Electrical Industry News Week
Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with support from the EFC
Cooper Industries

Message From The Editor

Safety is more than a promise

When smart phones arrived, I resisted the terminology for a long time. After all, we were the ones giving orders to this phone. To a stupid question, a stupid answer. By extension, in response to an intelligent question formulated by an intelligent person, the phone would have no choice but to be smart. In this internal struggle between the phone and me, the phone won. I conceded it has its own intelligence, although not always rational. This long introduction leads me to a just published market research study on smart buildings that control heating, ventilation and lighting. This market is expanding and expected to grow enormously in the next few years. While smart control will give building managers even greater control over their facility, it will also help take care of the the minutiae of everyday building management just as our smart phones remind us of our appointments. Elsewhere in this issue, safety and the evolution of the CE Code, and Keith Sones on his personal experience of safety as a promise not to be made lightly. Good reading!

Line Goyette
Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com  

Changing Scene

ABB Logo ABB Has Acquired GE Industrial Solutions
ABB has announced that it has acquired GE Industrial Solutions, GE’s global electrification solutions business. "This acquisition strengthens our position as partner of choice for electrification globally, North America and in Canada...
Southwire Southwire Canada Makes Organizational Changes to Improve Customer Experience
Southwire Canada has made multiple process and organizational changes to help improve accessibility, accuracy, consistency, reliability, responsiveness and timeliness in all customer interactions. This includes a number of new appointments to the Southwire Canada team…
Schneider Release Christophe de Maistre to Lead Schneider Electric's Partner Projects Division
Schneider Electric has appointed Christophe de Maistre as Executive Vice President, Head of the Partner Projects Division within the Building Business. The Partner Projects Division is the historical core of Schneider Electric with a focus on low voltage electrical power distribution products, equipment and solutions…
Tools For The Trade

Codes & Standards

Regulator Involvement in Writing the CE Code: Guiding Safe Installations for More Than 80 Years

By Alison Drover
CSA The Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, is an integral part of the Canadian electrical safety system — a system that works hard by design to keep electricians, consumers, and the public safe from harm. With a history dating back to the early 20th century, the CE Code, Part I, is the original, authentic Canadian-based safety standard developed to make electrical installations and maintenance safer. It is one of CSA Group's oldest and most respected standards largely because of the expertise and dedication of the people who write it. From the first edition of the CE Code, which was published in 1927, all the way up to the upcoming 24th edition due to publish in January of 2018, the combined expertise of volunteer committee member — from industry, utilities, regulators, consumers and other relevant stakeholders — has been its backbone. In particular, the contributions of regulators from across the country is critical. Read More

Managing Change

Keeping the Gate Closed, and Other Non-Negotiables

By Keith Sones
Sones I spent most of my formative years growing up in a northern British Columbia community, which was primarily geared around agriculture. In some ways it seemed like I had two lives, as about half of my friends lived in town whereas the others spent their time, when they weren't in school or playing baseball, working on their family farms. I was also raised with rather traditional values: the virtues of hard work, treating others with respect, and following through on commitments were mantras that were regularly impressed upon me. The option to live otherwise was not entertained in our house. Read More

Technology

Troubleshoot Electrical Systems Safer and Faster with a New Tester: Part 1

Fluke Tester For many years, electricians and technicians looking for a quick current reading have reached for an electrical tester, a personal everyday tool seen in tool belts the world over. For example, with Fluke's T5 you slide the open fork around a conductor and safely measure AC current up to 100 amps. No need to clamp the fork shut or break the circuit. This "open fork" technology saves time and is safer to use than test leads, but you would still require test leads to measure voltage. Now, Fluke engineers have developed and are patenting a new technology called FieldSense that improves on the open fork functionality by performing not only AC current but also AC voltage and frequency measurements. Voltage and current measurements can be made on one device at the same time, in real time. Read More

Smart Buildings

Smart Building Market to Quadruple by 2022

Smart Buildings The global smart building market is projected to grow from an estimated $US7.42 billion in 2017 to $US31.74 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33.7%, according to a new market report. A growing need for integrated security and safety systems and decreasing operational costs are some of the major factors driving the market. Read More

Survey Says

Survey Says

Electrical Engineering Design Median Hourly Rate by Province

Saskatchewan leads Canada with the highest hourly rate for electrical engineers. Alberta comes in second.

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Survey Says From Recent Issues

New Products and Solutions

Thermolec

Thermolec Thermo-Air Fresh Air Heater

The Thermo-Air heater complements home heating systems by preheating fresh air, thus continuously providing comfortable ventilation throughout the house. Today's airtight homes and offices beg for fresh air. Equipped with the most advanced modulating controller and air sensor, the Thermo-Air heater will operate with extremely low air flow. The unit uses the minimum amount of energy required to meet user needs. The air flow sensor detects the amount of air flowing through the unit and modulates the heating capacity accordingly, maximizing savings. Read More
Audacy Wireless

Audacy Remote Switch

The Audacy remote switch wirelessly controls light fixtures equipped with Audacy luminaire controllers, providing onsite control of system-enabled light fixtures or groupings. The switch is simple to install anywhere or can be used as a handheld switch for remote convenience. The capacitive touch panel will adjust desired settings at the touch of a finger. The Audacy remote switch operates in the highly reliable 915 MHz spectrum. Read More
Delta Thermostat

Delta Controls eZNTW Fully Programmable Thermostat

The eZNTW is a fully programmable thermostat equipped with onboard Wi-Fi and EnOcean wireless connectivity. Featuring a standard temperature sensor with humidity, CO2 and motion options, the eZNTW also offers a choice of backlit colours that provide additional user feedback and aesthetic appeal. The eZNTW NFC technology enables installers to use NFC-enabled mobile devices to configure the thermostat. An intuitive touch-interface enables users to adjust their individual comfort levels. Read More
Eiko LED

Eiko LED DIM-G5

Eiko's LED decorative replacement lamps maintain the look and style of users' decor while saving on energy and regular maintenance. Features include 120V, AC/DC, 5W, and 65 lumens per watt. The lamps operate at temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees Celsius. Read More
ASB Heating Elements

ASB Heating Elements Formed Tubular Heaters

ASB Heating Elements has been manufacturing formed tubular heaters for hot runner systems for many years. The formed mould heaters and manifold heaters are made with high quality tubular heating elements. Skilled benders and specialized bending equipment allow the company to bend complex shapes directly from Autocad drawings. ASB does not require wood patterns or the actual mould to manufacture these units. The company counts many of the top mould makers in Canada and the USA as customers for these heaters. Read More
Amptek BLE Dimmer

Amptek Technologies BLE Dimmer

The BLE dimmer is a Bluetooth low energy, 0-10V dimmer for LED lights. Each LED light unit is paired with one dimmable LED driver controlled by one BLE dimmer. The dimmer can adjust the brightness of its respective light, as well as power the light on and off. The dimmer acts on Bluetooth messages received from the iCon, and can relay those messages to surrounding dimmers. Read More

Current Copper Prices

Monitor daily and 6-month $US prices for copper — the preferred electrical conductor for most categories of electrical wiring.

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The Electrical Stock Market

Track the stock market performance of 25 publicly traded electrical equipment suppliers and electrical wholesalers. Updated weekly.

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Electrical Industry News Week is published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with support from the EFC
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