Industry News
Lighting may change the way we eat: Cornell study
Researchers have found that soft lighting and mellow music impacts diners’ calorie intake and satisfaction with their meal. [ + ]
Ai Group receives funding to boost apprenticeship completion rates
Ai Group will receive $2.3 million in government funding to establish an apprenticeship adviser network and a further $790,000 for targeted mentoring and assistance to improve apprenticeship retention rates. [ + ]
Low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells developed
Researchers at RTI International have developed solar cells from solutions of semiconductor particles which have a power conversion efficiency equivalent to traditional cells at a lower cost. [ + ]
Australia ditches carbon floor price, joins EU carbon market
Australia and Europe will be linking their emissions trading scheme by means of the mutual recognition of carbon units between the two cap and trade systems. To facilitate linking, the Australian Government will not implement the price and a new sublimit will apply to the use of eligible Kyoto units. [ + ]
Ampcontrol acquires Primatec QDA
Ampcontrol has announced its strategic acquisition of Primatec QDA, which it says will boost the company’s innovative technology solutions. [ + ]
Schneider extends academic partnership
Schneider Electric has formed an alliance with SkillsTech Australia, Queensland’s largest trade and technician training TAFE institute, to address Australia’s engineering skills shortage. [ + ]
NECA Excellence Award winners for ACT announced
Winners of the NECA annual electrical industry Excellence Awards and Apprentice of the Year Awards for the ACT were announced on Friday. [ + ]
TAFE Riverina Institute wins award for environmental sustainability
The TAFE NSW Riverina Institute has been awarded the 2012 Australian Business Award for Environmental Sustainability for adopting a number of energy-efficiency measures. [ + ]
Eaton announces Data Centre Tech Days
Eaton Corporation has announced the inaugural Australia Data Centre Tech Days, to be held in Sydney on 18 and 19 September. [ + ]
Copper cabling thief receives shock of a lifetime
An alleged thief got more than he bargained for on Tuesday night, receiving an electric shock while trying to steal copper cabling from an unoccupied Adelaide factory. [ + ]
One in five energy bills are incorrect, says Energy Action
As many as one in five energy bills are incorrect, says Energy Action, and with 13% of users being overcharged, it’s worth double-checking for discrepancies. [ + ]
enLighten expands to WA and Victoria
Sydney-based energy efficiency and lighting solutions company enLighten Australia is expanding operations into West Australia and Victoria amid growing private and public sector uptake of LED lighting. [ + ]
Award-winning paper on storing solar energy in residential power networks
Two electrical engineers have won an award for their paper on an economically feasible way to store solar energy in existing residential power networks. [ + ]
AuSES renamed as Australian Solar Council
The Australian Solar Energy Society (AuSES) has been renamed as the Australian Solar Council. [ + ]
Master Electricians slams Victorian electrical contracting workplace agreement
Master Electricians Australia has slammed the workplace agreement for the Victorian electrical contracting industry, calling it ‘backwards-looking’ and arguing it will increase red tape. [ + ]
