Intelligent Power Today Magazine

News and Trends

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 the number and seriousness of injuries in the future.
In the high voltage grid, bare-hand method is a common technique for safe live work. In the surroundings of any energized equipment,...

Buyer's Guide

News & 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...

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...

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...

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

Building a Breath of Fresh Air: BAS and Indoor Air Quality

Modern buildings prioritize energy efficiency and aesthetics, but sometimes at the expense of indoor air quality (IAQ). Poor IAQ can lead to respiratory problems, allergies, and decreased occupant comfort and productivity. Fortunately, Building Automation Systems (BAS) offer a powerful solution,...

Energy

BAS for Lighting Control: Balancing Efficiency

Building automation systems (BAS) integrate various components within a building's infrastructure, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), and notably, lighting and controls. The essence of these systems lies in their ability to enhance the functionality, comfort, and energy...

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...