Electical Contractor

On the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Gulf Coast residents watched as Category 1 Hurricane Isaac bore down on the New Orleans region, evoking memories of the costliest U.S. hurricane disaster on record. On Aug.

Much of the smart grid’s strength lies in its use of wireless technology to improve monitoring, information flow and efficiency. As powerful as that combination may be, a couple of California utilities have taken it to a new low. That is to say they have taken it underground.

Charlottesville has been selected as the first city in Virginia and one of the first in the nation to benefit from smart grid technology that will make the delivery of electricity more efficient and less costly while improving customer service.

Although the hyperbole of the recent elections is past us, one of the buzzwords that gained momentum in the process was the term “smart grid.” I agree with those in the electric utility industry who take exception to such a concept, with all the implications associated with it, including that the c

Contractors depend on distributors for myriad materials and supplies. But as construction projects become increasingly complex, progressive distributors offer more than shelves stocked with products.

Electrical contractors traditionally have a lot to say about how their distributors could make their lives easier. Problems range from not getting all the parts in one shipment to delivery delays to emergency service failures—all of which cost time and money.

• Please refer to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine for referenced illustrations.

A survey states that electrical contractors buy over 90 percent of electrical materials.Cooperation between these parties is required to get these materials to a project. Electrical contractors determine the type and brand of about half the materials purchased.