Installing electrical cabling in the wrong coloured conduit and not understanding ‘customer cabling’ are the two key issues that seem to cause the greatest conflict in electrical and cabling projects and inevitably lead to rework that costs the electrical contractor time and money. It may also lead to liquidated damages. [ + ]

NBN Co's shareholder ministers, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann, have issued an interim Statement of Expectations to the company as the first step in implementing changes to government policy. [ + ]

enLighten Australia was awarded the tender to retrofit LED lighting in NSW Land and Housing Corporation's property in Eastlakes. NSW Land and Housing Corporation owns and manages the state's portfolio of 144,000 social housing dwellings in NSW. [ + ]

The advantages of using thermal imaging as a predictive maintenance (PdM) tool are well known, but for every large distribution apparatus scanned with regularity, any number of 208Y/120 panels, control panels and other small electrical devices are often overlooked. This article explains why it's important to inspect small equipment with thermal imaging. [ + ]

Swire Cold Storage’s Western Australian facility handles a variety of frozen foods including vegetables and seafood. It has 15,000 pallet positions, includes blast freezers with up to 144-tonne capacity and has a capacity of 263,346 m³. [ + ]

Crowne Plaza Hotel Melbourne is a 4½-star hotel located on the banks of the Yarra River on the fringe of the CBD. Over the past eight years, Crowne Plaza Melbourne has been working steadily to increase its energy efficiency under the guidance of Victorian Area Engineering Manager Robin Power. [ + ]

The physical security and access control market is undergoing a major transition to IP-based solutions. Access control intelligence is moving to the door and the phone, presenting opportunities for electrical contractors to grow their business and help clients choose the right security solution. [ + ]

The increasing uptake of LED lighting is also driving the demand for lighting controls. As building owners, operators and facility managers become more aware of the benefits of the lighting control technology, it’s time for contractors to embrace and master the technology to grow their business. [ + ]

Castle Hill RSL Club's new trigeneration system will deliver the club $20,000 in savings each year. Installed by Simons Green Energy, the system will produce enough electricity to power the club, plus provide heating and cooling. [ + ]

An online petition calling on the Coalition to reconsider its plan for a fibre to the node (FTTN) solution for the National Broadband Network has received more than 200,000 signatures since its creation shortly after Saturday's election. [ + ]

Coal-fired electricity may have little or no economic future in Australia, a new analysis has found. While the new government seems determined to turn its back on renewable energy, our study shows that even without a carbon price, and even with the assumption that carbon capture and storage will eventually become commercially available, coal may not be able to compete with renewable electricity. [ + ]

Worldwide, capital-starved private network operators often opt for FTTN networks as an interim step towards all fibre-optic networks. This allows them to make use of their existing copper lines, which may not even be fully paid for. In general, operators have been disappointed by FTTN's lower-than-expected performance, higher operating costs and lost revenue opportunities. [ + ]

A new state-of-the-art cogeneration system is set to save Wagga Wagga’s Oasis Regional Aquatic Centre approximately $276,000 in energy costs and cut carbon emissions by up to 55% in the first year of operation. [ + ]

The state-of-the-art trigeneration system at Maitland City Club was officially ‘turned on’ by Joel Fitzgibbon MP on 15 August. Simons Green Energy was engaged to design, supply, install and maintain the 150 kW trigeneration system. [ + ]

The NSW Fair Trading Commission has recalled three batches of ‘Infinity’ brand insulated electrical cables. The cables are thermoplastic-sheathed electric cable - commonly known as ‘TPS’. The batch numbers being recalled are INFH 190311, INFH 210912 and INFMEL 081112. [ + ]