In a first-of-its-kind transformation, Utah’s Intermountain Power Plant will begin to transition away from coal to hydrogen production, by way of natural gas as a stepping stone. First opened in 1973, Intermountain was slated...
Solar panels have a seat at the table in the transition to more sustainable energy sources. The renewable energy industry is hard at work creating solar solutions that are more accessible, affordable and practical for the...
As workplace hazards have evolved, personal protective equipment has had to adapt. A variety of high- and low-cost solutions offer many benefits, and contractors have a growing selection of choices to make regarding how they...
Sports and fitness technology—once a matter of wearable trackers and mobile apps—provides intelligence to and about athletes, trainers and sports fans. Over the past decade, systems have been installed to identify athletes’...
Smart city and building sustainability efforts are driving upgrades to electrical and low-voltage infrastructure. The focus today is installing unified systems with room to grow, connecting lighting and metering systems to...
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 fabricate solar cells could greatly improve...
More companies, including contractors, are leveraging digital twin technologies for a host of reasons, including boosting productivity while meeting their sustainability goals. The market size for digital twins—virtual...
In-flight connectivity has reached new heights for aircraft, including military jets and unmanned aerial vehicles. It’s not just about increased bandwidth from satellites—it’s also about leveraging lighter, faster fiber optic...
Today’s restaurants and stores are competing for consumers’ attention with highly convenient mobile ordering and online sales. Updating point of sale (POS) systems to help customers move smoothly through purchasing is a...
As gas prices soar and climate change concerns become more urgent, Americans are increasingly considering electric vehicles. While less than 1% of the cars on the road in December 2021 were electric and EV sales since 2010...
Construction started on April 21 on the Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL), a Department of Energy (DOE) project that aims to overcome challenges in battery research and development (R&D) while working on technology that will...
Stored electrical energy will eventually be a regular part of every electrical contractor's conversation. The subject is driven by the push to find sustainable sources of electrical energy—from the sun, wind and other sources...
ne of the many changes prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic was the shift to medical care outside the doctor’s office. A movement that started with devices connected to a router is evolving toward a networked system that follows...
The potential benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) extend beyond making combustion engines obsolete. The battery technology that powers EVs can also be deployed as a storage asset, delivering power back to the grid and...
“It never rains in California,” sang Albert Hammond in 1972. Such words may explain why some 4,000 miles of canals throughout California are needed to help supply water in a state known for its agricultural industry, which...
A century ago, the industry changed when farming became mechanized. Another transformation is happening now as farms become digitized to make them more productive, sustainable and resilient in a changing climate. To ensure...
I closed the January year-in-review column with, “Like I say every year, it’s always good to invest in training.” High-tech fields such as fiber optics are always changing, and you have to keep up with technology or risk...
Imagine an apprentice wearing goggles, following the voice in their headsets as they learn about a new piece of equipment, which switch to push and what panels to remove—but it’s all virtual. Innovation in technology For...
“The market for smart home systems has exploded in recent years with smart TVs, smart thermostats, home security systems and energy monitoring systems,” said Paul Ryan, product line manager of connected solutions for Eaton...
Imagine a glass worktable, kitchen countertop, retail display or even an autonomous vehicle’s windshield that can supply power without all the cable spaghetti showing. Cohda Design Ltd. in Gateshead, England, has figured out...
