Eb 2015 apr

AN ANNEX PUBLISHING & PRINTING INC. PUBLICATION • VOLUME 51 • ISSUE 4

APRIL 2015

POE LIGHTING

HITS THE BIG TIME

PM # 40065710

Also in this issue...

• Reflections from ECAA’s Training Day • Circuit protection in solar PV system standards • Warming up to new Section 62

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What do drug dealers and nuclear power operators have in common?

I “Are we going to go backward and start building coal plants again... like Germany?”

came home from a recent Ontario Energy Network luncheon feeling pumped about Canada’s nuclear power legacy. The featured speaker was Bruce Power’s Duncan Hawthorne, who enjoys talking about nuclear power, and wants to ensure it’s properly positioned as a critical element in our energy supply mix.

Hawthorne explained that, as a young engineer back in Scotland in the early 1980, they would talk about what was going on in Ontario, specifically Ontario Hydro, when they talked about nuclear power best practices.

And the CANDU reactor was a game-changing technology, said Hawthorne, because you could refuel at full power. “A well-run CANDU can go toe-to-toe with any other nuclear technology,” he boasted.

Then he jokingly compared nuclear power operators to drug dealers, noting that “you only hear about them when something goes wrong”.

But his primary message was that Canada’s nuclear power industry doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, conceding that nuclear power operators themselves probably haven’t done as good a job as they could have in getting the message out... for starters, that nuclear supplies 62% of Ontario’s power.

And if we start seeing more electrified transportation, we’re going to need a hell of a lot more power, and

Contents 12 Reflections from ECA of Alberta’s

Training Day & AGM

In advance of ECAA’s upcoming 2015 Training Day and annual general meeting, being held May 22-24 in Invermere, B.C., we take a look back at the training, networking and people from last year’s event.

On the Cover and Page 8 PoE lighting hits the big time Among the technological nuances in Cisco’s new Toronto HQ is the power-over-ethernet (PoE) lighting, which is used throughout the space.

Photo A. Capkun.

14 The critical need for circuit protection in

solar PV system standards

OEMs and engineers have identified an urgent need to develop effective electrical protection for solar PV system equipment aimed at preventing overcurrent, overvoltage and isolation events... and there are solutions.

nukes are great at making lots of power.

Hence the importance of successful refurbishments at Darlington and Bruce.

“Are we going to go backward and start building coal plants again... like Germany [is doing now],” asked Hawthorne.

“So we have to get this [nuclear plant refurbishment] right.”

And the nuclear industry is not shrinking, but growing worldwide. In fact, there will be twice as many reactors operating globally by 2040.

Hawthorne explained Canada is seen as a nuclear power pioneer on the global stage, and wished Ottawa would embrace that legacy and shout it to the world.

Just as Hawthorne explained that there are trade-offs between different nuclear power technologies, there are trade-offs between different power sources. No one single source is perfect in all situations all the time. Even the ITER nuclear fusion project, when it comes online, will also likely have some Cons to go with its Pros.

As IESO’s Bruce Campbell said at January’s OEN luncheon, “We have nuclear and wind as dancing partners in this province”.

Let’s work together to ensure we have a reliable supply mix for all conditions, all the time.

departments 4

Industry News

7 Letters 11 Personalities 16 Calendar 17 Electrical Safety 360

Plan your work, work your plan

20 Products & Solutions 22 Code File

Warming up to new Section 62

22 Code Conundrum

18 Tapping into the sex appeal of outdoor lighting

The second article of our series “House of Unlimited Budget” delves into exterior lighting, which has long left the single-bulb, porchlight concept in the dust.

Today’s outdoor lighting systems bathe a property in an elevated and ritzy guise.

page 20

www.EBMag.com • April 2015 • 3

industry news World Bank lifts Alstom bans Alstom Hydro France and Alstom Network Schweiz (www.alstom.com), as well as their affiliates were released from their World Bank (www.worldbank.org) debarment as of February 21, 2015.

The World Bank’s Integrity Compliance Office (ICO) has determined that Alstom has “implemented a corporate compliance program in line with the World Bank’s integrity compliance guidelines.” The ICO also found Alstom has satisfied all of the other conditions of its February 21, 2012 settlement with the World Bank.

Under Alstom’s December 22, 2014 plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and based on this ICO conclusion, Alstom said it will not be required to engage any compliance monitor.

April 2015 • Volume 51 • Issue 4 eleCtriCal Business is the magazine of the Canadian electrical community. it reports on the news and publishes articles in a manner that is informative and constructive.

Editor Anthony Capkun - acapkun@annexweb.com Group Publisher John MacPherson - jmacpherson@annexweb.com Account Manager Scott Hoy - shoy@annexweb.com Assistant Editor Renée Francoeur - rfrancoeur@annexweb.com Art Director Svetlana Avrutin - savrutin@annexweb.com Production Manager Kathryn Nyenhuis - knyenhuis@annexweb.com Subscriber Customer Service Representative Karen Thomson - kthomson@annexweb.com Director of Soul/COO Sue Fredericks

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industry news Ryerson researcher takes on efficient wind harnessing

photo: Christopher Manson.

A researcher from Ryerson University (www.ryerson.ca) in Toronto says he has found a way to address some of the major challenges related to wind power.

Bhanu Opathella is a postdoctoral fellow in Ryerson’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE), a research and technology demonstration centre. He led a 2012 study that explored how to optimize Ontario’s wind farms.

According to the report, wind power is associated with three challenges: wind is unpredictable, inconsistent and the energy it produces cannot be dispatched on demand. For Opathella, the solution lies in getting them to work together.

While regulation changes are needed to drive his idea forward, Opathella says when farms work together, an area experiencing a great deal of wind can then offset an area experiencing very little.

“Since each generator has a different output, a turbine on one farm can work at full capacity while a turbine on another farm can operate at just 10% capacity,” says Opathella.

— With files from Dana Yates.

Schneider Electric recognized for “Talent Breakthrough of the Year” Energy management specialist Schneider Electric (www. schneider-electric.com) has won SCM World’s inaugural Power of Profession Award in the “Talent Breakthrough of the Year” category. Congratulations!

SCM World (a supply chain talent development partner) recognized Schneider for its Supply Chain Edison and Global Supply Chain Academy programs. The two talent programs were developed to support a global transformation called the Tailored Supply Chain, and educated the entire organization on cross-functional supply chain expertise and leading supply chain capabilities.

CEA’s electric utility report highlights need for innovation The Canadian Electricity Association (www.electricity.ca) released a new report called “Electric Utility Innovation: Toward Vision 2050”. It reveals that much of Canada’s electricity infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life, and discusses the impact of the changing role of

electric utilities on renewal decisions.

The report calls for a “systematic approach to innovation to ensure utilities have the mandate

and means to invest in innovation going forward”, such as developing technology in the areas of demand response, the facilitation of distributed generation, the facilitation of electric vehicles, the optimization of asset use, and fault detection and mitigation.

It also makes several recommendations to further innovation.

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2013-10-17 2:22 PM www.EBMag.com • April 2015 • 5

Photo: Premier’s Office.

A new transmission line will be going up in British Columbia’s Okanagan region to “strengthen the transmission network to deliver power reliably to the communities of West Kelowna, Westside and Peachland”, announced Premier Christy Clark.

BC Hydro (www.bchydro.com) has identified three route options for the new line, which will also require an upgrade to the Westbank substation.

The final route, timing and budget will be determined after consultation with the public and First Nations, set to begin this spring.

West Kelowna is currently powered by an existing 138-kV transmission line that runs from the Nicola Substation near Merritt to the Westbank Substation in West Kelowna. It travels 80 km through remote, heavily forested terrain where the wildfire risk is high.

CrossChasm receives federal boost for smart-charging system CrossChasm Technologies Inc. is receiving $430,000 from the federal government, as part of Natural Resources’ recent investment in the development of clean technologies in Waterloo, Ont. (www.crosschasm.com).

The company is charged with using this money for the demonstration phase of a smart-charging system that will better predict and accommodate the energy needs of the plug-in electrical vehicle market, while also improving the driving experience for Canadians and alleviating pressure on the electrical grid, stated NRCan. Doble Engineering acquires Enoserv Doble Engineering (www.doble.com) has acquired agnostic software provider Enoserv (enoserv.com). The Enoserv division of Doble and the existing business of Doble will maintain their respective core offerings and Enoserv’s vendor agnostic nature will remain intact, according to Doble. Doble’s products will expand to new users as Enoserv’s solutions, including its RTS and PowerBase software.

6 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

Victory for Prompt Payment Ontario?

Province launches Lien Act review Ontario announced it is launching an “expert review” of the Construction Lien Act (tinyurl.com/aby5hta) that will include the examination of payment issues within the construction sector.

It was commissioned in response to stakeholder concerns related to prompt payment and “effective dispute resolution” in Ontario’s construction industry, such as encouraging timely payment for services and materials, and making sure payment risk is distributed fairly.

The review is expected to be completed

by December 2015, says the province, and will involve consultation with the construction industry.

Leviton welcomes Isted Technical Sales Leviton Manufacturing of Canada Ltd. (www.leviton.com) welcomed Isted Technical Sales (istedtechnicalsales.ca) as the company’s new representative in the Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ont., regions.

Leviton’s Jeff Hagman, territory manager, will support Isted through the early stages.

Photo A. Capkun

BC Hydro to build transmission line in the Okanagan

“The largest single-location LED lighting retrofit in North America” Independent lighting supplier Mercor Lighting says it has been awarded the contract to retrofit the lighting at The Scotia Tower in downtown Toronto, adding this project will be “the largest single-location LED lighting retrofit in North America”.

It involves 44,000 luminaires to be converted completely to LED (linear recessed and pot), with an estimated savings of over 5.3 million kWh and over $100,000 in annual maintenance costs.

The work will completed after hours so as not to disturb occupants, and is expected to last over 12 months. This retrofit calls for the recycling of over 180,000 linear feet of fluorescent lamps, notes Mercor’s owner Eric Tordjman, which is equal to 300,000 milligrams of mercury being removed from circulation.

Finding “opportunity in the Cambridge area” House of Electrical Supplies (houseofelectrical.com)—an electrical distributor headquartered in Markham, Ont.—has opened a new branch in Cambridge, Ont., at 375 Sheldon Drive, Units 3-4.

The branch is just under 10,000 sf and sports a high-efficiency lighting system and a large training facility. It joins two other House of Electrical branches: Mississauga, Ont., and the Markham HQ.

Photo Genalta Power Inc.

Terex’s digger derrick products turn 70 Terex Utilities (www.terex.com/ utilities) celebrates its digger derrick product line’s 70th birthday.

The line began in 1945 with the Tel-Elect digger derrick, and has since expanded to include the Terex Commander 4000, 5000 and 6000 digger derricks, as well as the Terex General 65, 80 and 95 models.

Stock Photo

industry news

Gas conservation project activated in northern Alberta Genalta Power Inc. (www.genaltapower.com) has announced the completion of the first phase of its Three Creeks project in northern Alberta, part of the Peace River Power Centre, in conjunction with Baytex Energy Corp. (www.baytexenergy.com).

The electrical power generating facility is designed to conserve solution gas in the area, while providing a new source of low emissions electricity into Alberta’s power grid.

The first two of five generation units have been activated, generating approximately 8MW of power, said Genalta. The project is forecasted to generate a total of 20MW that will be activated this year and the facility will generate electricity for approximately 23,000 Alberta homes.

letters More than Confederation Bridge connecting The Island to the mainland The Feds have conditionally set aside up to $50 million from the Green Infrastructure Fund for a project “to help stabilize the electricity supply in Prince Edward Island”: the Northumberland Strait Power Cable Project.

The project will involve installing two, 180MW high-voltage submarine transmission cables across the Northumberland Strait, as well as the necessary on-land infrastructure. The cables will span 17 kilometres of the Strait from Cape Tormentine, N.B., to Borden, P.E.I. The existing cables installed in 1977 are nearing the end of their life cycle, says Infrastructure Canada, adding that connecting the new cables “will help sustain uninterrupted service at a reasonable cost for Islanders”.

Infrastructure Canada added that the Northumberland Strait Power Cable Project is the “most significant on Prince Edward Island since the Confederation Bridge” and will support job creation and economic growth by making “cheaper, cleaner forms of energy available to residents and businesses, thereby reducing reliance on generators”.

AD announces new power transmission division Affiliated Distributors (www.adhq.com) recently announced it is expanding into the power transmission and motors market.

Bill Childers will be leading the new division, as AD’s vice-president and managing director of Power Transmission, effective March 2, 2015. Childers joins AD with 43 years of experience in the industry. He is the former president of C&U Americas, a bearing manufacturer.

More news can be found online.

Visit us at EBMag.com

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Our winner of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active!

Back in December, we asked you to send us a photo of your old cell phone for a chance to win a new Galaxy S5 Active from our friends at Samsung (www.samsung.ca). There could be only one winner, as there was only one smartphone to be won, but we felt it appropriate to throw in a few more prizes for the ultimate winner as well as a few of the runners-up.

Congratulations to our Samsung winner, Kevin Woods of Wallaceburg, Ont., who almost has enough old phones to start a museum (photos #1 and #2)!

And congratulations to runners-up Brian Nitchke of Smiths Falls, Ont. (photo #3) and Dennis Aviles of Winnipeg, Man. (photo #4), for their submissions. All three winners will also receive a limited edition Electrical Business 50th Anniversary tool tote (courtesy of Ideal Industries Canada Corp.), as well as an electrical combo kit with digital multimeter, voltage detector, Fastback utility knife and 11-in-1 multi-tip screwdriver from our pals at Milwaukee.

We have electrical safety problems of our own I’m disappointed with the lack of relevant electrical safety content in Electrical Business Magazine. Several recent articles, including the monthly “Electrical Safety 360” column, do not address the current problems we have in Canada.

The majority of your readers live in Canada and deserve more information about electrical hazards in Canada and the proper application of the CSA Z462 “Workplace electrical safety” to mitigate or reduce the risk of exposure.

We have Canadian workers—both electrical and non-electrical—at risk of exposure to the electrical hazards of arc flash and shock.

We have many non-electrical workers being

electrocuted due to contact with, or proximity to, overhead powerlines while performing their work. This statistic is not declining.

We also have electrical workers still being electrically shocked while they complete energized electrical work.

We need to share relevant information with Canadians on what is happening in Canada with respect to electrical safety. What can Canadians do to impact change? How can we work with the provincial and territorial governments to influence change?

We need examples of Canadians that are making an effort and working with industry to ensure we mitigate or reduce risk of exposure to electrical hazards for all workers.

— J.C.

We always appreciate your Letters to the Editor: acapkun@annexweb.com

4/15/11 11:59:45 AM

www.EBMag.com • April 2015 • 7

<

PoE lighting

photos a. Capkun.

Project manager Richard Lees of CBRE (photo centre) discusses power-over-ethernet lighting strategy in Cisco’s new Toronto HQ and Innovation Centre at RBC Waterpark Place III located at 85 Harbour Square.

Lighting cuts the cord (sort of) in new Cisco Toronto HQ

<

HITS THE BIG TIME

The building has been constructed with a single, converged IP network infrastructure to capitalize on current technology trends and provide today’s collaborative workforce with the best possible tools and resources. Work performed by Guild Electric.

Anthony Capkun

A

bout this time last year, Cisco announced Toronto had been selected as the location for a global Cisco Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation Centre, representing a planned investment of up to $100 million over 10 years. Toronto joins cities in South Korea, Brazil and Germany as one of four centres announced worldwide.

“This building is more than just a showcase, but a living lab,” said Dr. Rick Huijbregts, vice-president of Industry Transformation, Cisco Canada, while speaking with reporters during an exclusive tour of the facility a few months ago.

Focusing on technologies and market opportunities surrounding IoE, the Innovation Centre aims to “help start-ups, established

8 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

companies and entire industries explore what is possible with Cisco technologies and Smart+Connected solutions, while fostering Canadian-based innovation”.

Representing a $100-million investment in design and infrastructure, technology, staffing and operational costs over the next 10 years, the Innovation Centre will occupy about 15,000 square feet in Oxford Properties’ RBC WaterPark Place III, scheduled for completion this Spring.

The building has been constructed with a single, converged IP network infrastructure to capitalize on current technology trends and provide today’s collaborative workforce with the best possible tools and resources, says Cisco.

PoE lighting shines Among the technological nuances in this advanced commercial space is the powerover-ethernet (PoE) lighting, which is used everywhere throughout the space.

“All the lighting is PoE... no electrical,” said project manager Richard Lees of CBRE. “PoE Lighting is the way to go.” The PoE lighting is IP addressable, and MACs (moves, adds, changes) are greatly simplified, he explained. The lighting is run off of the communications network, which has its own UPS (uninterruptible power supply), so it may not even go down during a power outage.

When the office is complete, more than 1200 PoE+ LED fixtures will be installed throughout the company’s three and-a-half

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“This building is more than just a showcase, but a living lab,” said Cisco Canada’s Rick Huijbregts of the new Cisco Toronto HQ and Innovation Centre.

2320-18 FLIR C2 Electrical EB Apr15_6.375x9.75 03-24-15 1:51 PM Page 1

floors. The fixtures are connected to a Cat6A cable that provides power, communications and control functionality. The Cat 6A is connected to a Cisco PoE+ Catalyst port, all of which run on Waterpark Place III’s converged, smart building network.

About half of the PoE+ fixtures deployed in the Cisco office include a sensing strip that

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As a LEED Core and Shell Platinum building, RBC Waterpark Place III employs “the absolute highest standard in sustainable practices at every level”, notes Cisco, pointing to features such as:

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• Heat reclaim on all ventilation units that reduces energy consumption and ensures consistent temperatures.

• Dedicated outdoor air system with CO2 sensors that provide fresh air, similar to opening a window.

• LED lighting with occupancy sensors and daylight harvesting throughout the complex.

• Access to natural light creates a comfortable work environment through 9-ft ceilings, 45-ft core-to-glass and glazingto-ceiling to maximize light penetration.

• Roller blinds that are integrated into the window system allowing more natural light in when open, and keeping the heat and light out when closed.

Cisco Canada will be one of the lead tenants in the building, in addition to being a partner and stakeholder of the design and thinking behind the building’s creation (securing the infrastructure).

The images displayed may not be representative of the actual resolution of the camera shown. Images/content are for illustration purposes only.

10 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

• Oxford can pre-program them and set automatic controls.

• Oxford can monitor the lights and adjust controls as required.

• Individual users will have the capability to customize the light in their workspace through a Cisco phone, desktop or mobile device.

• The total system can be programmed to be automatic and follow dynamic time of day, occupancy and daylight harvesting sequences.

In fact, the intelligence of the PoE+ fixtures running on a converged network enables Cisco and its partners to create new uses cases and sophisticated control capabilities for employees.

According to Lees, this is the first PoE lighting deployment in North America in a commercial setting (outside of pilot sites).

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can monitor light level, room temperature and occupancy. The fixtures can be controlled in multiple ways:

2015-03-24 2:17 PM

personalities Andreas Sobotta has joined Hammond Manufacturing— (www.hammfg.com) maker of electrical and electronic Andreas Sobotta enclosures, racks and cabinets, power bars and electronic transformers—as vice-president of North American sales & marketing.

He has held senior roles in the electrical/controls worlds for years, says the company. Most recently, he held the role of national sales manager with Davis Controls, and has held Canadian-based roles as VP of marketing with Festo, business unit manager with Siemens and general manager/director of sales & marketing at Phoenix Contact.

At the Council of Ontario Construction Association’s (www.coca.on.ca) recent annual general meeting, Eryl Roberts Eryl Roberts— executive vice-president of Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario (www.ecao.org)—was awarded the Cliff Bulmer Award.

Roberts was recognized for his work on Bill 69, The Prompt Payment Act, which the government set aside in 2014 to launch a review of the Construction Lien Act. Hammond Power Solutions Inc. (www.hammondpowersolutions.com) has named Jay Davis as chief operations officer. Davis will be responsible for all aspects of manufacturing, engineering, supply Jay Davis chain, and quality in North America, as well as all functional responsibilities for HPS in Europe and Asia. For the last six years, Davis was the global vicepresident for Volvo based in Brussels, Belgium. He was responsible for multiple facilities globally that build heavy equipment for Volvo.

Thanks to Electro-Federation Canada for letting us know of the passing of Ideal Supply’s (www. idealsupply.com) John MacDonald on February 14, 2015. He was 83.

Memorial donations to the John and Colleen MacDonald Family Fund (cheques made payable to Stratford Perth Community Foundation) may be made through the Eaton Funeral Home. A

charitable tax receipt will be issued for all gifts received.

Service Wire (www.servicewire. com), a manufacturer and distributor of industrial grade wire and related products, has added two new faces to its team. Scott Foster is now serving Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, eastern Pennsylvania, Tennessee,

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2015-02-23 PM www.EBMag.com • April 2015 2:30 • 11

Reflections from Anthony Capkun

W

ithin my first year as editor of Electrical Business Magazine, I had the opportunity to meet and network with my Western Canadian countrymen in Jasper at the 2005 annual general meeting of the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta (ECAA), who hosted the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association’s (CECA) national convention alongside their own.

It was at that event, I believe, that I experienced my first exposure to Western hospitality, and I’ve never forgotten it. (Some highlights from the event in EBMag August 2005, p.6.) So just consider my elation when, at the generous invitation of ECAA (thanks Sheri and Jeanette!), I had the opportunity to attend the association’s 2014 Training Day, annual general meeting and President’s Gala.

(I write about this event now because I want it fresh in your mind as you make plans to attend ECAA’s 2015 Training Day and annual general meeting, being hosted next month in Invermere, B.C. Visit tinyurl. com/qgtmgy8 for a direct link to EBMag.com’s online calendar entry.)

To say there were ample opportunities for networking, socializing, etc., goes without saying (see “And even more photos!” sidebar), but what struck me was just how tired I was at the end of the day! ... that honest-to-goodness, I just put in a full day’s work kind of tired, as I marched, photographed and took notes at the various meetings and education sessions.

As you go through this scrapbook, make plans now to attend ECAA’s 2015 Training Day and annual general meeting May 22-24 in Invermere, B.C., at Copper Point Resort.

!

“the Big Mac is a quality burger,” said rob Colclough at the start of his presentation on quality assurance/control. this statement was met with confused snickering from delegates, until Colclough explained that “quality is delivering what the client asked for. the Big Mac comes out exactly as the customer expects”. “we are all in the service industry,” added Colclough, and while we have lots safety sessions, “how many sessions do we conduct on quality?” the Quality Dept. is the last line of defence, not the first, he said. Colclough discussed the importance of hiring for the right attitude, doing the job right the first time and the need for formal quality training for electricians. “we should be ashamed over the existence of rework crews.”

WHY DO THEY JOIN ECAA? “BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM THE EDGE”

While in Edmonton for ECAA’s 2014 Training Day, we took the opportunity to speak with several members to learn why ECAA membership has its privileges.

Weighing in on the discussion were: Les Dzwonkiewicz of Builder’s Electric Co. Ltd.; Brian Halina, Chemco Electrical Contractors Ltd.; Keven Lefebvre, Millennium Electric Ltd.; Darrell Castor, Western Electrical Mgmt. Ltd.; Jeanette DeBruin, AltaPro Electrical Services; and Kelly Wilde, KELS Electric Ltd. Education—including the Professional Electrical Contractor program—and opportunities for networking were cited among the top reasons, as well as the importance of supporting an organization that works continuously on behalf of electrical professionals in the province.

Watch the video on YouTube at tinyurl.com/pveab5m.

AND EVEN MORE PHOTOS! EBMag was in Edmonton in May 2014 to cover the association’s Training Day (Gallery 1 of 2), and Annual General Meeting and President’s Gala (Gallery 2 of 2).

GALLERY 1 OF 2: ECAA TRAINING DAY This gallery contains photos from Training Day, which included simply top-notch speakers and subjects of interest, as well as a mini tradeshow. Direct link: tinyurl.com/m7cz8vx.

GALLERY 2 OF 2: ECAA AGM AND PRESIDENT’S GALA This gallery contains photos from the Awards Luncheon where, among other things, members were recognized for their years of membership; the passing of the gavel between presidents, and a few speakers from the gala dinner.

Direct link tinyurl.com/nx3caf3.

12 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

“envision the day you leave the business and someone hands you a cheque... who is giving you the cheque? what is the amount on that cheque?” these two fundamental questions were posed by pat DeMeester in his presentation on succession planning, “the longer you plan for your departure from the business, the better you can position the company for a perfect sale.”

Very few businesses are sold for a cheque made out in the full amount, warned DeMeester. “usually, it’s 20% down then ‘vendor payback’ over the next several years.” have you begun your own succession plan?

!

you may be wondering, “what’s a media relations and crisis communications guru like Grant ainsley doing at eCaa’s training Day?”. why would an electrical contractor need media relations or crisis communications advice, anyway? his session “Making your Business Bulletproof” provided delegates tips for navigating “a world where thousands of people and the news media can learn about something that’s gone wrong with your business because of a single facebook post, a tweet, or a youtube upload from one of your employees”. as Grant pointed out, you never know when something might happen—like, say, a serious injury on your jobsite—that suddenly casts you and your firm in the limelight. were that to happen to you, and you suddenly found yourself facing reporters, how prepared would you be?

!

PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR (PEC) PROGRAM

Something I believe to be unique in all of Canada is ECAA’s Professional Electrical Contractor program, whose sole purpose is to provide the technically trained master electrician with an opportunity to gain a custom-designed education to make him “a better-informed electrical contractor and, therefore, a more esteemed member of the electrical industry and of the public at large”.

And this is interesting: any Alberta Master Electrician who take out permits for person/ firms is eligible to apply to the program, whether they are ECAA members or not.

A PEC is a Certified or Registered (CME or RME) Master Electrician in the Province of Alberta taking out electrical permits on behalf of a person/firm engaged in electrical contracting and who has successfully completed the course work and examinations required by the professional education program.

In the future, ECAA expects the title of Professional Electrical Contractor to stand for professionalism, not only in the minds of association members but, more importantly, in the minds of customers and the general public.

This is good for professionalism, and good for industry, but space limits me from explaining it in greater details. Visit www.ecaa.ab.ca and find the link on the left for “Professional Electrical Contractor (P.E.C.) Program”.

!

NEW MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY FOR JOURNEYPERSONS! ECAA launched a brand new membership called “Journeyperson Associate” for journeypersons who want to glean the benefits of belonging to ECAA, but whose companies are not association members themselves. Great idea!

rob feagan, executive director of alberta human services (responsible for occupational health & safety delivery), gave delegates an overview of recent changes to oh&s legislation along, and explained how the two new compliance tools—tickets and administrative penalties (aps)—fit with other compliance tools used in the province. at the time of his presentation, only five tickets had been issued (ticketing started January 2014). all of them related somehow to fall arrest and, after checking the employer had done his due diligence, all five tickets were issued to employees. some employers have considered asking employees to provide their oh&s ticket history, said feagan, to ensure they are hiring someone safe. introduced in october 2013, administrative penalties are reserved for more serious offences, such as tampering with an accident scene or ignoring stop work orders. noting that alberta is “a busy province; a young province [young workforce]”, he discussed how oh&s is going to deploy resources using a risk-based approach in relation to individual employers and industry sectors.

of course, what would an annual general meeting be without the passing of the gavel from outgoing president to the incoming president? Darcy teichroeb of Bar w petroleum & electric (left) accepts the presidential gavel from outgoing president les Dzwonkiewicz of Builder’s electric Co. ltd.

ADVANCE YOUR TRAINING AT COPPER POINT RESORT

Mark your calendar now for Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta’s (ECAA) 2015 Training Day and annual general meeting, being held May 22-24 in Invermere, B.C., at the beautiful Copper Point Resort.

Visit tinyurl.com/qgtmgy8 for a direct link to EBMag.com’s online calendar entry, where you can download the Annual General Meeting and/or Training Day Registration packages, as well as a handy Copper Point information guide.

www.EBMag.com • April 2015 • 13

The critical need for SOLAR CIRCUIT protection in PV SYSTEM STANDARDS Jason Ezzell

T

he drive to decrease dependence on foreign oil and protect the environment for future generations is generating added momentum for the solar photovoltaic market.

Considering the unique nature of this adaptive technology, equipment manufacturers and engineers have identified an urgent need to develop effective electrical protection for PV system equipment aimed at preventing overcurrent, overvoltage and isolation events.

The recent development of particular circuit protection solutions has helped to ensure an efficient and low-cost option for solar customers so they may safeguard their equipment and maximize energy within PV systems at the same time.

stoCk photo

Solar PV is expanding In the United States, 74% of new electric generating capacity in the first quarter of 2014 came from solar (according to Solar Energy Industries Association). The benefits of solar energy utilization provide plenty of promise, from requiring little maintenance to being a low-cost, renewable source of power that generates an electric current. This, in turn, exhibits a rising demand for PV systems for residential, non-residential and utility markets.

PV cells are made from semi-conductor materials such as polycrystalline silicon or thin-film that converts sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. These cells are connected in a series to create a PV module that increases overall voltage. From there, PV strings are connected in parallel (often by a combiner box) to increase amperage. The result is DC power that is sent to an inverter to be converted from DC to alternating current (AC), then supplied to the electric grid and consumed.

PV systems are unlike other grid-connected AC systems because of the limited availability within short-circuit current of their construct.

This demonstrates a need for overcurrent protective devices so that that the system can operate efficiently on low levels of fault current. For this reason, the development of PV fuses and circuit breakers is crucial to protecting the system. Such devices are specifically designed and tested to protect PV systems with high DC voltages and low fault currents.

PV system circuit protection solutions Within the past five decades, solar PV systems have evolved into what is now a mature and adaptive technology. However, because solar PV system power generation is so unique, it requires outstanding protection in the event of overcurrent or overvoltage disruptions.

Because the protection of PV systems is also unlike any other conventional electrical installation, the International Electrotechnical Commissions (IEC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) have defined specific criteria that an overcurrent protection device should meet for

14 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

protecting PV systems. This is demonstrated in IEC 60269-6 (gPV) and UL 2579 for fuses and UL 489B for breakers.

Because of the many different ratings and source circuits that have to be followed and identified properly, there is an increased demand for fuse solutions and surge protective devices (SPDs) that can properly meet the internal and external construct of the apparatus. Photovoltaic fuses and SPDs, solar string protectors and modular fuse holders are just some of the many circuit protection solutions that can be utilized for residential, commercial and utility systems. From the combiner box to the inverter, it is important to compile complete and reliable solutions for an outstanding photovoltaic balance of system (BOS).

For example, when multiple PV strings are connected in parallel, having a PV fuse on each PV string will protect the modules and conductors from overcurrent faults and help significantly reduce the risk of safety hazards. PV fuses also have the ability to isolate the faulted PV string so that the BOS continues to generate electricity. Additionally, fuses for PV systems are specifically designed to protect solar power systems in extreme ambient temperature, high cycling and low-level fault current conditions (reverse current, multi-array fault).

It is also important to remember to protect PV output circuits.

Depending on the capacity of the PV system, there may be numerous output circuits (each output circuit consisting of multiple PV source circuits) connected in parallel to achieve higher ampacity and, subsequently, more power. Thus, having a PV overcurrent protective device on each PV output circuit will protect the conductors from fault currents.

Finally, PV module performance varies with temperature and irradiance level. In operation, PV overcurrent protective devices are influenced by ambient temperature, and derating should be considered when being specified.

Conclusion Safeguarding solar PV systems with today’s broad selection of overcurrent protective solutions can meet the growing demand in the marketplace for the safe and efficient production and management of solar energy. These devices are designed to meet the specific needs of such a system by maintaining high DC voltages and addressing the need for cost reduction, safety, reliability and efficiency.

Jason Ezzell is currently a field applications engineer for Eaton’s Bussmann Business, having previously served as product manager with a specific focus on circuit protection in the solar market.

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calendar OEL Electrical Industry Conference Ontario Electrical League April 29-May 2, Huntsville, Ont. Visit www.oel.org

WILL BE

THERE!

Lightfair May 3-7, New York, N.Y. Visit www.lightfair.com

WILL BE

THERE!

IEEE Industrial & Commercial Power Systems Technical Conference May 5-8, Calgary, Alta.

Visit sites.ieee.org/icps2015

WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

THERE!

EAM (form. Manitoba Electrical League) Showcase Electrical Association of Manitoba May 20-21, Winnipeg, Man. Visit www.meleague.ca

WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

THERE!

EV2015 Conference & Tradeshow Electric Mobility Canada May 25-27, Halifax, N.S. Visit emc-mec.ca/ev2015ve

ECAA Training Day & AGM Electrical Contractors Assoc. of Alberta May 21-24, Invermere, B.C. Visit www.ecaa.ab.ca EFC Annual Conference Electro-Federation Canada May 25-29, Banff, Alta.

Visit www.electrofed.com

WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

THERE!

Skills Canada National Competition May 27-30, Saskatoon, Sask.

Visit skillscompetencescanada.com WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

THERE!

WILL BE

62nd Annual EUFMC Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference May 31-June 3, Williamsburg, Va. Visit www.eufmc.com THERE!

Alberta Safety Codes Council Conference June 3-5, Banff, Alta.

Visit www.safetycodes.ab.ca EASA Convention Electrical Apparatus & Service Association June 14-16, San Antonio, Texas Visit www.easa.com CSA Annual Conference & Committee Week June 14-19, Niagara Falls, Ont. Visit www.csagroup.org

WILL BE

THERE!

BCEA Trade Expo (with MCABC) B.C. Electrical Association June 17, Kelowna, B.C. Visit www.bcea.bc.ca

Visit EBMag.com’s Upcoming Events on the homepage to see an extensive list of industry events.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

PHOTOS • Bruce Power’s

Duncan Hawthorne was the featured speaker during the February 11 gathering of the Ontario Energy Network.

Hawthorne noted that despite the fact that the nuclear power industry doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves, there will be twice as many reactors operating worldwide by 2040. Visit tinyurl.com/oopag5e.

VIDEO • While at Solar Canada earlier this winter, EBMag had the opportunity to chat with Jack Burt, deputy fire chief with Meaford & District Fire Department, to help us navigate the new requirements coming into effect in Ontario for carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Watch the video at tinyurl.com/l8gqat6.

VIDEO • During CanSIA’s Solar Canada 2014, EBMag caught up with several members of the growing non-profit group Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) including Debbie Ellis of G&W Canada and WiRE founders and co-chairs Rebecca Black and Joanna Szarek Osawe. Watch the video at tinyurl. com/nb3mgsf.

16Standard_EB_April.indd • April 2015 • 1www.EBMag.com

2015-03-18 2:21 PM

WILL BE

THERE!

electrical safety 360

Mike Doherty

Plan your work, work your plan

No. 1 always takes priority over No. 2. That’s non-negotiable.

It doesn’t matter if those tasks are in the construction, industrial, commercial or utility sectors; low-, medium- or high-voltage work doesn’t make a lot of difference, either.

Building new facilities or power generation plants, repairing older ones and/or doing significant maintenance tasks all need to end up at the same place each day.

Sometimes, it’s just going to take longer to get the job done safely, but the key to getting the job done with zero injury or incidents such that we can also get it done on time and on budget is to employ worldclass job-planning techniques.

One of my favourite documents is Infrastructure Health & Safety Association’s Electrical Utility Safety Rules (EUSR), which has existed in various forms for 100 years and been developed over the decades to reduce risks to workers.

EUSR contains 49 different rules covering many different topics but, without question, Rule 107 “Job Planning” is the key to all the rest.

Portions of it can be applied conceptually to any electrical work, as it covers many critical pre-planning items before you start work. Rule 107 has 5 steps, but I want to focus your attention on 1a, 2 and 3 below.

budget is to employ world-class job-planning techniques.” tasks are to be documented prior to starting work. Your proximity to the equipment also needs to be part of the plan. b) requiring the establishment of work protection, or c) involving critical hazards such as, but not limited to, falling, hoisting, confined space, hazardous substance, etc.

Great electrical work planning considers all hazards and risks, not just the electrical ones.

3. If a change is encountered in the job, work must stop, and the new hazard must be identified and eliminated or controlled. The revised job plan must be communicated to all workers and, where necessary, to the controlling authority before re-starting work.

The risks (direct contact and/ or arc flash) are to be evaluated, then prescriptive and exact work

This step is also a foundational and mandatory portion of electrical job planning. Everyone on the crew needs to know that’s its OK to STOP and reset the documented work plan at any time.

Within the framework of safety and timely work execution, your motto should always be: Plan your work, work your plan.

A subject-matter expert on electrical safety, Mike Doherty is the director of learning & continual improvement at Shermco Industries Canada Inc. He is a licensed electrician and an IEEE senior member, and has served as the Technical Committee chair for CSA Z462 since its inception. His specialties include electrical safety and health & safety management, consulting, training, auditing and electrical incident investigations. Mike can be reached at mdoherty@shermco.com.

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LIMI

1a) All work must be properly planned and communicated, taking into account all workers, the general public, approved work procedures, equipment, and the physical and environmental conditions at the workplace. The purpose of this process is to establish a safe work area by identifying the job steps, hazards and appropriate barriers. The steps to be taken in case of an emergency shall also be documented.

“... the key to getting the job done with zero injury or

5

YEAR D

TY

#1 No one gets hurt. #2 Get the job done on time and on budget.

and needs to stand on its own.

Trying to use CSA Z462 “Workplace electrical safety” or CAN/ ULC S801 “Standard for Electric Utility Workplace Electrical Safety for Generation, Transmission and Distribution” in general terms most often needs to be very task-prescriptive, as well.

What exactly are you trying to do, and on what electrical equipment, exactly? Maintenance on similar equipment may very well need to be performed with a completely different work plan because of different short-circuit currents available, different maintenance schedules and equipment condition, etc. Use approved (written) work procedures to establish safe work areas, and document your emergency procedures.

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2015-01-13 AM www.EBMag.com • April 2015 9:13 • 17

Photo courtesy GE.

Starting last month, and in every issue this year, we explore electrical technologies, products and systems for the discerning homeowner... where cost is not an issue! This month we look at highend outdoor lighting solutions that are guaranteed to light up your clients’ nights... and lives.

Tapping into the sex appeal of

outdoor lighting

Renée Francoeur

“M

oonlight is sculpture,” wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne, but it has its limits.

And for those clients wanting to draw attention to the ornamental bonsai tree in the front yard, or highlight the garden pathway after the sun goes down, a little help from artificial lighting is most definitely called for.

Exterior lighting today has left the single-bulb, porchlight concept in the dust. From crystalized torch-like wall sconces to beaming tape outlining the hot tub, lighting systems can bathe a property in an elevated and ritzy guise.

“At night time, light is a very powerful element that we can play with to create ambiance that just adds a quality of life to outdoor living or night time activities,” said Sean Bourquin, the managing director at First Light Technologies in Victoria, B.C. “Light has this attractive, sexy kind of appeal,” echoed Jesse Lilley, vice-president of marketing at Lumenpulse Lighting Inc. in Montreal. “It’s definitely something that makes a property look more attractive.”

Endless possibilities with LEDs For GE, the first thing any electrical contractor should do when it comes to outdoor lighting is

18 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

pretty straight-forward: use or convert all existing bulbs to LED. “That has the benefit of tremendous energy efficiency, a very long life, great lighting output and a couple colour temperature variations,” said Linda Pastor, GE’s consumer LED product manager.

In turn, some of GE’s LEDs, such as the Link Connected PAR38 spotlight bulbs (retail for about $24.99), allow consumers to remotely control their outdoor lighting from their smartphones.

With Bluetooth and GE’s Wink app, the driveway’s carriage lights, for example, can be programmed to turn on as the owner approaches, said Tom Boyle, GE’s chief innovation leader.

“You can run scheduled groups and lighting themes so you can start to automate turning lights on and off in a way you weren’t able to do before Link,” he added.

LEDs, which are “just begging to be controlled,” really amped up the calibre of exterior lighting offerings, Lilley said.

Grazing is one example where directional LEDs, such as Lumenpulse’s Lumenfacade, are placed very close to a wall.

“It literally grazes that surface. It’s very precise.

Like a lot of those residential buildings made of

red brick; grazing the brick is a wonderful effect,” Lilley said, because it accentuates all the detail.

While Lumenpulse primarily handles commercial lighting projects, its 14W Lumenbeam Small can be used to illuminate sculptures and foliage in a variety of colours and optics (wide or narrow) with dimming control.

As for what to put along outdoor railings, eaves and gazebos, Jesco Lighting Group unrolled its rope-like Infina flexible LED in late 2014 and will be introducing a hardwired version this spring.

Retailing at $48.50 US/ft, the Infina is made of optically clear thermoplastic and emits 550 lumens from 4.95W/ft, said Andrij Burchak, marketing manager at Jesco.

“You just plug it into one outlet and, with a run of 150 ft, you can run it around the house and you’re ready to go,” Burchak said, noting no additional power source or LED drivers are required.

Jesco also recently introduced its WW2 LED series aimable outdoor wall-washers and floodlights.

“Most tend to buy these for colour-changing purposes because these have a built-in controller inside and you can set a series of colours the lights can switch through over a period of time,” Burchak said.

The Adamas 8 from Axo Lighting gives an outdoor area a diamond vibe.

Photo courtesy First Light Technologies.

Jesco’s Infina can adapt and conform for a variety of uses, such as along columns and bannisters.

First Light Technologies’ solar products can be placed anywhere, as they don’t require any wiring.

Solar-powered lights offer flexibility Accent lighting is taking the industry by storm, according to Bourquin at First Light, a designer and manufacturer of architectural-quality, solar lighting products.

The company’s PLB series bollards are widely popular, he added, due to a low mounting height and minimal visual clutter during the daylight hours.

While not typically chosen for residential purposes, First Light’s bollards can be used in a vast garden application or to brighten the perimeters of substantial properties.

Bourquin recommends spacing the bollards (which have an MSRP around $900-1000) every 20 ft or so when a client is looking to create light along a meandering pathway.

The beauty of choosing First Light is the solar technology, Bourquin said.

“You don’t have to run wire so you are not restrained as to where you can put light and, from a contractor’s perspective, that’s a really big benefit... The permitting is a lot easier, you don’t have to conduit it, remediation on the site is a lot easier; a lot less disruption overall.”

Playful sconces spruce up walls Among Italy-based Axo Lighting’s best sellers is the Adamas 8 a cast-aluminum wall fixture, said Bob Haidinger, vice-president of sales at Axo’s U.S. location, which comes with two beam options: a 10º spread and a 40º spread.

“It’s not your typical wall sconce because it creates a tapestry of light patterns on the wall... very high end,” Haidinger said, referring to the starshaped pattern.

Photo courtesy Jesco Lighting Group.

Photo courtesy Axo.

Modern Forms, a WAC Lighting company, just launched a slew of exterior sconces in January, featuring newer styles with a “heavier hardware feel,” said Shelley Wald, president of WAC. “We use high-quality materials; it’s mitred glass or really thick-walled pressed glass, ceramic glaze on the inside,” Wald said.

The products, in graphite or oil-rubbed bronze finishes, also stand out with features such as Piastra glass, a diamond bangle, and mouth-blown glass, all of which create different effects, from falling raindrops to shadowboxes.

So far, the Boule, Pandora, Balthus, Kyto and Berkley products have been most popular, Wald said.

Home court advantage For luxury homes that boast the likes of a backyard tennis court, Cree Lighting recommends its Edge high output luminaire.

“It’s a more recent version of our Edge series luminaires and it’s interesting because it was really designed to be capable of putting out higher, brighter amounts of light, so one of the applications we’ve used it in is sports lighting,” said Tom Hinds, manager of outdoor product management at Cree.

Edge HO won’t spill light onto neighbours’ properties and has the potential for dimmability as well as being married to controls so that “if you’re practicing by yourself on a wall, with the push of a button you can light only half the court,” Hinds added.

Like most of Cree’s outdoor fixtures, it also has the DeltaGuard finish. The product goes through six cleaning, eight pre-treatment stages and an epoxy e-coat before the topcoat is applied for corrosion and abrasion resistance, Hinds said.

Capturing underwater glow Lastly, you can’t forget about lighting that in-ground pool, immaculate fountain or manmade pond with the trickling waterfall.

“Water and light go together like bread and butter,” Lumenpulse’s Lilley said, speaking to the company’s sole submersible product: the Lumensub Linear. It’s fully watertight, comes in various colour temperatures and is dimmable via 0-10V. It’s IP68-rated, UL-listed and submersible up to 10 ft.

WAC Lighting’s InvisiLED line—LED technology water-sealed in a silicone case tape—has both wet and damp location options and can be cut to suit the application.

“At my house, we have an outdoor barbecue and I have it underneath the counter’s edge,” Wald said.

She noted that rope lights in the past had a dark spot where two sections connected. “Our watertight InvisiLED has a mechanical connection that connects the two sections on the tape so you can maintain the on-centre spacing of your LEDS, and your electrical connection comes off the side of it,” Wald said.

InvisiLED can be submersed in up to 5 ft of water.

From wood eave brackets to deck steps to backyard urban jungles, outdoor lighting plays a large role in enhancing the overall atmosphere.

“Spend some time on the lighting design and really look at how you can use layers of lighting,” Hinds recommended. “It’s an opportunity to highlight architectural characteristics of the home and really make the house and the landscaping so much more than it is during the day.”

www.EBMag.com • April 2015 • 19

lighting products

products Fit a 55-in. monitor in Greenlee’s compact field office

Integrated sensor control comes to Eaton’s WaveStream LED luminaires

levels of reach to eject wood and metal plugs, adds the company.

DEWALT www.dewalt.com

Porter-Cable expands cordless 20V max linked system

Eaton’s Metalux Encounter and SkyRidge LED luminaire families are now available with an optional integrated sensor control system. The system is factorywired to the luminaires, switching on or off based on occupancy, and dimming the light when enough daylight is available.

When the system’s application demands more, it has the option to make changes to one or more fixtures using a remote control.

The remote allows changes to the default settings for occupancy, target light level, preset lighting levels and more.

EATON COOPER LIGHTING www.cooperindustries.com

Peerless LED troffers DLC listed

Peerless Electric has announced its recessed LED troffers, LACH3 1 x 4-in., LACH3 2 x 2-in. and LACH3 2 x 4-in., together with the shallow wrap fixture, LOPA11, have been DLC (DesignLights Consortium) listed. This means they are now eligible for utility rebates, says Peerless. This listing includes many lumen levels, colours, with 120V277V and 347V. PEERLESS ELECTRIC www.peerless-electric.com

RT-25 LED luminaire, upgrade kit available from Sterner

Sterner Lighting’s RT-25 outdoor LED luminaire and upgrade kit is the company’s latest offering to its executive brand family. The RT-25 is available as a full fixture or retrofit door assembly. It’s offered in two lumen packages (6000 and 12,000 lm) and produces up to

20 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com

56% more energy savings than the 250W HID, says Sterner. Delivering 3000K, 4000K, 5000K or amber CCT light, the RT-25 also offers Type II, III, IV, VM, VS and VW distributions.

STERNER LIGHTING www.sternerlighting.com

USAI Lighting introduces BeveLED 2.0 Flat

USAI Lighting has designed what it’s calling “the thinnest LED housing in the world.” The BeveLED 2.0 Flat measures less than 4 in. tall from the finished ceiling plane to the top of the housing and sports a 2-3/4-in. housing height in the trim version and a 3-3/8-in. tall housing height in the trimless, allowing architects and contractors to take recessed lighting anywhere, said the company. It also noted the Energy Star Qualified BeveLED 2.0 provides up to 2350 delivered lumens and up to 84 lm/W, using 70% less energy than traditional sources.

USAI www.usailighting.com

Beacon Products announces Energeni control device

Greenlee’s new compact field office allows users to have real-time information when they need it, says the company. The office is a storage unit that Greenlee says can fit through standard 36-in. doorways, and comes with non-marking 6-in. casters. The unit has space to accommodate most 55-in. flat screen monitors, with pre-drilled cable pass-through holes, and weather-resistant stripping. The unit also comes with a single lock that secures the whole box with a shrouded guard to improve security.

GREENLEE www.greenlee.com

Platinum launches tone and probe set

Platinum Tools recently debuted a new tone and probe set. The probe has a sensitivity of 100Hz~300KHz and the tone generator’s features include a continuity mode to verify whether a wire is broken, alligator clips to test pairs, and an RJ11 connector for data or phone lines. The set (TP150) will begin shipping in March, with MSRP of $29.95.

PLATINUM TOOLS platinumtools.com

Dewalt launches 2X long-life hole saws The Energeni lighting control system from Beacon Products is a new platform to control dimming. Equipped with 32 preprogrammed functional settings, ithas five DIP switches to help satisfy a number of customer needs. The delay and dimming level options can be configured and re-configured without the need for special cables or computers.

BEACON www.beaconproducts.com

Dewalt introduced its new line of 2X long-life hole saws earlier this year. These hole saws are designed for use in metal and wood and are “ideal for tough applications like cutting into stainless steel”. They integrate 8.75% cobalt for cutting performance and feature “unique” tooth geometry, says Dewalt. The saws also feature a staggered slot design for plug ejection. Staggering the slots offers the user multiples

Porter-Cable’s cordless tool system now includes a hammer drill and radio with Bluetooth.

The hammer drill can be used on brick, block and concrete materials found in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and residential building applications. Its motor and transmission deliver up to 330 watts. The variable two-speed gear transmission delivers 400 rpm for high-torque applications and 1600 rpm for high-speed applications, while the hammer mechanism applies 27,200 bpm.

The drill also features a 1/2-in. metal ratcheting chuck to help with bit slippage. Meantime, the two-speaker radio wirelessly streams music from a Bluetoothenabled smartphone.

PORTER-CABLE portercable.com

Ideal offers new Tuff-Rod push/ pull poles

Ideal Electrical Tuff-Rod push/ pull poles have been designed to simplify the task of running cables above ceilings, down walls, under raised floors, or through difficult voids and cavities. They are for use with a variety of cable and wire types, including speaker and telephone wire, twisted pair data cables, fiber, thermostat, and more. The J hook attachment helps in re-positioning wires and re-directing cables, while the Bullet tip attachment is suited for pushing the rods through wall cavities and similar tight spaces.

IDEAL INDUSTRIES www.idealind.com

products Handheld upgrades Algiz 10X rugged tablet

Handheld Group has announced a “major upgrade” to its Algiz 10X rugged computer. The 10-in. tablet now features the new Windows 8.1 Pro operating system and a more powerful processor that speeds startup and operation, increases software compatibility and doubles processor performance, said the company. Windows 8.1 Pro offers enhanced features to help users easily connect to company networks, access one PC from another, encrypt data and more. The Algiz 10X also carries the Intel quad-core N2930 1.83 GHz processor with 2.16 GHz boost.

HANDHELD www.handheldgroup.com

RECALL: Sea Gull Lighting chandeliers from several collections

Health Canada, the U.S. CPSC and Sea Gull Lighting have issued a joint product recall involving several chandelier collections from the lighting manufacturer, because the screw collar that holds the chandelier to the ceiling mount

can break, causing the chandelier to fall and creating a risk of injury.

The recall involves chandeliers from one of the following seven collections: Brandywine, Laurel Leaf, New Verona, Newport, Parkview, Roslyn and Somerton.

About 800 chandeliers were sold in Canada and 8800 were sold in the States at various retailers

and online. They were sold from November 2006 to August 2013.

SEA GULL LIGHTING www.seagulllighting.com

Spring 2015 brings new FatMax levels from Stanley

Stanley has introduced a line of seven FatMax premium box beam levels with new features such as the removable end cap and MaxEdge bridged center vial. The levels come in 24, 32, 48, 58, 72, 78 and 96-in. sizes. The products will be available this spring and range in price from $34.99 to $89.99.

STANLEY www.stanleytools.com

Burndy adds to Hyreducer in-line splice reducer line

Burndy has expanded its Hyreducer in-line splice reducer product line.

These connector kits provide an in-line reduction of two conductors while “keeping space requirements to a minimum.” The Hyreducer kits are pre-packaged with the YSR connector and a clear Telcordia GR-347-CORE “abrasion and cut test” approved heat shrink.

All YSR-TC connectors have an inspection hole to visually check for a fully inserted conductor.

BURNDY www.burndy.com

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2015-03-16 PM www.EBMag.com • April 20153:39 • 21

code file

David Pilon

Warming up to new Section 62

C

E Code Section 62 for heating equipment has undergone a number of changes for 2015 to reduce redundancy and repetition, foster increased safety, and to acknowledge new and emerging technologies. Here is a brief summary of what’s new in warming you up, and how we do it safely.

General Rule 62-102 says heating equipment must be installed in accordance with both the manufacturer’s instructions and other Rules in the Code. It also notes that any electrically conductive shields, braided sheaths and coverings—and all exposed metal surfaces of heating devices—shall be bonded to ground.

Rule 62-104 includes a number of new heating definitions, like dielectric, impedance, induction and skin effect trace heating.

The Appendix B note takes you to a new Table that references Table 60 from the 1998 CE Code (18th ed.); we now have a Guide Table in Appendix B for heating cable set designations and applications that shows the previous types with respect to their new usage markings and usage.

So what are these new forms of heating in Rule 62-104? Dielectric heating is the generation of heat within electrical insulating and semi-conductor materials under the action of a high-frequency electric field. Impedance

heating is the generation of heat by means of the application of a low AC voltage across an electrically conductive object, with the resulting current directly heating that object.

We hear about induction heating for cooktops; it is the generation of heat by means of the application of magnetic field-induced AC to directly heat an electrically conductive object.

This is why you don’t burn your hand when you touch the cook-top, as there is no residual heat. Skin effect trace heating is the generation of heat within a ferromagnetic envelope (heat tube) by the application of an AC voltage across an insulated conductor internally connected in series with the surrounding heat tube, with the resulting current heating the tube and indirectly heating an adjacent object.

There is a new General Rule on ground fault protection to de-energize all normally ungrounded conductors of heating cable and panel sets, and fixed infrared radiant heaters of the metal-sheath, glowing-element type with a sufficient setting to allow normal operation of the heaters. However, if we’re dealing with an industrial establishment where continued operation is essential, then they are permitted to use ground fault indication provided they have qualified personnel to service the installed systems.

Questions and answers compiled by the Electrical Safety Authority

Tackle The Code Conundrum... if you dare!

Answers to this month’s questions in May’s Electrical Business.

How did you do with the last quiz?

Are you a...

Master Electrician ? (3 of 3) Journeyman ? (2 of 3) Apprentice ? (1 of 3) Plumber ?! (0 of 3)

Question 1 The minimum size conduit required for 36 #12AWG copper rW75 XLPE 600V-rated conductors, without a jacket, is: a) 1 in. c) 1-1/2 in. b) 1-1/4 in. d) 2 in.

Question 2 The maximum ampacity for a #2AWG, 90C insulated copper conductor installed in a conduit located in a boiler room of 60C ambient temperature is: a) 130A b) 92.3A

c) 84.5A d) 73.8A

VISIT WWW.ESASAFE.COM Answers: EBMag March 2015

David Pilon has been an electrical inspector with SaskPower since 2000, and is currently the vice-chair of the Canadian Certified Electrical Inspector (CCEI) committee of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), Canadian Section. David can be reached at dpilon@saskpower.com.

Q-1: When two or more supply services are installed to an industrial building, the service boxes shall be separated in various locations, approved to the supply authority, to avoid unintentional shutdown to all power to the building. b) False. Rule 6-102(2).

Q-2: The living area designated for dwelling unit service calculation shall be determined using: c) the total area of ground floor, total living area(s) in upper floors and 75% of the basement area. Rule 8-110.

Question 3 A wall-mounted luminaire is required to be independently supported from the outlet box when it weighs more than:

Q-3: The nominal alternating-current system voltages used to supply electrical vehicle charging systems shall not exceed:

a) 2.7 kg b) 4.5 kg

d) 750V. Rule 86-104.

c) 13 kg d) always, regardless of the weight

Rule 62-112 addresses concerns over clearance requirements with adjacent surfaces by stating that no adjacent area may be subjected to more than 90C. Further helping matters is a new Table 67 containing all the clearance requirements for installed heating systems. This Table refers specifically to rules 62-212 and 62-218 and, for additional guidance, the Appendix B note also includes a second Table based on the maximum temperature of different materials.

Appendix B Diagrams B62-1 to B62-5 have been provided to put the CE Code Rules into perspective and, ideally, make the information easier to decipher.

Whether you are installing the system in an elevated or vaulted ceiling, elevated floors and walls, or in the basement and/ or suspended ceiling, there are drawings to guide the installation.

So be aware of the type of heating system you are installing, the manufacturer’s instructions, Table 67 and the relevant CE Code Rules to keep your installation codecompliant. Stay warm!

Always consult the

electrical inspection authority in your province/territory for more specific interpretations.

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