Electrical Solutions May/Jun 2012

ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS MAY/JUNE 2012

ON THE COVER

CONTENTS 4

The costs of poor power quality

8

Products

Lots of new products to spark the interest of the industrial electrical world

Brightgreen’s D900 Curve is the world's first

14

Thermal imaging cameras

ness and light output of a 50W halogen.

22

Macquarie Centre deploys Philips’ energy-efficient LED lighting solution

26

Preparing for the carbon tax

32

Marriott International gets an LED upgrade inside and out

37

Resource centre

38

In my opinion

16W LED downlight to match the brightThe award-winning downlight provides 903 lumens of light, while using less than a third of the power of halogens.

With a high CRI of 90, the light offers exceptional light quality while having a life span of 70,000 hours (approximately 30 years). The D900’s long life aligns with Brightgreen’s philosophy to eliminate planned obsolescence from their products, which will reduce unnecessary consumption.

Last year, Brightgreen evolved the D900 Curve into a Cube, creating the world’s first square beamed downlight. The unique square beam evenly distributes light in a room, offering more control and efficiency and resulting in fewer lights being needed.

Both the Cube and Curve D900 series have been designed in Australia to suit hot, Australian conditions. Further technical information on all of Brightgreen’s products, and a list of stockists, are on Brightgreen’s website.

Also available is Brightgreen’s Light Machine iPhone App, offering lighting design calculations, installation tips, product information and more. Normally $4.99, the App

Analyse Power Quality.

Calculate Energy Loss.

Untitled-6 1

is free to all Electrical Solutions readers.

To claim your free app, register by visiting www.brightgreen.com/lightmachine or by scanning this QR code.

Brightgreen

Learn more on Page 11

10/05/12 12:09 PM

www.brightgreen.com

THE COSTS OF POOR POWER QUALITY

Ganesh Ganeshkumar, Fluke Australia

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Š iStockphoto.com/Oksana Tsepurnaja

Power quality problems can lead to a number of serious issues for businesses such as loss in productivity, complete work stoppage, revenue loss, serious disruption of operations, equipment malfunction and/or shutdown.

In a globally competitive environment where businesses operate 24/7, labour is costly and choice in materials is limited, ensuring good power quality is essential not just for safety purposes but to achieve efficiency. This article provides insights on measuring power quality costs and ways to eliminate these costs.

4 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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ower quality problems can cause processes and equipment to malfunction or shut down and the consequences can range from interrupted production to complete work stoppage.

Obviously, power quality is critical. The interdependence of various systems adds layers of complexity to power quality issues.

An organisation’s computers might be fine, but if a network is down then email and other critical applications might not work. Likewise, a manufacturing process might be operating correctly, but if the HVAC shuts down then production must stop. Mission-critical systems exist throughout most facilities and power quality problems can bring any one of these to a grinding halt at any time. And that will usually be the worst possible time.

Most power quality problems originate inside a facility. They may be due to problems with: • Installation - improper grounding, improper routing or undersized distribution • Operation - equipment operated outside of design parameters • Mitigation - improper shielding or lack of power factor correction • Maintenance - deteriorated cable insulation or grounding connections Even perfectly installed and maintained equipment in a perfectly designed facility can introduce power quality problems as it ages.

The direct measurement of waste due to poor power quality can be achieved with power quality instruments, which directly measure waste due to harmonics and unbalance, and quantify the cost of that waste based on the unit cost of power from a power supplier.

Power quality problems can also originate from outside the facility. Organisations live with the threat of unpredictable outages, voltage sags and power surges. Obviously, there’s a cost here, but how do organisations quantify it?

Measuring power quality costs Power quality problems make their effects felt in three general areas - downtime, equipment problems and energy costs.

Downtime To quantify system downtime costs, you need to know two things: 1. The revenue per hour your system produces.

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

2. The costs of production.

Organisations must also consider the business process: • Is it a continuous, fully utilised process - for example, a refinery?

• Must the product be consumed when produced - for example, a power plant?

• Can customers instantly switch to an alternative if the product is not available - for example, a credit card?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then lost revenue is difficult or impossible to recover. If organisations can’t deliver there is a risk that customers may switch to a source that can.

Let’s walk through an example: A factory makes 1000 widgets per hour and each widget produces $9 of revenue. Revenue per hour is $9000. If the costs of production are $3000 per hour, the operating income is $6000 per hour when production is running. When production is down, the factory loses $6000 per hour of income and still has to pay fixed costs such as overhead and wages. That’s what it costs to be down. But, downtime has other costs associated with it including: • Scrap - how much raw material or work in process has to be thrown away if a process goes down?

• Restart - how much does it cost to clean up and restart after an unplanned shutdown?

• Additional labour - does overtime need to be paid or work outsourced to respond to a downtime incident?

Equipment problems Exact costs are hard to quantify, because organisations are dealing with many variables.

Organisations may be faced with problems such as whether a motor really failed from excess harmonics or from some other cause, or whether a machine in a production line is producing scrap because variations in the power supply are causing variations in machine performance.

To get the correct answers, organisations need to do two things: 1. Troubleshoot to the root cause.

2. Determine the actual costs.

Here’s an example: A factory is making plastic webbing that must be of uniform thickness. Operators consistently report high scrap rates in the late afternoon. The machine speed variances can be directly traced to low voltage caused by heavy HVAC loads. The operations manager calculates the net scrap

costs are $3000 per day. That’s the revenue

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 5

POWER QUALITY

© iStockphoto.com/Vadym Volodin

cost of the low voltage. But, don’t forget other costs, such as those already identified for downtime.

Energy costs To reduce an organisation’s power bill, consumption patterns need to be recorded and the system and load timing adjusted to reduce one or more of the following: • Actual power (kWh) usage • Power factor penalties • A peak demand charge structure Until now, capturing the cost of energy waste caused by power quality issues was a task for the most expert engineers. The cost of waste could only be calculated by serious number crunching, a direct measurement of the waste and monetisation was not possible. With the patented algorithms used by some power quality analysers, waste caused by common power quality issues such as harmonics and unbalance can be measured directly.

By inputting the cost of energy in to the instrument, the cost is directly calculated.

Organisations can reduce power usage by eliminating inefficiencies in their distribution systems. Inefficiency sources include: • High neutral currents due to unbalanced loads and triplen harmonics.

• Heavily loaded transformers, especially those serving non-linear loads. Old motors, old drives and other motor-related issues.

• Highly distorted power, which may cause excessive heating in the power system.

Organisations can avoid power factor penalties by correcting for power factor. Generally this involves installing correction capacitors.

But, first correct for distortion on the system - capacitors can present low impedance to harmonics and installing inappropriate PF correction can result in resonance or burned out capacitors. Consult a power quality engi-

neer before correcting PF if harmonics are present.

Organisations can reduce peak demand charges by managing peak loading. Unfortunately, many organisations overlook a major component of this cost, which is the effect of poor power quality o n p e a k power usage, and underestimate overpayments.

To determine the real costs of peak loading, organisations need to know three things: • ‘Normal’ power usage • ‘Clean power’ power usage • Peak-loading charge structure By eliminating power quality problems, organisations reduce the size of the peak demands and the base from which they start.

By using load management, organisations can control when specific equipment operates and thus how the loads ‘stack on top of each other’.

For example, a building averages 515 kWh and the peak load is 650 kWh. Add load management to move some loads around so that fewer loads stack on top of each other at once and the new peak load will rarely go beyond 595 kWh. Let’s walk through an example: Your factory/office complex averages 570 kWh of consumption during the workday, but hits peaks of 710 kWh most days. Your utility charges you for each 10 kWh over 600 kWh for the whole month, any time you exceed 600 kWh during a 15-minute peak measurement window. If you were to correct for power factor, mitigate harmonics, correct for sags and install a load management system, you would see a different power usage picture one you can calculate.

Saving money with PQ Now that the costs of poor power quality have been tallied, ways to eliminate these costs need to be considered.

These steps will assist organisations in eliminating the costs of poor power quality.

organisation needs to prevent failure. Verify circuit capacity before installing new equipment. Re-check critical equipment after configuration changes.

Comply with standards For example, examine the grounding system for compliance with IEEE-142. Examine the power distribution system for compliance with IEEE-141.

Examine power protection This includes lightning protection, transient voltage surge suppressor (TVSS) and surge suppression. Are these properly specified and installed?

Get baseline test data on all loads This is the key to predictive maintenance and it lets organisations spot emerging problems.

Question mitigation Mitigating power quality problems includes correction - for example, grounding repair and coping; for example, K-rated transformers. Consider power conditioning and backup power.

Review maintenance practices Is testing followed up with corrective actions?

Conduct periodic surveys at critical points for example, check neutral to ground voltage and ground current on feeders and critical branch circuits. Conduct infrared surveys of distribution equipment. Determine root causes of failures to prevent recurrences.

Use monitoring Can voltage distortions be seen before they overheat motors? Can transients be tracked?

If power monitoring is not installed it will be difficult to see a problem coming but the downtime it causes can’t be missed.

At this point, an organisation will need to determine the costs of prevention and remediation and then compare those to the costs of poor power quality. This comparison will let organisations justify the investment needed to fix the power quality problems.

Because this should be an ongoing effort, organisations should consider investing in the right tools to undertake power quality testing and monitoring in-house rather than outsourcing it. Today, this approach is surprisingly affordable and it will always cost less than downtime.

Examine design

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd

Determine how the system can best support processes and what infrastructure the

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N657

6 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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Sometimes it’s more than simply turning the lights off

Schneider Electric’s range of meters shows you how you use your energy, so you can reduce consumption.

With rising power costs and compliance, energy efficiency is high on the agenda for every business. But before effective change can be made, it’s essential to understand where, when and how your energy is being consumed.

Schneider Electric’s advanced range of power meters makes it easy to measure energy use, and identify potential savings and dysfunctions. They also enable sub-metering in multi-tenant environments and loads on one or three-phase supplies.

(Available now)

It then becomes a whole lot easier to plan a strategy to lower energy consumption, achieve targets and comply with all relevant legislation.

PM5350 is just one of the meters from Schneider Electric’s comprehensive range of energy monitoring devices.

Brand new range - available soon

iEM2000

iEM3000

PM3000

Discover what you should measure and why?

Download our FREE white paper `Monitoring Energy Use: The Power of Information’.

Visit www.sereply.com Key Code 52540K © 2012 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved. Schneider Electric and Make the most of your energy are trademarks owned by Schneider Electric Industries SAS or its affiliated companies.

• 78 Waterloo Road, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 AUSTRALIA • www.schneider-electric.com.au • 1300 369 233 CLIPCOM24630

PM1200 (Available now)

NEW PRODUCTS

Compact connectors for hybrid and electric vehicles Before hybrid and electric vehicles can be successfully

Panelboards The Performa range of panelboards achieves safety through new design features and increased cabling space. The Add-On-Block pairs effortlessly with any hager three-phase MCB up to 63 A, creating an RCBO combo that requires four poles of space in total.

The panelboard achieves advanced performance and safety through attention to design features such as Rota-DIN, pre-split chassis, enclosed chassis risers, aluminium gland plates, split N-E links, prefitted main incomers and increased cabling space, making this range easier and safer to work with. This has been accomplished through close relationships with contractors and continuous evaluation during the design phase. It also features the ‘Stay-in-Place’ pole filler, which claims to bring a safety benefit never before seen in panelboards.

Hager B&R Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N549

‘sent’ out onto the street, all interfaces in the engine compartment must function reliably and flawlessly. So it also all depends on the connection system that is connected to the battery, and this system must be suitable for high voltage and high current, and it must be compact and affordable.

ODU Automotive has available a standard HV series that features a two-contact position HV system in various designs: box header connector in 90° design; box header connector in 180° design and connector with 180° outgoing cable.

Other features include: box header and other connectors are plug compatible; power transmission up to 250 A; voltages up to 750; good properties >60 dB; low, constant shield contact resistance (<10 mΩ); IP6k9k protection; IP2XB protection against accidental contact when not inserted; compact construction - width approx 60 mm; rugged aluminium die-cast housing; cable cross-sections from 16 to 35 mm²; vibration protection; simple assembly; central screw locking (without tools).

Clarke & Severn Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N684

PXI and PXIe products ADLINK Technology has released a family of PXI and PXI Express (PXIe) products for applications requiring fast data throughput, such as audio and image test.

The PXES-2590 9-slot PXIe chassis provides allhybrid peripheral slots for high data throughput up to 8 GBps and allows use of both PXI and PXIe modules.

The chassis is efficient and low-maintenance, ADLINK claims. The PXES-2590 fan placement helps the system avoid noise to other modules. In addition, with the software-configurable ADLINK-automated monitoring system, the chassis monitors its own power and temperature, adjusting fans accordingly and triggering an alarm when user-configured limits are met.

The PXI-9527 DSA module provides accurate measurements for audio analysis with up to 432 KSps at 24-bit resolution. The module can be integrated into existing systems with software support for NI LabVIEW and MATLAB, or engineers can use ADLINK’s Dynamic Signal Assistant, with no additional programming, to verify the system performance and shorten development time.

Suitable for a range of systems, the analog I/O ranges of the PXI-9527 support applications with voltage requirements from ±40 to ±0.316 V. The built-in current excitation for IEPE sensors means the audio digitiser doesn’t require the user to build additional signal conditioning circuitry.

The PXIe-9842 is a single-channel, 14-bit, 200 MS/s digitiser. It capitalises on the benefits of PXIe, offering a high-throughput measurement tool for applications that require high bandwidth, including fibre optic sensing, video signal analysis and radar signal acquisition. The 100 MHz bandwidth analog input with 50 Ω impedance is designed to receive a ±1 V high speed signal.

ADLINK Technology Inc Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N628

8 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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Small price

Big riSk Do the products you use comply?

As Australia’s No.1 electrical brand, Clipsal’s greatest concern is the quality and safety of electrical products installed into people’s homes and workplaces. If you purchase or install inferior products that don’t comply with Australian Standards, you could risk your licence and hardearned reputation. You could also risk potential fines and jail terms. Most importantly, you could endanger people’s lives and their property.

We design and manufacture quality products. You can be confident with the service and support you receive when you buy genuine Clipsal products from a trusted wholesaler. Don’t risk it… it’s just not worth it.

For more on how to avoid the risks, visit clipsal.com/Dontriskit

CLIPCOM24276 © 2012 Schneider Electric. All Rights Reserved.

NEW PRODUCTS

Infrared camera range The upgraded i-Series cameras offer improved infrared camera options. The FLIR i7 now has 36% higher thermal resolution than before and a wider 29° field of view to help users image more clearly and scan more quickly.

The i3, i5, and i7 series cameras can be used to perform energy audits, find moisture damage, spot mechanical wear, check for electrical overloading, justify repairs and minimise downtime.

The cameras have a 2 m drop (IP43) standard, are compact and lightweight (365 g) and have a 2.8″ colour LCD screen. Each model offers a different pixel resolution and all three have a temperature range of -20 to 250ºC with an accuracy of ±2ºC. Up to 5000 radiometric JPEG format images can be saved onto the included MicroSD card and then analysed using the included QuickReport PC software.

The i3 model is designed to suit newcomers to thermography, with a simple menu operation and instant, point-and-shoot, JPEG infrared imagery that carries required temperature data and can be stored internally or externally.

Indoor/outdoor heater The Heatstrip Max heater has been designed for hard to heat areas, either in the open and permanently exposed to the elements or undercover. It is suitable for the hos-

Users include electrical technicians, maintenance and building personnel, and those in the electrical, automotive and electronics industries.

FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M823

pitality industry (beer gardens, and alfresco dining areas) and open verandahs and courtyards, including coastal locations and where a more intense heat is required.

Electromagnetic field measuring devices Narda Safety Test Solutions has available two low-frequency electromagnetic field measuring devices with evaluation conforming to ICNIRP 2010.

The EFA-300 electric and magnetic field analyser is suitable for making isotropic measurements of electric and magnetic fields. It includes memory for data and can be remotely controlled.

PC software is available for the EFA-300, which enables uploading of the new limit values to the instrument. The electric field is recorded by the EFA-300 module. Users can call up the current and stored measured values via the EFA-300 basic instrument or import them directly into a PC.

Even though Heatstrip Max has a heat output of up

The ELT-400 exposure level tester evaluates

to 700°C, it is claimed to be very energy efficient. This

magnetic fields according to various standards,

high temperature output means that it can be installed

including ICNIRP, BGV B11 and EN 50366. Re-

at higher mounting points for the more exposed and

sults are claimed to be immediate, even when

difficult to heat areas and its large footprint means that

different frequencies are present. This makes the

fewer units are required.

ELT-400 suitable for industrial safety officers and

The heater features infrared, low-glow incoloy element

environmental service providers.

technology and can be used on ceilings up to 3.5 m high.

A separate ICNIRP 2010 version of the ELT-400

The incoloy heating element is claimed to be vandal-proof

is available. The company says all previous and

and virtually indestructible.

existing probes can be used with the instrument.

Thermofilm Australia

Narda Safety Test Solutions GmbH

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N534

10 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N622

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The new Fluke 434 Series II: Analyse power quality and calculate energy loss.

Energy lost is money wasted.

Fortunately, there’s the new Fluke 434 Series II Energy Analyzer.

It calculates how much money you’re losing to wasted energy, so you can identify and implement solutions. You save energy.

And money too.

Learn more: www.fluke.com.au ©2012 Fluke Corporation

NEW PRODUCTS

Call to stop BSA fining qualified contractors Master Electricians Australia was recently called on to intervene in a case of ‘government bureaucracy gone mad’ in Queensland, where licensed electrical contractors were being fined by a state agency for performing work they are qualified to do.

In a case which could have ramifications for other states, we had to fight the Queensland Building Services Authority over $2000 fines issued to several of our members in relation to a technical loophole after installing solar hot water systems.

The alleged problem was that although the plumbing work had been performed by a qualified and licensed tradesperson, the electrician had sent the customer a single bill for both lots of work, then reimbursed the plumber for their costs.

Even though this was simply a courtesy to make their customers’ lives simpler, the BSA pounced on our members and accused them of performing unlicensed plumbing work.

This was bureaucracy gone mad, and a blatant case of red tape increasing the cost of undertaking business for no sensible outcome.

A $2000 fine is a massive hit to the hip pocket for a small business, and in some cases multiple fines were levied.

Even when our members pointed out that the work had been completed by licensed plumbers, they refused to withdraw the fines. To me, this shows the whole exercise was blatant revenue raising and had nothing to do with ensuring appropriate standards and procedures were followed. Thankfully, after representations from Master Electricians, Queensland’s new Minister for Housing and Public Works, Dr Bruce Flegg, has ordered a review of the practice and the fines.

In a statement, he said: “I’ve asked the BSA to look at this matter to see if the regulations can be streamlined to simplify the process involving licensed plumbers and electricians working together on a solar hot water install job.” This is a sensible outcome, and while we will wait to see the full details of the review and the Minister’s final response before giving our complete support, we applaud Dr Flegg for listening to the industry’s concerns and acting so swiftly.

In our view, it is a great start from a very new Minister and we look forward to a positive result from the review.

Obviously, Master Electricians believes very firmly in a strong building service regime and rigorous enforcement of the laws.

However, in this case none of the work in question was unsafe and no customers were dissatisfied with the results. So it begs the question, why does a government body need to interfere?

What we need - and may now be getting - is common sense and the goal of achieving genuinely better safety outcomes for consumers, rather than just revenue raising, which drives up costs. So far we haven’t heard of any similar cases in other states, but we will be watching to make sure the Queensland example was not followed anywhere else.

Any electrical contractors who experience similar bureaucratic madness should give Master Electricians a call and let the association know. The association is committed to fighting for higher safety standards throughout the industry, but is also committed to combating red tape and achieving genuine safety outcomes - not just punishment for no good reason.

By Malcom Richards, CEO, Master Electricians Australia

Electrical connector modules The MIXO insert allows the use of contacts for fibre-optic and contacts for coaxial cables.

To protect against electromagnetic interference and for the realisation of galvanic separations on BUS applications of Profinet/ethernet fields, solutions with optical fibres are recommended.

The connectors can be used in applications from -40 up to +85°C even in case of frequent temperature variability. The inserts can be mounted in CX TF/TM frames and in the relative enclosures for industrial applications to achieve IP65/66/68/69K degree of protection (according to the required versions).

The realisation of mixed connectors electrical/optical is also possible.

The MIXO series is supplemented with a high-density, 25-poles insert.

The new module can be used simultaneously with other MIXO modules, since it is provided with lock tabs between the inserts.

Treotham Automation Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N555

Industrial tablet PC

Phoenix Contact has available a 13.3″ touch-screen industrial tablet PC. The basic version allows integration into an existing network via the standardised WLAN according to IEEE 802.11 a/b/g or via Bluetooth Class 1 and Class 2. With an optional expansion, it can also connect to a UMTS network or receive GPRS signals.

The tablet PC is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Z530 Intel Atom processor or with a dual-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz for applications demanding high computing power. Its rugged casing conforms to protection class IP65, making the tablet suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The tablet is lightweight and can be carried using hand straps or a shoulder harness.

The PC has watertight USB, audio and RJ45 interfaces. It can be retrofitted with a barcode scanner or RFID wireless identification system for managing inventories. It uses two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which Phoenix claims allows for flexible operation independent of a power supply. The tablet’s zero power management minimises battery discharge while in idle state.

Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M906

12 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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© iStockphoto.com/Maxim Filipchuk

THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Costs of acquiring, maintaining and replacing machinery can be huge, which means monitoring and preventive maintenance are essential. If electrical cabinets and motor control centres (MCCs) are left unchecked, heat can rise to a point that connections melt and break down; as a result, fires may break out. Using thermal imaging cameras in such situations can be a great help. They can quickly locate hot spots, determine the severity of the problem and help establish the time frame in which the equipment should be repaired. Read on to find out how thermal imaging cameras could help take the heat off electrical contractors.

T

hermal imaging cameras can detect extremely small temperature differences. Based on these temperature differences thermal imaging cameras are able to produce a crisp image on which the smallest details can be seen. This makes them perfect tools for a wide variety of predictive maintenance applications. A thermal imaging camera is a reliable non-contact instrument which is able to scan and visualise the temperature distribution of entire surfaces of machinery and electrical equipment quickly and accurately.

Maintenance programs utilising thermography have contributed to substantial cost savings for many users of thermal imaging cameras around the world.

Examples of failures in low voltage equipment that can be detected with thermal imaging: • High resistance connections • Corroded connections

14 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

• Internal fuse damage • Internal circuit breaker faults • Poor connections and internal damage These and other issues can be spotted at an early stage with a thermal imaging camera.

One of the many advantages of thermal imaging cameras is the ability to perform inspections while electrical systems are under load. Since using thermal imaging cameras is a noncontact diagnostic method, a thermographer can quickly scan a particular piece of equipment from a safe distance, leave the hazardous area, return to the office and analyse the data without ever putting him/herself in harm’s way.

Avoiding fires A small electrical problem can have extremely far-reaching consequences. The efficiency of the electrical grid becomes low,

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

TESTING

Examples of failures in high voltage installations that can be detected with thermal imaging are: • Oxidation of high voltage switches • Overheated connections • Incorrectly secured connections • Insulator defects These and other issues can be spotted at an early stage with a thermal imaging camera. A thermal imaging camera will help to accurately locate and determine the severity of the problem and to establish the time frame in which the equipment should be repaired.

Continuity is very important to utilities since many people rely on their services. Therefore thermal imaging inspections have become the core of utility predictive maintenance programs throughout the world.

Mechanical inspections and other applications

and so the energy is spent generating heat. If left unchecked, heat can rise to the point where connections start to melt. Not only that, but sparks can be generated which could start a fire.

The effects of a fire are often underestimated. Besides the destruction of goods and machinery, the immense costs in production downtime, water damage and even the loss of human life are impossible to estimate.

About 35% of all industrial fires are created by electrical problems, resulting in losses of millions of dollars per year.

Many of these problems can be avoided with the use of a thermal imaging camera. It can help to detect anomalies that would normally be invisible to the naked eye and to solve problems before production goes down or a fire occurs. This is just one reason why FLIR thermal imaging camera users report fast payback on their investment.

High voltage inspections Heat is an important factor in high voltage installations. When electrical current passes through a resistive element, it generates heat. An increased resistance results in an increase in heat.

Over time the resistance of electrical connections will increase, due to loosening and corrosion, for instance. The corresponding rise in temperature can cause components to fail, resulting in unplanned outages and even injuries. In addition, the energy spent on generating heat causes unnecessary energy losses.

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In many industries, mechanical systems serve as the backbone of operations.

Thermal data can be an invaluable source of complimentary information to vibration studies in mechanical equipment monitoring. By automatically detecting the hottest spot in an area, and superimposing this over an image, the temperatures of different motors can easily be compared. Further examination of the overheating motor can then be conducted.

Thermal imaging cameras are also widely used for inspecting refractory and pipework; and building inspections can also seamlessly be done with a thermal imaging camera.

From exotic and expensive technology to a tool for every electrician Thermal imaging used to be an exotic and expensive technology that was only used by large industries and utilities that could afford it.

But thermal imaging has made its way to many other applications than electrical inspections only. Building inspectors have discovered thermal imaging for identifying energy losses.

Research and development professionals use it for developing products. Captains and security professionals use the power of thermal imaging cameras to see clearly at night. The automotive industry uses thermal imaging cameras for driver vision enhancement. Thermal imaging cameras are integrated in selected models of leading brands like BMW and Audi. And there are numerous other applications.

Everyone should have access to thermal imaging cameras, whether they are a big industrial company, an electrician or even a consumer that wants to inspect electrical installations, and price should not be an object.

FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N755

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 15

NEW PRODUCTS

NEW White Papers

now available online!

Controlling data proliferation and reducing storage complexity with unified storage management The amount of data downloaded is massively increasing, which means that IT departments must collect, secure and archive more content than ever before. The management, protection and mining of this data will replace basic device configuration and backup as the primary task for storage administrators.

Key considerations in modernising your backup and deduplication solutions There is a definite need for better data backup solutions in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enterprise data centres. The question is whether to continue with software-only backup and deduplication solutions or to move to a purpose-built appliance with more capabilities. This white paper reviews trends in this area.

Power quality analysers Poor power quality dramatically increases the amount of energy wasted in a facility - energy waste that must still be paid for. The Fluke 434 and

Shedding light on backup and availability challenges in virtual environments

435 Series II energy analysers calculate the cost of energy loss, enabling

Server virtualisation is a game-changing trend in IT today and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not hard to see why: driving down costs and increasing IT agility are powerful reasons for going virtual. But it creates some unique pressures inside the data centre - this white paper explains more.

quality; basic PQ V/A/Hz, power, dips, swells, harmonics, unbalance;

users to identify problem areas and implement appropriate solutions.

Features include: energy loss calculator - monetises cost of poor power immediate readings and short-term logging; isolated USB port for PC connectivity; Li-Ion battery for extended operating time span; SD card storage (up to 32 GB); 153 mm full-colour LCD; PowerLog 3.0 Software.

Fluke Australia Pty Ltd

Top 5 things you need in a virtualisation management solution

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N143

For any size data centre, having a proper management solution is critical for ensuring an orderly and problem-free environment. In this white paper we look at the top five areas you should look at when choosing a management solution for your virtual environment.

Switchgear The LSIS range of industrial switchgear products consists of numerous brands, which include the Susol moulded case and air circuit breakers and accessories; the Metasol range of contactors and overloads; and the LS range of miniature circuit breakers.

The LS range incorporates the following: miniature circuit breakers to 125 A in C & D tripping curves; moulded case circuit breakers in magnetic/thermal functionality as well as electronic trip units to 1600 A with a wide range of accessories to suit; air circuit breakers to 5000 A in fixed and removable with a wide range of accessories to suit; contactor and thermal overloads up to 800 A with a wide range of accessories; distribution boards in IP42 and IP56; miniature and moulded case circuit breaker chassis to 630 A. A selectivity software package is also available to help select the correct circuit breaker to operate correctly in power distribution products as

For these and more White Paper downloads, visit www.electricalsolutions.net.au/white_papers

well as full CAD and drawing tools.

NAW Controls Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N723

16 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

How?

How could John read motor voltage and log data from 30 feet away?

John, Portland, OR

Here’s how.

By simply attaching his Bluetooth® adapter to an Agilent handheld DMM, and pairing it to his Android device running a free Agilent app.

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© Agilent Technologies 2012. Bluetooth and the Bluetooth logo are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed to Agilent Technologies, Inc.

NEW PRODUCTS

Human-machine interfaces The Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 6 range of human-machine interfaces (HMIs) is designed for applications that require monitoring, controlling and displaying information in dynamic ways, where operators must quickly understand machine

Network cameras

status in order to make better decisions.

Terminals ranging in screen size from 7-15â&#x20AC;ł in touch screen,

The Axis M1043-W and M1044-W network cameras offer local recording of

keypad, or both for input, including conformal coating and

video and audio, wireless capability and video surveillance features. They

marine-certified models, feature more memory with faster

are suitable for securing locations such as small businesses, boutiques,

refresh rates and more on-device storage.

restaurants, hotels and residences.

A memory increase from 64 to 512 MB supports graphics

Edge storage and support for wireless 802.11n standard with Wi-Fi

enhancements along with larger application runtime files,

protected set-up provide easy and secure wireless network. The cameras

expanding the terminalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capacity to handle demanding

provide video quality at 30 fps in both SVGA and HDTV 720p resolutions.

applications. An increase in processing speed from 650

Edge storage includes support for local storage on micro-SDHC cards

MHz to 1 GHz enables operators to get to the screens

as well as recording to network shares such as network attached storage.

and provide data faster, avoiding errors and improving their

The cameras also feature a passive infrared sensor for detecting movement,

ability to respond.

even in the dark, and a white LED light for illuminating the scene, auto-

Features include: remote monitoring using built-in VNC

matically, when motion is detected or when requested by the user. It also

and FactoryTalk ViewPoint server; built-in PDF viewer for user

features two-way audio with an integrated microphone and speaker. Other

manual and troubleshooting guides; remote recipe and data

features include: I/O ports (1 input and 1 output), for connecting devices,

management with ability to save data in .csv format; built-in

such as sensors and external relays to activate lights or open/close doors.

arial unicode font to support multiple languages with a single

Axis Communications (S) Pte Ltd

run-time application; greater connectivity to peripherals (ie,

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/P036

USB memory, printer, mouse, keyboards).

The range includes the latest FactoryTalk View Machine Edition (ME) and ViewPoint software, running Windows CE 6.0.

Softwiring in-desk module

Rockwell Automation Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/P050

The Affinity In-Desk module can be used to supply power and communications connections within a workstation, boardroom, meeting tables or conference.

The module enables all services to be connected within the work surface with easy access through the anodised aluminium lid and exit flap.

The lid is flush when in use and the unit is compatible with Category 6 structured cabling and beyond.

The box comes with a dual or single lid and in a range of different power and data configurations.

To further enhance work surface connectivity it can also be customised with audio visual provisions to suit all applications.

CMS Electracom Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M161

18 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW PRODUCTS

LED post-top luminaire Constructed from a die-cast aluminium base, a pressed aluminiumdomed canopy, with a powdercoated finish, the luminaire features a UV-stabilised acrylic optical enclosure. Additional options include symmetrical or asymmetrical distribution along with control options for 100%/50% output.

Its efficiency, energy consumption

Portable aluminum LED light tower

and UV exposure characteristics make it suitable for area, park and

The height-adjustable four-leg portable LED

garden lighting applications.

light tower is lightweight and produces

Sylvania Lighting Australasia

3440 lumens of light in a wide flood pattern

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/P116

that is suitable for work areas and DOT/ construction flaggers. The tower is suitable for operators in construction, utility and emergency services industries.

The WAL-QP-P10W-40X2E-25 quad-pod mounted LED work area light can operate with standard 120-277 VAC electrical current. This light tower is adjustable from 1.5 to 4.2 m in height and is constructed of heavy-gauge aluminum for light weight and high strength. The tower assembly is a four-leg quad-pod design that provides better stability than three-leg tripods, and can be quickly and easily broken down without tools with a removable centre support and folding legs. Operators can simply loosen the T-handle screws to remove the centre support and lamp head from the base assembly and the four legs then fold up, which results in a compact and lightweight package that can be easily stowed in the back of a pickup or even a car for easy transport.

The LED light head on this tower is a rugged design that has been built to resist damage from rough handling and the elements with a thick aluminum housing, shatterproof LEXAN lens and an IP68 waterproof to 3 m rating. The light towers are equipped with a heavy-duty waterproof transformer which allows operators to operate these units with the standard 120-277 VAC voltages commonly used on job sites and in work areas.

Magnalight (Larson Electronics LLC) http://www.magnalight.com/

20 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW PRODUCTS

Absolute encoders The ELAP MEM-Bus encoders open or PROFIBUS network are

Partial-discharge-free high-voltage insert

available both in single and in

ODU has modules for transmit-

multiturn versions. The singleturn

ting current, power, fluids, com-

encoder resolution is 13 bit, while

pressed air, light waves and more

for the multiturn type the resolu-

among its contact inserts in the

tion value is 29 bit (8192 steps/

ODU-MAC (Modular Attachable

revolution x 65,536 revolutions).

Connectors) series. A partial-

Different mechanical versions

discharge-free high-voltage in-

are available to satisfy all ap-

sert suitable for voltages up to

plication requirements: square

6.3 kV has been added to the

flanged, round flanged with servo

MAC series.

with direct interface to either CAN

coupling and with hollow shaft to couple

The module can be used in all application areas that require

directly to a motor shaft.

All the types offer different options for the

the transmission of high voltages

shaft/hole diameter; the electrical connection

together with other parameters.

is by cables: two or three cable glands op-

Technical properties of the MAC module (in accordance with DIN EN 60664-

tion is available. The electronic construction

1:2007 - VDE0110-1) include: rated voltage 6300 V (partial-discharge-free); rated

technology - involving no mechanical gear

surge voltage 20 kV; nominal current 3.5 A; mating cycles 5000; removal force

- allows the reach of high acceleration and

~ 15 N/module.

speed values and grants the transducer a

Due to the ODU-MAC connector’s modular design, it is often possible to combine many individual connectors in just one ODU MAC.

long life.

New modules and contacts are continuously joining the product program.

Motion Technologies Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N728

Clarke & Severn Electronics Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N686

not just a panelboard...

EW N

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Your energy distribution solution WE LISTENED. Three years of development in conjunction with Australian contractors, the NEW PERFORMA range of panelboards from Hager B&R is manufactured in Australia & destined to set new standards. An extensive offer, with unique features, combined with our comprehensive range of circuit protection, meters, time clocks, AOB 3 phase earth leakage & control devices, all pre-fitted & wired if required - means your solution to efficient energy distribution has arrived.

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MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 21

CASE STUDY

Macquarie Centre deploys Philips’ energyefficient LED lighting solution

As part of an ongoing lighting maintenance program, AMP Capital Shopping Centres, which manages Macquarie Centre, recently embarked on a centre-wide relamping project, replacing the metalhalide lighting in the centre’s popular Loft precinct, which is an area that caters to shoppers’ lifestyle and homewares requirements.

AMP turned to preferred supplier and lighting/electrical specialist KP Lighting to provide a lighting solution that would deliver premium energy efficiency without compromising lighting performance. KP Lighting specified, installed and commissioned an energy-saving LED lighting solution from Philips.

Macquarie Centre, in North Ryde, Sydney, is spread over 99,000 square metres and is home to over 240 specialty stores across four levels. In keeping with the Macquarie Centre’s commitment to community, corporate responsibility and energy efficiency, 28 Philips LuxSpace LED white light downlights were installed in the Loft area - making the centre one of the first shopping precincts in Australia to incorporate Philips LuxSpace energy-saving LED lighting technology.

“With mall lighting accounting for approximately 15% of Macquarie Centre’s energy consumption, and electricity prices due to increase significantly in the coming years, an energy-efficient lighting solution was essential,” said Mathew Carey, KP Lighting National Operations Manager. His team set out to specify a lighting solution that would deliver significant energy savings, while at the same time enhancing the mall’s lighting aesthetic. In presenting its lighting proposal, KP Lighting prepared an Energy Reduction Recommendation report, which provided a detailed analysis of the proposed lighting system’s energy-saving qualities, as well as total life cycle cost - from installation through to ongoing maintenance.

LuxSpace LED was a suitable choice. Each of the LuxSpace LED downlights consumes only 35 W - a significant improvement on the mall’s original metal-halide fixtures which each drew 150 W. The LuxSpace LED downlights have been designed to achieve low power consumption without sacrificing light quality - especially in general lighting applications such as shopping centres. With a choice of optics and warm-white and cool-white correlated colour temperature (CCT), the Macquarie Centre team can tailor lighting schemes to enhance the retail environment.

Furthermore, the LuxSpace LED features the latest remote phosphor technology, delivering consistent light output, stable colour performance, high colour rendering (Ra>80) and a system efficacy reaching 60 lm/W. Installation of Macquarie Centre’s new LED lighting system was a streamlined process. “The LuxSpace LEDs are essentially a

22 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

plug-and-play solution,” says Carey. “They have been designed to accommodate standard 200 mm-diameter downlight cut-outs, so we simply had to remove the old metal-halide fixtures and replace them with the LuxSpace LEDs. Additionally, with just a single surfacesocket to connect, it meant that we could leverage the centre’s existing wiring infrastructure - no additional lighting fixture cuts or wiring were required.”

With an extended lifetime of 50,000 hours, the LuxSpace LED eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly re-lamping in the future. “The maintenance requirements of the LuxSpace are negligible,” says Carey. “Once fitted, the job is done, freeing up maintenance resources for other tasks.” AMP Capital Shopping Centres is now looking towards the planned expansion of Macquarie Centre, which will see the addition of a new two-level mall, 150 specialty stores, a fresh food market and 1400 additional car-park spaces.

Philips Lighting Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N449

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW PRODUCTS

Submersible LEDs Each luminaire features a 10 mm tempered glass lens and an IP68compliant body, making the range suitable for a wide range of applications including submersible environments.

Using 2 and 3 W LEDs, the range features an optimal 50,000 h LED lamp life. Lamp colours include warm white, natural white and white. Red, green, blue, amber and RGB options are also available.

Sylvania Lighting Australasia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/P113

Partial discharge instrument Available to rent, the EAT UltraTEV Plus+ multifunctional partial discharge (PD) instrument is a combination of the dual sensor UltraTEV Detector and ultrasonic UltraMet Plus+ in one handheld instrument.

The instrument detects and measures both ultrasonic and TEV emissions as numerical values for easy analysis. Users can also locate and listen to ultrasonic PD activity with headphones provided.

Users can accurately measure data on PD activity with little training required.

Its features include: one-shot or continuous measurement, lightweight and ergonomic design, IP65 rating and rechargeable Li-Ion battery.

TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N194

CMS Electracomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Titan floorbox

Bringing you modular solutions for your power, data and AV requirements Titan floorbox The hard wearing, high impact CMS Titan floorbox has been designed for maximum flexibility, incorporating power and specific brands of data and audio visual components to suit client requirements.

This floorbox provides services directly to workstations, conference, meeting, and training rooms suitable for concrete or computer access floor applications.

The Titan floorbox has interchangeable face plates to incorporate power, data and specific AV brands, such as Kramer & Extron.

TITAN FLOORBOX OPENED

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Available in 2 & 4 compartment

For more information on our latest innovative solutions, contact our friendly sales team.

Australia 1300 159 159 New Zealand +64 (9) 582 0776

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

United Kingdom +44 (0) 203 356 9709 Email sales@cmselectra.com

Wiring + Power Solutions

cmselectra.com

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 23

NEW PRODUCTS

Compact switches for ethernet/IP The latest versions of Phoenix Contact compact lead managed switches (LMS) feature IGMP snooping and multicast detection functions that are activated upon shipment, enabling the switches to be integrated with minimal configuration into ethernet/IP applications.

With the new 3.40 firmware (available for download from the Phoenix Contact e-shop), the switches have the auto query port expansion, which allows fast forwarding of ethernet/IP telegrams after a redundancy toggle.

The LMS configuration can also now be saved on an external PC. Phoenix Contact Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N075

24 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW

Thermal camera

PRODUCTS

The FLIR E30 thermal camera is equipped with a 2 MP visual camera that enables the operator to reference the position of the identified problem with a visual image.

The camera stores both the thermal and visual image simultaneously by pressing one button. An LED-lamp at the front of the camera ensures good-quality visual images can be taken in darker environments, FLIR claims. The camera also comes with a laser pointer to help the user associate the hot spot on the thermal image with the real physical target in the field.

An uncooled vanadium oxide microbolometer detector produces thermal images of 160 x 120 pixels, showing temperature differences to 0.1°C. The E30 can measure temperatures within a range of -20 to 350°C. The inner core of the camera is protected with a rugged housing that is IP54 rated, making it suitable for use in harsh environments and

Padlockable lockout devices

applications. A 3.5″ touch screen shows thermal images and gives ac-

Cirlock has now available a range of padlockable

cess to all camera features.

lockout devices that have been designed to fit

FLIR E-Series cameras come with FLIR Tools software that delivers

most miniature circuit breakers with acceptable

thermal images directly from the camera to a PC and allows basic

holes. These varieties are: the UCL-PI (pin in), the

reporting and analysis of findings.

UCL-PO (pin out) and the UCL-POW (pin out wide).

These circuit breaker lockouts are manufactured

FLIR Systems Australia Pty Ltd

from nylon material. “Danger: Do Not Remove”

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N620

labels are also included to provide a further visual warning that a lockout device is in use.

They require no tools to use, and have a maximum padlock shackle size of 7 mm.

Cirlock Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N035

The New Force in Switchgear has Arrived!

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98 Commercial Drive, Thomastown VIC 3074 Phone (03) 9464 6555 Fax (03) 9464 5155 Email sales@nawcontrols.com.au www.nawcontrols.com.au

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2C Brunker Road, Chullora NSW 2190 Phone 1300 TOBINS, (02) 8713 5200 Fax (02) 9790 5211 Email sales@tobins.com.au www.tobins.com.au

24/256 Musgrave Road, Coopers Plains QLD 4108 Phone 1300 NAW NAW Fax (07) 3272 7564 Email sales.qld@nawcontrols.com.au www.nawcontrols.com.au

2/6 Colin Jamieson Drive, Welshpool WA 6106 Phone 08 94514782 Fax 08 94517057 www.uniquip.net.au

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 25

PREPARING FOR THE CARBON TAX The carbon tax will soon be implemented in Australia. The effects of the price on carbon will vary from business to business and industry to industry. The key is preparation - to ease the cost burden of transition, businesses need to gear up their systems to lower pollution and achieve energy efficiency.

The article below provides some tips that could help you prepare for the carbon tax.

W

e have all been told that the carbon tax has been designed to help restructure the economy with the aim of using less energy and lowering the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated. However, as the July 2012 deadline looms, recent surveys show that less than 50% of Australian companies are actually prepared for its introduction and this percentage is even lower if we only look at small to medium enterprises.

Without adequate preparation, the adoption of the carbon tax will become incredibly costly for businesses. How do we turn this around? First, it is important to understand what exactly the carbon tax is. Let’s explode a few myths: It’s not a tax.

The carbon tax is not really a tax at all but a system that requires organisations to purchase permits to account for their emissions. Any business that generates greater than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 or equivalent CO2 greenhouse gases (eg, methane or hydrofluorocarbons) must ‘buy’ permits from the government.

26 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

The cost is $26 per tonne for the CO2 each organisation generates.

The CO2 generated from burning petroleum fuels will be levied at the ‘refinery gate’ and changes will be made to the Fuel Excise legislation to reflect this.

The government expects that the cost of these permits will be passed onto consumers and have consequently created compensation packages that will be delivered through the PAYG tax system.

After two years, the permit system will be replaced by a market in which carbon credits (created through carbon reduction schemes like tree planting) can be bought and sold. In this discussion we will refer to this system as the ‘carbon tax’.

While much political capital seems to be made of the approach, the intent is to encourage the major CO2 producers to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they generate - and like it or not it is going to happen.

How do you prepare for the impact of carbon tax? You could do nothing and wait for the costs of your inputs to increase and hope

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

YOUR BUSINESS

Having identified the CO2 inputs to your business, you must then assess how much of an impact these inputs have to your business and then how much it will cost you to reduce the use of these inputs.

Your strategy

© iStockphoto.com/Cristian Baitg

Greg Mills*, CEO, Cincom Systems of Australia

your competition are in the same position. Or, you could choose to adopt approaches to reduce or eliminate your various CO2 inputs and maintain or even increase your competitive advantage.

Most companies will choose to focus on one of three key aims in their approach to preparing for the carbon tax: 1. Reduce your business’s carbon footprint 2. Reduce your usage of carbon inputs 3. Reduce costs

Assessment Regardless of which of the above strategies your business chooses to focus on, your first step will need to be an assessment of your current carbon inputs. CO 2 or carbon inputs refer to any materials or activities such as electricity or fuel used in your business that will be impacted by the tax.

You can examine the cost of your carbon inputs by simply identifying your business inputs and then classifying them as a CO 2 input or a non CO 2 input. There are a number of organisations that can assist you in completing an assessment.

In the examination process you will also need to look into that input’s supply chain. For example, a finished product which requires a large amount of electricity to be produced will be classified as a high CO 2 input even if that input does not burn carbon itself.

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

Let’s first look at the ‘cost minimisation’ approach where the objective is to minimise the cost of the carbon tax. Having examined your CO2 inputs as discussed above, isolate the items which you can reduce use of, and make a saving with no or minimal investment, and focus on those. A simple example would be to replace your existing light globes with low-energy light globes or installing a solar hot water system. The investment in reducing energy usage would easily be covered by the savings made over time.

If you choose a strategy to proactively reduce carbon inputs then opportunities exist to re-engineer your business processes so that they are consuming less energy and materials. We have all heard of the value stream where each step in a manufacturing or business process is examined and the value added assessed. ‘Green streaming’ your business process is a similar method where each step is examined for the amount of carbon inputs it consumed. Ways are then devised to redesign the process to reduce the CO2 impact of each process step. In a manufacturing process this could result in re-laying a factory to reduce the amount of time and energy moving materials and reducing the cost of fuel used to do so. In an office it could mean using electronic payments to reduce paper and energy in printing. For a sales force it could mean using a mobile device for sales people to work with while on the road to reduce travel time and costs.

The third approach is to act in a way that not only reduces your carbon inputs but involves investment in decreasing your business’s carbon footprint. The federal and state governments have both encouraged consumers with solar panel schemes aimed to generate electricity from non-carbon polluting solar energy that goes back into the electricity grid. There are also other investments organisations can make to reduce the total amount of carbon pollution and in fact can ‘sequester’ that carbon out of the environment. Tree planting schemes are an example of this.

Let’s look at a simple example on lighting to understand how to apply these cost minimisation strategies: While it could be argued that all of these strategies reduce cost and usage, the amount of capital investment required would contribute a different result for the economy.

Strategic approach

Reduce carbon footprint

Reduce usage

Reduce cost

Install solar panels and skylights

Yes

Install timers or motion sensors

Yes

Yes

Install low energy globes

Yes

Yes

Yes

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 27

YOUR BUSINESS

Tool

Department

Abilities

Mobile sales force automation

Sales

Manage customer visits; take orders in real time at customer sites, minimising paper and administration costs as well as time and distances travelled.

Warehouse management systems

Warehousing

Warehouse organisation, route/pick planning, equipment utilisation and material movement. Reduced energy consumption of machinery.

Delivery planning systems

Distribution

Determine the most efficient route to travel, take electronic records of the delivery and make recommendations as to the loading of vehicles.

Customer and supplier portals

Sales/ marketing

Customer and supplier portals that allow customers to interact electronically, reducing time, errors and paperwork.

Manufacturing execution systems

Operations

Use lean techniques to improve the flow of materials and reduce waste in the manufacturing process.

Supporting tools and aids As well as carbon reduction consultancy firms, there are also a number of business operations software systems that can assist your company achieve its carbon goals. For example: The selection and implementation process of these supporting tools do require changes to business process and change management for the people who use these systems. It is important to keep in mind the objectives of any such project and apply the appropriate, dedicated resources.

As you can see, the strategies and steps involved in preparing for the carbon tax vary from business to business and will depend on your company’s goals and objectives. You may choose to focus

28 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

on cost-cutting, reducing your carbon inputs, proactively minimising your carbon footprint or do nothing at all. Choosing to do nothing may seem the easiest path at this point; however, post 1 July, you could be gambling with your business’s future. *Greg Mills is CEO of Cincom systems and has a background in industrial chemistry and project management in the building products industry.

Cincom has a number of software tools designed to help business reduce costs and the impact of the carbon tax. Greg acknowledges the contribution of Level5Lean consulting group for its ‘green stream’ methodology that helps business reduce CO2.

Cincom Systems of Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N699

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW PRODUCTS

Safety switch The CET4 safety switch from Euchner combines the non-contact transponder technology from the CES systems with a monitored guard locking function, an integral evaluation electronics, as well as door monitoring output. It is based on the open circuit current principle.

By applying voltage at the guard locking solenoid, guard locking is activated. The door monitoring output allows the control system to recognise whether the safety door is closed or not, independently of the guard locking function. This is particularly advantageous in the case of larger installations involving several CET4 safety switches connected in series. Previously, the user could not recognise which door was closed. This can now be conveniently polled via the door monitoring output on the control system and the user does not have to visually inspect each switch.

The CET4 is suitable for operation as a single unit and in a series connection. A start button and a feedback loop can be optionally integrated. The CET-AR switch is characterised by its tampering resistance and the IP67 degree of protection.

Robust metal housing permits locking forces up to 6,500 N and external LEDs permit a detailed diagnostic function and the option of individual assignment by the user.

Treotham Automation Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N537

Personal RF field radiation monitor Available to rent, the RadMan Personal RF Field Radiation Monitor provides safe and timely warning of electromagnetic fields directly threatening humans in their presence. As 50% of the maximum permissible exposure limit is exceeded, a warning buzzer sounds.

For noisy environments, earphones are included. However, the monitor also has LEDs displaying field strength measurements of approximately 12.5, 25, 50 and 100%.

Features include: wide frequency monitoring from 1 MHz to 40 GHz; shaped frequency response matched to national and international standards; simultaneous E and H field monitoring for near field use; detachable absorber cap to provide isotropic response for simple measurement tasks and leak detection.

TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N680

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 29

NEW PRODUCTS

Stage LEDs The Osram Ostar Stage LEDs are suitable for moveable stage lights, known as moving heads, that provide powerful light beams for rock concerts and other events.

Instead of the usual lens, the LEDs feature a flat glass cover with an antireflective coating, giving the LED a much flatter profile. They are now only 1.23 mm high one-quarter of the usual height - enabling a more compact spotlight design. The glass cover on the latest LEDs has been optimised for injection of the light into lens systems. Its etendue (the emission angle/area ratio of the emitting light surface to the projected light surface), in conjunction with customer optics, enables a very narrow beam of light (¹ 9°) to be produced. This beam is smaller by a factor of 2 than those of spotlights using plastic-encapsulated LEDs. This optimum bundling of the light also increases the luminance of the spotlight by a factor of two.

These light sources are based on Osram Ostar SMT platform and contain four different chips in red, green, blue and white. All four chips are manufactured using highly efficient thin-film technology. In pulse mode, the individual chips can be operated on a current of up to 2 A and up to 1 A in continuous mode.

The LEDs will last for more than 50,000 hours in constant use. They can be used in spotlights of any size, from small stage spotlights to large moving head luminaires.

Osram Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N532

Surge arrestor The Times Protect LP-BTR high performance surge arrestor series addresses applications in the 200-1000 MHz spectrum. The DC blocking technology employed in this design provides optimum isolation of the antenna port from the protected equipment port for maximum surge protection.

The LP-BTR product family is available with N connector configurations to satisfy various installation requirements: The LP-BTR-NFF has N Female connectors on surge and protected sides; the LP-BTR-NMP has N Male connector on protected side with N Female connector on surge side; and the LP-BTR-NMS has N Male connector on surge side with N Female connector on protected side.

Rojone Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N536

30 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

NEW PRODUCTS

Exit and emergency fittings Clipsal has extended its DALIcontrol range with the addition of exit and emergency fittings.

The fittings use LED lamp technology that provides good energy conservation with extended lamp life. They are fully compatible with Clipsal C-Bus and DALIcontrol systems. The fittings come in standard or wafer style and single or double-sided designs.

The Quicksmart exit fittings are easy to install and are available for wall or ceiling mounting. They have an electronic dual rate constant current charging system of 3.6 V 1600 mAh and a viewing distance of 24 m. Operating with high-temperature nickel metal hydride batteries, they have a 50,000 hour lamp life. The fittings include LED strip light technology and comply with AS/NZS 2293 standards.

The Wafer LED emergency and exit fittings have a contemporary slim edgelite design that sits flush with the mounting.

Supplied with flex and plug fitted, they are easy to install.

The fittings use Osram LED lamps, high-temperature nickel metal hydride batteries and an electronic continuous current charging system of 3.6 V 60 mA. Wafer fittings have a 24 m viewing distance and comply with AS/NZS 2293 standards.

Schneider Electric Australia Pty Limited

The infrared revolution continues...

ISO No. FLIR20856

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M802

FLIR i3, i5, i7 The smallest, lightest and most affordable thermal imaging cameras on the market. They are incredibly easy to use and require no former experience. It really is a matter of “point and shoot” to obtain high-quality thermal images that will immediately give you the thermal information you need. ◊ Good quality thermal images:up to 140 x 140 pixels ◊ Detect temperature differences as small as 0.10°C (FLIR i5, i7) ◊ Spotmeter in the centre of the image ◊ Store images on a removable SD card in JPEG format ◊ Extremely rugged, withstands 2 meter drop, IP43 ◊ FLIR Tools software included

www.flir.com FLIR Systems Pty Ltd. 10 Business Park Drive, Notting Hill, Victoria 3168, Australia VIC: 03 9550 2800 NSW: 02 8853 7870 WA: 08 6263 4438 QLD: 07 3861 4862 SA: 08 8274 3747 Tel AU: 1300 729 987 NZ: 0800 785 492 Email: info@flir.com.au

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MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 31

CASE STUDY

Marriott International gets an LED upgrade inside and out

Installing GE Lighting LED solutions at its Bethesda, Maryland headquarters will save Marriott International 860,000 kWh of electricity and more than $120,000 in combined energy and maintenance costs each year. The installation included nearly 45 acres - or 185,000 m2 - of parking and garage space and eight floors of internal lighting.

Marriott says the installation has enriched lighting quality, heightened employee security and improved energy efficiency.

Security and energy efficiency were key to Marriott’s choice of GE’s Evolve LED lighting systems for its exterior lighting. Marriott tested competitive exterior garage fixtures, parking lot lights and contemporary post tops before selecting Evolve.

“We preferred the exceptional output and uniformity of GE’s Evolve LED lighting,” said Jim Young, Vice President, Corporate Facilities for Marriott International. “GE performed a comprehensive lighting audit of our existing system, provided photometric analysis with 3D renderings of the new system and forecasted our energy and maintenance savings. GE excelled as both a trusted strategic consultant and solutions provider.”

Marriott installed more than 230 Evolve LED Area Lights for its outdoor lots and nearly 400 Evolve LED Garage Light fixtures, several Evolve LED Tunnel Light installations and GE T8 fluorescent lamps.

The outdoor fittings alone will cut energy consumption by 580,000 kWh each year - saving the company $70,000 in utility cost savings.

“Our LED area lights consume between 97 and 220 watts and were designed to replace traditional 400- to 1000-watt highintensity discharge (HID) systems that can spill and waste light,” said Steve Briggs, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing for GE Lighting Solutions.

GE’s ProSys Lighting Control system reduces light output to garages when empty, increasing it to 100% when motion is

detected. It also interfaces with Marriott’s surveillance system to improve security, alerting guards when movement is detected after hours and focusing security cameras on areas of movement.

Inside Marriott’s headquarters, GE replaced 1000 65-watt bulbs with 7-watt LED PAR20 lamps in the hallways. The 12 90-watt foyer lights, which had previously needed replacing once a year, were replaced with 20-watt LED PAR38 lamps that are rated for 50,000 hours of use.

The auditorium lighting was overhauled, with 140 GE 12-watt LED BR30 lamps providing a fully dimmable system with higher light levels and better light uniformity. The building’s lower level was refitted with 72 GE Lumination Recessed LED Troffers. These slim fixtures blend in with the ceiling when switched off, producing an even glow when illuminated.

The ‘Marriott’ sign at the headquarters entrance was upgraded with Tetra PowerStrip LED lighting that reduces maintenance cycles from two to three times per year to once every five to 10 years.

Simply by updating its lighting with LED systems, Marriott’s annual electricity use will decrease by 66%. Energy expense will be reduced by about $104,000 and maintenance savings are expected to be around $120,000 each year. Based on combined electricity, maintenance and labour reductions, the payback period for the lighting project is just over two years.

“Marriott has demonstrated its commitment to minimising the environmental impact of its business operations many times throughout this project,” said Briggs. “For GE it’s been a source of great pride to help Marriott achieve its goal of reducing energy consumption by 25% per available room by 2017.”

GE Lighting Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N611

Check out this magazine’s website.

32 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

The LumenRay XVP LED fixture

Fibre-optic connector system

has been designed for lighting

The latest generation of LC Duplex

harsh environments.

compact fibre-optic connector

Secure LED light

The light is made from aircraft-

system features integrated laser

grade extruded aluminium and

protection and a lock for the con-

impact-resistant polycarbonate

nector. The system is suitable for

lens, which has 250 times the

use in office buildings, residential

impact strength of glass, ac-

buildings and highly compact

cording to the company. The

computing centres. A laser shut-

rugged construction is designed

ter provides integrated protection

for moisture resistance.

against laser beams.

The light is said to have an

A flat spring in the adapter

efficacy of 63 lm/W and a lumen

opens when the connector is unplugged and covers the fibre stub. No laser beam can escape from the

output of 3379 lm with frosted lens.

adapter. Any danger of injury is therefore ruled out, allowing the LC to be utilised risk-free in publicly

The fixture is suited to use

accessible applications such as fibre-to-the-desk and fibre-to-the-home. A semitransparent dust cap is

in a range of applications such

offered to enable the connection to be visually checked safely.

as correctional facilities, parking

In this new generation, an LC can also be fitted for the first time with the three-stage R&M safety system

garages, healthcare/psychiatric

that provides a better overview of the patch panel and helps to prevent mistakes, errors and tampering.

facilities, military bases, schools,

This system involves colour coding with coloured plastic frames, mechanical coding with additional clips

airports and other facilities that

and plug-out protection. The latter consists of a lock that is inserted in the mechanical coding clip and

require vandalproof lighting.

that can only be opened with a special key. The system is suitable for grade C, D and M optical fibres,

Aerospace & Defence Products Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N606

www.ElectricalSolutions.net.au

for singlemode fibres ground straight or at an angle and for multimode fibres.

Reichle & De-Massari Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N552

MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 33

NEW PRODUCTS

LED highbay Using light emitting plasma (LEP) lamping technology, the Cardinal LEP Highbay is suitable to replace existing HID lamp technology in a variety of applications.

With high lumen output, the compact light source allows for precise optical design while providing good luminaire efficiency with a total system power consumption of 280 W. Featuring a cast and extruded aluminium body as well as a high-

Digital oscilloscopes

transmission tempered glass lens, the highbay has a good light output ratio and dimming capabilities with two lamp options on offer.

The Rigol DS4000 series digital oscilloscopes

The highbay reaches full lamp output within 45 s and features a

feature 4 GS/s sampling, bandwidth from 100

rapid 2 min hot re-strike, making it suitable for a variety of lighting

to 500 MHz and 2 or 4 channels and the Rigol

applications.

DSA-815 1.5 GHz spectrum analyser.

These scopes can help find system glitches with 140 million pts of memory depth and

Sylvania Lighting Australasia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/P114

110,000 waveforms/s acquisition rate. In addition, DS4000 series can search and navigate within up to 200,000 triggered waveforms with mask tests.

The oscilloscopes feature Rigol’s UltraVision technology and a 9″ WVGA display to offer an intensity grading display and real-time waveform recording, and waveform visualisation and replay, with customisable real-time hardware filters available.

The series is suitable for applications in the communications, aerospace/defence, computing and instrumentation industries, research and education, industrial and consumer electronics.

Emona Instruments Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N541

Multiprocess inverters The CIGWELD Transmig 200i and Transmig 250i single-phase, multiprocess inverters with power factor correction (PFC) are capable of performing three welding processes from the one unit, including GMAW/FCAW (MIG), MMAW (Stick) and GTAW (Lift TIG).

PFC is a recognised method of reducing the electrical power consumption of inverter power supplies and provides substantial power savings over the life cycle of the unit. It also includes a voltage reduction device (VRD) - an electrical safety device that protects the user against electric shocks. It reduces the open circuit voltage when not welding (eg, when changing electrodes) to all but eliminate the potential of electrocution. VRD is covered by both AS60974.1 and AS1674.

The inverters offer a number of functional and safety features and are suitable for a tradesperson/ fabricator.

Thermadyne Asia Pacific http://apac.thermadyne.com/

Distributed Exclusively By:

www.rmsparts.com.au Unit 3/61-63 Steel Street Capalaba Qld 4157 PH 07 3390 3302 FX 07 3390 3329

34 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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NEW PRODUCTS

Power supplies Emerson Network Power has extended its range of ultra compact ADN-C series three-phase DIN rail mounting power supplies with 10 and 5 A models.

The power supplies are suitable for a wide range of heavy-duty industrial applications - especially those involving large inductive loads - such as machine control, semiconductor fabrication, conveyor and material handling systems, including Class 1, Division 2 hazardous locations.

Designed for high reliability, the models have a mean time between failure of more than 500,000 hours.

Designed to operate directly from standard three-phase inputs, the supplies have a wide 320 to 540 VAC input range, capable of accommodating virtually all standard line voltages worldwide. They are also capable of operating from a DC input, in the range 450 to 760 V. The supplies are typically 85% for the efficient 5 A model and 91% for the 10 A. Both models produce a single 24 V output, which is user adjustable up to 28 V. The 5 A ADN5-24-3PM-C is rated at 120 W and the 10 A ADN10-24-3PM-C at 240 W. A PowerBoost facility overcomes the disadvantage of output fold-over under the high peak current demands of switching large inductive loads, such as heavy-duty relays, solenoids or motors. This can result in the device failing to activate or start. PowerBoost provides 1.5x the supplyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nominal current for a minimum of four seconds, while maintaining a 20 V output to ensure successful operation.

Emerson Network Power Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N207

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MAY/JUNE 2012 - ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS 35

NEW PRODUCTS

Modular inserts The MIXO series from ILME has been enhanced with a new insert, suitable for currents up to 100 A and with new CG series crimp contacts. This insert design claims to ensure a quicker fitting and removal of crimped contacts.

They offer several benefits over conventional screw contacts including: more resistant to mechanical stresses such as vibrations and cable loads; more corrosion resistant (gas tight); quicker to connect and ensuring more consistent results (regardless of the operator’s ‘force’); the connector is electrically more efficient (reduced voltage drop).

The plates provided firmly fasten the contact holder and, once the insert is mated to other inserts and is inserted in the MIXO frame, the connection is totally secure and resistant, even to the most severe stresses

Energy-efficient UPS

such as vibrations.

The Green Power 2.0 UPS range - available from 10 to

The contacts can be removed without having to use any spe-

400 kW - has been developed to meet the needs of data centre operators.

cial tools but by simply using a

The UPS provides 96% energy efficiency - independently

screwdriver. Each enclosure can

verified by TÜV SÜD and Bureau Veritas - in VFI mode.

house different types of con-

Green Power 2.0’s VFI double conversion mode ensures

nections, for example: electric

total load protection for mission-critical applications, mini-

signals and contacts for the

mising risk and maximising availability. In VFD mode, up

conduction of compressed air

to 99% efficiency is claimed to be achieved with the new

and liquids with pressure values

Fast EcoMode solution capable of transferring the load

of up to 8 bars. The inserts

on inverter in less than 2 ms in case of mains failure.

are arranged side by side to

With a true unity output power factor (PF=1), the GP

form a single compact block

2.0 provides users with full-rated power (kW = kVA)

which is inserted into metallic

supporting full loads up to 35°C in accordance with

frames with mandatory hous-

IEC 62040-3 - with 25% more power compared to UPS

ings. Once the modules have

with PF=0.8 and 11% more power compared to UPS

been inserted and locked with

with PF=0.9. The UPS provides power densities of upto

the special tabs, the connector can then be inserted into the enclosure. The

358 kW/m2. It conforms to current and future European

modular structure system makes it easy to access a series of contacts inserted

Code of Conduct for Data Centre regulations to 2014.

in the frame (eg, for substitution, checks or the addition of signals with new

In addition, Green Power 2.0 can support leading power

inserts for needs not foreseen during the initial installation) without having to

factor loads such as Blade Servers down to 0.9 without

disassemble the entire connector.

power de-rating.

Treotham Automation Pty Ltd

SOCOMEC Australia

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N533

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N743

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36 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

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RESOURCES

from the editor The Australian government’s carbon tax will come into force next month - 1

Contracting Innovation and Performance Workshop The Contracting Innovation and Performance Workshop will be held on 19-20 June 2012 at the Parkroyal Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The workshop is designed to provide the tools and strategies to secure effective project execution and asset reliability through collaborative contracting practices. It will help attendees: understand innovative relationship contracting models and which to deploy to ensure project success; benchmark contracting practices against international standards; gain decision tools for assessing contracting options and mapping project impacts; learn techniques for effective contractor performance measurement and monitoring; take away a step-by-step roadmap for the implementation of alliances and partnering agreements; acquire best-practice methodologies to effectively allocate risk, control costs and mitigate schedule blowouts.

The workshop is suitable for professionals responsible for contracting, procurement, project management, maintenance, capital works, supply chain and logistics facilities and building management.

July 2012. The tax is not expected to directly impact contractors. However, with the cost of goods, services and building material expected to increase, the contract values might be impacted.

Higher costs and potentially lower profitability might also have some impact on small businesses even though they are not in the top 500 polluters.

In this issue, there is an article on the carbon tax - it explodes a few myths and provides some tips on how to prepare and ease the cost burden of transition. It’s a must-read for those who haven’t yet worked out how the new tax will impact their business and the industry.

Another key issue impacting the industry is the national occupational licensing system (NOLS). The system was

Mining Electrical Safety Conference 2012 The Mine Electrical Safety Association (MESA) will be holding its 23rd Annual conference at the Sebel King George Square hotel, Brisbane from 4-6 July 2012.

The event brings together government departments, consultants, suppliers and key industry decision-makers within the electrical field to hear technical presentations on all matters relating to electrical safety within the mining industry. A trade exhibition for the benefit of the delegates is also conducted in conjunction with the conference.

A few of the key focus topics are safety of handheld meters for electrical testing, welding safety and maintenance. For over 20 years the MESA, or the Mine Electrical Safety Committee (MESC) as it was originally known, has been an integral conduit between the working face of the industry - suppliers and government legalisation departments - in identifying electrical safety problems and, by consultation, providing information with a view to improving safety and productivity.

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scheduled to be implemented from 1 July 2012 but “the first wave of national licences” will now be introduced from 2013. The first wave includes electrical, plumbing and gasfitting, refrigeration and air conditioning, and property occupations. A national system will improve efficiencies and offer increased workforce mobility. However, the jurisdictions that currently do not regulate a particular occupation will not be required to adopt the uniform system for that particular subgroup, according to COAG principles.

We won’t reap benefits if all the states and territories don’t adopt the uniform regimes. The system might then find itself having the same fate as the national occupational health and safety harmonisation. The harmonised WHS legislation has only been implemented in five out of nine Australian jurisdictions.

Mansi Gandhi - Editor es@westwick-farrow.com.au

In my opinion Within the electrical industry there is increasing concern regarding the number of electrical products being sold that don’t comply with Australian Standards.

Compliance with Australian Electrical Safety Standards is important to ensure product quality, reliability and, most critically, the safety of the electrical contractor during installation and their customer throughout the operational life of the product.

Why is product compliance to Australian Electrical Safety Standards so important?

- To prevent unsafe (substandard) non-compliant electrical equipment being sold in the Australian electrical equipment market.

A.B.N. 22 152 305 336 Head Office Cnr. Fox Valley Road & Kiogle Street, (Locked Bag 1289) Wahroonga NSW 2076 Australia Ph: +61 2 9487 2700 Fax: +61 2 9489 1265 Editor: Mansi Gandhi es@westwick-farrow.com.au Editorial Assistant: Alice Richard Chief Editor: Janette Woodhouse

- To reduce the risk of problem installations and ensure the safety of electrical workers and the general public.

Publisher: Geoff Hird

- To create an even market, restricting the opportunities for non-compliant product suppliers.

Art/Production: Tanya Scarselletti, Jeanette Teuma, Colleen Sam

There are two forms of standards in the Australian market at present, those that require a mandatory Certificate of Approval and those that need a Certificate of Suitability.

Certificate of Approval

Art Director/Production Manager: Julie Wright

Circulation Manager: Sue Lavery circulation@westwick-farrow.com.au Copy Control: Mitchie Mullins copy@westwick-farrow.com.au

A product requiring a Certificate of Approval is one that has legal connotations and is for high risk products. The product is gazetted by each state regulator and references the product standard applicable. There are 60 electrical products referenced out of a total of 2,400 common electrical products at this level. These 60 high risk products include switches, socket-outlets, Residual Current Devices (RCDs), power supply, plugs, Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs), portable luminaires, fluorescent lamp starter and ballast, lampholders, cord extension sockets and appliance connectors.

Advertising Sales:

Certificate of Suitability

New Zealand - Gemma Burr Ph: 0800 442 529 gburr@westwick-farrow.com.au

A product requiring a Certificate of Suitability does carry some legal implication and is for medium or low risk products.The product must be designed and tested to the relevant standard. Responsible manufacturers should be committed to obtaining a Certificate of Suitability for all products manufactured. These may be medium or low level risk and includes all other products not included in the gazetted products that are subject to a Certificate of Approval (approximately 7000 standards). They do not require any supporting documentation from the state regulator and are expected to be designed and manufactured to the minimum safety requirements for that product range.

Implementing new electrical safety regulations planned for 2012 The Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC) is developing new regulations following the Electrical Equipment Safety System Review. These will be reviewed by each State Government for implementation. The new regulations will keep electrical product suppliers more tightly controlled. It will become illegal to supply electrical products without prior registration in the new scheme. If approvals do not exist, the regulator will take action against the product supplier. When the new scheme is introduced, it will be easier for regulators to monitor the electrical goods market.

What are the risks of buying products that don’t comply to Australian Electrical Safety Standards?

There are many legal risks through buying and installing non-compliant products, including: severe financial penalties; potential criminal charges; possible loss of electrical license; invalidation of insurance cover where products malfunction. Significantly there are other commercial risks associated with non-compliant products that electrical contractors should be aware of: time and cost replacing faulty products; loss of reputation through the use unreliable/faulty products; the use of products that counterfeit a trademark infringes on intellectual property rights and could result in legal action for those that breach these regulations.

Clipsal by Schneider Electric is concerned about the increasing number of electrical products being sold that don’t comply with Australian Standards.

By Justin Barrett, Final Distribution Product Manager, Power, Schneider Electric. Barrett has 11 years’ experience in the energy management and electrical industry and has been employed at Schneider Electric’s Power Business for five years. He joined Schneider Electric in 2007 as a Final Distribution Manager in the Power Marketing department.

38 ELECTRICAL SOLUTIONS - MAY/JUNE 2012

NSW, QLD, VIC - Lisa Gilbert Ph: 0414 283 933 lgilbert@westwick-farrow.com.au SA, WA - Lachlan Rainey Ph: 0402 157 167 lrainey@westwick-farrow.com.au

USA - Huson International Media East Coast Ph: +1 212 268 3344 West Coast Ph: +1 408 879 6666 ralph@husonusa.com UK - Huson International Media Ph: +44 1932 56 4999 gerryb@husonmedia.com ASIA - Lachlan Rainey Ph: +61 (0) 402 157 167

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September 2011 Total CAB Audited Circulation (Aust + NZ) 4,224 (93% personally requested)

Electrical Solutions: ISSN 1834-0644 Printed and bound by Pegasus Print Group +61 2 8822 0716

All material published in this magazine is published in good faith and every care is taken to accurately relay information provided to us. Readers are advised by the publishers to ensure that all necessary safety devices and precautions are installed and safe working procedures adopted before the use of any equipment found or purchased through the information we provide. Further, all performance criteria was provided by the representative company concerned and any dispute should be referred to them. Information indicating that products are made in Australia or New Zealand is supplied by the source company. Westwick-Farrow Pty Ltd does not quantify the amount of local content or the accuracy of the statement made by the source.

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