Articles
Switches and GPOs don’t have to be so bland
Not long after I first arrived here in Australia, I met an architect who told me that he didn’t want light switches to be visible in homes. When I asked him why, he simply said: “Because they’re ugly.” I suspect such an attitude is not uncommon amongst many architects, and even some home owners, given the universal use of basic white switch plates and GPOs in this country.
[ + ]Skills shortages loom large as risk to growth
A recent survey of 400 CEOs of Australian companies has identified skills shortages as a major challenge facing business.
[ + ]Energy-efficiency disclosure now compulsory
New legislation requiring the disclosure of buildings’ energy ratings means the electrical industry will play an even more important role on the performance of buildings.
[ + ]Standards for the Australian smart grid
Standards Australia provides an update on its activities in the continuing development of smart grid standards for Australia.
[ + ]Electric utilities must embrace clean energy and energy efficiency to compete, says report
A recent US report states that important factors such as climate change, emerging renewable technologies, carbon costs and volatile fossil-fuel prices are the driving forces behind new business models in the electrical industry in the 21st century.
[ + ]Project: Linking monitoring and control equipment in a road tunnel
The city of Brisbane’s 6.8 km long Clem Jones Tunnel, known as ‘CLEM 7’, is one of the largest infrastructure projects ever to be undertaken in the state of Queensland. Built as a solution to Brisbane’s inner-city traffic gridlock, the tunnel has been built under the Brisbane River and connects the north- and south-bound traffic, has five traffic connection points, and a sixth connection to the Airport Link is planned for completion in 2012.
[ + ]Apprenticeship flexibility will help with skill shortages
NECA has been instrumental in a Fair Work Australia decision to enable NSW businesses to continue to choose between two types of apprenticeships in the electrical industry.
[ + ]Project: Giving a prestige home that ‘wow’ factor
A recently built, four-storey home in Melbourne’s prestigious Toorak was an obvious candidate for home automation. To cope with the home’s complexity and sophistication, five separate Clipsal C-Bus networks were installed to control 29 motorised blinds, motorised plasma-lifts, irrigation, swimming pool, over 600 light fittings, motion sensors and colour-changing LED lighting.
[ + ]NECA calls on government to release safety inspection figures
NECA has called on the government to release details on the insulation installation safety inspection figures or to inspect all of the installations in the country.
[ + ]Energy management to reduce costs
Improving the energy efficiencies of industrial plants can be enhanced through proper monitoring of the energy consumed by plant and equipment.
[ + ]$300m cable upgrade for manufacturing facility
Maser has successfully completed the supply of instrumentation, thermocouple and process control cables that were required for a major $300m upgrade to a large manufacturing facility in southern New South Wales.
[ + ]Can Australia achieve 100% renewable energy by 2020?
The Zero Carbon Australia 2020 Project is a detailed and costed blueprint for a transition to a zero-emissions economy in 10 years using proven, commercialised technology. Its purpose is to show the Australian public and decision-makers that reaching a zero-emissions economy is ready to be implemented and only awaits government sign-off. It aims to initiate urgent efforts to mitigate the risks posed by global warming and to describe the infrastructure and resources required to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions to zero in the medium term.
[ + ]Think safety when selecting a multimeter
Would you use the nearest handheld multimeter to measure mains voltage or some other high-energy source? Absolutely not! Just as different types of helmets are designed to protect against rockclimbing, bicycle and motorcycle accidents; different multimeters are designed with different levels of protection against common electrical hazards. For your own safety - and for the safety of others nearby - choose the right multimeter that’s designed to protect against specific hazards that will be encountered.
[ + ]Pitfalls to avoid when implementing an IP network surveillance system
Structured cabling systems have become ubiquitous in commercial and industrial buildings and facilities around the world in recent decades. At the same time, Internet Protocol has become the norm for communicating over this infrastructure. While their fundamental applications were initially for voice and data systems, many other building services applications, such as video surveillance, are emerging on these platforms to take advantage of their simplicity to deploy and operationally integrate.
[ + ]Can NBN Co avoid another ‘insulation installation’ debacle?
The National Broadband Network is currently the largest infrastructure project within Australia, promising to elevate our nation’s communication capabilities to world-class levels. The problem is we lack the skills necessary to deliver it. Without the appropriate groundwork right now to build skill levels, there is a very real risk of this government initiative turning into an embarrassing debacle.
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