Electical Contractor

It's amazing that searching the Shakespearean quote “A rose by any other name...” on the Internet can elicit such a wide range of subjects relating to it, from “white Merlot” to “hazards of cell phones on humans” to “juvenile justice Swedish style.” So adding one more relating to power quality to t

When something from the past comes to the forefront several times in a row, one might think of it as a sign. I think of it as an indication that there must be even more occurrences out there.

With oil prices topping $100 per barrel, energy conservation is again garnering significant attention. Though oil and its byproducts are not a direct source of electrical energy, they have an impact on costs.

Though it wasn't the result of watching any “Star Trek” reruns, the concept of phasors (or phasers to Trekkies) has been raised in a couple of recent discussions.

Though some rules can be overlooked without consequence, some are simply too important to not follow. Two rules, in particular, are at the fundamental analysis of all power systems: Ohm’s Law and Kirchoff’s Law.

As a sequel to the discussion of adjustable speed drives (ASDs) in last month’s column, it seems appropriate to show how ASDs are a classic example of the often-quoted line from IEEE 1100 (also known as the Emerald Book).

Being a member of the Technological Committee for my local school district since its 1994 creation, I have seen first hand the exponential increase in the number of computers, servers, printers, white boards, digital cameras and other technology tools for faculty and students to access each other a

A recent trip to a Latin American country helped remind me of so much that we often take for granted in the United States.

In the September issue of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, there was an Industry Watch story titled “Efficiency from the Wall to the PC,” about an organization that is campaigning for more efficient power “cords.” There was a reference to a quote indicating only 50 percent of the power that leaves the outlet