Steve Lawlor, Business Manager, Customer Support & Maintenance, Rockwell Automation, discusses the challenges of security management in today’s complex and interconnected environments. [ + ]

In yet another sector of the industry riddled with acronyms and abbreviations, green buildings can be a minefield of confusing terminology. NABERS, Green Star, GBCA, BEECs, EUAs ... if you’ve wondered what it all means and why you need to know, then read on. [ + ]

The city of Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, has partnered with Schneider Electric and Fort Collins-based Spirae Inc to roll out the area’s first electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. As part of their innovative FortZED (Zero Energy District) project, the city is phasing in EVlink charging stations for installation at the city’s fleet lot, select public parking facilities and private business parking lots. [ + ]

In times of rising energy costs, government incentives and a desire to reduce household bills, solar installations are becoming increasingly common in residential applications. Coupled with a desire for the comfort and lifestyle benefits afforded by a control and management system, today’s homeowner demands a sophisticated integration of the two. The question for today’s contractor is how to effectively deliver all the advantages and maximise client investment. [ + ]

Engineers and technicians in Europe are working towards creating smart cities where building controls, industrial control systems and city infrastructure systems can all work together for a solution that offers energy efficiency as well as the highest possible supply availability. Read on to find out more. [ + ]

With the growing need for more base- and critical-load supply, many countries and industries struggle to manage their energy usage efficiently, despite the continuous availability of electrical power. This article provides detailed insights on the most common power quality problems, their likely effects and potential solutions. [ + ]

Smart homes have been the talk of technology for decades, but never really hit the widestream acceptance that was predicted. From the heady space-age promises of the Jetsons to simple single-lamp lighting controls - did we outstmart ourselves? [ + ]

Frequently misunderstood and often not adequately factored in to engineering specs, harmonics can cause serious headaches for contractors. Unbalanced networks often warrant costly upgrades or rectification, which can leave the contractor carrying the can. [ + ]

Bethsalem Care is an aged care facility serving the Christadelphian community of Adelaide. For almost 60 years they have provided care and hostel-style accommodation for church members and the wider community. Around 10 years ago, the board realised the nature of aged care was changing. Not only was demand increasing, but the community wanted assurance of a graceful transition from retirement to full-time care. [ + ]

Clipsal C-Bus can be programmed to do some impressive things, but often the most spectacular functions are unseen - quietly going about their business without any fuss or fanfare. [ + ]

Telecoms and managed hosting provider Macquarie Telecom has deployed server and network automation in its new $60 million Intellicentre 2 data centre to manage, and reduce, the costs of rapid ongoing growth. [ + ]

Rising energy prices are foremost in people’s thoughts these days and although most are aware that investing in energy efficiency ‘pays back’, split incentives can be a barrier to investment. Environmental upgrade agreements (EUAs) are a new finance mechanism that promises to overcome this barrier. [ + ]

Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) has upgraded its network to support growth and deliver around-the-clock connectivity to doctors and other staff. The hospital deployed Avaya Ethernet Routing switches across the hospital and is also upgrading to Virtual Services Platform 9000 core switches, to provide the backbone of the network for the next decade. [ + ]

Autonomous Energy has designed, installed and commissioned a 60 kW Solar PV system at Pymble Ladies’ College. The system was installed in two phases, the first phase (16 kW) was commissioned in July 2011 and the second phase (60 kW) went live in February 2012. [ + ]

Some Australian electric utilities operate a substantial number of diesel-fuelled power stations for remote communities that are too distant to connect to the main electricity grids. These communities can include hundreds of residents, along with local commercial activities and civil infrastructure to support the region. The wet season can make it difficult to access some communities by road for up to 1-2 months. Photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been identified as the most consistent source of renewable power to cover the daily power consumption profile of these communities. [ + ]