Electical Contractor

George Bernard Shaw said, “The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” Shaw’s feelings aside, those in the fire alarm system installation business now find themselves knee-deep in new communications systems installations.

“VPP” is the latest electricity-system-of-the-future phrase in the expanding smart-grid lexicon.

When it comes to a facility’s physical security, lighting is often used as a preventive or corrective measure against intrusions or other criminal activity. It can, however, be counterproductive.

What’s the main question on the minds of electrical contractors? I’ll bet it is, “How do I grow my business?” or “What can I do to keep it from shrinking?” Installing submeters is a sure-fire winner.

Whether it is security or building automation, hotel and casino building owners are applying new technology that makes facilities more secure, energy-efficient and competitive.

Casinos and gaming facilities provide a challenge to security professionals. In-house security staff needs to monitor constant activity at multiple locations.

The majority of premises fiber optic cables use multimode fiber. Many of these cables are backbone cables for high-speed local area networks or data centers, which operate at 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) or higher.

“Can you hear me now?” That question, posed in popular cell phone advertisements, is a humorous touchstone for a generation whose ability to communicate wirelessly is dependent on network coverage. Nothing means mobility more than wireless, and wireless is only as good as its network coverage.

I recently spent two days at the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE) Existing Buildings in Urban Areas conference. The theme was very clear: a key to developing a sustainable future is to reduce the energy used by existing buildings.