the magazine of the electroindustry

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Published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association | www.NEMA.org | May 2016 | Vol. 21 No. 5
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2015 Herm

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Elevating Safety
in the workplace
n around the home
n at school
n in healthcare
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CONTENTS

FEATURES
Grid Safety: Smart Meters Graduate to Intelligent Sensors in Brave, New, Interconnected World..............10
Intelligent Devices Enhance Safety, Property........................................................................................12
Dynamic Healthcare Communications Begin with Optimized Workflow...................................................14
Get the Picture? Proper Servicing of Imaging Equipment Ensures Accurate and Safe Diagnoses.......................16
Mass Notification + Fire Safety Training = Aware Campuses...................................................................17
New Designation Facilitates Mass Notification.......................................................................................18
Insurance Industry Promotes Best Practices in Code Adoption and Enforcement......................................20
Utility Linemen: Putting Safety on the Line...........................................................................................21

NEMA@Home
Creating a Safer, Connected Home with the Internet of Things............................................NEMA@Home 1
Electric Vehicle Charging Comes Home...............................................................................NEMA@Home 3

www.nema.org/AMM16
ECO BOX
ei, the magazine of the electroindustry text and cover pages are printed using SFI-certified
Anthem paper using soy ink.
SFI fiber sourcing requirements promote responsible forest
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SFI works with environmental, social and industry partners to
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The SFI certified sourcing label is proof ei, the magazine of the
electroindustry is using fiber from responsible and legal sources.

ei, the magazine of the electroindustry

Publisher | Tracy Cullen

Editor in Chief | Pat Walsh
Contributing Editors | Ann Brandstadter,
Christine Coogle, William E. Green III

Economic Spotlight | Tim Gill

Codes & Standardization Trends | Vince Baclawski
Government Relations Update | Kyle Pitsor
Art Director | Jennifer Tillmann
National Advertising Representative | Bill Mambert

ei, the magazine of the electroindustry (ISSN 1066-2464) is published monthly by NEMA, the Association of Electrical Equipment and
Medical Imaging Manufacturers, 1300 N. 17th Street, Suite 900, Rosslyn, VA 22209; 703.841.3200. FAX: 703.841.5900. Periodicals
postage paid at Rosslyn, Va., and York, Pa., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEMA, 1300 N.
17th Street, Suite 900, Rosslyn, VA 22209. The opinions or views expressed in electroindustry do not necessarily reflect the positions of
NEMA or any of its subdivisions.
Subscribe to ei, the magazine of the electroindustry at www.nema.org/subscribe2ei.
Contact us at comm@nema.org.
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Newsmakers

NOTES
NEMA Officers........................................................................................................................................................................................3
Comments from the President...............................................................................................................................................................3
Views......................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Ask the Expert......................................................................................................................................................................................28
I Am NEMA...........................................................................................................................................................................................28

Dr. Vijay M. Rao predicts that innovation will

continue to transform the way diseases are
diagnosed, treated, and monitored.

DEPARTMENTS
Government Relations Update................................................................................................................7
After Multi-Year NEMA Effort, CBP Has Clear Authority to Share.........................................................................................................7
Advocating for Safer Lithium Coin Batteries ........................................................................................................................................8
Electroindustry News...........................................................................................................................23
Vint Cerf, Internet Founding Father, to Speak at Annual Meeting......................................................................................................23
IDEA Announces Quality Milestone in Data Certification Program....................................................................................................23
Code Actions/Standardization Trends....................................................................................................24
Updating West Coast Code Adoptions ................................................................................................................................................24
Compatibility Confirmed between Smoke Alarms and AFCIs ...........................................................................................................24
MITA Updates Cybersecurity in Medical Imaging White Paper............................................................................................................24

Josh Ulrich puts safety on the line.

21

International Roundup........................................................................................................................25
Saudi Arabia Consortium to Implement Technical, Outreach, and Trade Goals.................................................................................25
Economic Spotlight..............................................................................................................................26
NEMA Business Conditions Indexes Up Sharply in March .................................................................................................................26
Lighting Systems Index Decreased in Fourth Quarter with Mixed Results for Components.............................................................27
Linear Fluorescent Lamp Indexes Continue Year-Over-Year Decline .................................................................................................27
HID Lamp Indexes Close Out 2015 Down from 2014.........................................................................................................................27

Visit the NEMA Standards Store for these and

other recently published standards:
ANSI C12.1-2014 Code for Electricity Metering

Internet Founding Father Vint Cerf

foresees a transformed future at 90th
Annual Membership Meeting.

22

ANSI C78.1430 (R2009, R2016) Slide Projector

Lamps, Condensing, Dichroic, 1.65-in.
(42 mm), Integral Reflector, Rim Reference
Tungsten-Halogen Lamps with GX5.3 Bases
NEMA UC 2-1993 (R2000, R2005, R2010,
R2015) Undercarpet Power Distribution
Systems
ANSI/NEMA WC 61-2005 (R2015) Transfer
Impedance Testing
NEMA WD 1-1999 (R2005, R2010, R2015)
General Color Requirements for Wiring Devices

Officers
Chairwoman
Maryrose Sylvester
President & CEO
Current, Powered by GE
Vice Chairman
Michael Pessina
Co-CEO & President
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
Treasurer
David G. Nord
Chairman, President & CEO
Hubbell Incorporated
Immediate Past Chairman
Don Hendler
President & CEO
Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
President & CEO
Kevin J. Cosgriff
Secretary
Clark R. Silcox

From the President

William Shakespeare was on to something in Henry IV, Part I that fits with this months
theme. [O]ut of this nettle, danger, he wrote, we pluck this flower, safety.
May is National Electrical Safety Month, sponsored by the Electrical Safety Foundation
International (ESFI), and Building Safety Month, sponsored by the International
Code Council (ICC). Both proclamations remind us that safety lies at the very
center of what NEMA does with and on behalf of electrical equipment and medical
imaging manufacturers.
We often take electricityand its inherent benefits and safetyfor granted, whether to
charge a smart phone or x-ray a person. Think for a moment of the tremendous power
generated by electrical power plants that is sent seemingly without effort through
transmission networks to substations and ultimately via building wires and devices to
customers. Our members know better; this is anything but effortless in a holistic sense.
Because of the reliability of the products that they manufacture, electrical power is
transported through all terrains, weather, different distribution networks, and buildings
day and nightall yearsafely.
How do they do it? NEMA members view safety as integral to everything they make.
Further, they promote safety through performance standards that assure users that the
products and systems meeting these exacting quality levels are application-ready and safe.
This elemental attribute of our built environment was woven by designers, engineers, and
production workers across North America.
On a daily basis, NEMA members also devote significant time and expense to preserving
the three-year code adoption cycle in every municipality and state across the country.
It is our firm belief that the best way to guarantee safety is through adherence to model
building codes; strong and efficient code enforcement; and a well-trained, professional
installation, maintenance, and inspection workforce. Codes also ensure that the latest
and safest technology is being deployed into homes, offices, and factories.
ESFIs ongoing campaign educates the public about the dangers of electrical fires, and
possible, injurie, and property loss that misuse or mistakes with electrical products might
cause. The ICC helps the public understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable
structures. We salute them both for their persistent commitments to safety awareness and
best practices.
I am especially proud to accept an award from ICC this month on behalf of NEMA
members. The citation recognizes our industrys commitment and leadership in the
development and adoption of current safety codes and standards. This is a 90-plus year
commitment and one we willingly intend to carry forward with the same diligence as
our forebears. ei
Kevin J. Cosgriff
President and CEO

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Views
Transforming Todays Smart Grid into Tomorrows Safer, Active Grid
Philip Mezey, President and CEO, Itron

Since their inception, utility companies

have provided safe and affordable
services to communities everywhere.
Now more than ever, they are at the
forefront of a modernization movement
to provide even more reliable electricity.

power and new communications

capabilities in meters provides a practical
and cost-effective solution for utilities to
identify losses, voltage anomalies, and
potential safety issues before they become
safety hazards or costly liabilities.

The heart of the electricity distribution

system is the electricity meter, making
the next-generation power system
possible. An electricity meter with the
computing power to analyze data and take
action in the field is making true edge
intelligence and assured connectivity a
reality. It is critical that utilities continue
to deploy smart technologies that
improve efficiency and reliability, while
empowering consumers to bring about
the transformation they seek.

Smart meters are intelligent enough

to know exactly where they are on the
utility distribution system. This locationawareness capability opens up an entirely
new frontier of smart grid use cases that
were previously hobbled by the lack of a
consistently accurate connectivity model.

Smart meters and sensors have a leading

role in the next generation gridthe
active grid. Todays grid allows for the
collection and exchange of data; however,
collecting data in a central data store
and running reactive analytical data
modeling only gets us so far. Dynamic
analytical engines throughout the
network accelerate and improve decision
making and shorten the time it takes to
react to dynamic grid conditionsthis is
the next wave of transformation. In this
transformation, the active grid harnesses
the power of technology to reduce wasted
energy, improve efficiencies, and create
even more value for utilities and their
customers.
Identifying Opportunities
for Efficiency
Data analytics can be used by utilities
to identify opportunities for costeffective distribution system upgrades.
These include improving grid efficiency
and reliability; effectively integrating
distributed generation resources, such as
energy storage and rooftop photovoltaic
systems; and predicting fluctuations in
energy demand before they happen. The
combination of distributed computing

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Philip Mezey

Smart meters also enhance safety by

allowing remote disconnection of
electric power to a customer in the
event of a catastrophe, such as a flood
or earthquake. They give customers
information about the amount of
electricity used throughout the day
to identify not only inefficiencies but
also abnormalities that could signal
electrical safety concerns. For example,
a homeowner who notices unusually
high energy use might identify a
malfunctioning air conditioner as
the culprit or determine that its costeffective to replace an old, inefficient
refrigerator.

The same holds true for commercial

use. Submeters, which are installed
downstream from main utility meters,
may be used for billing purposes in
multi-tenant buildings. Their larger
purpose, however, is in subsystem energy
monitoring, such as lighting, HVAC, and
water pumping. Submeters can monitor
use in real time, sending data to the
building management system, which in
turn can flag anomalies that may identify
safety problems.
Smart devices, software, and applications
have the computing power to not only
measure and communicate but also
to solve problems in real time. These
solutions can dynamically manage
loads and outage conditions through
an intelligent, distributed, and selfaware networkimproving safety and
reliability and, ultimately, creating
economic gains.
Smart meters and sensors serve as the
hub for in-field problem solving in
real time. With this capability, utilities
will have deeper insight into what is
happening throughout their distribution
systems to take action based on grid
conditions, all for the sake of providing
safe and reliable electricity. Through
smart meters and sensors, the active
grid can help transform how electricity
is managed and empower consumers to
conserve and save money. ei
Mr. Mezey serves on the NEMA Board of
Governors Executive Committee.

Views
National Electrical Safety Month: Achieving Safety through Design
Brett Brenner, President of the Electrical Safety Foundation International
May is National Electrical Safety Month,
and, while electrical safety should be
a yearlong priority, it is important to
have a month devoted to spotlighting
safe electrical practices that should be
commonplace at home and on the job.
I recently attended the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic Engineers
(better known as IEEE) Industrial
Applications Society Electrical Safety
Workshop, a forum serving to advance
the application of technology, work
practices, codes, and regulations to
prevent electrical incidents and injuries
in the workplace. It was humbling to be
among the industrys most influential
people as they presented the latest in
electrical safety technology and practices.
Building Safety into
Design Process
One recurring theme was the concept
of safety by design, which the National
Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health defines as addressing
occupational safety and health needs
in the design process to prevent or
minimize work-related hazards.
An example of this concept was applied
to the voltage-testing process by
designing equipment with an installed
testing instrument rather than relying
on a manual testing device. This reduces
exposure to electrical hazards and
removes the possibility of human error.
While the technical aspects of safety
by design are most commonly applied
by engineers, its fundamental premise
can be applied to occupations across
the electrical industry to safeguard
employees and consumers. Central to
this approach is the enforcement of codes
and standards such as NFPA 70E and the
National Electrical Code (NEC). Lets
examine how these codes and standards
create the blueprint or design for
electrical safety in the field and at home.

Design Your Safety Culture

NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety
in the Workplace provides requirements
for protecting personnel by reducing
exposure to major electrical hazards. Key
principles outlined in NFPA 70E include
lockout/tagout processes, the proper use
of personal protective equipment, and
verifying that equipment is de-energized
before work is performed (also known as
the test before you touch method).

Examples of code-driven safety

technology advancements include
arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs),
ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs),
and tamper-resistant receptacles (TRRs).
These three devices have been proven
to save lives by eliminating electrical
fires and instances of electrical shock,
and application of these devices and the
areas requiring their protection continue
to expand with subsequent versions
of the NEC.
Despite the capacity of the NEC to
save lives and property, however, some
jurisdictions resist the timely adoption
of the newest edition, which precludes
constituents from benefiting from the
latest advancements in electrical safety.
As an industry, we must confront these
code adoption threats by educating
policymakers and the public about the
benefits of full and timely adoption
of the NEC.

Brett Brenner

Failure to comply with these practices

contributes to an estimated 187
electricity-related workplace fatalities
per year, according to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration.
Creating a workplace culture that
eliminates complacency by continually
reinforcing the importance of the
principles outlined in NFPA 70E can help
minimize the risk of electrical injuries
and fatalities.

Codes and standards such as NFPA 70E

and the NEC are the cornerstone for
eliminating electrical hazards in our
day-to-day lives. In the spirit of National
Electrical Safety Month, make sure
NFPA 70E is followed in your workplace
and leverage your influence by helping
raise awareness about the importance of
the NEC.
Visit www.esfi.org for resources
highlighting NFPA 70E concepts and
www.nema.org for more information on
its Code Adoption Initiative. ei

The NEC is the benchmark for safe

electrical design, installation, and
inspection to protect people and
property from electrical hazards. It is
revised every three years to incorporate
new advances in electrical safety
technologies, improved installation and
safety practices, and critical safeguards
for consumers and electrical workers.

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Views
Innovation Defines the Future of Medical Imaging

Vijay M. Rao, MD, FACR, Chairwoman, Radiological Society of North America Board of Directors
The future of medical imaging remains
bright. Technological inventions
such as computed tomography (CT),
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
positron emission tomography (PET),
and ultrasound, have revolutionized
the field over the last four decades; new
innovations will keep it at the forefront
of patient care.
The rapid growth of imaging and its
associated costs receives much attention
from policymakers, but the positive
impact of imaging in early detection,
patient management, and minimally
invasive treatments across a broad
spectrum of diseases is often overlooked.

Increased interest in screening.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) approved
reimbursement for low-dose lung
cancer screening for eligible candidates.
Technological innovation. Precision
imaging has given rise to many
exciting technologies. Digital images
are rich in data and tend toward
developing powerful imaging
biomarkers. Combining imaging
biomarkers with genomic information
may increase imaging utilization,
as will popular technologies like 3D
breast tomosynthesis.

Increased Use of Imaging

Radiologists have worked closely with
oncologists, physicists, and equipment
manufacturers to optimize dose and
maintain rigorous standards of practice
through initiatives such as Image Wisely
and Image Gently. Many factors will
continue to influence medical imaging
utilization and promote increased use:
Growth of aging population. The
population of individuals over age 65
is expected to nearly double by 2050,
likely leading to increased utilization
of medical imaging.
The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act. This legislation
has provided imaging access to
millions of Americans who were
previously uninsured.
Defensive medicine. Unless there
is tort reform at the national level,
physicians will continue to order
excessive tests to avoid malpractice
liability.
Consumerism. Easy access to
information through the Internet
encourages patients to demand
imaging tests when they may not be
medically indicated.

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Accountable care organizations

(ACOs) and bundled payments.
The number of ACOs is rapidly
increasing. These organizations
voluntarily coordinate care and
tie reimbursements to metrics and
reductions in the cost of care. Bundled
payments refer to a single aggregate
payment for all health services
related to an episode of care. These
new payment models put downward
pressure on use of imaging.
Evidence-based imaging. A large
number of national medical societies
participated in the Choosing Wisely
campaign in an attempt to identify
tests that are overused or should not
be performed at all. The vast majority
were imaging related.
Concerns about radiation. The
potential risks of radiation from CT
scans have been highly publicized and
may lead to avoidance of tests.

Vijay M. Rao, MD

Decreased Use of Imaging

There are also factors that may lead to
reduced imaging use:
Utilization management strategies.
Commercial payers already use
radiology benefits management
companies. CMS recently mandated
that physicians ordering high-end
studies for Medicare outpatients and
emergency patients in the future
employ appropriate use criteria via a
clinical decision support system.
High-deductible health plans. It
is estimated that one-quarter of all
workers in the U.S. are enrolled in
high-deductible health plans. Patients
may avoid expensive imaging tests
such as CT, MRI, and PET.

Reducing duplicative studies. As

vendors increasingly adopt standards
for interoperability and cloud-based
solutions allow sharing images across
health systems, duplication will be
reduced.
While a variety of influences will
determine the course of imaging in
the future, innovation will continue
to transform the way diseases are
diagnosed, treated, and monitored.
It will take imaging into molecular,
genomic, and precision medicine.
Computers will continue to be a
disruptive force, especially in exploring
the potential for cognitive learning. The
role of physicians, including radiologists,
will continue to evolve, and the only
constant will be change. ei
Dr. Rao is the David C. Levin Professor
and Department of Radiology Chair
at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas
Jefferson University.

Government Relations Update

After Multi-Year NEMA Effort, CBP Has Clear Authority to Share
Section 302 of the Trade Facilitation and
Trade Enforcement Act, signed into law
in February, resolves legal uncertainty
and strengthens the authority of U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to
share information and product samples
with U.S. electroindustry companies and
others who face a threat of counterfeit
products entering the U.S.
As part of a multiple-Congress effort
to pass a bill reauthorizing the trade
functions of CBP, NEMA advocated
consistently for the inclusion of language
necessary to ensure that the agency
can cooperate efficiently and effectively
with U.S. holders of copyrights and
trademarks to prevent importation of
fake products.
NEMA action was necessary for several
reasons. First, several NEMA member
companies and particular product
types have been victims of importation
of counterfeit products. These include
circuit breakers, batteries, extension
cords, receptacles, ground fault circuit
interrupters, light bulbs, and grounding
rods. In addition to the damage
counterfeits can do to sales, counterfeit
products are usually unsafe because they
have not been built to meet applicable
standards.

or consists of a counterfeit mark of the

registered mark.

compromise and passage was not secured

until this year.

The following spring, NEMA General

Counsel Clark Silcox testified before the
U.S. Senate Committee on Finance in
support of a similar provision included
in the Senate version of the bill. Mr.
Silcox cited in particular that labeling
of some counterfeit products can
successfully simulate the labeling on a
genuine product. Thus, it can be difficult
to tell the difference by visual inspection.

Section 302, Exchange of Information

Related to Trade Enforcement,
authorizes CBP to share with rights
holders images or samples of suspected
merchandise prior to formal seizure
by CBP, including any information
appearing on the merchandise and its
packaging and labels.

There are situations where it can be

very difficult for a [CBP] port official to
determine whether a suspect product
is genuine or counterfeit, he told the
committee. A look under the hood, so
to speak, may be required. Sharing and
inspection of product samples by CBP,
not just photographs, can be essential.
While NEMA continued its education
effort on the Hill, the vital informationsharing provision waited for pent-up
demand for trade legislation to build
until the 114th Congress in 2015. Open
consideration of the bill in the House
and Senate began in the spring, but final

Craig Updyke, Director, Trade

and Commercial Affairs, NEMA |
craig.updyke@nema.org

NEMA PACyour industrys voice

The NEMA Political Action Committee
(NEMA PAC) is a key component of our
industrys policy advocacy.

Second, due to a conflicting interpretation

of the Trade Secrets Act, several years ago
CBP ceased sharing with U.S. companies,
for verification purposes, the images and
samples of suspected counterfeit products
they detained.
The effort to rectify this situation began
to bear fruit in December 2012. At that
time, a section in Rep. Kevin Bradys
proposed Customs Trade Facilitation
and Enforcement Act would permit CBP,
with conditions, to provide to the owner
of a copyright or a registered mark
to assist [CBP] in determining whether
the merchandise, packaging, or packing
material infringes the copyright or bears

In an April meeting with manufacturers

about the new law, Michael Walsh,
Director of Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) Policy and Programs for CBP (an
agency of the Department of Homeland
Security), explained several additional
provisions that will help CBP cooperate
with legitimate traders to catch illegal
trade. These include better coordination
among CBP experts organized in
virtual centers and with the National
Intellectual Property Rights Center, as
well as creation of a joint strategic plan
for IPR enforcement. ei

Through NEMA PAC, industry leaders pool

resources to support House and Senate
candidates who
champion issues for the electrical
equipment and medical imaging industries
and
demonstrate a record of support for public
policy issues impacting our industry.

Make a difference in
how public policy
is shaped
nemaPAC-4.9167x3.25.indd 1

NEMA PAC is bipartisan. Formed in 1998,

it is the only entity that focuses exclusively
on candidates that impact the electrical
equipment and medical imaging industries.
To learn more about NEMA PAC, visit
www.nema.org/NEMA-PAC

4/20/2016 4:55:20 PM

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Government Relations Update

Advocating for Safer Lithium Coin Batteries
Lithium coin batteries are ubiquitous
in todays consumer-centric America.
Everything from your wrist watch to your
garage door openernot to mention the
seemingly endless variety of electronic
toys for grown-ups and kids alikemight
run on coin cells. The number grows each
yeara good trend for the consumer
whose life is becoming more integrated
with (and dare I say dependent on?)
portable electronic devices.
Lithium coin batteries come in various
sizes. More than 95 percent measure
20 mm, which is a little smaller than
a quarter, fitting nicely into smaller
electronics devices. While an advantage in
some applications, the smaller size poses a
hazard for young children who put them
in their mouths. When swallowed, the
cells usually pass through the digestive

NEMA Ad 0516_ol.indd 1

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

tract without incident. Occasionally,

however, the lithium coin batteries can
lodge in the esophagus. In as little as 30
minutes, the battery voltage begins to
break down water molecules in the saliva,
leading to a high pH substance formation
that can damage esophageal tissue.
From the time when NEMA member
companies became aware of the
hazard, they engaged in a five-pronged
approach to mitigate lithium coin
ingestion: education/outreach, battery
compartment design, warning copy,
packaging, and battery design. Thanks
in part to these efforts, the number of
reported incidents has decreased since
2010, even as the number of coin cells
distributed dramatically increased over
the same period.

Over the last 18 months, NEMA members

have been involved in revising the
industry standard for lithium battery
safety to include labeling and packaging
requirements. As part of this, NEMA
developed a new icon that will appear on
the blister card and will be engraved on
lithium coin batteries. It will more clearly
convey (to supervising adults) the presence
of an ingestion hazard for children.
As an American consumer, I certainly
appreciate the effort and innovation that
went into developing lithium coin cell
technology. But as an American parent, I
appreciate even more the industry efforts
to make the batteries safer. ei
Jonathan Stewart, Government
Relations Manager, NEMA |
jonathan.stewart@nema.org

4/11/16 3:19 PM

Grid Safety:
Smart Meters Graduate to Intelligent Sensors
in Brave, New, Interconnected World

Tim Wolf, Director of Marketing, Smart Grid Solutions, Itron Inc.

ver the past decade, utilities throughout the United States have been
installing smart metering networks to automate the collection of energy
and water usage data. Thus far, these smart meter networks have succeeded
primarily in reducing costs, increasing efficiencies, and improving customer
service. They have not yet provided a robust, intelligent technology platform
to enable a broader array of applications to improve the safety, reliability,
and efficiency of the power grid.

Greatly increased affordability of computing power for edge

devices, coupled with significant advancements in softwaredefined communications and the evolution of standards-based
network architecture, has redefined what is possible for many
grid operationsuse cases.
Using smart meters as advanced grid sensors can identify unsafe conditions such as hot spots,
theft, and outages.

By combining these technology attributes in a unified platform,

significant improvements in grid operations can be achieved,
substantially increasing the return on investment for smart
metering technology and network infrastructure. This includes
using smart meters as advanced grid sensors to identify
potentially unsafe grid conditions that until now have been very
difficult to detect in either a practical or cost-effective way.

Stopping Hot Spots Cold

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International
(ESFI), home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000
fires each year, nearly 500 deaths, more than 1,400 injuries,
and $1.3 billion in property damage in the U.S. Specifically, arc
faults are responsible for starting more than 28,000 home fires,
killing and injuring hundreds of people, and causing over $700
million in property damage in the U.S. alone.
By continuously analyzing changes in electricity current flows and voltage levels in
the distribution network, utilities can quickly respond to potential safety hazards.
Photos courtesy of Itron

10

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Electrical fires have numerous causes, most of which are beyond

a utilitys ability to address. But what does keep utility personnel
awake at night is the safety concerns associated with highimpedance connections (HICs) on their distribution networks.
HICs or hot spots on the low-voltage distribution system or
at the customer premise represent an ongoing safety risk and
contributor to these statistics, while also causing customer
voltage problems, equipment damage, and utility energy losses.

Elevating Safety
An HIC is simply a poor electrical connection that can be
created when splicing, tapping, or connecting wires; when
foliage touches a line; or when a conductor or powerline fails.
When current is drawn through an HIC, heating occurs due to
increased resistance, and voltage drops across the connection.
As heating continues, the connection is further degraded, and
this causes energy losses and the HIC to worsen over time.
Symptoms start as voltage problems but can deteriorate to
power outages and fires. Until now, there has been no practical
way for utilities to identify and resolve these issues until
they become more serious, with voltage problems, a downed
conductor, or even a fire.
So how does this new generation of smart metering technology
address this important safety issue? The combination of
distributed computing power and new communications
capabilities in meters and edge devices provides a practical
and cost-effective solution for utilities to identify these losses,
voltage anomalies, and potential safety issues before they
become a safety hazard or a costly liability.
By continually analyzing high-resolution data about current
flows and voltage in the local distribution system and
communicating with neighboring meters through peer-topeer communications to compare notes, this new generation
of smart meters can continually and ubiquitously calculate
and monitor impedance and quickly notify the utility of the
presence and location of HICs.
This new generation of smart meters and grid edge devices
are smart enough to know exactly where they are on the
utility distribution system in relation to transformers, phases,
feeders, and other devices. This location-awareness capability
opens up an entirely new frontier of smart griduse cases that
were previously hobbled by the lack of a continually accurate
connectivity model.
Is this technology a panacea for preventing electrical fires in the
home or business? No, but by using a new generation of smart
meters as intelligent grid sensors, capable of analyzing lots of
data in real time at the edge of the network and taking action,
utilities have a powerful new tool for addressing one safety issue
that has not, thus far, been easy or cost-effective to solve.

Spotting Theft, Outages in Real Time

Hot-spot detection is just one use case related to grid and public
safety. Power outages and theft of electricity have a significant
financial impact on utilities, businesses, and consumers,
representing hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue and
economic productivity worldwide. Both also present safety
challenges for utilities and the public. Electricity theft creates a
dangerous environment for perpetrators, utility personnel, and
the public alike, while power outages bring forth both direct and
indirect public safety issues. So its in everyones interest to reduce
energy theft and the frequency and duration of power outages.

Even with current smart metering technology, detecting energy

theft can be an inefficient and laborious exercise of analyzing
meter alarms and historical data from disparate systems and
drawing inferences about where diversion may be taking place.
With distributed intelligence added to the mix, diversion
detection is now based on real time; continuous and localized
analysis of changes in electricity current flows and voltage
levels in the distribution network quickly distinguish legitimate
metered loads from theft.

By combining locational awareness on the grid with

peer-to-peer communications at the edge of the
network, a new generation of smart meters...report
reliable and actionable information back to the utility
in near-real time.
This results in a 300-percent increase in the accuracy and
reliability of energy theft detection, meaning that utilities can
dispatch field personnel more quickly and effectively to not only
recover lost revenue but also quickly respond to potential safety
hazards on their grid.
Like energy theft detection, the current state of outage detection
with the smart metering network is still an inferential exercise
based on how many affected meters can successfully transmit
last-gasp outage messages over the network, how many of
those reach the utility, and the filtering and analysis continues
from there. This process is still hampered by lack of an accurate
connectivity model that associates meters and distribution
system assets.
By combining locational awareness on the grid with peer-to-peer
communications at the edge of the network, a new generation of
smart meters systematically and continually evaluates the status
of nearby meters and devices to quickly localize outage events
and report reliable and actionable information back to the utility
in near-real time. This includes the scale and location of the
outage and affected meters and transformers, accelerating outage
detection and analysis by 50 percent or more.
These are just some of the use cases now possible to improve
grid efficiency, safety, and reliability with a next-generation
distributed computing platform. With an open application
environment, the platform drives energy management
innovation from a broad ecosystem of technology providers.
The potential of this platform, operating on a multi-application
network, only increases as the smart grid and smart cities
markets converge in this brave, new IoT world. ei
Mr. Wolf is responsible for marketing and communications for
Itrons global electricity and smart grid businesses. He is a regular
presenter at industry conferences and writer in the industry
trade press.

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

11

Intelligent Devices Enhance Safety, Property

Dave Loucks, PhD, Manager, Application & Advanced System Engineering, Eaton

he cost of microprocessors, temperature sensors, and electronic current

sensors has decreased dramatically in the last 10 to 15 years. While much
attention has been focused on using microprocessors to connect devices to
a network, many of the use cases for residential device communication have
focused more on lifestyle or convenience and perhaps less on human safety
or property preservation. Having a washing machine email a user when a
load is done only begins to hint at the safety potential that a smarter device
could provide.
Consider the home electrical safety systems built around circuit
breakers, ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), arc-fault
circuit interrupters (AFCIs), and wiring devices that, today,
largely do not examine the quality of the connections made to
them. Here is what could happen if connections were able to
self-check:
Wiring devices could detect an improperly loose or otherwise
damaged plug and alert or even trip the load off. By identifying
this problem, overheating connections that degrade to the
point of causing a fire could be prevented. An alerting device
could provide the additional benefit of allowing the user to
take action to mitigate the failure of the circuit.
Internal behind-the-wall connections to the wiring device
could be monitored for loose or loosening connections.
Technology exists to detect problems even before arcing
begins, providing even earlier detection of problems than that
provided by standard AFCI systems. Detecting a problem
before an arc occurs also has benefits for applications installed
near combustible or explosive atmospheres.

Taking the Temperature of Safety

One method of self-checking a connection would be to take
its temperature. Current-carrying connections can loosen
the rough surface of the conductor. As parts loosen, relatively
fewer peaks touch each other. Since connection resistance is
proportional to the area over which the current passes, the
resistance of the junction rises. Since energy loss through
resistance is proportional to the resistance, the heating of that
connection increases. See figure 1.
While this resistance does increase, however, it is still a small
fraction of the total circuit resistance that is nearly imperceptible
at the source. With such a small increase in series resistance,
total load current does not decrease. This same magnitude of
current flowing through a higher resistance creates more voltage
drop and more heat; it is this heat that can be detected.
If allowed to persist, heating at the point of contact between
conductors can rise above the boiling point of the metal and
the metal will vaporize, further degrading the connection
by reducing the surface area of contact further. The full
load current then flows through this high temperature, and
ionized gas forms an arc. Because arc temperatures far exceed
the boiling point of any known material, destruction of the
connectors accelerates as remaining contact material vaporizes.

Adding Protection
One solution to this problem might be to detect the temperature
rise within an outlet. UL places limits on these temperatures
and they can be monitored. If these limits were approached or
exceeded, that could indicate a developing failure mechanism
within the wiring device.
The cost to add any technology must be scrutinized to be
sure there are not any less costly ways of providing the same
protection. But the cost to include temperature protection would
not need to be excessive. In fact, since the conductors used
inside wiring devices are excellent thermal conductors as well as
electrical conductors, careful placement of a temperature sensor
might allow it to detect problems on either end of the conductor.
This would allow a single sensor to detect loosening at any point
along the conductor. Protecting the hot and the neutral would
require two sensors.

Figure 1 Metal-to-metal connections showing surface roughness reducing the contact surface area

12

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Figure 2 Loose
connection at wiring
device resulted in
overheating of the
terminal.

Elevating Safety
Another justification for this technology is evident in severe
duty environments. Wiring devices can face accelerated
degradation and shortened life if they are subject to severe
service, e.g., environmental contaminants, repeated use, or
even damaged plugs. Since remaining life is a function of the
environment, it may not be easily determined based on numbers
of uses. If, for example, a plug was repeatedly inserted and
withdrawn from an outlet, the number of operations could be
used as a proxy for remaining life. However, if a plug covered
with abrasive debris were repeated inserted into an outlet,
the wear on the surfaces would be accelerated. In this case, it
would be more difficult to predict end of life based solely on the
number plugging operations.
Using a temperature-protected wiring device could provide
additional protection against accelerated degradation and
prevent unsafe operation of a device beyond its end of life. The
uncertainty related to holding force could be reduced if the
outlet were self-protecting.
Figure 3 GFCI burned
at face-load side due
to loose plug retention
(past end of life)

Going further, a control circuit within the outlet could be

added to alert appropriate personnel by suitable means of the
impending problem that would be leading to imminent tripping
of the load. For medical or food storage applications, the
benefits of this additional technology are clear.

Figure 4 Thermal
protection in outlet could
detect loose connections.

These application ideas only scratch the surface of the potential

safety and property preservation benefits that a more intelligent
circuit-protective device could provide. Electrical distribution
system components are now at the threshold of providing these
and even more exciting safety features. ei
Dr. Loucks, a senior member of IEEE, is a registered professional
engineer and Certified Energy Manager.

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NEMA electroindustry May 2016

13

Dynamic Healthcare
Communications
Begin with Optimized
Workflow
Dan DeHanes, Global Product Compliance, Codes, and
Standards Leader, Ascom Wireless Solutions
Ascom Wireless solutions is a member of the NEMA Business Innovation Council.

ith the increase in patient care needs, clinical staffing challenges, and
rising costs of care delivery, there is pressure on healthcare delivery
organizations to rely on technology solutions to help efficiently deliver
care. In the modern healthcare environment, an optimized workflow allows
caregivers to respond faster to dynamic demands at the point of care and to
make decisions more efficiently.

Figure 1 depicts a simplified perspective of the various

systems that are typically found in todays healthcare delivery
organization (HDO) ecosphere. These and other systems can
be integrated to operate with each other to varying degrees.
Some systems can be provided by a single-source manufacturer
(e.g., nurse call, wireless communicators, and middleware), or
all systems can be provided individually and then integrated
by either HDO IT staff or by a contracted third-party systems
integrator.
Whichever way the system is delivered and integrated, the
challenges of eliminating or significantly reducing the risks
associated with interoperability hazards reside primarily with
the interfaces between all systems and the cooperation among
source providers, including those who provide integration
services. Therefore, to achieve and implement the most effective
and optimized healthcare delivery environment, the HDO must
be an educated consumer and user of all IT technologies with
which they are investing.
To optimize workflow at the point of care, the HDO must
naturally look into maximizing the potential of all healthcare
delivery resources and investments. It begins with input from a
cross-section of HDO staff, whose feedback forms a critical part
of the process. Their feedback can drive innovations to nurse call
system functionality, messaging middleware, and wireless voice
and messaging devices where product design can be focused on
creating efficient workflows. The overall goal is to provide the
safest and most effective patient care solution possible.
From a nurse call, middleware, and wireless communications
perspective, simplifying the healthcare delivery process means
that nurse staff stations, staff consoles, and wireless devices need
to perform in unison and have a consistent user interface. A
system with a common look and feel across the entire nurse call

14

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

An enterprise-class, onsite wireless communication and messaging system is an ideal solution for
healthcare delivery organizations. Photo courtesy of Ascom Wireless Solutions

communications and middleware portfolio allows for quicker

adoption by HDO users and satisfaction by patients.

Optimizing Workflow
To optimize workflow at the point of care, here are some specific
areas that the HDO needs to consider:
Linking mission critical systems with mobile
communication: A few minutes can be all the difference for
the chance of survival, recovery time, and length of stay in an
acute care setting.
Connecting the patient to the caregiver: Enterprise-class,
onsite wireless communication and messaging systems are
widely known to effectively optimize staff workflow and
enhance staff/patient communications and satisfaction.
Clinical systems integration: Wireless communications
enable automatically notification when lab results are ready.
Medical technical alarms: Nurse-call systems that are
combined with wireless communication solutions can speed up
response times to alarms from medical monitoring equipment.
Personal safety: With a fully implemented distributed alarm
system, the initiator of a personal safety alarm can even know
that somebody has received it and will respond.

Elevating Safety
Systems and facility technical alarms: For staff involved
with facilities management or maintenance, a wireless
communication system enables quicker response to technical
alarms such as low or faulted battery at medical electrical
equipment.

in whole or in part, or may even be extrapolated or adopted

directly into code legislation. An installed nurse call system in
Category 1 and 2 facilities (i.e., acute care and nursing homes,
respectively) must be NRTL-listed to ANSI/UL 1069 Safety
Standard for Hospital Signaling and Nurse Call Equipment.

All of these concerns have one common denominator: an alarm

event or workflow request can be directed to a specific point of
care attendant, while effectively addressing and eliminating the
ever-present and growing problem of alarm fatigue.

ANSI/IEC 80001-2-5 Guidance on Distributed Alarm Systems

provides insight about the implementation and interface
risks associated with interoperable hospital communication
systems. An effective healthcare communication system that
employs wireless communication technology should provide
the architecture and operational capabilities described in
this document. The HDO is well advised to apply its risk
management requirements, especially those that apply to the
interfaces between the described architectural elements.

Standardizing Compliance
In addition to being an educated consumer and user of IT
technologies, the HDO must also be compliant with all
governing regulations and codes. While a large number of
standards exists that effectively address user and electrical safety
hazards and risks, there is no single standard that pulls together
all safety concerns or defines a singular consensus method for
compliance. Nevertheless, it remains the responsibility of the
HDO to effectively implement, manage, and place into service
all systems that are integrated to interoperate with each other.
A good place for the HDO to start is with ANSI/AAMI/
IEC 80001-1 Application of risk management for IT Networks
incorporating medical devices Part 1: Roles, responsibilities
and activities. This standard addresses the risk management
practices that need to be followed by the HDO to ensure clinical
IT ecosphere safety, effectiveness, and data and system security.
NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code defines requirements for a
listed nurse call system and integrated wireless communications
system. This code is most often referred to in state codes, either

The ANSI/IEC 60601 Medical Electrical Equipment and Systems

family of standards addresses the safety requirements for
medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems
that can be connected to patients, while the ANSI/IEC
60950 standard addresses the electrical safety requirements
for information technology equipment that can be used for
additional interoperable purposes.
Collectively, all of these codes, standards, and regulations serve
to provide a highly effective structure toward guaranteeing safe
and effective implementation and use of interoperable medical
electrical systems and healthcare communication technologies. ei
Mr. DeHanes, Technical Committee Chair for the NEMA
Hospital Communications Section, is also NEMAs representative
on the NFPA 99 Electrical Systems Technical Committee and a
member of the ANSI/UL 1069 Standards Technical Panel.

Figure 1: Interoperable healthcare communication system ecosphere

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

15

Get the Picture?

Proper Servicing of Imaging Equipment Ensures Accurate and Safe Diagnoses
Jim Nestel, Manager Service Projects and Installations, Hitachi Medical Systems

Over the past century, the miracle of medical imaging has

allowed for previously impossible insights into the structure
and function of the human body. Rapid advances in science and
technology have given us some of the most complex medical
devices ever invented.
Computed tomography (CT) imaging uses radiation emitted
from thousands of pounds of complex electronics spinning
around the human body at more than 60 mph. Ultrasound
uses soundwaves generated by electronics which are pressed
against the body. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses
high-powered electromagnets 7,500 times stronger than Earths
magnetic field, immersed in cryogenic liquids to view soft tissue
inside the human body. While these technologies are widely
available and routinely prescribed, their operation and use is not
to be taken lightly.
Rigorous training aimed at developing a nuanced
understanding of these devices is critical for anyone opening
them up for purposes of maintenance or service. Properly
maintaining them requires a detailed understanding of each
component as well as the overall function of the machine.
Unfortunately, not all medical imaging devices are always
properly serviced; this has potentially significant implications
for patient safety and diagnostic efficacy.
What would happen if the transducer on an ultrasound
machine were not properly calibrated? Or if the radiation
calibration on a CT scanner were performed incorrectly? Or
if the super-cooled liquids in an MRI werent properly vented?
One can imagine the potential harm to patient or physician.
Further, what if the image from the scan comes out blurry? Or
if a lesion is missed because it is obscured by an incorrect part?
This would mean more time and money spent getting tests for
the patient or, worse, a missed diagnosis.

Proper Servicing
One way to avoid these problems is to certify that the people
servicing medical imaging devices are properly trained and use
reliable, compatible parts. There are several key components of
proper servicing:
Perform regular preventive maintenance. Preventive
maintenance helps to ensure optimal system performance and
identify potential failures before they occur.
Keep software up to date. Up-to-date software improves
performance and reliability.
Use proper parts. Parts that are sourced from qualified
suppliers, meet all original equipment manufacturers
requirements, and have the latest firmware revisions protect
against system failure and injuries.
Properly train service technicians. A good service technician
is capable of proper installation and calibration of delicate and
dangerous parts as well as proper maintenance and inspection.

Placing Personal Safety First

Today, only manufacturers registered with the Food and Drug
Administration are required to meet a clear set of regulations
outlining an extensive quality management program intended
to make certain that equipment operates safely and reliably.
Otherwise, almost anyone could start a business servicing
complex medical equipment with no formal training, quality
program, or parts control system.
If you are boarding a flight, dont you want the planes
mechanics to have been properly trained? Theres no reason for
complex, high-powered medical imaging devices to be held to
a different standard. When you or a loved one has a medical
scan, dont you expect that the device has been maintained by
properly trained personnel using appropriately sourced parts?
Would you find it acceptable to be scanned by a device that has
been maintained with no quality standards or regulations?
The MITA Service Committee is currently developing a
standard that clearly outlines what must be included in a proper
servicing program. The standard will help medical facilities
understand what they need to require of their service providers
to maintain safe and effective medical imaging devices. The
goal is that all service providers meet the same standard to best
ensure patient safety and device performance. We want to see
the proper results every time a patient is imaged to provide an
accurate and timely diagnosis. Such a program will protect the
interests of both the patient and medical facility. ei

16

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Mr. Nestel chairs the MITA Service Committee.

nema@Home

Creating a Safer, Connected Home

with the Internet of Things
Steve Montgomery, Chief Operating Officer of 2D2C, Inc, and Chairman, NEMA Internet of Things Council

heInternet of Things(IoT) is a development of the worldwide web in

which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to
send and receive data. The IoT becomes a network of devices, vehicles,
buildings, and even people embeddedwith electronics, software, sensors/
actuators, and network connectivity to enable these objects to collect and
exchange data.

detects motion on the property. A plug-load controller can even

detect when an expensive appliance is unplugged and report it
to the owner through the internet.

Each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded

computing system and interoperable within the existinginternet
infrastructure. The IoT is expected to expand to 30 billion
objects by 2020. For homes, smart systems can deliver
significant benefits, including improved security, safety,
convenience, efficiency, and financial savings.

This same network can prevent fires and shocks, monitor health,
provide early warnings, deliver better and faster healthcare
(especially in remote areas), monitor family activities when
homeowners are away, and monitor senior relatives for health
emergencies. In all these areas, the IoT can predict problems,
rather than just detect them.

Connecting Home to Health

By monitoring and logging health indicators such as blood

pressure and quality, heart rate, sleep patterns, and diet, major
health degradation can be predicted to enable prevention.
Monitoring can reveal aberrations from normal behavior of
senior evening activities such as TV viewing, night-time activities
such as lights, and morning activities such as using a coffeemaker.

For security, a connected system can detect and prevent breakins by simulating occupancy with pre-programmed or random
light-switching sequences or sounds, such as a simulated
barking dog that moves from room to room when the system

Networked receptacles and circuit breakers can provide accurate

electrical fault coverage and predictand preventfires.
Monitoring furnace fan motor and pool pump current can
detect clogged filters to help keep air and water quality high.

NEMA@HOME 1
NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Improving Efficiency
In many cases, a smart residential system can pay for itself.
A homeowner can save money on insurance premiums for
homes equipped with water-leak detection, fire prevention, and
unattended stove shut-off systems. Home energy management
can minimize energy consumption by appliances and
environmental control systems by adjusting or shutting them
off when not needed. Owners of rental properties can remotely
give door access to new tenants and automatically turn off air
conditioning, entertainment systems, and spa pumps.
The IoT can extend the life of appliances through power quality
monitoring and protection. For example, it can use lightning
forecasts to switch off
power feeds to appliances
before electrical surges
cause damage. Modern
home systems can
control lights, shut off
appliances, set music,
or even do research by
cellphone apps, from an
internet browser, or by
voice commands.
Networked light
switches and
receptacles enable
remote control of lights
in a dark house. Excess
current in appliance
motors can indicate
bad motor bearings
while they are still
repairable. Appliances
can be scheduled to
shorten the time needed
to get ready for work or
to prepare a meal. Smart appliances or smart receptacles can
provide predictive maintenance and energy comparisons of fan
motors, pumps, white appliances, and home theatre systems,
and they can even estimate the payback from purchasing new
energy-efficient appliances.

Balancing Efficiency with Practicality

Some manufacturers are embedding internet connectivity into
high-end models of white appliances to achieve some of these
benefits. Smart devices may consume more energy to operate
because of the communication port. Since networked models
cost substantially more than traditional ones, and considering
the extraordinarily low-cost design requirements of smaller
appliances, we may never see smart controls on desk lamps,
portable kitchen appliances, space heaters, or electric tools.

2 NEMA@HOME
NEMA electroindustry May 2016

The connected approach has risks. Cloud data storage and

communication portals depend on the reliability of the internet
connection. In some locations, the internet may be getting faster
but less reliable due to cost-cutting measures such as wireless
line sharing. A connected system should store decision criteria
and load control schedules in a gateway inside the home and
should have alternative communication access to the internet.
Network access security is important too. Quick smart product
development requirements often sideline system security and
longevity issues. For example, if you use the same network for
your personal computing and your automated monitoring and
control system, then a hacker can potentially gather passwords
to your bank accounts by sneaking onto your network. Some
smart home area networks, such as ZigBees Smart Energy
Profile, use military-grade encryption and will only allow
communication between pre-registered network node addresses
to create high security.

Trading Benefits and Weaknesses

Sensors provide data about motion, occupancy, glass breakage,
door and window openings, water leaks, light intensity,
temperature, energy consumption, camera, and even appliance
plug insertion or removal. Controllers turn power on and off
or adjust settings on appliances, furnaces, air conditioners,
space heaters, fans, pool pumps, water heaters, lighting, home
theatres, music, motorized blinds, door locks, and plug loads.
To be deemed intelligent, an appliances sensors and controllers
should use internet protocol communication. Most computers
use internet protocol version 4 (IPv4), but IPv4 has run out
of addresses. Its 32-bit address field only allowed four billion
nodes. The new IPv6 uses 128 bit addressing, which can support
many more addresses (1038, or more than a billion times a
billion times a billion more addresses than IPv4). Ethernet and
ZigBee now support IPv6.
Most smart home systems currently connect to the internet
through an existing Ethernet network and a router.
Nevertheless, inside the home, the system may use many
different communication hardware and protocols, including
WiFi, ZigBee, Zwave, Bluetooth Low Energy, EnOcean, RFID,
Near Field Communication, and proprietary communications.
These different sub-networks each trade off benefits versus
weaknesses, such as low energy in exchange for low bandwidth.
The best intelligent home systems choose the best
communication method for each application. ei
Mr. Montgomery dedicates much of his work to improving
electrical safety and has helped write several electrical safety
standards for UL and CSA, serves on the Canadian Board
of Directors for the International Association of Electrical
Inspectors, and was one of the inventors of Out-of-Parameter
Circuit Interrupters.

nema@Home

Prototype shown in home garage simulation. The pictures are

residential EVSE from a California Energy Commission program,
which funded the supply and installation of Level 2 EVSE.

Electric Vehicle Charging Comes Home

Charles Botsford, PE, Chemical Engineer, AeroVironment

f all the places to charge your electric vehicle (EV), your home is one of
the most important. Home charging is called the 80-percent solution,
which means that EV manufacturers and others estimate that 80 percent of
all EV charging occurs at home. The next-most-important place to charge is
where you work; public charging takes up the rest of the slack.

Residential EVSE have been non-networked up until now.

That means you just plug in the EV and it starts charging. It
also means you dont have access to data, charge scheduling,
or tracking of electric utility rates. However, EVSE is being
introduced that can track kilowatt hours used, monitor utility
rates, schedule charging to get the best rate, and make sure your
EV is charged in the morning when you wake up.

EV supply equipment (EVSE) comes in Level 1 (120V) and Level

2 (240V). The charger that comes in the trunk of an EV is Level
1, although that may change to a dual Level 1/Level 2 charger. A
Level 1 charger is plugged into a 120V garage wall outlet. Since
it will be charging at a rate of about a 1kW, it will take all night
(and then some) to charge your EV.

That you are able to monitor and potentially control how you
charge your EV can enormously benefit the grid. It also enables
solar and wind power generation to integrate with traditional
power plants much more easily and effectively.

Level 2 EVSE, on the other hand, charges much faster (typically

3 to 4 hours), depending how many miles were driven. Level 2
EVSE usually requires an electrician-installed, dedicated circuit
breaker on a line that runs from the house panel to the garage.
Not to worrythis is now very common for electricians and
city planning departments (a permit is required). With a Level 2
EVSE, charge time can be cut by a factor of three for a 16A EVSE
or a factor of five for a 30A EVSE.

One new benefit coming to EV residents in California and

Oregon is carbon credits through the states Low Carbon Fuel
Standards (LCFS) programs. Driving an EV means lowering your
carbon footprint. In California, the utilities take the residential
credits and transfer that benefit back to the resident. ei
Mr. Botsford is a chemical engineer with a wide range of
experience relative to electric vehicles, renewable energy systems,
power electronics, oil refining, and air quality issues.

NEMA@HOME 3
NEMA electroindustry May 2016

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Elevating Safety

Mass Notification + Fire Safety Training =

Aware Campuses
Tim Knisely, Senior Fire Inspector, Centre Council of Governments

n 2015, NEMA and the Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS) collaborated
to establish an informational training program that combined mass
notification systems (MNS) and fire-safety training for college and university
officials. The overall goal of the partnership is to develop and deliver a
free training program in the major college markets across the country. The
objectives include raising the awareness of campus personnel and providing
resources for them to improve or create customized systems and programs.

Once the MNS committee identified its tasks, members spent

a great deal of time developing individual presentations and
confirming that the content was appropriate for the intended
audience. The program was designed as two half-day sessions
that start with an introduction to MNS and the evolution of
MNS in the code development process, followed by the history,
purpose, and fundamentals of MNS.
The afternoon session offers a glimpse into the CCFS Fire-Smart
Campus training, which includes a roadmap for creating a
campus fire-safety program, as well as guidelines for building
partnerships. The program strongly emphasizes methods
that encourage all stakeholders (i.e., administrators, parents,
landlords, students, and staff) to act as a team to overcome
common problems and obstacles and to improve fire safety.

College officials learned the benefits of combined mass notification systems and fire-safety training in
a one-day pilot program at Montclair State University. Photo by Susan Adams, Honeywell

The next step for the committee was to roll out a pilot program,
hosted in December at Montclair State University in New Jersey.
The final product will be fine-tuned using feedback from that
program.. Approximately 40 officials from campus, municipal,
and industry affiliations across the Mid-Atlantic attended.
The response was very positive, with attendees indicating that
there is a true need for this type of training. It leads trainees
to better understand the benefits and necessity of effective
communications during fire and non-fire emergencies.
The committee continues to meet to apply lessons learned and
further improve quality and content. The committee, which
agrees on the need for more training opportunities, hopes to
continue the partnership between NEMA and CCFS to offer this
important training program in 2016 and beyond. Stay tuned for
more details.
Many industry leaders support the MNS committee, including
Richard Roberts, Dan Finnegan, Maria Marks, Rodger
Reiswig, Susan Adam, Fred Santos, and Wayne Moore.
CCFS board member Tim Knisely manages the project, with
support from Cathy Tabor (CCFS Director of Marketing and
Communications) and Bobby Ferrara (CCFS member) of
Montclair State University.
Mr. Knisely is a director and project manager for the Center for
Campus Fire Safety in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He has
worked in fire code enforcement and life safety education for 20
years, and emergency services for more than 30 years.

17

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

17

New Designation Facilitates Mass Notification

Denise L. Pappas, Executive Director, Technical Standards, Valcom, Inc.
Gordon Bailey, Director, Engineering Services, Valcom, Inc.

hanges to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code on fire

alarms reflect a movement in the fire alarm world that acknowledges
the evolving role of technology. In 2010, NFPA changed the name of NFPA 72
from National Fire Alarm Code to National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. The
change reflects significant changes and expansion in the 2010 edition.
NFPA technical committees reordered chapters of NFPA
72 into logical sections that allow for future expansion and
added chapter 24, Emergency Communication Systems,
to detail what is required when a mass notification system is
able to override an active fire alarm signal. While permitted,
this override capability can only be used after a complete risk
assessment of the site has been completed.
This change is seen in this section of NFPA 72, 2010 edition:
24.4.1.7.2. When the fire alarm system has been activated,
and mass notification has been given priority over the fire
alarm system, a distinctive audible and visible indication
shall be provided at the building fire alarm control unit.
As the need for mass notification grew along with building
system convergence, NFPA committees struggled with how to
include Ethernet as a viable pathway option. Some committee
members made attempts but failed during the 2013 codemaking process. The majority had concerns with reliability and
survivability of this type of pathway.

18

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

After 2013, NFPA formed the Correlating Committee Task

Group to develop a way to use Ethernet. This group included
members from large-scale public infrastructure, fire alarm
companies, engineering consultants, mass notification system
manufacturers, end users, Building Industry Consulting Service
International (BICSI), and UL. As a result of their efforts, the
new pathway designation of Class N was introduced into the
2016 Code.

Pathfinding Class N
What constitutes a Class N pathway? Class N is different from
the other class pathway designations in a number of ways. The
old pathway designations (Class A, B, and X) presumed a pair of
wires looped to multiple devices in parallel, a two-wire circuit.
According to the 2016 edition of NFPA 72, a Class N pathway is
as defined below.
12.3.6 Class N. A pathway shall be designated as Class N
when it performs as follows:
(1) It includes two or more pathways where operational
capability of the primary pathway and a redundant
pathway to each device shall be verified through end-to-end
communication.
Exception: When only one device is served, only one pathway
shall be required.

Elevating Safety
(2) A loss of intended communications between endpoints
shall be annunciated as a trouble signal.
(3) A single open, ground, short, or combination of faults
on one pathway shall not affect any other pathway.
(4) Conditions that affect the operation of the primary
pathway(s) and redundant pathways(s) shall be annunciated
as a trouble signal when the systems minimal operational
requirements cannot be met.
(5) Primary and redundant pathways shall not be permitted
to share traffic over the same physical segment.
The Class N pathway opens up the opportunity to safely and
reliably use modem network architectures for control units
and devices, such as smoke detectors, strobes, pull stations,
speakers, audio amplifiers, and digital signage. It offers a way to
converge mass notification systems with fire alarm systems to
form an emergency communication system.

Network infrastructure, i.e., components that make up a Class

N network, are not defined as devices by NFPA. They are
considered transport equipment (e.g., switches, routers, and
hubs) and do not require the specific supervision required for
Class N endpoint devices. General supervision is provided,
as they are part of the end-to-end supervision to the Class N
endpoint devices. Backup power is required for all Class N
network transport equipment used for life safety and, of course,
for Class N devices.
As stated, a redundant pathway is not required where a Class N
endpoint device encompasses only one device or appliance. On
the other hand, if an endpoint services more than one device
or appliance downstream, it is required to have a redundant
pathway. The exception to this rule is illustrated in figure 2 by
the dotted line. Redundant pathways are not required inside an
enclosure or raceway within 20 feet in the same room.

Choosing the Right Technology

NFPA 72 defines the requirements for Class N and allows
designers to choose the technology and techniques required to
comply with those requirements. A basic Class N application is
depicted in figure1.
Figure 2 Redundant Pathways

Figure 1 Class N Pathway

The main control unit on the left could be a fire alarm control
unit, autonomous control unit (for mass notification systems),
or emergency communications control unit (see NFPA 72,
chapter 24.) In this figure, there is a note to reference the
supervision exception in the code for the 20-foot maximum
inside a protected enclosure or raceway. This means that where
the control unit is in the same room (and protected by conduit,
raceway, or enclosure) as the network switch, it does not require
a redundant network pathway to it. Redundant pathways are
shown between switch 1 and switch 2 but only one path is shown
between switch 2 and the endpoint devices. This illustrates that
when a section of Class N pathway services or controls only one
endpoint device, a redundant pathway is not required.

Other considerations for Class N pathways are physical

separation of redundant pathways and pathway survivability
levels. Class A and X are required to have their redundant
paths supervised. Class N does not require physical separation
of redundant pathways, but local codes, design specifications,
or the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) may require it.
Pathway survivability levels are defined in NFPA 72, section
12.4. Requirements are typically agreed upon by the design
professional and the AHJ for the specific project.
As the convergence of technology continues, Class N pathway
designations will evolve over the next several code cycles.
Always consult your local AHJ and system designer when
implementing any fire alarm system or mass notification
system/emergency communication system. ei
Ms. Pappas serves on NFPA 72, 101, 5000 Technical Committees;
NFPA 99 Correlating Committee, BICSI ESS Committee; BICSI
Wireless Standard Subcommittee Chair; and ICC Technical
Committee. She is a published author and JMT-certified speaker.
Mr. Bailey has spent more than 30 years in the
telecommunications industry, designing and installing overhead
paging and sound systems.

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

19

Insurance Industry Promotes Best Practices

in Code Adoption and Enforcement
Bryan P. Holland, Southern Region Field Representative, NEMA

ne sentence in the foreword to the 2015 edition of NFPA 70E Standard for
Electrical Safety in the Workplace posits, It can be debated that all of the
requirements of the [National Electrical Code], when traced through a chain
of events, relate to an electrical hazard.
This is likely true for every code and standard developed for the
manufacture and installation of electrical and alarm products.
Therefore, it can be deduced that electrical and alarm products
manufactured and installed in compliance with an applicable
code and standard significantly reduce or eliminate potential
hazards from the use of electricity to persons and property.
The insurance industrys involvement in the development and
promulgation of electrical and alarm codes and standards dates
back to the beginning of the electroindustry. In 1881, C.J.H.
Woodbury of Factory Mutual Insurance reported at a meeting
with the New York Board of Fire Underwriters that there were
65 installations of electrical light in the mills insured by the
Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Companies of New England,
which were followed by 23 fires in six months, presenting a most
hazardous and alarming condition of affairs.
This meeting led to the publication of the first set of adopted
rules for the installation of electrical systems by a local
jurisdiction. That was October 19, 1881. Nearly 135 years later,
the insurance industry still plays a major role in electrical safety.

Investing in Compliance
The insurance industry has representatives on committees
at all levels of codes and standards development, including
NFPA code-making panels, UL standard technical panels, and
International Code Council development committees. Many
states and local jurisdictions also have insurance industry
positions on their code councils. The industry also serves as a
major source of information and guidance to legislators and
local policymakers in the development of laws and rules that
regulate construction.
The insurance industry has a vested interest in the property it
covers, thus ensuring that electrical and alarm systems comply
with the most recently published editions of applicable codes.
This is achieved through the industrys endorsement of and
support for the Coalition for Current Safety Codes and the threeyear code adoption cycle.

20

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Code-adoption advocacy is channeled through the Insurance

Institute for Business and Home Safety, an independent,
nonprofit, scientific research and communications organization
supported solely by property insurers and reinsurers. It is
critical to the industry that codes and standards are adopted
and enforced, as written, without any amendments that reduce
safety requirements.
A program developed by the Insurance Services Office, which
promotes best practices in code adoption and enforcement,
is the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Scale (BCEGS).
This program evaluates building codes in effect in a particular
community and how the community enforces those codes. The
BCEGS community insurance rating can reduce insurance
premiums for property owners up to 25 percent. It can also
result in substantial discounts on premiums for flood insurance
policies under the National Flood Insurance Program.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses
BCEGS ratings to determine disaster recovery funding. Today,
more than 20,800 communities participate in the BCEGS
program, covering 87 percent of the U.S. population. Increased
property and flood insurance premiums, along with decreased
FEMA disaster recovery funding, can serve as a huge deterrent
for a jurisdiction to delay adoption of construction codes or
to implement code amendments that reduce the electrical and
fire safety.
Another insurance industry program related to electrical safety
is the increased cost of compliance or law and ordinance
coverage offered to policyholders in homes and buildings more
than five years old. In the event that a claim is filed to repair or
rebuild a covered property, the increased cost of compliance or
law and ordinance coverage will pay for electrical equipment
and system upgrades necessary to meet the most recently
published NEC and other electrical and alarm standards.
The insurance industry remains an essential partner of the
electroindustry in its endeavor to promote electrical safety.
With the availability of insurance to cover increased costs of
compliance with newer construction codes, home and business
owners can bring their properties to the most current electrical
safety standards when repairs or rebuilding occurs. ei
Mr. Holland (bryan.holland@nema.org) has 20 years of
experience in the electrical industry and has been a NEMA field
representative since 2014.

Elevating Safety

Utility Linemen: Putting Safety on the Line

Julie Chavanne, Communications Director, Electrical Safety Foundation International

ccording to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, electrical power line

installers and repairers are ranked as the ninth-deadliest occupation
in the United States. This distinction should come as no surprise given the
inherent danger of the job.

What is it like working during major storms?

A: Mississippi is prone to flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes.
During a recent storm, there were multiple tornadoes, and
we worked from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. in wet and windy
conditions. I was part of a team that worked over the Christmas
holiday to help a neighboring utility restore power after tornadoes
ravaged the region. While restoring power during the storm, its
critical to listen for generators and to make sure a transfer switch
is installed before we work on the line. Despite our warnings
to residents to use transfer switches, people dont follow our
instructions. We could be electrocuted if we arent careful.
How do you mitigate the danger?
A: It is important to be as observant as possible. Job briefings
are critical to address the hazards, weather conditions, and
traffic in the area. I constantly observe the crew to make sure
everyone wears the proper personal protective equipment and
that there are no changes that could be a distraction. Everyone
should strive to not make mistakes at work, but a mistake in our
profession could be a matter of life and death.
Why did you become a lineman?

Josh Ulrich (on left) is a lineman for Coast Electric Power

Association. Photo courtesy of Coast Electric Power Association

Being fearless is an unwritten job requirement for utility

linemen. In 2013, the U.S. Senate heralded these otherwise
unsung heroes by declaring April 18 National Lineman
Appreciation Day. To better understand the people who work
tirelessly to provide us with power, we spoke with Josh Ulrich,
a lineman for Coast Electric Power Association in Mississippi
since 2004. Recognized among colleagues as a high performer,
he was recently promoted to foreman.
How do you cope with various weather conditions?
A: In order to succeed as a lineman, you have to plan ahead and
be adaptable. Power outages often accompany severe weather, so
we have to be prepared to be outside for long periods of time. We
work in all conditions, from freezing to hot, from rain to snow.

A: I wanted a career I could take pride in. My coworkers and I

take great pride in seeing our hard work on display as we look
at the power infrastructure. I began as an electrician, working
residential and industrial low-voltage for five years. I learned
about Coast Electrics lineman program and thought it was a
perfect next step, so I began taking night classes and working
toward my Electrical Utility Technology degree. As part of the
course of study, I earned many certificates, including emergency
medical response and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in
addition to hands-on training and coursework. Naturally, I had
extensive safety trainings on job site safety, underground and
overhead installations, and mechanical equipment.
The electrical industry is constantly evolving, from
telecommunications to power distribution. Just as we have
to be adaptable in our day-to-day roles, we have to adapt
to grid modernizations. We recently cut a ribbon on a new
solar power generation facility, so we are about experience
firsthand how this renewable energy will impact the future of
power distribution. ei
Ms. Chavanne (julie.chavanne@esfi.org) promotes ESFI
through media relations, marketing, public relations, and
communications.

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

21

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTORS

NAED has helped me to

be successful by providing
first-class networking and
educational opportunities that
make me a better leader.
Desiree Grace, V.P. Sales & Marketing
ANAMET Electrical Inc.

Your success starts with us.

Contact your NAED team to learn more.
888-791-2512 | www.naed.org

Electroindustry News
Vint Cerf, Internet Founding Father, to Speak at Annual Meeting
Vinton G. (Vint) Cerf, PhD, an
acknowledged Father of the Internet,
will address attendees at NEMAs
90th Annual Membership Meeting in
Cleveland on November 16 and 17. One
major focus at the event will be an indepth look into the Internet of Things.

Helping lay the foundation for the

internet as we know it more than 30
years ago, Mr. Cerf was the co-creator
of the protocols that became TCP/
IP, the standard for what is now called
the Internet.
Mallory Rood, Meeting Manager,
NEMA | mallory.rood@nema.org

Mr. Cerf, Vice President and Chief

Internet Evangelist for Google Inc., is
responsible for identifying new enabling
technologies to support the development
of advanced, Internet-based products
and services for the company.

For up-to-the-minute
information on NEMAs 90th
Annual Membership Meeting,
visit www.nema.org/AMM16

IDEA Announces Quality Milestone in Data Certification Program

The Industry Data Exchange Association,
Inc. (IDEA) announced the first quality
milestone of its data certification
program. Twenty-two manufacturers
achieved programmatic excellence
for their compliant (complete and
fully attributed) items in the Industry
Data Warehouse (IDW), one month
into the quality phase of the data
certification program.
As these manufacturers supply more
complete product attributes, marketing
content, and pricing information to the
IDW, theyre improving recognition
of their brands throughout the supply
chain and making business easier,
said IDEA President and CEO Paul
Molitor. The manufacturers who have
already provided high quality product
information are ahead of the game and
have truly set the bar for the type of
quality content distributors can expect to
find in the IDW.
The data certification program measures
the breadth, depth, and quality of pricing
information and marketing content
available in the IDW at the item level by
assessing 43 critical data fields. Since the

program launched in 2015, the primary

focus has been on manufacturers
achieving compliance by completely
populating each of 43 critical fields.
The count of compliant items rose from
an initial 16,000 items to 1.5 million
items today.
In 2016, IDEA kicked off the second
phase of the programprogrammatic
excellence, in which a manufacturers
compliant items are subjected to quality
checks based on industry standards
and best practices. By October 1, 2016,
all compliant items must also pass the
programmatic excellence quality check.
Once an item has reached compliance
and programmatic excellence, it will
undergo a final visual quality check, at
which point it will be identified as IDEA
data quality certified.
The following NEMA members achieved
at least 95-percent compliance and
programmatic excellence for their IDW
items and are on their way toward full
data certification:

Allied Moulded Products, Inc.

ANAMET Electrical Inc.
Appleton Group
Atkore - AFC Cable Systems, Inc.
Bridgeport Fittings, Inc.
Eatons Cooper Lighting Business
(Cooper)
Eatons Cooper Lighting Business
Canada (Cooper)
Electri-Flex Company
Hubbell - BURNDY LLC
Lutron Electronics Company, Inc.
Milbank Manufacturing Company
Universal Lighting Technologies
Wheatland Tube Company

ei

Colleen Psomas, Marketing Manager,

IDEA | cpsomas@idea4industry.com

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

23

Code Actions/Standardization Trends

Field Rep Report

Updating West Coast Code Adoptions

California adopted the 2016 California
Building Standards Code, also known
as Title 24. It goes into effect January
1, 2017. It is based on the 2014 National
Electrical Code (NEC); building, fire
and residential codes based on the
2015 International Code Council codes
(I-Codes); plumbing and mechanical
codes based on the 2015 Uniform Codes;
and CalGreen, a California-specific
code. The California Energy Code (part
6 of Title 24) was also adopted under a
separate rulemaking process.
The NEC was adopted with minimal
amendments. During public hearings,
several California Building Standards
commissioners and some state agency
directors supported using the model
codes with as few amendments as
possible. Of note is the inclusion of
standards pertaining to disability
accessibility to electric vehicle charging
equipment, the first such standard in
the nation.
Elsewhere in the West
The 2014 NEC was adopted, effective on
March 6, 2016, in Alaska, which is using
the 2009 editions of the I-Codes. There
is no timeline for when newer codes will
be adopted.

Mike Stone, West Coast

Field Representative, NEMA

Hawaii is moving closer

to adoption of the 2014
NEC and the 2012 I-Codes.
On February 16, the Small
Business Regulatory Review Board
recommended adoption of the 2014 NEC.
Its recommendation now goes to the
State Building Code Council and then
to the governor for his signature. The
anticipated effective date is June 2016.
Utah adopted the 2014 NEC and
2015 I-Codes with amendments. The
legislature passed HB 316, which tied
updating codes to a delayed cycle for
residential construction until 2021.
NEMA and others opposed this delay,
but homebuilders and their allies
prevailed. The coalition worked with
legislators to amend the bill. With
NEMAs amendments, it maintains
the Utah Uniform Building Code
Commissions ability to amend the

enforced code on a yearly basis, and

revises the requirement to adhere to a
restrictive cost-benefit analysis.
In Washington, the State Building Code
Council adopted the 2015 editions
of the International Building Code,
International Fire Code, International
Mechanical Code, International
Residential Code, Uniform Plumbing
Code with state amendments, and the
2015 Washington State Energy Code. The
2015 I-Codes are effective on July 1, 2016.
The NEC is adopted under a separate
rulemaking process with the Department
of Labor and Industry.
Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and
Oregon will consider adoption of the
2017 NEC in late 2016 and early 2017.

ei

Mike Stone, West Coast Field

Representative, NEMA |
mike.stone@nema.org

Compatibility Confirmed between Smoke Alarms and AFCIs

The 2014 National Electrical Code
requires arc-fault circuit-interrupter
(AFCI) protection for all 15- and 20A
branch circuits that supply outlets or
devices in kitchens, family rooms,
bedrooms, closets, hallways, or similar
areas. This requirement includes the
circuit that supplies smoke alarms in
these rooms.

Concerns about the compatibility

between AFCIs and smoke alarms have
been raised in the past. NEMA ABP
11-2016 Compatibility between Smoke
Alarms and AFCIs states that an analysis
of unwanted tripping reports filed with
AFCI circuit breaker manufacturers did
not uncover any incompatibility. When
properly installed, smoke alarms do not

cause AFCI circuit breakers to trip. This

white paper can be downloaded at no
charge on the NEMA website. ei
Ed Larsen, Industry Standards
Manager, Schneider Electric |
ed.larsen@schneider-electric.com

MITA Updates Cybersecurity in Medical Imaging White Paper

In a recently released version of NEMA/
MITA CSP 1-2016 Cybersecurity in
Medical Imaging, the U.S. Department

24

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

of Homeland Security (DHS)

provided comments that improved
the white papers language. To access

the paper, visit www.nema.org/

Standards/Pages/Cybersecurity-forMedical-Imaging.aspx. ei

International Roundup
Saudi Arabia Consortium to Implement Technical, Outreach, and Trade Goals
In 2015, with the support of specific
NEMA member companies and related
stakeholders, NEMA organized and
launched the Saudi Arabia Market Access
Consortium as a matter of necessity for
specific companies and service providers
who face challenges as the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia implements several
important transitions in its market for
electrical products.
The consortium has three main goals:
Inclusion of North American (ANSI/
NEMA) performance and safety
standards, as acceptable within the
framework of the Saudi Standards,
Metrology, and Quality Organization
(SASO)

Facilitation of the import, use and/

or manufacture of members products
manufactured to ANSI/NEMA
standards in KSA

In February, a consortium delegation,

led by NEMAs Khaled Masri, visited
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for meetings and
to deliver a workshop for SASO and other
stakeholders on standards for products
used in explosive atmospheres. About 50
people attended the two-day event. See
photo on page 32. NEMA also delivered a
presentation on the U.S. electrical safety
system to a separate workshop of the
Ministry of Water and Electricity. ei

Increased confidence on the part

of KSA officials that their national
standards and quality system
effectively identifies and quarantines
counterfeit and low-quality electrical
products, while recognizing and
valuing the quality of NEMA
members products

Khaled Masri, Program Manager,

NEMA | khaled.masri@nema.org

The consortium has adopted a threepronged strategy to implement the

work plan, which consists of technical,
outreach, and policy and trade
components.

Craig Updyke, Director, Trade

and Commercial Affairs, NEMA |
craig.updyke@nema.org

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NEMA electroindustry May 2016

25

Economic Spotlight
NEMA Business Conditions Indexes Up Sharply in March
NEMAs Electroindustry Business
Conditions Index (EBCI) for current
conditions in North America surged
in March, climbing to 64.7 from 44.4
the previous month, as more panelists
reported conditions improved than
eroded. Compared to February, a larger
share of the survey panel reported that
business conditions improved (41 percent
in March compared to 22 percent in
February) and a smaller share reported
that they deteriorated (12 percent in
March compared to 33 percent in
February). Forty-seven percent claimed
conditions were unchanged in March.
The intensity of change in
electroindustry business conditions also
improved markedly in March, swinging
to +0.5 from 0.2 in February. Panelists
are asked to report intensity of change
on a scale ranging from 5 (deteriorated
significantly) through 0 (unchanged) to
+5 (improved significantly).
The EBCI for future North American
conditions also improved in March,
rising to 61.8 from 52.8 in February.
A slightly larger share of the panel (35
percent) reported positive expectations
than was the case last month (33 percent),
while a substantially smaller share (12
percent) reported negative expectations
than was the case in February (28
percent). The share expecting to see no
change in business conditions over the
next six months rose to 53 percent in
March from 39 percent in February.
Visit www.nema.org/ebci for the
complete March 2016 report. ei
Tim Gill, Deputy Chief Economist,
NEMA | tim.gill@nema.org

26

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

Lighting Systems Index Decreased in Fourth Quarter with Mixed Results for Components
NEMAs Lighting Systems Shipments Index, a measure
of demand for lighting equipment, decreased 2.6 percent
quarter to quarter while posting a 0.1 percent increase year
over year (y/y) during Q4 2015.
Fixtures, emergency lighting, and miniature lamp,
components of the index, gained ground on a y/y basis, while
ballast and large lamp, components recorded y/y declines. ei
Laurie Miller, Director, Statistical Operations, NEMA |
laurie.miller@nema.org

Linear Fluorescent Lamp Indexes Continue Year-Over-Year Decline

NEMAs linear fluorescent lamp shipments indexes
continued their year-over-year (y/y) decline in Q4 2015.
After declining for seven consecutive quarters, the index for
T12 lamps posted a 4.2 quarter-over-quarter increase but
declined 17.4 percent from Q4 2014. T8 and T5 shipments
also continued to decline, decreasing by 13.4 and 9.3 percent,
respectively, on a y/y basis.
T8 lamps accounted for a 72.4-percent share of fluorescent
lamp shipments in Q4 2015, with T12 lamps claiming a
16.8-percent share and T5 lamps a 10.7 percent share. ei
Laurie Miller, Director, Statistical Operations, NEMA |
laurie.miller@nema.org

HID Lamp Indexes Close Out 2015 Down from 2014

NEMAs shipments indexes for high intensity discharge
(HID) lamps declined in the fourth quarter of 2015
compared to the fourth quarter of 2014. Sodium vapor lamp
shipments fell 15.6 percent compared to the same period last
year, while shipments of mercury vapor lamps decreased by
24.9 percent year over year (y/y).
Shipments of metal halide lamps decreased by 11.6 percent
y/y. Sodium vapor lamps accounted for 31.7 percent of highintensity discharge lamp sales in Q4 2015, while mercury
vapor and metal halide lamps accounted for 3.4 percent and
64.9 percent of sales, respectively. ei
Laurie Miller, Director, Statistical Operations, NEMA |
laurie.miller@nema.org

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

27

We Are NEMA

Expert
Q
Ask The

I am

NEMA

Our company is in a public bidding situation. The specification calls for a

NEMA 12 enclosure. We know that our competitor will have to cut holes on
both sides of the enclosure as well as cutting a section of the cover. If these
cuts are made, will the enclosure retain its NEMA 12 rating?
NEMA responds:
There are three options:
1. No knock-out holes; let the installer field-install holes only as required;
mark as NEMA Type 12.
2. Include the knock-out holes but provide closure plugs that are also rated
NEMA Type 12 (typically with multiple NEMA Type numbers); mark as
NEMA Type 12.
3. Include the knock-out holes and provide instructions to use at all unused
openings closure plugs that are also rated NEMA Type 12; mark as
NEMA Type 12K (K for knock-out holes).

Have a question? Ask the experts at ei@nema.org.

Promoting Safety
I joined NEMAs
government relations
team after having
spent nearly 12
years entrenched
in legislative and
political battles
at federal, state,
Michael L. Belitzky,
and local levels.
Manager, State Government As manager of
Relations, NEMA
state government
relations, I educate policymakers and
provide practical solutions consistent
with NEMAs core values.
One of the issues I manage for NEMA
is promoting safety and innovation
through the adoption of current
building codesthe cornerstone of
our industry. Conducting NEMA
advocacy days plays an integral role
in dispelling any myths around code
adoption. These events recognize our
industry as the champion for safety in
the design, manufacture, and use of
electrical products.
During a recent meeting, an elected
official asked me, What can I do
to improve our states business
environment for your members?

NEMA organized a workshop with SASO in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February,

during which three NEMA members provided technical training on safety of
electrical equipment used in explosive atmospheres. See also, Saudi Arabia
Consortium to Implement Technical, Outreach, and Trade Goals, page 25.
Attending the workshop were (from the left) Greg Steinman, Thomas and Betts;
Abdulkhaliq Alsaif, Emerson; Steve Blais, Emerson; Dirk Muller, UL; and Ed
Leubner, Eaton. Photo by Khaled Masri, NEMA

Stock art Credits

Cover, 1: iStockphoto.com/roman023
10: iStockphoto.com/koya79
16: iStockphoto.com/mattjeacock

28

17: iStockphoto.com/viktor_vector
18: iStockphoto.com/PashaIgnatov
20: iStockphoto.com/ phichit

NEMA electroindustry May 2016

N@H 1: iStockphoto.com/Horst Gerlach

N@H 2: iStockphoto.com/mikkelwilliam

My response was NEMAs mission:

expand market opportunities,
remove business barriers, and reduce
manufacturing costs. I relish these
opportunities since they provide an
opening to build a relationship that
promises to strengthen over time.
I take great pride in working for
NEMA and value the collaborative
culture instilled by our leadership.
The electroindustry continues to set
the pace for codes and standards. I
appreciate the wealth of knowledge and
tremendous support from colleagues
and member companies. I am NEMA
because I advocate for U.S. industry. ei

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