Message From The Editor
In 2018 — no one is supposed to ignore the law
No one is supposed to ignore the law. Even in good faith, we cannot tell the police officer who intercepts us for speeding on the highway that we didn't know there was a maximum limit or even what that limit was. The policeman will tell us that we just have to be more attentive. Same thing for texting at the wheel. The process of law-making in Canada at the federal and provincial levels goes through a long process of consultation, study, writing and rewriting before being adopted. Some bills may be subject to longer debates. Across Canada, laws are changing: higher minimum wages, updated laws on harassment and soon recreational use of marijuana. These changes affect our workplaces. Regardless of the size of your organization, you need to stay informed. A reminder from our contributor Michelle Branigan, and a link for each province. Good reading!
Line Goyette
Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
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Changing Scene
- Singapore, London and Barcelona Named Top Global Smart Cities
A new report published by Philips Lighting and SmartCitiesWorld highlights drivers and hurdles faced by local authorities thinking of implementing a smart city program, and identifies Singapore, London and Barcelona as the world's best smart cities…
- VLNComm Launches World's First LiFi Lighting Panel
At CES 2018 in Las Vegas, a U.S. firm focusing on the development of bi-directional LiFi introduced and successfully demonstrated a lighting panel capable of 108Mbps download speeds and when coupled with the LumiStick 2, 53Mbps upload speeds…
- Aurora Provides Update on Market and Strategic Product Initiatives: Alignment with Industry 4.0
Aurora has aligned its Veritas(TM) visualization, operations and administration system with the emerging Industry 4.0 initiatives in the PV industry…
- Kontrol Energy Launches the bIOTAsphere, a Decentralized Ledger Technology Accelerator and Commercialization Facility
Kontrol Energy Corp.’s bIOTAsphere, a Decentralized Ledger Technology (DLT) accelerator and commercialization facility, helps bring solutions to market in the sectors of distributed energy, carbon reduction, smart buildings and the Internet of Things (IoT)…
- Nova Scotia Power Engages Residents to Test Intelligent Feeder Pilot Project
You can feel the energy in Elmsdale as Nova Scotia Power embarks on a cutting-edge project with industry leaders to learn more about how battery storage can help the utility deliver cleaner, affordable and more reliable energy to Nova Scotians…
- Hydro-Québec and the Atikamekw Community of Manawan Create Joint Committee
Hydro-Québec and the Atikamekw Council of Manawan have created a joint committee to improve electricity supply to the community in the Lanaudière region…
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Economy
Are You Ready for Change to Federal and Provincial Labour Laws?
By Michelle Branigan
The start of 2018 brought with it a number of changes to Ontario's labour laws. As well as the increase to the minimum wage (now $14 per hour), there are a slew of other changes that will impact employers and employees. Those who have worked with their employer for more than three years will see their annual vacation entitlement rise to three weeks from two. Casual, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers must receive equal pay for equal work. Other changes include…
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Safety
Seismic Shift: Historic Changes to Ontario Health and Safety Law, Part 2
By Cheryl A. Edwards, Jeremy Warning, Deanah Shelly and Sydney Kruth
On December 14, 2017, Bill 177 and the most dramatic and far-reaching changes made to the Ontario Occupational Health & Safety Act in nearly 30 years took effect. The Ontario government has, amongst other things, tripled corporate fines, quadrupled individual fines, and added new reporting requirements. Part 1 began our coverage of these changes, including the potential impact they could have on Ontario businesses, their management and leaders, and even workers, going forward. Part 2 concludes our analysis of the potential impact.
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IIoT
Critical Security Challenges Facing IIoT
By Will Mapp, Kymera Systems
The Industrial Internet of Things, also known as the Industrial Internet, is transforming the way innovative businesses collect and share data. IIoT combines machine-to-machine communication, industrial big data analytics, human machine interface and data acquisition to drive smarter, faster business decisions and powerful outcomes for enterprises of any size. From the looks of it, this digital transformation is here to stay. According a recent report by IDC, worldwide spending on IIoT is forecast to reach US$1.29 trillion in 2020.
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Economy
Prices for New Houses Unchanged in December
In December, new house prices in Canada were unchanged for the first time since April 2015. Buyers in 15 of the 27 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) surveyed saw no price change. Increases in 8 surveyed CMAs across the country were offset by declines in the remaining 4. New home prices were up 3.3% year over year in December, following a similar gain in November.
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Survey Says
Electrical Contractors' Average Salaries
Electrical project managers have the highest average salary among electrical contractors, nearly $18,000 more than electrical estimators.
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Survey Says From Recent Issues
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New Products and Solutions
Distech Controls EC-Net Building Management System
The open structure of the EC-Net building management system (BMS) creates a common development and management environment for integrating BACnet, LONWORKS, Modbus, and other standards. More than a building management system, EC-Net system provides all the tools you need to gain intelligence on building performance and enables building managers to react rapidly to any situation that may adversely affect energy costs, business performance, and ultimately, the bottom line.
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Pablo Designs Contour Floor
The Contour Floor is a revealing open framed floor standing luminaire that captures warm LED illumination within a slender formed aluminum structure. Contour provides an inviting resting place for your personal belongings with rich woven fabric or hardwood interiors, and offers a convenient home to charge mobile devices with its integrated USB port.
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Delta Controls New EZNTW Fully Programmable Thermostat
A finalist in the AHR Expo Innovation Award in the Building Automation category, the eZNTW boasts unique communications capabilities such as onboard WiFi to make it IoT-ready, and enOcean wireless capabilities for HVAC controls and in-room integration with a variety of peripheral products (e.g., lighting, blinds and door contact). The eZNTW also features a wide-range of sensing applications, from basic temperature monitoring to indoor air quality and occupancy sensing.
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Arancia Pola Box Duo
The Pola Box Duo is a ceiling surface mounted luminaire with independent heads featuring optics that can be adjusted separately. Interchangeable reflectors, two snoot lengths, and high powered chip-on board LED sources are available. It's compatible with Triac dimmers.
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Reliable Controls MACH-Pro WebSys
Publish your building automation system to the Web quickly and easily with the Reliable Controls MACH-ProWebSys. The first 3-in-1 device of its kind, the MACH-ProWebSys combines a BTL-listed BACnet building controller (B-BC), a BTL-listed BACnet operator workstation (B-OWS), and a powerful web server, all in a single package with an installed footprint of a typical building controller. Add modular inputs and outputs to any MACH-Pro, MACH-ProWeb or MACH-Pro2 series controller with this flexible, general purpose expansion module with universal I/O.
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Delviro Lighting Thinline Flat
Delviro Energy's Thinline Flat offers a contemporary slim design and aluminum housing, available in red, white, black and custom finishes. Width: 8.0″. Height: 1.35″. Comes in 2′, 4′, 8′ length options. Polycarbonate lens.
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From Our Last Issue
- Value of December Building Permits Rebounds 4.8%
Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion in building permits in December, up 4.8% following a 7.3% decline in November. The increase stemmed from higher construction intentions in the residential sector. Across Canada, all components climbed in 2017, up 10.4% from the previous year, led by the multi-family dwelling component. Construction intentions for single-family homes led the rise in December. Municipalities issued $2.8 billion (8.9%) in permits for single-family dwellings, the largest month-over-month increase in 2017.
- Room vs. Building-Based Control Systems: Pros and Cons
Room-based lighting control systems have been on the market for some time now. You might think of these as the younger cousins to larger building-wide or even enterprise-wide lighting control systems. However, that's not an entirely appropriate comparison. For starters, what constitutes a "room-based" control system? That is an increasingly complicated question because the lines between system types are becoming more blurred as time goes on.
- Dynamic Lighting Enhances Health and Wellbeing
At the end of 2017, the Nobel Prize for medicine went to three American researchers: Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young. By isolating and investigating the "period" gene of the fruit fly, they were able to prove the existence of the "inner clock," which controls the circadian rhythm of humans, animals and plants. The lighting industry, architects and planners, are interested in this, too, and are developing lighting solutions and concepts for a wide range of applications, based on these scientific findings.
- Q&A Brought to You by Britech
Q: I have a pipe tracing project in a food factory that requires different types of piping and different types of products in the pipe that need to be kept warm or hot. What should I be wary of?A: Most of the piping in the plant will be stainless. Use the correct pipe fastening tape for the heating cable so that it won't harm the stainless steel. You may also require thermostats that can control the temperature, i.e., setpoint, in a very narrow band to ensure the liquid is neither too hot or too cold. Thermostats that control only minimum or maximum temperatures are not acceptable for this purpose.
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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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