Electical Contractor

For those electrical contractors incorporating systems integration into their skill sets, many questions and strategies for doing so may appear. Consider this as a general guide to the basic elements of integrating a system.

The need to control access to buildings and internal areas within them has led to the proliferation of electronic locking systems. Their primary mission is to determine the identity of those who wish to enter through a protected door.

We appear to be entering a slow construction period. Those of us in the field have experienced these slow periods before, and we know that professional electrical contractors who plan for these slowdowns prosper through them.

If you've been reading Tom Glavinich’s Integrated Building Systems columns, you probably picked up a running theme.

The National Fire Alarm Code, NFPA 72, Section 10.4.1.1 requires trained technicians to perform an acceptance test on all new fire alarm systems. Specifically, the section states, “All new systems shall be inspected and tested in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 10.

I was at a Cracker Barrel, one of my favorite restaurants for breakfast, when the two gentlemen at the next table were approached by their waitress who informed them that she had made a mistake.

The demand for photovoltaic (PV) systems in commercial, institutional and residential buildings continues to grow. Over the past decade, the PV industry has experienced phenomenal growth driven by environmental concerns.

Running a successful contracting business is a time-consuming job. You spend time marketing and selling your company to clients and then spend time operating the company, hopefully at a profit. Those of you who install fire alarm systems often treat them like other electrical projects.

The drive toward high performance buildings demands the integration of diverse building systems that were not previously required to interact with one another. For example, occupancy sensors no longer control just lighting in a space. They also control the HVAC system supplying that space.