Say robotics, and we think of a physical robot. Say automation, and we think controls, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), digital dashboards, cloud-based software and other connotations. However, robotics process...
Building intelligence and sensor technology have been driving energy efficiency. On the horizon is a next level of intelligence based on capturing data about how occupants use a space and then applying that information for a...
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable energy cells considered to have a “high-energy density,” meaning they can store a lot of energy. As an energy source, lithium-ion cells have been around for a while. Lithium-ion...
In 2015, the Boston Consulting Group examined the LED lighting market and trends in its article, “How to Win in a Transforming Lighting Industry.” It stated, “The upheaval stems from two powerful shifts: the move toward light...
In Newcastle, England, an entire city can be replicated using a digital twin to test the resilience of its underlying infrastructure in case of natural disaster or other disruptive event. Elsewhere, Siemens AG says a team of...
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have found a new niche that is expanding rapidly: industrial training. Put on the goggles and headset and you’re in a simulated work environment. The reality is so vivid,...
Although electrical contractors (ECs) aren't yet in the majority when they use high-tech gadgets, a recent survey shows adoption rates are going up. Now is an ideal time for ECs to become familiar with what's available. Here...
According to the Commercial Construction Index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2018 , contractors in commercial construction are continuing to employ advanced technologies on job sites. In fact, use of these technologies is...
What goes on inside will greatly shape what happens on the outside. More specifically, the inside of electrical and mechanical equipment, components and other materials will continue to shape their outside performance, aided...
During 2018, electrical contractors saw various technologies start to have a larger role in the electrical construction industry. In 2019, they'll see many of these innovations have an even more prominent role and encounter...
Georgetown, the third-oldest city in South Carolina, is lit with antique-style street lights, but the 150-watt high-pressure sodium lamps are laborious to maintain and change. To brighten the Historic District while reducing...
Electrical contractors (ECs) have dangerous jobs by nature since they work around electricity. However, robotics and other kinds of autonomous equipment could help ECs enjoy more safety every day. Here are six ways to...
In 2010, a cyberattack was launched against the Iranian nuclear program. Stuxnet—a malicious computer worm that is part of a family of worms often referred to as malware—invaded the nuclear power plant through its control...
It sounds like a line from a bad science-fiction movie—"Robots are taking my job!"—but it is becoming a reality for a number of different industries. The automation revolution is replacing human labor with robotics, and it is...
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, much of the electrical infrastructure was damaged and had to be rebuilt. Restringing power lines through the jungle is a dangerous pursuit that ordinarily would require...
Philip Green, British businessman and chairman of global retail giant Arcadia Group, put it plainly when he said, “Good, bad or indifferent—if you’re not investing in new technology, you’re going to be left behind.” In today...
In New York’s Chautauqua County, the community is going green in many ways. It has adopted a policy that will track and report energy use in the county’s municipal buildings. It has deployed two all-electric, heavy-duty...
Like pyramids in Egypt, oil wells dot the landscape on the plains of Oklahoma, pumping ceaselessly. Back in Texas, petroleum engineers sit in their cubicles, monitoring picture-perfect renditions of the wells on a flatscreen...
In April 2018, a fire broke out in New York’s Trump Tower. An overloaded electrical circuit caused a fire that killed one person and injured six firefighters. By some estimates, electrical fires have reached a level where...
In March, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a joint alert that revealed Russian government hackers have attacked and gained access to U.S. government infrastructure,...
