Seismic requirements for electrical installations Concern about earthquakes and their impact on buildings and facility operation is no longer limited to those regions of the United States, such as the West Coast, where seismic activity is common. READ MORE
Thomas E. Glavinich
Freelance Writer
Thomas E. Glavinich is an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas. He can be reached at 785.864.3435 and tglavinich@ku.edu.
Articles by Thomas E. Glavinich
August 2006
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The use of design/build as a project delivery system continues to grow in the United States. However, the adoption of design/build in the public sector has lagged the private sector since its rediscovery in the 1990s. This lag in the public sector is not because federal, state and local governments and their agencies have not seen the advantages of design/build. READ MORE
August 2006
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At the heart of any photovoltaic (PV) system is the inverter, also referred to as the power conversion unit (PCU) or power conversion system (PCS). Its primary function is to convert the direct current (DC) output of the PV array to alternating current (AC) that can be used to power conventional building loads. READ MORE
July 2006
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An important consideration for any “green” building is its electric power supply. Commercial buildings currently consume more than one-third of the total electric energy produced in the United States. The U.S. READ MORE
June 2006
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Building owners are becoming increasingly interested in sustainable construction and having their buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. READ MORE
May 2006
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More and more companies want to be recognized as being environmentally conscious. One way that they are demonstrating their commitment to a cleaner environment is through green construction. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System allows building owners to be openly recognized for their commitment to the environment. READ MORE
April 2006
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An alternating-current (AC) photovoltaic (PV) module is defined in Section 690.2 of the 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC) as a “complete, environmentally protected unit consisting of solar cells, optics, inverter, and other components, exclusive of tracker, designed to generate AC power when exposed to sunlight.” These modules combine a standard PV module and a separate stand-alone AC/DC invert READ MORE
February 2006
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ZigBee is the name OF a new open-architecture wireless personal area network (WPAN) technology designed for linking devices that perform a monitoring and control function. For buildings, these devices can include anything from a simple light switch or thermostat to more complex security and life safety devices. READ MORE
January 2006
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Twenty-first century building will be an integrated set of building systems aimed at providing an optimal environment for people to live, work and play. In the past, building systems were viewed as independent systems that were optimized individually and led to the suboptimal performance of the building as a whole. READ MORE