Electical Contractor

The Latest in LEDs According to Permlight in Tustin, Calif., the portion of the illumination market that currently uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as its main light source is now $8 to $10 billion.

CODE CITATIONS Article 210 Branch Circuits Article 220 Branch Circuit, Feeder and Service Calculations Article 250 Grounding Article 352 Rigid Nonmetallic Conduit: Type RNC Article 422 Appliances Article 430 Motors, Motor Circuits, and Controllers Article 514 Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities Article

Two emerging street lighting stars in the night sky are not quite ready for prime time. However, the LED (light-emitting diode) and the triple-tube compact fluorescent lamp show promise and contractors should be aware of them.

210.70 Lighting Outlets Required Article 210 specifies provisions for all branch circuits except for branch circuits supplying only motor loads. Article 430 contains motor load requirements. Provisions stipulating the placement of receptacle outlets are covered in 210.52 through 210.63.

Ask four different contractors or manufacturers what’s new on the residential lighting front and you’ll get four different answers. One may point to new fixtures, maybe a Spiderman light suspended by wire from the ceiling.

You can call it progress or a restrictive economy, but there is one trend in stadium lighting that keeps contractors on their toes. Stadiums are being built faster than they ever have been, and any renovations happen in a fraction of the time they used to.

Fluorescent ballasts are the “engine” of the lighting systems, and are designed to provide the proper electrical voltage to begin the lighting sequence, to regulate the electrical current flowing through the lamp to stabilize the light output, and to supply the correct voltage required for proper l

CODE CITATIONS Article 110 Requirements for Electrical Installations

With a stalling economy and rising utility costs, saving money has become the most common objective of business owners. For electrical contractors, that equates to a shifted focus on upgrading existing electrical systems rather than on new construction.