Message From The Editor
Writing the history of interior lighting
In this issue we continue with the history of the bulb, from the apogee of the incandescent bulb to its descent. We also present to you Kim Quelch, President of EFC's Young Professionals Network, who a few weeks ago invited young people to raise their profile and share their expertise. Kim came into the industry at the same time as LED technology. She is one of those who are writing the new history of lighting. Also in this issue, a guide to determining the use of sensors in luminaires. It was said recently that luminaires become intelligent nodes on powerful data networks. How does it happen and what are the benefits of a sensor-rich network? Good reading!
Line Goyette
Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
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Changing Scene
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Codes & Standards: Li-Fi
IEEE Task Force Works on Standard for Light Communications
By Kathy Pretz
Soon enough, experts say, we'll be getting secure, high-speed Internet access from our LED bulbs: in desk lamps, ceiling fixtures, streetlights, and vehicle taillights. The light-communications systems, relying on nanometer waves in the infrared and visible-light portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, are expected to transmit data generated by a microchip fitted into each LED. Li-Fi technology needs no licensing, as it uses the unregulated light spectrum. However, a few issues must be resolved.
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Sensors
How Integrated Sensors in Luminaires are Changing Commercial Real Estate
Lighting is pervasive throughout a built environment and by integrating sensors into every luminaire, each light is transformed into a data node on a connected lighting system network. These integrated sensors are able to collect useful data, which could include occupancy, traffic flow, light levels, temperature, humidity, air quality, and more. Deloitte estimates that sensors in commercial real estate will grow at a 78% annual growth rate between 2015 and 2020, with 1.3 billion sensors deployed by 2020. Let's take a closer look at how smart buildings are benefiting from integrating sensors in luminaires.
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Peers & Profiles
Kim Quelch — an Immense Desire to Share Passion and Knowledge
By Line Goyette
A few weeks ago Kim Quelch, National President of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)'s Young Professionals Network, invited her male and female colleagues to share and publicize their expertise among all members of the industry. Like many, she arrived by chance in the industry. After graduating from university with a Bachelor of Commerce and a speciality in marketing, she began her career in a packaging and software company. "The part of the software industry I was in was predominantly male and I didn't feel the support of senior management to facilitate our integration. In addition, I found that the size of the business limited the professional challenges ahead of me," says Kim. Informed of an opportunity at Standard, she had a first interview and knew she had found the place and the industry where she would make a career.
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Economy
Value of August Building Permits Rose 0.4% over July
Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion worth of building permits in August, up 0.4% from July. Strength in the non-residential sector drove the increase, while the residential sector declined for the third consecutive month. In the non-residential sector, $3.2 billion worth of permits were issued in August, up 8.8% from the previous month. Both the institutional (+25.8%) and commercial (+8.9%) components contributed to the gain, which was largely the result of the issuance of permits for a new hospital in Ontario and new office buildings in British Columbia. Meanwhile, the value of industrial permits fell 5.9% in August to $677 million. This followed a 13.4% gain in July, as multiple permits were issued that month for transportation terminals and manufacturing structures in Ontario and Alberta.
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Q & A With Britech Electric Cable Heating Systems
The line to my septic tank froze last winter. Can I install a heating cable inside the pipe?
There are heating cables made to be installed inside some pipes, though installing a heating cable in a septic line could be very dangerous due to the explosive gases in the pipes, tank and septic bed. Areas in sewage treatment plants where gases may accumulate are considered, as a minimum, to be Class 1 Div. 11 areas, meaning they are a hazardous area. Rather than have your house explode you may want to wait until spring and install a heating cable on the outside of the pipe and insulate it to prevent this happening again.
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Survey Says
Electrical Engineering Services Median Salary by City
Electrical engineers working in Missaussauga, Ontario have the highesty median salary compared to engineers in six other Canadian cities, at $98,264.
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Survey Says From Recent Issues
- Electrical Engineering Services Median Salary by Province
Saskatchewan far surpasses other provinces, offering electrical engineers a median salary of $87,250.
- Electrical Engineering Services Median Salary by Company Size
Among electrical engineering companies, those with 200-599 employees reporte the highest median salary at $85,000.
- Electrical Contractor Median Hourly Rate by Employer Type
Employer types vary greatly in Canada. However, the "other" category (dominated by corporations, governmental, institutional...) has the highest median hourly rate, followed closely by contract and self-employed workers.
- Electrical Power Distribution Median Salary by City
Among six provinces, Alberta shows the highest median salary for power distribution workers, with Calgary and Edmonton ranking as the two top paying cities in Canada.
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New Products and Solutions
Eaton Halo Home Internet Access Bridge
The Halo Home Internet Access Bridge enables you to control your Halo Home devices and accessories from anywhere in the world. The bridge establishes a secure connection between your local Bluetooth network and the Halo Home Cloud, enabling you to take advantage of an ever-increasing lineup of Cloud services, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Wireless router and Internet connection are required.
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Portable LED Flood Lights from Standard
Standard's portable flood lights are easy to carry from one location to another as they are battery-powered and highly versatile. These fixtures can be used for commercial projects or smaller residential tasks. They offer pre-set intensities to disperse the right amount of light for each task and to ensure more efficient battery consumption. Their cordless feature keeps the ground cable-free, which creates a safer work environment. This luminaire can be used on jobsites where electricity has yet to be installed. Standard's new line of temporary worklights, including string lights, a trouble light, LED flood lights, an LED temporary high bay ,and a wide variety of accessories.
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Luminis Scopo
Scopo rotates 350° without disturbing the luminaire mounting, and the pivoting arm enables forward and back adjustments for precise directional light aiming. Among other features, Scopo delivers up to 6000 lumens, is weatherproof/IP66 rated, dims to 1%, and has a lifetime beyond 130,000 hours. The luminaire is available as a ground, surface or pole mounted projector.
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AR LED luminaire from Nemalux
Nemalux AR luminaires are designed for high output applications required in food manufacturing, hazardous locations, marine environments and severe industrial applications. The AR's non-stick anti-adhesive coating is a durable, exterior rated finish that is highly resistant to the aggressive cleaning processes used in the food processing industry and significantly reduces fouling in dirty environments. With certification for marine use, it is extremely resistant to the corrosion found in marine and severely wet saltwater environments.
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P1 Balance from Archilume
A dimmable LED pendant, Balance consists of a pair of disc shapes suspended by twinned cables, one beneath the other, hanging in perpendicular directions. The upper half of each disc is opaque machined aluminum while the lower half is an acrylic lens with a frosted edge emitting a glare-free warm tone. Compositionally balanced while creating visual tension, Balance offers an arresting sculptural accent in a beautifully functional luminaire.
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CP6155A Concept Series Market Stand Light from Lumca
Lumca's Concept series provides proven LED technology in over 100 different models that can provide up to 70% in energy savings. Mix and match any luminaire part, from top to bottom! Customize your luminaire — without the bill. Lumca's extensive lighting portfolio can cater to the requirements of any type of urban or rural development project, and allows users to customize various light sources and models for a truly distinct look.
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From Our Last Issue
- Ensuring Supervision and Training Standards Essential to Electrical Safety
Mark Graham joined the military at the age of 17 but after a few years he decided to pursue his dream of being an electrician. He was only three years into his apprenticeship when his worst nightmare came true. "I was working at a raw sewage plant running conduit while on an 8-foot wooden step ladder," he begins. "I had just finished drilling holes in the concrete ceiling slab to install strapping to hold the conduit in place. As I lowered the powerless drill it was parallel with the slotted ventilation holes on the 3000 amp 600 volt bus duct that was suspension-mounted on trapezes. The drill bit glided through the one of the slots, but the heat on the end of the drill bit melted through the rubber insulation jacket that wrapped the copper bus bars…"
- Creating a Safe Workplace for Women
I was recently at a high level discussion listening to several tradeswomen speak about their experiences working in a field dominated largely by men (5% of the trades workforce is made up of women in Canada). Quite frankly, I was appalled at what they had experienced in their professional lives. It got me thinking. Are there not some lessons we could learn from other areas of professional work that have created systemic behaviour change at the company level elsewhere? Having recently worked under the umbrella of an international environmental consultancy, the safety example came to mind.
- Evaluating the Impact of Warning Lights on Roadway Worker Safety
Flashing warning lights are a common line of defence intended to help protect construction workers, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, and others who work along the roadway from oncoming traffic. These lights need to capture drivers' attention yet not be so bright that they distract drivers from seeing workers in and along the roadway. In collaboration with Pennsylvania State University, the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute conducted a field study to measure drivers' ability to detect simulated workers adjacent to vehicles equipped with flashing yellow warning beacons while driving at night.
- IEEE Task Force Works on Standard for Light Communications
Soon enough, experts say, we'll be getting secure, high-speed Internet access from our LED bulbs: in desk lamps, ceiling fixtures, streetlights, and vehicle taillights. The light-communications systems, relying on nanometer waves in the infrared and visible-light portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, are expected to transmit data generated by a microchip fitted into each LED bulb. Li-Fi technology needs no licensing, as it uses the unregulated light spectrum. However, a few issues must be resolved.
- Electrical Industry Canada and the Electrician Forum Need Your Expert Knowledge
Last week we received this question from a Manitoba electrician, "I am doing a service upgrade/relocation from 100amp to 200. I was thinking about keeping the existing 100amp panel as subpanel. Do the 15amp breakers have to be changed to arc fault." Provide your expert opinion on this question and provide your insight on the biggest challenges or issues you face when installing loadcentres, breakers (CAFI, GFIs…) and other surge protection devices. The forum is designed for Canadian electricians to support each other and share their opinions and concerns. Join the conversation today!!
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The Electrical Stock Market
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