Electrical safety is not just a priority for electricians and electrical contractors; there are professionals all over the world who have made it their business. This was evident at the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW),...
Recently, two of the world’s biggest automakers—and two of its biggest consumers of fossil fuels—made major announcements concerning renewable power. GM and Ford will now power some their biggest facilities with wind power...
Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in the United States rose last year due to higher demand at power plants as well as greater energy use within the transportation sector, from industrial activity and in buildings—demand that...
It might sound like newfangled science-fiction tech, but China has plans to build the world’s first space-based solar power station by 2050, according to an article in Forbes . The solar power station, owned by the state’s...
Solar panels and windmills are powering up homes and businesses at a growing rate. However, they also are making an impact in some unlikely industries. According to a recent study by Navigant Research, the global mining...
According to a new report from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), while power generation, transmission and distribution in the United States tend to be predominantly alternating current (AC), an increasing number of...
A recent administrative law judge ruling in California may pave the way for more private-sector development of the state's mandated distributed energy storage system projects. In September 2016, the state passed Assembly Bill...
It's common in our business that almost every new fire alarm system we install is the final system to come online. However, a building does not get an occupancy permit unless its fire alarm system passes the acceptance test....
The most powerful—and complicated—instrument used for fiber optic testing is an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). In the hands of an educated tech, the OTDR is a powerful testing and troubleshooting tool, but it can...
While many cities talk about smart streetlights or engage in small pilot projects to attach one or two devices to several of their streetlights, San Diego, Calif., isn't waiting around. As a result, many are now calling it...
If the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has its way, construction contractors and subcontractors working for the Department of Defense (DOD) may be subject to more safety performance scrutiny. In February, the GAO...
Solar and wind power are the leading sources of renewable energy generation. Combined with advanced battery storage technology, their effectiveness has only increased. Rarely, however, are all three utilized together in one...
In November 2018, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its final rule on "Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualifications" (29 CFR 1926.1427(f)(6)). In sum, the new rule requires...
In what some groups see as a significant blow to the United States' journey toward increased energy efficiency, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced earlier this month that it wants to roll back its previously...
As the nation’s mix of energy sources continues to evolve, the need for distribution innovation also increases. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced awards for projects that find new ways to harness the...
Drug use in the construction industry is a concern for all contractors. According to “Occupational Patterns in Unintentional and Undetermined Drug-Involved and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths” study released by the Centers...
Pennsylvania State University and Lightsource BP are partnering to develop a 70-megawatt (MW) project, which will provide 25 percent of the university’s electricity needs for 25 years, according to a university press release...
Information technology company IBM has launched a predictive analytics tool that—combined with artificial intelligence—helps utilities better spot which trees and other vegetation within their service territory need to be...
Puerto Rico’s publicly owned electric utility Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) released a draft of its 2019 integrated resource plan (IRP), which outlines the utility’s strategy continued post-Hurricane Maria...
In the world of college athletics, having state-of-the-art facilities is crucial. At Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, local contractor Mid-City Electric Co. helped to make sure the advanced systems in the university’s...
