Intelligent Power Today Magazine

News and Trends

Counterfeiting Kills

Each year, the counterfeiting of well-known brands and products continues to rise, creating an even more threatening problem. Such well-known counterfeited brands, including consumer safety and critical electrical products, are estimated to be five to seven percent of world trade. The International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) estimates that the counterfeiting of distinguished brands costs industries $600 billion each year worldwide and may result in as many as 750,000 lost jobs every year in the United States.

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Buyer's Guide

News & Trends

2024 CE Code Training - Better Understanding of the Rules

CE Code training is intended to do a lot more than instruct about what changes have taken place since the last time Canada issued a national electrical code. We are producing a series of courses across Canada by one of Canada’s leading experts on the 2024 Edition of Canada’s Electrical...

Featured

Advanced protection against electromagnetic exposures and electric arc

HAZARDS AROUND While working live in the energized grid, presence of voltage around the workers requires special attention. However, live-line (live working) techniques are widely applied for decades, several accidents in the past prove that the level of safety must be improved to minimize...

State of Industry

Illuminating Decisions: EPRI Lights the Way for Modern Lighting Adoption

Facility managers and operators understand the critical role lighting plays in their daily operations. Accounting for roughly 30% of a commercial building's energy load, lighting significantly impacts energy consumption and associated maintenance costs. However, focusing solely on the...

Building Automation Training

Biometric Access Control in Building Automation

Biometric access control systems use unique physical or behavioral characteristics, such as fingerprints or facial features, to verify individuals' identities. This technology has gained significant traction in building automation, particularly for entry and sensitive area authorization, promising enhanced security and streamlined operations.

Building Automation Systems (BAS) play a crucial role in managing access control within modern buildings. Traditionally, access control relied on physical keys or keycards, offering a basic level of security. However, advancements in biometric technology are paving the way for a more secure and convenient approach: biometric access control.

Biometric access control systems utilize unique biological identifiers of individuals, such as fingerprints, facial features, iris patterns, or even palm veins, to grant or deny access to specific areas within a building.

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Types of Biometric Technologies

Several biometric modalities are used for access control within BAS:

Fingerprint Recognition: This is a widely...

Communications

Fortressing the Connected Building: Securing BAS in a Digital Age

Building Automation Systems (BAS) offer a compelling proposition for building management, promising enhanced efficiency, streamlined operations, and improved occupant comfort. However, the growing reliance on interconnected systems introduces cybersecurity vulnerabilities that threaten building...

Energy

The Internet of Things: Building Automation Meets Granular Control

Building Automation Systems (BAS) have established themselves as a cornerstone for optimizing energy consumption in buildings. However, the recent explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) technology presents exciting new possibilities for BAS. By integrating BAS with a network of smart sensors and...

HVAC

How Artificial Intelligence is Reshaping HVAC Efficiency

Traditionally, HVAC control within building automation systems has relied on rule-based systems and human programmed schedules. These systems, while effective, leave significant room for further optimization. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offers...