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Editor's Note
2007 EC&M Product of the Year
Call for Entries
The EC&M Product of the Year Competition was
established in 2000 to honor excellence in new product development in
the electrical industry. Now in its seventh year, the prestigious
awards
program showcases the most innovative products of the past year and
recognizes the talent and commitment of the people involved with every
aspect of development, from concept through sales. EC&M is proud
to bestow these awards on inventive products that ensure electrical
professionals are able to do their jobs more efficiently and
effectively.Entering your new products into EC&M's Product of
the Year competition will provide tremendous exposure for your products
and your company. In addition to identifying yourself as a leader in
the
electrical market, the Product of the Year competition provides
repeated
exposure in the industry. If your products were or will be introduced
to the market between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2006, they are eligible
for the 2007 EC&M Product of the Year competition. You may
download a pdf of the official call for entries from our Web
site or visit the 2007 Product of the Year Award Web site.
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 Power Quality Analyzer
Model 8220
The Model 8220 is a single-phase AC/DC power meter with an
electro-luminescent, backlit digital display. It is designed for
technicians, maintenance engineers, and electrical contractors and
educators. It measures all electrical parameters including (V, A, W,
VAR, harmonics, etc.). It is ideal for and for tracking disturbances. www.aemc.com
Around the Circuit
Construction
Spending Decreases
in October
"Construction spending lost momentum in October," says
Ken Simonson, chief economist for Washington, D.C.-based The Associated
General Contractors of America (AGC). Simonson's comment was in
reaction
to the Dec. 1 report from the Census Bureau that showed the value of
construction put in place in October totaled $1.178 trillion at a
seasonally adjusted annual rate, down 1% from the downwardly revised
September total. "Nonresidential spending has been flat for the past
two
months after growing strongly for more than a year," Simonson says.
"Meanwhile, residential construction spending shrank again in October
by
1.9%, bringing the cumulative decline to 10% since peaking last
March.Although the overall market is down, the report cited several
strong markets in the non-residential sector.
Hotels and resorts grew 8% in October, up 70% from its October 2005
level. The multi-retail category, covering shopping centers and malls
and general merchandise stores, increased 1.3% in October, up 36%
percent compared to October 2005. Private electric power construction
was up 3.3% for the month and 26% year-to-year. Private hospital
construction gained
0.5% and 23% respectively. However, private non-residential
construction
overall dropped 0.7% in October 2006, brought down by declines of 3.1%
in manufacturing, 1.6% in office, and 1.4% in commercial
construction.
U.S.
Pharmaceutical-Biotech Industry Expects 30% Growth in 2007 for New
Construction
Predicting a 30% increase over 2006, the
pharmaceutical-biotech industry expects 80 new facilities -- a $3.7
billion total investment value -- to complete construction over the
next 12 months, says Sugar Land, Texas-based Industrial Info Resources.
Projects include the construction of manufacturing plants, research
laboratories, and drug distribution centers. The Mid-Atlantic region
currently leads the nation in the number of new sites with 11 plants
expected to be finished next year.Included in that total is Coral
Gables, Fla.-based Stiefel Laboratories' $50 million research institute
being built in Durham, N.C. In a three-way tie for second place, the
Great Lakes, Midwest, and West Coast regions are forecast to finish
construction on 10 new sites each. Skokie Technology Innovation
Complex,
being developed by Forest City Enterprises on the 46-acre former Pfizer
site in Skokie, Ill., is estimated at $150 million. Montvale,
N.J.-based
Berlex is building a $70-million manufacturing plant in Lynnwood, Wash.
Omaha, Neb.-based MVP Laboratories is investing $2.5 million to
relocate
manufacturing and R&D to a two-building site in Omaha.
Oregon Solar
Industry Needs
Qualified Installers
A combination of state energy tax credits, federal tax
incentives, and incentives offered by Energy Trust of Oregon has
increased interest in solar electrical and heating systems in Oregon,
but the number of qualified installers hasn't caught up to demand. In
2001, an Oregon Senate bill created the limited renewable energy
technician (LRT) license, a specialty electric license that lets
licensees install solar electric, wind turbines, micro-hydro, and fuel
cell systems up to 25kW. Since the license was created, only 16 LRTs
--
15 of which are currently active -- have been registered. Critics of
the program blame apprenticeship rules for small number of qualified
installers. The state's Bureau of Labor and Industries ruled
apprentices
must work with journeymen one-on-one, instead of two or three
apprentices per journeyman. The small number of LRT license holders
means the program is limited to 15 apprentices per year.The state's
renewable energy programs have also had difficulty attracting licensed
electricians. Although holders of LRT licenses perform solely small
renewable work, holders of higher-level licenses, such as electrical
contractors or journeymen, can install photovoltaic systems. "I'm not
seeing a high demand on classes or on the product," says John Killin,
executive director of Independent Electrical Contractors of Oregon.
"Photovoltaics are still so expensive that they don't pay off yet.
Everybody's interested, but the finances just don't compute for
everybody."
City Questions
Power Company's Subcontractor Policy
Subcontractors for Florida Power & Light were recently
barred from laying wires and conduit in Port St. Lucie, Fla., after a
city licensing investigator discovered the underground excavators
weren't licensed to perform electrical work. Although city officials
later allowed the subcontractors to resume work, Building Official Joe
Salema is seeking an opinion from the Florida Attorney General's Office
and the electrical contractors' board about whether an exemption in
state law allows the arrangement, which extends a company's electrical
license to its workforce. The definition of "workforce" is the subject
of disagreement between the city and FPL.FPL employees install
overhead
wires, and while not all are licensed electricians, they operate under
FPL's electrical contracting license, says Lou Zorzi, major account
manager for FPL, who says an adverse ruling from state officials would
have enormous repercussions on the way FPL and other utilities
statewide
do business. If the state determines that underground contractors can
no
longer install wiring, FPL will have to hire different companies or
demand that the current ones obtain electrical licenses.
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great prizes, too. Visit www.idealindustries.com for
details.
Project Watch
Air Force
Base Requires Distributed Common Ground Station
Langley Air Force Base in Virginia is requesting bids
for a distributed common ground station. The project will require
construction of a 120,000-square-foot sensitive compartmented
information facility (SCIF)/operational areas and a 20,000-square-foot
maintenance/storage building, which will include an electrical
distribution system served from two 5000A main disconnects. Switchgear
will provide 480/277V three-phase, four-wire service backed up with
several 500kVA UPS and 1750kW generator systems. Construction for this
project is estimated at $45 million. Receipt date for proposals is Jan.
17. Information on registration and annual confirmation requirements
may
be obtained by calling (888) 227-2423.
ADVERTISEMENT
 New Flip Clip from Cooper B-Line
The fastest, most inexpensive way to securely hang and level wire
basket
tray, saving installers time and money. The Flip Clip™
can be used with 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded rods, eliminating the
need for multiple hanger sizes. The Flip Clip requires only one nut and
one tool for installation. www.cooperbline.com/flipclip
Web Exclusives
Business Brief
Mark Construction, Longwood, Fla., recently selected
the
commercial division of Winter Park, Fla.-based Palmer Electric to
provide electrical contracting for a new elementary school for Lake
County Schools, headquartered in Tavares, Fla. Dubbed Elementary School
"H", the prototypical design by SchenkelShultz is scheduled for
completion in July 2007 for the upcoming school year. The two-story,
121,875-square-foot facility is located on Grassy Lake Road in
Clermont,
Fla. Maitland, Fla.-based Matern Professional Engineering, P.A. is the
electrical engineering firm of record for this project.
For more Business Briefs, visit the EC&M Web site.
ADVERTISEMENT
 ClearTrax™
range-taking
connectors feature easy lay-in installation of aluminum or copper
conductors and accommodate a wire range of 1000MCM - 6. Benefits are a
faster and safer connection resulting from reduced cable manipulation
during installation. Visit our Web site at www.ilsco.com for additional product
information.
Eye on Safety
New Orleans
Contractors Put
on Probation
In January, the New Orleans City Council adopted an
ordinance suspending the requirement that electrical work at residences
must undergo a city inspection before power is restored. The ordinance,
which expires July 31, allows a homeowner and contractor to sign an
affidavit and submit it to the city so that Entergy New Orleans could
turn on the power. However, the city's Department of Safety & Permits
has recently identified 31 contractors who must have their work
inspected and can no longer submit affidavits, citing "life-threatening
problems" in work done by contractors, such as not replacing rusted or
corroded electrical panels. Eleven of the contractors are on suspension
and cannot file for permits until they fix problems discovered by
inspectors. The remaining 20 are on probation. Homeowners who signed
affidavits share liability. The department says that licensed
contractors
are not the problem, but those contractors are not inspecting the work
of their subcontractors.In their defense, electricians say that the
city has not adequately informed them of its expectations. "They should
have notified all contractors as to what's expected," says Jessie Carr,
owner of Carr Electric in Metairie. Carr says he does not know why he's
on the list. Another electrician on the list, Cleveland Francois, owner
of Powerhouse Electric, New Orleans, isn't allowed to do new electrical
work in Orleans Parish until inspectors review up to 130 homes his
company worked on. The city put his license on hold for not closing in
walls and floors. Francois says he left the walls and floors exposed
because some homeowners living in their cars were ready to get back
into
their homes. The Department of Safety and Permits proposes that a
possible solution to the problem would be to allow for fines and
performance bonds in the ordinance.
Shows and Events
2007 BICSI Winter
Conference
The 2007 BICSI Winter Conference will be held from Jan.
22-25 in Orlando, Fla. In addition to the conference's educational
general sessions on powering and grounding electronic equipment,
wireless AV, and grounding methods, the event features an awards
banquet, design and installation challenges, and RCDD, NTS Specialty,
OSP Specialty, and WD Specialty exams. For more information and to
register, visit BICSI's Web
site.
Technology for Construction
The World of Concrete 2007 Technology for Construction
seminars are scheduled for Jan. 22-25 in Las Vegas. Topics for the
90-minute sessions include financial reporting and accounting,
automating time and attendance, increasing profit through management
software, and Internet marketing. For more information, visit the World
of Concrete Web
site.
IESNA Annual
Conference
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
(IESNA) presents its annual conference from Jan. 28-30 in Phoenix. This
year's event includes a keynote address by Marad R. Atif, Ph.D.,
director, Indoor Environment Research Program, Institute for Research
in
Construction, National Research Council, Canada. Other presentations
include discussions on fixture design, lighting education, wireless
communication, and lighting and mental health. For more information,
download a pdf of the conference brochure on the IESNA Web
site.
Channel Your
Energy into Knowledge and Growth
Are you a residential, industrial, commercial, or
institutional electrical contractor? Do you specify equipment or review
construction plans? Do you maintain electrical systems in a facility?
If
you answered "yes" to any of these questions then you have to make
plans
to attend the Electric West conference program next year in Long Beach,
Calif., which offers the information you need to stay on top of the
electrical game. Check
out this event's 40+ seminars and make plans to meet 200+ leading
suppliers. Or register
now.
Archived Conferences Available for On-Demand Viewing
Check out this list of gems, all free of charge in the "On-Demand
Library and Viewing Room" across from Conference Room A within
EC&M's E-tradeshow:
- Preparing a Claim: Bolstering Your Case Through Good Project
Management
- Harmonics: Causes, Symptoms, and Remediation Techniques
- Power Outages: Preventive Electrical Designs and Product
Solutions
- Electrical Power Engineering: Industry Shortcomings and Possible
Solutions
- MV Cable Basics: Construction, Testing, Ground Fault
Coordination
- Ten Trends That Will Shock the Electrical Market
- Good Project Management: Enhancing the Bottom Line
- Insulation Resistance Testing
- Short Term, Long Term Energy Storage Methods for Standby Power
Systems
- 2007 Construction Market Forecast
Before accessing the archives, make sure you visit the 2006
EC&M e-TradeShow, a year-long virtual business event. In
addition
to attending live activities at conference sessions scheduled
throughout
the year, you can meet with exhibitors in virtual exhibit halls. Free
access and all the information you need are available at http://ecmweb.com/etradeshow/.
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