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Around the Circuit
2006 Construction
Starts Equal 2005
New construction starts for 2006 were almost equal to
2005, reports McGraw-Hill Construction. This marks a slowdown from the
double-digit growth experienced in 2004 and 2005 when the value of new
construction starts increased 11% and 12%, respectively. Also in 2006,
non-residential building starts grew 14% and non-building construction
rose 19%, while residential building dropped 12%. Hotel starts spiked
89%, manufacturing plants increased 22%, educational buildings rose
10%,
and health-care facilities experienced a 6% increase. After stalling in
2005, office construction rose 37%. Electric utility construction
jumped
90%, ending a four-year decline. Greater contracting was present across
a range of power-plant types -- fossil fuel, natural gas, wind, and
solar -- as well as transmission line projects. Finally, in
residential construction, single-family starts fell 14% in 2006, and
multi-family starts decreased 1%.
ADVERTISEMENT
Power Quality Analyzer
The Powerpad® Jr. model 8230 is a single-phase,
power quality analyzer that is easy-to-use and shock-resistant. It is
intended for electricians and engineers to measure and carry out
single-phase and balanced three-phase power quality analysis. Users are
able to obtain instant waveforms of the electrical network's
characteristics and also monitor their variation over a period of time.
All power quality parameters, including harmonics out to the
50th, can be recorded. www.aemc.com
North American
Industrial Project Spending Forecast
In 2007, more than 5,400 major projects with a total
investment value of $314 billion have been identified to begin
construction in North America, reports Sugar Land, Texas-based
Industrial Info Resources (IIR). Using a confidence factor -- the
percent change in total investment value from the initial forecast to
the actual amount of spending money that reaches fruition -- IIR
predicts that $136 billion in project activity will actually take
place.
In the United States, $254 billion in activity is scheduled for
construction in 2007. Based on a confidence factor of 43.5%, it is
estimated that $110 billion in spending will actually take place.
New U.S.
Coal-Fired Power Plants
Utilities are planning to build more than 100
coal-fired
power plants in the United States during the next 10 years, The Wall
Street Journal recently reported. The paper states that more than
20,000MW of coal-fired plants are proposed for construction in western
states during the next few years, but it is probable somewhat fewer
will
actually be built. At a meeting scheduled for next month, California
utility regulators are expected to approve a measure that will prohibit
utilities from entering into contracts to buy electricity from
resources
that emit substantial greenhouse gases, such as coal. Utilities in the
state are already moving to meet or exceed the new standards.
Copper Recycling
Helps Fund Children's Hospital
Two employees of Madison, Wis.-based University of
Wisconsin (UW) Hospital and Clinics recently launched a
copper-recycling
program to raise funds for the American Family Children's Hospital
being
built next to the UW Hospital. Jeff Gertgen, electricians supervisor,
and Terry Frink, transportation and labor manager, started Copper for
Kids with a goal of $100,000. So far, they have donated $40,000, which
totals about 20,000 pounds of copper at an average of $2 per pound.
Copper for Kids receives anywhere from 60 cents per pound for copper
wiring to as much as $2.62 per pound for copper tubing from All Metal
Recycling in Madison.Before the program, copper was either recycled
by the contractors or it was thrown away. Under the program,
contractors
have willingly turned over old copper wiring and tubing. "They've seen
the benefit of what we are trying to do," says Frink. "They let us know
whenever their bins are full." Hospital officials also have added
language to building contracts that gives the hospital discretion over
all salvage materials.
Builder
Goes Solar Near Sacramento
Miami-based Lennar Corp. reports that 60 of the 650
solar houses planned for what's being called one of the nation's
largest
all-solar neighborhoods are under construction. The homes, located in
three communities in west Roseville, Calif., and in two more
communities
near Sacramento, which has about 320 days of sunshine a year, will
feature built-in rooftop solar panels as standard equipment. Lennar
estimates its homebuyers will see monthly electricity bills fall by
about 40% to 60% from those in conventional homes, to about $48 a
month.
Roseville Electric, the city's public utility, estimates the project's
650 solar systems may cut greenhouse gas emissions by 4.9 million
pounds, equivalent to 920,000 newly planted trees. However, solar's
average $20,000 price tag remains prohibitive for many builders and
homebuyers. Prices may have remained high because of shortages of key
materials for solar panels.
ADVERTISEMENT
ILSCO Pigtail Adaptors
Popular Again
With the recent increased use of aluminum conductors, ILSCO's ACM,
ACO-90, CPM, and CPML pigtail adaptors are in high demand. The pigtails
give contractors the flexibility of using a less- expensive aluminum
conductor and then converting the conductor so that it can be installed
into a copper connector. Pigtails also reduce the size of the conductor
to allow installation of the conductor into smaller panel board
connectors that may have been supplied. Go to www.ilsco.com and click on Compression
Products to learn more.
Project Watch
Connecticut Seeks
Generator Maintenance
The State of Connecticut's Procurement Services,
Department of Administrative Services, Hartford, Conn., is currently
requesting proposals for repair, maintenance, and inspection of
transmission, distribution, and rotating power equipment
(standby/stationary) generators on a semi-annual basis for the DMR
North
Region. Bids will be accepted until Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. EST. A pdf of the
bid documents are available for download from the state's Web site.
California City
Seeks Bids for
Electrical Installation
The City of Orange, Calif., currently is soliciting
bids
for Well #26 electrical installation. The question cut-off date is Feb.
8 at 5 p.m. PST. All bids are due Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. To request
additional information on this project, fill out the online form on the
city's Web
site.
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
Washington D.C.-based Associated General Contractors of
America (AGC) recently formed a partnership with Enterprise Fleet
Management (EFM) to provide AGC members with discounts up to 15% on
fleet vehicles and operations. Under the partnership, members may
receive discounted fleet pricing on all makes and models of cars,
trucks, and vans, as well as other services, such as flexible funding,
maintenance programs, fuel management, aftermarket equipment, fleet
card
program, corporate rental, risk management, registration, reporting,
and
disposal. To be eligible for participation, companies must be an active
AGC member in good standing. For more information, visit AGC's Web site, or contact EFM
directly at its Web
site.For more Business Briefs, visit the EC&M Web site.
Eye on Safety
Voluntary Recall of
General Duty Safety Switches
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in
cooperation with Square D, Palatine, Ill., recently announced a
voluntary recall of around 27,600 General Duty Safety Switches. The
recall indicates that the switch can continue to supply electricity
even
after being placed in the "off" position, posing a risk of electric
shock. Manufactured in Mexico for Square D, the switches were eligible
to bear the UL and cUL listing marks. For the full report, visit the
CPSC's Web
site.
Shows and Events
Enter the "You Be the Electrical Inspector" Contest at the
EC&M e-Tradeshow
Here's your chance to win a $100 American Express gift certificate and
to prove your knowledge of the National Electrical Code by acting as an
electrical inspector and citing every Code violation appearing in an
actual electrical installation. Visit the EC&M e-Tradeshow, a
virtual online exhibition and live conference center. Also available is
a live conference scheduled for February 15th on "Ground-Fault
Coordination" and a special presentation by Generac on "Sizing
Commercial Generators." And take a look at the archive of various past
conferences, such as "Claim Litigation" and "Harmonics: Causes,
Symptoms, and Remediation Techniques."
It's Time to Hit the Beach
If it's your job to make sure all systems are "go," you
need to go to Electric West. This show and conference offers the right
information and product mix to meet all of your information needs. Do
you maintain and operate electrical systems in a facility? If so, you
have to make plans to attend the Electric West conference program in
Long Beach, Calif. Check
out this event's 40+ seminars in the areas of power quality,
safety,
Code changes, and industrial applications, and make plans to meet 200+
leading suppliers. Or register
now.
Electronic House
Expo
The Spring 2007 Electronic House Expo (EHX) is
scheduled
for March 8-10 in Orlando, Fla. Of specific interest to electrical
contractors, this year EHX will offer the Residential Electrical Expo, a
"show
within a show," and a track of seminars about opportunities and
requirements in the sector. Sponsored by the Independent Electrical
Contractors (IEC) Association, the Residential Electrical Expo will
feature
suppliers of lighting fixtures, power cabling and outlets, load
centers,
whole-house surge suppression, back-up power, alternative energy
sources
and tools, accessories, and software systems related to electrical
work.
For more information, visit the EHX Web site.
Improve Your Electrical Construction Management Skills!
Learn about claim litigation and how to bolster your case to retrieve
owed money. Also, find out about tips for good project management to
increase profit margins. Attend the IEC Training Conference sponsored by
IEC Chesapeake Apprenticeship & Training, in conjunction with strategic
alliance partner EC&M, scheduled for March 14 from 2 p.m.–6 p.m.,
at the Rexel CDC in Upper Marlboro, Md. Two training seminars are
scheduled: “Claim Litigation: Strengthening Your Case Through Good
Project Management” and “Improving Profits Through Good Project
Management,” both presented by John DeDad, senior director, editorial
and EC&M dSevelopment.
Registration fee is $50 for IEC members and $75 for nonmembers. For more
information,
click here
EGSA Spring Convention
The Electrical Generating Systems Association (EGSA)
Spring Convention will be held in Savannah, Ga., from March 18-20. This
year's event will feature addresses such as "Landfill Gas-to-Energy
Project Engine Emissions," "New Technologies & Applications for On-Site
Power Generation," "The Modern Tug/Barge Unit - Power Requirements &
Electrical Outfitting," and "Standby Power and Wireless
Telecommunications." For more information and to register, visit the
EGSA Web
site.
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