters

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

Welcome to the first in a series of articles focusing on electrical calculation basics. This month, we'll discuss the most fundamental of calculations...