Intelligent Power Today Magazine

News and Trends

Introducing Intelligent Power Today

Welcome to Intelligent Power Today Magazine, our publication that explores and explains the who, what, where, when, why and how of intelligent electrical devices, a collection of complex mechanical devices and sophisticated control systems used in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities—also known as intelligent buildings.

According to the Institute for Building Efficiency, intelligent buildings use smart technologies to improve system functionality, control operating costs, and to keep building occupants safe, secure, comfortable, and, of...

Buyer's Guide

News & Trends

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...

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...

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

Energy Efficient Lighting Programs

Evaluating today’s certification programs

BY JACKI SWIERNIK, Intertek

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 and its subsequent amendments established minimum efficiency standards for lighting products.

These minimum efficiency standards, as well as recently-proposed penalties (including product holds, recalls, and fines) that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have threatened to incur in the event of a manufacturer’s non-compliance (as publicized in the DOE’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, issued on March 26th, 2012) were discussed at length in Intertek’s August 2012 white paper entitled, “Understanding the DOE Announcement of Compliance and Enforcement: The Definitive Q&A Guide for Lighting Products”.

While the DOE’s mandatory energy efficiency standards and recently-heightened surveillance efforts are designed to ensure manufacturers’ compliance with minimum energy efficiency requirements, they do not account for all of the “green” lighting certification programs and...

Communications

Cutting the Cord: Exploring Wireless Communication Protocols for BAS

Building Automation Systems (BAS) play a crucial role in modern buildings, enabling centralized control and automation of various functions like lighting, HVAC, and security. Traditionally, BAS relied on wired networks for communication between building automation devices and the central control...

Energy

Building Automation: A Conductor's Guide to Energy Efficiency

In the ever-growing symphony of a building's operation, energy consumption plays a critical role. However, left unmanaged, this crucial element can quickly become a discordant note, driving up costs and jeopardizing environmental well-being. Building Automation Systems (BAS) emerge as...

HVAC

Protecting HVAC Systems within a Building Automation Network

In modern buildings, the HVAC system is rarely an isolated entity. Building automation systems (BAS) integrate HVAC components with an array of sensors, controllers, and a central management platform — all connected through networks. This interconnectivity provides significant benefits in...