In today’s economy, many look at the bottom line more than usual and don’t do anything unless it’s mission critical. When we cut costs, we also decrease expenses, but to what end? Training seems to be one of the first things companies eliminate without thinking about the outcome. But why is training and development so important? Why can’t people learn the way that many of us did - by the school of hard knocks?

Maximising power quality in today’s hybrid electrical networks is typically a balancing act between many different factors, all of which must be considered.

The article in September/October 2008 Electrical Solutions raised many questions regarding supply voltage variances. Author Paul Stathis was warned that he could be opening a can of worms. The advice he received was not wrong. In this article, I will attempt to answer some of the issues raised in the previous article and bring attention to more issues that need to be addressed by the electrical industry.

The 2007 Wiring Rules introduced a number of installation directives for halogen downlights because of the high incidence of fires directly attributable to the extreme heat output from them igniting nearby combustible materials. One of these directives is to leave considerable clearance around them from all materials, including insulation. But this introduces the problem of potentially compromising a home’s thermal efficiency. How do electrical contractors deal with this conundrum?

The push for ‘greener’ electricity through more sophisticated electrical technologies has, in many cases, increased the negative consequences of harmonics on our electrical infrastructure. Electronic ballasts for lighting, switchmode power supplies for PCs and variable speed drives for motor controls are becoming ubiquitous in our homes and workplace. But while they’re improving our energy efficiency, they’re also making the electricity supply dirty.

Unfortunately, many people base their test and measurement equipment purchasing decision on price, availability and misleading sales information.

The enforcement of privacy laws has recently placed a greater emphasis on maintaining the integrity of personal and confidential information. Not only must data be securely stored, but the enclosures housing the data must also be physically secure. A government specification strictly qualifies the deployment of these enclosures and, as many organisations begin to utilise these cabinets, consultants and installers may find themselves ill prepared to deploy them correctly.

Test and measurement equipment is essential to the electrical trade, be it for electrical, data or control systems. Whether it’s for commissioning a new installation or finding a fault in an existing one, electrical tradespeople and technicians put a lot of faith in the readings from these instruments. But how can they be certain what’s being reported is correct?

Rising energy costs and concern for our environment are motivating Australians to look for ways to reduce their energy consumption. In recent years, sophisticated energy management systems have been deployed in commercial buildings to help achieve higher energy ratings and lower energy consumption without compromising functionality. The same attitude is now evident with homeowners wanting to make their homes more energy efficient, but without the burden of having to think too hard about it.

There are literally hundreds of power quality measurements that can be taken on electrical systems and equipment. Predictive maintenance measurements and power consumption measurements can help electrical contractors uncover hidden costs for their end-user customers, protect their equipment from damaging conditions, reduce their unscheduled downtime and improve the system’s overall performance.

Technology developed by CSIRO has the potential to help building owners worldwide dramatically reduce their energy consumption and costs, improve tenant comfort and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Under OHS legislation, employers have a statutory duty to secure the health, safety and welfare of employees and third persons working at or near their workplace.

Homewares retailer IKEA decided to ‘fraction-monitor’ power consumption in all of its stores globally to reduce its carbon footprint and future-proof its Australian stores from the impending Emission Trading Scheme requirements. To do this, IKEA selected Schneider Electric Compact NSX circuit breakers to replace the existing breakers in every store across Australia, starting with the IKEA Richmond store in Victoria.

Following the release of the federal government's 'Keep Australia Working' report, NECA has voiced its support for the government's views and objectives.

The implications of the Fair Work Act on contractor relationships.