If we had to choose one word to characterize our current global industrial climate, it just might be “anxiety.” There’s daily trepidation about whether the...
In July 2022, the U.S. Postal Service announced a revision to its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for its Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs) in which...
Innovation has transformed lighting technology across many sectors and industries. For example, horticulture lighting is expanding globally. Two studies project rapid growth in the industry...
Welcome to Chapter 2 of the 2023 National Electrical Code. This is always the most modified chapter because so much of the Code depends on it. 200.2 General. Previously, this...
The shift from fossil fuels to electric in the quest to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 just hit a snag with the copper shortage. A July 2022 S&P Global study...
The inventor’s skill is imagining solutions or gadgets that make work easier, safer and faster. If others find the innovation valuable and the inventor profits from their creation, even better...
Renewable energy is making waves across the United States, and it may shed light on the future of energy generation trends in the country. Data from the U.S. Energy Information...
Almost as contentious as the chicken and egg debate, “Are managers and leaders the same?” has been pondered for years. The terms can be used interchangeably. There are some similarities...
In June, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. announced that it would begin moving 10,000 miles of power lines underground to reduce instances of wildfires. The project, valued at $15 billion...
Solar cells have always been renewable sources of energy as the sun’s energy seems to be in limitless supply, and much solar energy goes unused. Improvements in materials used to...
Electric buses are predicted to make up 44% of new bus sales and comprise a majority of the global bus fleet by 2040, according to Bloomberg. As adoption of electric...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. Send questions about the National Electrical Code (NEC) to Jim at codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2020 NEC. Agricultural...
Spacing heat or smoke detectors can be quite confusing. Many factors must be considered, such as the ceiling type where you plan to install them (flat, smooth ceilings; joisted or...
As the market searches for clean energy alternatives to control indoor environments, cost-effectiveness comes into play. Research by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) points to electric heat pumps...
Buried high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines in the rights-of-way along highways, waterways and railroad tracks have the potential for carrying more renewable energy cross-country more reliably than overhead power lines...
Contractors face many challenges running their businesses today, including employee retention, supply chain concerns and more. But there are mixed answers when identifying their biggest concern. According to the results of a...
While the Dodge Momentum Index, a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, increased slightly in June, the notable indicator of construction project pipelines hit its 14-year...
As potential attack vectors from connected devices continue to broaden across the infrastructure, securing electric vehicles and their charging stations brings new challenges and elevated cyber risk. EVs and advanced driver...
Community energy has played an important role in the growth of renewables, especially solar. But other energy sources can also be developed on a community scale. On July 12, 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a...
Looking for a career change can be an active choice, or one forced upon us. Sometimes estimators are looking to escape poor management, while others are looking to move up the corporate ladder. In any case, interviewing and...
Since I began my term as NECA President, I have traveled to meet many of you and listen and respond to the needs we face as an industry. One common area of need is effective recruitment. We need to entice the right kinds of...
According to industrial safety and hygiene news, there are an estimated 30,000 instances of arc flash each year in the United States. On average, these incidents result in 7,000 burns, 2,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths...
From the beginning of our visit to ECSI, a subsidiary of Hunt Electric, Bloomington, Minn., there was no doubt we had landed in the midst of a very busy organization that fully aspires to be, as they describe it, “a team of...