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Don't overlook energy savings - every wall switch should have automatic-OFF control. With easy installation, Tork's flexible $5403 works well in storage spaces ond small ‘reas to ensure that lights are not left on. $$700Z can control indoor lobby lights or outdoor security lighting. Both provide ‘automatic OFF for lighting to save energy Seen Dee er Mei) DOR ee eaCONTENTS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | VOL.79 | NOB DEPARTMENTS FOCUS integratedsysten 6 EDITOR'S EYE CONTRACTOR i 26 DB/IPD Casebook: 7 Reporting From the Field integraredsystems John Poul Quon Roadmap Facitates 34. Prefabrication Trends Ene fer Dre ‘efabricavc 95 ADVERTER INDEX 6 Cloudy Days ” Econ, Enercainent and 90 2014 Profile of the Electrical Fellowship at Academy Meeting Contractor, Part 2 Chacko PROFILE «7 Focus on Maintenance & Service 60 Go Huskies! Prime Electric aie Swedberg 2 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGM | Wi WECMAG.COMRoe} SOUTHWIRE + COLEMAN CABLE. ede STRENGTH IS a £0) 6) 7} STRENGTH. NRO Cu See eu ae Rey has never been stronger. We can now offer a broader, deeper array of solutions. As well Pena hee eau erence Two companies known for innovation and service. Now connected as one, De (i) outhwire’CONTENTS COLUMNS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | VOL.79 | NO8 INDUSTRY WATCH 4 Electity Sector Downgrade 3 Big Boost for Solar 17 afrarmuctre Projects Get Their Own Sustainability Benchmark 18 Inductive Charging Mavket a4 for EVs Gaining Tacton CODE 22 CODE FAQS Outside Feeders, GCs and More se Jin Oat ‘44 CODE APPLICATIONS In Ble and White for Years 50 CODE IN Focus Sing Conductors Pare XXXIK 104 CODE COMMENTS Conformity Assessment Mahal st Awsocation Ie, 3 Nethresk,b40065-23 sheids Meteo Center, Suite 100, Bethe, ON THE JOB 10 sarety ‘Stay Ahead of the Spark 20. ESTIMATING Things |Have Noticed 42 POWER QUALITY Wiring Spaghets 46_ ALTERNATIVE ENERGY Electr sInduded Unitut Tip, EMT Wrenches and Plot Hole Hangers 56. SERVICE/MAINTENANCE Resiience—A Hot New Concept 184 FINANCIAL ‘Your Money and Your Life 94 RESIDENTIAL CPSC: Our Second Safety Resource INTEGRATED SYSTEMS 50 FIBER OPTICS Stipping Fibers 32 LIGHTING When Everyone Has Gone Home 40 quiz OTDRs—The Right Setup for Premises Fer SB FIRE/LIFE SAFETY Friends tothe End PRODUCTS 45, NEW PRODUCTS 64 LAMPS COOL TOOLS 100 GROUNDING TESTERS ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR (ISS No 5518) publibed month by the Naenal Elecvial Conracters 1 20815372 Pevodeal postage paid st Bet Ma: an addtorl ming oftces POSTMASTER Send acres changes to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, 2, Box52, ed, 4 ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ OR | AUG |W chac.com’ YOU KNOW IT’S FOR PROS WHEN YOU PICK IT UP. i a) eee eeu amc , ASSAD ha ASIC Bi fh mune Wee |e VOOR LOT DA ALLA fk feeELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR ums Jeb Waal totom Artes Kee ceecereeanetang {940840708 hl Mase Seon ASsOCATEEDTOR Testy Jhon fusessaooucTioN Maser Daningie Mince ‘CONTRIBUTING EDITORS ALERAATVE ERGY BUTITYBUINESS Chu ows aC FASHSAFETY Je Phils ‘ove Jn ala (006 Mk © Ode STATING Sept Cte NERC MANAGEMENT ASECURETY Dee Breer esnorns ln Hays AUNEIML Dest Naber Joon Esa yiTO Wine Moor ea Ge i OITING Cag Deve Power QUAY Richard P Bhan esOB TAL Did Shc saPrY Joe Connor SAFETY Tom Corn sencemanrenunce Toots Gin PUBLICATION AND EDITORIAL OFFICES 008655 5 Baten evo Cat Sute N00 stds MO 200553 Bierever somata cla Sige ots oan em ‘over execuTVEoRCER ‘cho Mins ‘cemmesoen M6 COO Dail War EDITOR'S EYE ey aNoReae. KLEE Husky Power MLL ADMIT IT IS A LITTLE SELF-ABSORBED TO put myalmamateron the cover of the magazine this month, though i's a lovely stadium. But that's not the only reason it appears in this issue; it turns out the Husky Stadium renovation at the University of Washington (UW) isa great representative project for the topies we're discussing in the feature articles this month: col- laborative building processes such as integrated project delivery, mobile tols, Jean construction and prefabrication of components. First off you'l find the Husky Stadium project, which was completed by Prime Electric, in Claire Swedberg’: “Go Huskies!” on page 60, One other piece of tiv about this article apparently Claire’ son willbe staring UW this fall. marti! Backtracking through the magazine, you should next turn to John Paul Quinn's “DB/APD Casebook: Reporting From the Field” on page 26, He talks oa couple of contractors who have engaged integrated project delivery (and its older cousin, design build). always good to learn from your peers, so check out that article tosee whats going on inthe field of collaborative building. |fyouwantto continue to learn from your industry, goal the way tothe back of the magazine and read part two ofthe Profile ofthe Electrical Contractor We split the article intotwo parts to giveyou even more detail about the electrical construc- tion industry, and part two focuses on the very topics we address throughout the issue: design/build, projec specs building information modeling, etc. Chuck Ross also wrote this month's installment on page 90. ‘You can also learn about building information modeling’s new friend, cloud- based storage, in several places this month, including the aforementioned John Paull Quinn article and Jeff Gavin's “Cloudy Days” on page 86, The latter article has good information on several eloud-based apps that could help you in your work, from Fluke Corp's new services, o Schneider Electric’ offering, which was developed with input from eleetrcal contractors Darlene Bremer pieced together her prefabarticle before sending itover tous toput in place; its a wel-formulated article about the benefits to working prefa- rieated components into your projects and how to go about doing so. Check out “Drefabrication Trends” on page 34. nour INTEGRATED SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR supplement this month, the focus is on maintenance and service of low-voltage systems, If you've expanded into these areas (or even ifyou want to develop a serviee department for your non- low-voltage electrical business), you'l find plenty of tips and sales strategies in the section that begins on page 68, (One last thing, we may have started a Pac-12 rivalry here at ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, Our senior editor, Julie Mazur, remarked thather alma mater the University of California, Berkeley, recently renovated itsstadium. Solook fora fea- ture on Memorial Stadium in 2015 (though it may not make the cover. Sorry, Jc! Go Huskies!) More college articles may come later, 3s we have representatives of the ACC in senior associate editor Tim Johnson and art director Paul Philpot, both Virginia Tech grads; Matt Kraus, our editorial and multimedia assistant, ‘came tous from the Big’Ten's The Ohio State University a AvE hm 6 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | aus WWWECMAG.COMee TmeueUL DRIVEN TO OUTPERFORM. Pyaar sa Dae M12 FUEL" is engineered for the most demanding tradesmen in the world. M12 FUEL” Ce eeu Tu Rou eae Ce Cie a I ca ‘exclusive innovations — the POWERSTATE™ Brushless Motor, REDLITHIUM™ Battery Pack, and REDLINK PLUS" Intelligence Hardware and Software — that deliver unmatched power, run-time and durability. Simply put, the M12 FUEL” HACKZALL® is the fastest, most powerful De nee ec mr ee ele aoe Be eee yee cePRESIDENT’S DESK py DENNIs F. QUEBE Roadmap Facilitates Energy-Efficiency Drive ALTHOUGH THE AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE (ANSI) doesnotdevelop standards itself nearly 9,500 norms and guidelines produced by organizations, such as the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), carry the ANSI designation, and those directly afect virtually every aspect of US. commercial activity, ANSI accreditation signifies that the procedures used by standards-developing organizations comply with the institute's strict requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process to meet the needs of all stake- holders associated with a given standard’s specific subject. ‘The latest major document released through ANSI involved an unprecedented number of stakeholders. “The Standardiza- tion Roadmap: Energy Efficiency inthe Built Environment” was developed by the ANSI Energy Efficiency Standardization Coor- ination Collaborative (EESCC), a publie—private,cross-sector group chaited by representatives of the US. Department of Energy (DOE) and NECA Premier Partner Schneider Electric. More than 50 member organizations and four federal agen- cies took part in the roadmap's development Inall, the project ‘united more than 160 experts from industry, standards- and code-developing organizations, energy-efficiency-focused organizations, educational institutions, and other groups. Of course, NECA was right in the thick oft. ‘Theidea was to establish anationa framework for action and coordination on energy-cfliciency standardization, ‘The EESCC roadmap aims to identify current and forthcoming standards, codes and conformance programs related to energy efficiency. The next step pinpointing potential gaps and articulating what ational standardization activities maybe needed to close them: ‘The rondmap is supplemented by the BESCC inventory database, creating a comprehensive online source of informa- tion on relevant standards (including NECA 701 2013, Standard for Energy Management, Demand Response and Energy Solu- tions), codes, guidelines and conformity assessment programs related to energy efficiency in a built environment. AS ANSI President and CEO Joe Bhatia said, “Standards are like the sheet music th ‘what notes to play, when and how: Conformityassessmentisthe powerful conductor up atthe podium, making sure each player {is correetly performing his or her part. Together, standards and conformity assessment set the guidelines, define the variables and monitor the performance ofeach and every interconnected piece of the smart grid symphony to ensure harmony Standards, codes and conformity assessment programs offer significant opportunities for energy and cost savings as well as improved energy-effciency capabilities forthe nation’s build- ings, Thats erucial, according to the DOE, because buildings account for more than 70 percent of total US. electricity eon- sumption and 40 percent ofthe nation’s total energy bill ata cost of $400 billion per year; With 20 percent or more of this energy wasted, comparable reductions in energy usage have the lls exch musician in an orchestra andards potential to save an estimated $80 billion every year. As we all know (or should know) reducing energy consumption costs a Tess than generating new energy. ‘The roadmap charts 125 recommendations to close stan- ardization gaps to advance energy efficiency within the built environment. It also proposes timelines for action. Industry, government and other stakeholders now have a coordinated national resource to help them work together toward achiew- able energy-efficiency goals Also, contractors who offer energy-efficiency services don't have to reinvent the wheel with every job. The roadmap points usin the direction of standard, repeatable, economically viable work practices. ‘Another benefit of the EESCC roadmap is that it can help us bridge gaps between training programs and the skills needed in the clean energy workforce. In addition, increased awareness and coordination among the public and private sectors on standards, codes and conformity assessment can help quicken the pace of energy-effciency-technology devel- ‘opment and deployment, ‘You might consider the roadmap a breakthrough. Forward thinking stakeholders who understand the demands of retrofitting the built environment for energy efficiency consider can absolute necessity Justdon’t consider ita done deal, Since the interconnection of devices and processes in a network is atthe center of any plan to improve a building’s use of energy—and since technol- ‘ogy and techniques change all the time—work to improve their coordination must be ongoing. ‘The roadmap is available asa free download at www.ansi corg/eescc. Thatsalso the place to go for information on how you «ean participate with EESCC in the next phase ofthis important ‘work: monitoring implementation ofthe roadmap's recommen- dations, tracking updates on work to close ideneified gaps, and creating a mechanism by which this information ean be broadly shared. Lets go! a Goh Que Dennis F. Quebe,PRESIDENT.NECA ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ OR | AUG |W chac.comAMERICA'S #1 CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE. Aa CMON Gt Silene aNSAFETY ay Tom O'CONNOR Stay Ahead of the Spark Understanding and preventing electrical fires THE LEADING CAUSE OF RESIDENTIAL FIRES in the United ates each ‘yearmand the second leading cause of nonresidential fies—is electrical failure and ‘malfunction. Electrical fires have eaused hi and more than a billion dollars in property’ wundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries damage over the last several years alone. Fortunately being able to understand the causes, and having the ability to identify the Jnazards that lead to these fires, can go along way in preventing them, As an electrician or lineman, important to be aware that the most common causes of electrical fire are short circuits in wiring or cables and overloaded conductors, eables or equip- ment. They also include poor or loose connections, built-up statie electricity, ‘use of inferior-grade materials or equip- ment, frequent blowing of fuses, and the presence of flammable materials near electrical heat sources. Asa result, many electrical fires ean be avoided by renewing aged wiring, using good quality wires and cables, keeping fuse boards away from combus- tible materials, using fuses of adequate capacity and steering clear of joints when wiring. Soldering and proper mechanical joints can be made if this cannot be avoided Other everyday fire-avoidance tac- tice inelude replacing any damaged or Toose wiringy/electrical cords and keep- ing extension cords away from doorways, walkways or under carpets. Ifan exten- sion cord is necessary, an additional circuit or outlet must be installed to avoid using them so frequently. Male ing customers aware of the dangers of extension-cord use ean convince them toadd circuits or outlets It is also imperative to follow any manufacturer's instructions and warn- ings when plugging in an appliance or piece of equipment. This will help pre- vent overloading an outlet Also, only one high-voltage appliance or piece of equip- ment should ever be plugged in to an outlet or run offofone circuit, ata time, Ensure you follow NEC ments anytime outlets are installed in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry areas, base- ments, outdoor areas or anywhere it may equire- ‘come in contact with water. Primarily, they should be equipped with ground- fale cireuit interrupters (GFCIs). The ‘Occupational Safety and Health Admin- istration (OSHA) requires their use for all construction activites OSHA defines GFCTas“afast-acting circuit breaker designed to shut offelee~ ‘sie power inthe event of ground-fault within as litte as one-fortieth of a sec- ond. I works by comparing the amount of current going to and returning from ‘equipment along the circuit conductors When the amount going differs from the amount returning by approximately 5 milliamperes, the GFCT interrupts the current” Ensure GCI devices meet these ‘expectations, Select tamper-resistant ‘outlets where children oF animals ean easily access them, ‘The National Fite Protection Asso- ion’ (NFPA) Online Guide for Home Safetyadvises homeownersthat outetsor switches that fel warm, fuses that blow frequently cirewits tha trip, and lights ‘that licker or dim are cause for concern. Ensure you pass this information on to customers. Letthem know these are tll: tale signs that an electrical fire could be imminent Instruct them to discontinue ‘use and contact you oF another qualified lectvician to addeess the problem. This ‘will empower them to take action. ‘The NFPA also recommends, “plac ing ixcures on level surfaces away from things chat ean burn, and to use lamps ‘that match the fixture's recommended wattage” The organization said that 68 percent ofall home-structure fires between 2007 and 2011 involve electrical distribution to lighting equipment, lamps and lighting fixtures According to the United States Fire ‘Administration's Statistical Report: Elee- trical and Appliance Fires, (2009-2010, “In 79 percent of residential building clectrical fies, the fire spread beyond the ‘object where the fire started” Therefore, it is important to know how to confront an electrical fire, The first course of action isto call 9 and alert colleagues oF other building occupants of the danger. I the fire is small enough and you have been trained and are equipped to do so, you may attempt to extinguish the fire ‘However, electrical firesare extremely dangerous. Not only can they cause burns, but they also can lead to electri cal shock, Therefore, these types of fires ‘must be extinguished properly. Class C fire extinguishers are designed for use on fires eausedby electrical equipment The classification means the extinguishing agent is nonconduetive. Using water to attempt to contain or extinguish an elee- trical fre can resulein the flames getting bigger or lead to electrocution. Although electrical fires seem to be inevitable in some eases, following these prevention tactics, along with awareness of the hazards that cause them, will drastically reduce the chance that a fire will occur, For more information, visit www. nfpa.org and wwwaosha.gov. Both orga nizations offer useful publications, standards, technical assistance programs and compliance tools. a OTCONNOR in safety and regulatory favs manager for nee safety consuing,tining ane publshing fim that offers orste assistance and preduces manuab, traning videos and sofare for contractors He has sgniiest experience working with navonal nd international rade strocistons wth an experi in government ffi, Reach him at soconnerstinteeweb com 0 FLECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGIA | woweemaccomSPAT Cd ees Working with cables in limited light can cause issues POMC ea Cu ie eee eee Cd ST uke ec phase identification! 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(wlormdcove, Dey 2 www.aifittings.com Scr 184500 Madecover round covers on the market. inpace COVERS, ACCESORIES sd ea tee dtd FusTe6isMs Taptoor cover closed) View Video ratestsnt Eye “apse : ~ ees usreststR e*, tmarator SY Arlington rar 800/233-4717 (DE egos, heINDUSTRYWATCH NEWS IN THE WORLD OF POWER AND INTEGRATED BUILDING SYS Electricity Sector Downgrade a Big Boost for Solar DIN LATE MAY, the investment company Barclays took a bol step, issuing a down- grade of the bond rating forthe entire US. clectrie utility sector. The firm downgraded the sector to “underweight,” aterm that advises investors to go light on the total percentage of their portfolio invested in utility sector bonds. It ia surprising down- grade, since utility sector bonds are usually considered safe ‘The reasoning is straightforward and somewhat surprising, but itis postive for solae power proponents. In simple terms, Barclays believes the combined growth of residential solar power and electrcal- power storage pose a legitimate threat to ‘the business model of utilities and the grid distribution system. As the new technology becomes less expen- sve and more widely used, homeowners will become less reliant ‘on grid-distrbuted power. Barclays feels the utility sector has not adequately prepared for this change. Ic also asserts that the current pricing of bonds for this market does not adequately reflect this trend. As proof, Barclays notes thatthe trend is underway in same for marke next few years. Inits report, Barclays characterizes its eentiments; “In the 100-plus-year history ofthe electri utility industry, there has never before been a truly cost-competitive substitute available for avid power. We believe that solar plas storage could reconfigure ‘the organization and regulation ofthe electric power business alifornia and New York in the in Arizona, C avail where trageforreddentalelectsictyconsimersia over the coming dead” 5 competitive with he price of tty grid power Iepredit the snecuenun & Counterfeit Electrical Products on the Rise AS TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRICAL DEVICES playan belive that counterfeits are at xpandingroleinourdaivvesthechanceforabuseofthat _Ieastamoderate treat public Feltionship lo increases, safe onl hal reported a coun ‘According a recent survey conducted by the Hlectrcal—_terfetelecrcl product upon safety Foundation International (FD, the proliferation of discovery. Also. stong majority Counterfeteletricl product lsgrowiog atarapid pace In ofveapondents reported tha they Sune BSF released the resltsof'ts 2014 Counterfeit Heer: donot haves poceain place So cai Products Survey Teas developed tomeasure the awareness reprtacounerfe product And response othe presence ofcouneretclectricl products Almoet ss percent ofrepondentt fmongseveralsecorsoftheclectial industry The survey alsobeleve their company doesnot provide aequat raining Shows that over the past decade US seizures of counterfeit about sues elated tocounteret products OF those who have productshave incresed more than 25 percent Consumer discovered a counterfeit electra proct, they reported in Clecronics were the top commodity seized in 201, withavalue ing fve an average, inthe at 2 month Lighting breaker and of neatly $40 milion “other items, such a appliances, sign and ground rds were ecordngt SFI, the dangers of counefeitleetronies the most frequent porte counteret produetdscovered. cannotheunerstated. Death injury and propery los ae the developed the survey eflectively gauge he ese and mos severe utlzed partner organizations to provide a balanced sampling Desitethese obvious dangers thesurveyrevealedsome serosal setrsof the letra industy. inconsistencies For example, while 96 percent of respondents crleKLARZMAN 4 ELECTRICAL CONTRA: OR | AUG |W chac.comMuch like other brands, ICC manufactures a full ine of Racks and Cable Management (RCM) products made of metals and plastics. The biggest difference is that we have actually them like metals and plastics, not as high tech gadgetties! So when the cable manager panels are more expensive than the patch panels, we need to talk Call ICC or any of our ~ listed below for competitive pricing to help you win and increase your Available at om Free Sgn Up @ cecomvelte 888-ASK-4ICC _icc.com/betterINDUSTRYWATCH NEWS IN THE WORLD OF POWER AND INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS Lean Construction, BIM at NECA Show 2014 > DESIGN/BUILD, LEAN CONSTRUCTION and building information modeling are more widely practiced inthe in- dustry these days. To help electrieal contractors stay in front of this curve, the NECA Show will feature exhibitors and ‘educational programs that focus on these processes, ‘The NECA Show will be held at McCormick Place in (Chicago from Sept. 28-30, 2014, and will inlude courses, ‘wo preconvention workshops—“Exploring BIM” and ‘Exploring Lean Construction” These two courses will be NECA 37852014 ==cxicaco=—— conducted on Saturday, Sept. 27 (before the trade show opens Exhibitors wll algo be on hand to demonstrate products ‘on Sunday). and services that support integrated project delivery. According ‘A.course will also be offered on Monday, Sept. 28, Joel to David Burczyk, segment manager, field solutions, Trimble, ‘Smith, from Greenlee Textron, wil teach the one-hour session, the show ie great place to meet current and future users of “prefabrication and Lean Construction," at 2 pm, The course the company’s products. He describes the products he will be will provide an introduction, emphasizing how prefabrication presenting as “fairly new” and even “cutting-edge” In that sense, and lean construction can help decrease waste on the jobsite. _ the show provides his company an opportunity to introduce new Ie will also provide an overview of Greenlee’s innovations in _ products tothe industry, and “to educate and do some product these categories. All technical workshops ate free, buta feeis testing” Atthe show, Burczyk will be demonstrating Timble's charged to attend the preconvention sessions. These courses 3-D laser scanners and robotic stations. a are open to nonmembers RICK LAEZMAN Ui ean DUCT SPACER needed in the trench * Do more work outside of the ditch instead of in the ditch * Cannot fall or tip over * Easy flow of concrete through the spacers during concrete pour * Fits all types and sizes of conduit * Any configuration and conduit ‘separation can be maintained UNDERGROUND DEWICES . INCORPORATED 3304 COMMERCIAL AVENUE » NORTHBROOK, ILLINOIS 60062 Phone: (847) 205-9000 > Fax: (847) 205-9004 Website: http:\\www.udevices.com, 16 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGI4 | WWWECMAG.COMInfrastructure Projects Get Their Own Sustainability Benchmark > WHILE SUSTAINABILITY and efficiency have become well-established prerogs- ‘tives in the national conversation about ‘energy and climate change, nothing drives action like a prestigious award. In the building industry, Leadership in Bnergy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards have helped call atten- tion tothe need co design more energy- efficient buildings. Receiving a LEED award is abadge of honor for any building. ‘owner or designer, Now the field of civil engineering has its own set of standards, which is bestow ing a similar distinction on transporta- tion, water and other types of infrastruc ture projects, ‘The Envision rating system provides a framework for evaluating and rating ‘the community, environmental and ‘economic benelits of projects. Itevalu- ates, grades and gives recognition based ‘on various sustainability indicators over project’ lifecycle “The rating system isthe product of joint collaboration between the Zofnass ‘Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at ‘the Harvard University Graduate School ‘of Design and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISD. The American Coun- cil of Engineering Companies (ACEC), ‘the American Public Works Associa tion (APWA), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) founded ISI, The collaborative introduced Envision in 201 According to its founders, infrastruc- ‘ure owners, design teams, community ‘groups, environmental organizations, ‘constructors, regulators and policy- ‘makers can use the Envision standards, ‘These standards can help the project ‘mect a number of objectives, including sustainability goals, raising public aware- ness ofthe importance of sustainability, proper investment of scarce resources and addressing community priorities in ivi infrastructure projects Envision has a checklist to help users ‘examine various sustainability aspects of the project’s design, Trained Envision ‘Sustainability Professionals (ENV SP) ‘will work with the project team to help them achieve higher levels of sustainability. A project willbe evaluated on 60 sustainability criteria, or “credits” which assess the sustainability ofa project broken down into five catego- ries, including quality of life leadership, resources alloca- tion, natural world, and climate and risk, Projects scoring high on these assessments will receive an Envision award, A number of projects have received Envision awards in the few yeats since its inception, including a wetlands park in South Los Angeles and a stream resto~ ration project in Placer County, Calf, ‘According to Envision’s website, the r ing system is also being employed in the design of anew suburb of 600,000 people in Karachi, Pakistan a RICK LAEZMAN et “ana DUE a A can For more information call 1.800.222.8785 COU Ru te ate 8 Smart Space. From masterack” ‘wrwmartorack-com/emartepace ”INDUSTRYWATCH NEWS INTHE WORLD OF POWER AND INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS Inductive Charging Market for EVs Gaining Traction > RATHER THAN PLUGGINGIN an electric vehicle (EV) to recharge the battery (conductive charging), in- ductive charging also known as wire- less charging, uses an electromagnetic, field to transfer energy between the charging base and a vehicle's battery. Induction chargers typically ‘use an induction coil to ereate an alternating electromagmetic field from within the charging base station, and a second induction coil in the portable device takes power from the electromagnetic field andl converts it back into ‘electrical current to charge the battery, The two induction coils form an electrical transformer ‘A new analysis from leading research company Frost & Sullivan, *Strategie Analysis of Inductive Charging for Global Electric Vehicles (EV) Market,” found that the total market for inductive charging expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 126.6 pereent from 2012 to 2020, with approximately 351,900 units likely to be sold. Inductive charg- ing will account for 1.2 percent of both public and residential cchargingin North America and more than 2.6 percent in Ex- rope. Residential charging will be the most popular method, accounting for more than 70 percent of the overall charging. Intensive research has boosted the profile ofthe emerging EVs inductive charging market. “OEMs such as Renault, Nissan, Daimler, Volvo, BMW and ‘Toyota are working on the development of inductive charging for future ENS, and more than 10 automakers have announced trial tests” said Prajyot Sathe, automotive and transportation senior research analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “Asa result, inductive charging will soon be avail~ able in cars either as an additional feature or asa built-in feature” Currently, induetive charging is offered as an aftermarket solution with attractive financing, ‘options, but the cost of purchasing and installing an induetive ‘charging solution is approximately 30 percent higher than con- ductive charging, ‘The charging time is also longer, reducing the feasibility of what would otherwise be the most convenient way of charging EVs ‘Toovercome these challenges, market participants from across the value chain are partnering with OEMs to gain further opportunities for research and development. Large ‘companies are acquiring smaller companies to strengthen their product portfolio, “while in the short-term, 3.3 kilowatts inductive changing ‘will be widely accepted to enable residential and semipublie charging, with time, vehicles will ie towards 6.6 kilowatts toeenable faster charging” Sathe said. “Inductive charging in stationary applications too will be most sought-after in the near-term, whereas dynamic or on-the-mave charging will gain traction post-2020. a MIKE BRESLIN New Hampshire Finds Alternative to Smart Meters > WITH THE INTRODUCTION of new ‘wireless cleceric meters, meter readers for ‘Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNED, Northeast Utilities company, won't have to leave their vehicles to rake readings In November 2013, PSNH began a ‘huge program that will replace al electric meters with a new version chat transmits wirelessly. However, the new technology isn't the system known asa “smart meter” ‘Smart meters use higher power trans- _mitters and typically feature two-way ‘communications, but they also present privacy and security issues. ‘The new PSNH system is called auto- ‘matic meter reading (AMR). Now meter readers willbe able to gather the reading remotely, safely and accurately using wire less radio signals from up toa quarter-mile away, while driving down the road “Wedo not have plansto install smart meters” sad Martin Murray, manager of ‘media relations for NH Northeast Uslitis, ‘The installation of smart meters would require new, different meters and avery significant investment in a communications frastructure. We have no plans for that investment, as we feel that our customers will be well served by our AMR initiative” “Ie the same technology, with the same ability, as meters now" said Michael Skelton, PSNH spokesman. “They don't do anything diferent... except transmit the reading.” "Thus far, PSNH has replaced about 11,000 ofits $50,000 customer meters. ‘The process will continue throughout the state until 2016 and will cost about $40 n,a charge that will not be added to people’ bills, Skelton said / © ‘Once installed, the AMR system will save PSNH $6.5 million per year largely by climinating the need for 49 meter readers. ‘Te will also improve accuracy since it will reduce the times that readers can’t access a meter due to snow or ather is- sues, requiring an estimated bill” Skelton said, “And customers will no longer need to shovel apath for meter readers during. the winter months” o MIKE BRESLIN 18 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | aus | WWWECMAG.COMWELCOME TO THE NEw AGE OF TECHNOLOGY Hioki LR8410-20 ireless Bluetoo . Datalogger Station (3 Bluetooth SISTANCE, HUMIDITY J pod IsO 9001 ISO 14001ESTIMATING By STEPHEN CARR Things | Have Noticed Short stories from the estimating trenches | HAVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE about several topics that are not long enough, to fill this column by themselves. This month, decided to combine a few subjects {nto one column, so could finally get them off my mind. To export, ornot to export 1 have many customers who do not use the same computerized estimating 5y5- tem I do, For these customers, I export theprojetto spreadsheet, whichauto- sates the math, so the customer and I can concentrate on the content, Before 1 send the spreadsheet, Ido some fine- toning, rearranging and highlighting to best present the information, While completing this process on a recent project, I noticed something. Because ofthe abilities ofthe spreadsheet pro- gram, Ls spending more time working withthe date than I typically do on my estimating program, and liked it Even hough itis time-consuming to export the data, the spreadsheet’s flexibility and features gave me more power to fine-tune the project. “This doesn't mean my estimating pro- _gramisaslouch, Ithas dozens of features could not ive without, including some reat features for polishing the sum- mary. When exporting and fine-tuning the data in a spreadsheet, I noticed a couple of new features | would liken my estimating program, so I called my soft ware vendor Estimates from hell ‘As Thave ranted about in the past, docu ‘ment quality continues to plummet. A side effect of this is addendums, and I have had some very bad experiences ‘on more complex projects. I often get addendums that require re-estimating large portions ofthe project. The worst ‘example was a small wastewater plant in Florida, On the day I finished the ‘estimate, an addendum was issued. I¢ replaced the entire drawing set, changing absolutely everything. This one adden- dum doubled the amount of time it took toprepare the estimate. This really made me angry because the engineers knew ‘this change was coming They could have ‘warned us, allowing us save alot of time and money on the estimate. I learned an important lesson on this project: estima- tors need to stay in touch with the design team. Since that incident, I have saved _many hours of estimating time by ask- ing, head of time ifchanges are coming. Backing up ‘Computers are very reliable today: How- ‘ever, when I first started using them, data loss was was a definite concern. Hard drives erashed, deleting meant it vas gone forever, and smoke regularly poured from your computer. You had to back up your data every day. Today's computers rarely crash, Therefore, some people are not so rigorous about back- ing up their data, Its not a good idea because bad things still happen. One of my customers recently lost his data to a virus, 1¢ cost him money and several ‘work days, and he was notable to com~ pletely recover his data. Backup is easy row, 30 there is no excuse, There are & number of offsite backup programs that ‘ost as little as $60 per year. Your data is automatically backed wp, all day, every day, Itis also important for atleast one backup to be located off site. I knew an estimator who backed up his data every day but kept the backup media in his desk drawer. The media did not ook too good after the fire, Also, Keep your anti virus software up to date. Miscellaneous materials Lam surprised by the number of elec- trical contractors who do not put ‘miscellaneous material markups on their estimates, My fits teacher introduced ime to the concept, and then estimating classes reintroduced me to it. My esti ‘mating education happened in the early 1980s, before computerized estimating was widespread. To save time, we were taught to minimize the use of compo- nents in our assemblies, since all of the sath was done by hand, For example, a duplex receptacle included a box, ring, device and plate, which required that we price, labor and extend four items. If we added wire nuts, a support strap, some screws and a ground pigtail, that would double the time ittook to finish the math for this assembly, This is where the mis- cellaneous materials markup came in, Depending on the type of project, we used a 5 to 10 percent markup on the extended materials to cover all the parts and pieces that were not in our assem- blies. Today's estimating systems have alot of those litle components in their assemblies but still do not cover every- thing. We now use a markup of about 2 percent depending on the project. @ CCARR hae been nthe elecical construction busines 42 years, He starred Carr Contig Servces-inhch provides eles estimating one 105 5251975 ar sevetteecrrics-estinating com, sedationa servicesmin 1994, Contact him at 20 FLECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGIA | woweemaccomACCOUNTING Wish everyone was looking at the same project data? VIEWPOINT CAN HELP. I every department in your company is not looking at the same data, your project could be in trouble. Fully integrated Vista™ by Viewpoint connects everyone in every department with the same information before trouble occurs. See this and all our construction software solutions at info.viewpointes.com/ecmag. 800.333.3197 #viewpointeanhelp VIEWPOINTCODEFAQS ay Jim DOLLARD Outside Feeders, Jim Dollard has an extens EGCs and More fe background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Questions can be sent to codefags@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2014 NEC. Number of outside feeders supplying dwelling unit am in the process of creating a bid for a residential job. The engineering frm requires 400-ampere (A) meter socket With two 200A service disconnects, Installed ona pedestal 80 feet from the dwelling unit, and two underground feed- ersto the dwelling unit basement with two grouped 200A disconnects. I this hota violation of NEC 225.20, which limits the number of feeders to one? There is 2 significant cost issue fora straight 4008 meter socket versus a 400A meter socket ‘equipped with the two 200A breaker. You are correct. Section 225.30 limits the number of feeders to a building or structure from the load side of a service 22 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGI4 | woweemaccomLutron Sensors Lutron quality and performance now in a sensor! Models aval 2A, 8A, BAPIR 6A dual-ci 6A dual CLs PI 6A, dual-t nology sensor + XCTw Technology with cross correlation provides superior prevention of false-ons and false-offs » Saves energy and meets codes with all lighting loads daylight so the sensor + 30+ year relay lifetime + ©-L dimmer model dims over 290 different LEDs and CFLs—find the full ist at www.lutron.com/bulblist + Com UL safety requirements for ground current limits For more information, please visit or download the Lutron Commercial Solutions app for the iPads from the App Store. . ti ae LUTRON ® * Vacancy-only models available Lutron.CODEFAQS ” ‘© Continued from page 22 I have received several questions on this subject, While there may be require- ments in other codes, the NEC does not require a bonding conductor to be installed to CSST or any other gas-pip- ing manifold, and for good reason. The manufacturers of CSST exhausted every avenue available in their desire to have the INEC contain such a requirement. Yes, there are municipalities that may. require an electrical contractor to install a bonding conductor because of other codes, but not the NEC. As mentioned inthis question, the CSST product has a very thin wall, and this isthe bass for the problems that have occurred and subse- quent manufacturer requirements for bonding. These problems do not occur in produets made of a heavier wall. The discussions within the NEC community also raised questions as to whether bond- ing CSST manifolds will eliminate the problems. In other systems that require bonding, such as cable TV and com- munications systems, the NEC requires the installer to provide an intersystem ‘bonding termination. The other system installers can make their terminations there. The same can be done for this and other fuel-gas products. Grounded conductors required for switches controlling lighting loads Section 404.2(C)is fairly new to the NEC (2011 edition, | believe) and generally requires a grounded (neutral) conductor lunderstand the rule is = ntended to provide a rneans to ~ a 120-volt connect occupancy sensor devices circuit so the electronics of the device are in the ready made with the switch in the off position.” tobe installed at switches that control __It is obvious that you have researched lighting loads. understand theruleis this issue carefully, and your observa intended to provide ameans to connect tions are correct, The NEC requires a ‘occupancy senzor devicesto.2120-volt grounded conductor to be brought to (V) circuit so the electronics ofthe device most switches controlling lighting loads are inthe ready mode with the switch but does not mandate that you use it. It inthe off position. Itmakessense.We _isaserious problem, and Iam personally don't wantto introduce neutral current awareofan installation nwhich this rule ‘on the EGC, which isa violation of other impacted more than 1,000 switch loca- Code rules, such as 250.6,250.24(A)'5), tions. The contractor installed grounded 250.30{A) and so forth. However, Isee conductors as required, but, since there ‘wo problems with the new rule:there is no requirement to use them and isno requirement touse advice that devices that use the EGC with a very hasan insulated neutral, and therule _smallamountof currentare significantly ‘only states the grounded (neutral) con- cheaper, the installer used those, and the ‘ductor has to be installed to the switch inspector permitted it. location, Nothing in the rule covers con- As you have identified, the goal here necting this conductor to any device.1 is to keep current off of the EGC. I can know itis probably implied, but don’t assure you that the NEC and the prod- we need the words in the NEC? Also, _uct standards communities ae actively if manufacturers of occupancy sen- engaged in getting this right. sor devices still produce both devices ‘My personal opinion is the NEC with an insulated neutral and devices should be revised to require the that use the equipment grounding grounded conductor to be installed and ‘conductor for the 120V circuit, what _ terminated on adevice designed for that has the rule accomplished? tseems —_ purpose in all new installations or reno- like ie would be much more effective to vations, However, an exception should Prohibit current from being introduced be included to allow devices that use the ‘onthe EGC. Itseemslike the product EGC. This exception should be limited to standard needs to be changed. 'minter- existing installations toallow them to use ‘ested in your take on it motion sensors to conserve energy. ® DOLLARD isthe safety coordinator fr BEW LeeatNo. 9 in Phisdelphs and works eavely with contractors to ensute jobsite safety and compliance wth ll nstallation codes and standards He isa member of the NEC Correlating Committee, NEC CMP-0, NEC CMP4s, NEPA 70E, NFPA 90/8 and the UL Electrical Counel He canbe reached st cadefagssgmailcor, 2A ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGI4 | woweemaccomCato | Tate | cabin, © Wie Bene 0.0. 780 1.120'| 660 1.000 | 60, 64,49, 44,29, 24,13 1000 1480 | 870 1.870 | 25,24,15, 14 103, 104, 203, 20, 08 1360. 1.770 | 1250 1390 | 204,303,904 0-9, 40-4, 250-2604 41700 2200 | 1580 2050 | 250-4, 2004, 350-3 3604, 5008 2100 2.700 | 1950 2400 | S002, so04, 600-3 6004, 7503 ll 25a 3300 | 2250 2000 | GoD 750, 750-4 “Bamps of: and conductor cables accommodated, Arlington Maa esd Save time end money! Adington’s new, low cost MC cable fitings for dry locations only ~ are super-convenient ‘and cost-effective. They come with end stop bushings that vary the size ofthe opening = ONE trade size fits several cable sizes! ‘Changing end stop bushings i fast and easy. There's no need to remove the step. Insert the bushing that works the best with the cables you're instaling (Our rine diecast MC cable fitings reduce inventory, and ‘ost much less than steel or malleable iron fitings. + Buin end stopin iting Cae ae OL) os eer ae cnet ieiccaeets Petra ee Sarees Capen re OO after wall finish done Complies with 2011 NEC Eat ack bo Serene i ta OLS ‘ONE-BOK mounts direct to extra secre installation. ‘Angled screws INSIDE attach ONE-BOX to stud No wings ~ no wobble Fast e957 to install Eatraange 22 cubic inch capacity (Single gang) in 3-Gang, 4Gang ‘and HORIZONTAL STYLES!BY JOHN PAUL QUINN DB/IPD CASEBOOK Wo Ext Bald At the beginning of 2014, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR reported in its annual constuction outlonkthatsurveyrespon- denis believed the tree most important trends leading to greater financial sucess would be building information model- ing (BIND, aces to projet information through mobile tols, and integrated project delivery (1PD)-all key techno- ical cousins of DB at sid the best wayto gauge the importance of this kind of work to ECs nat to ask how many understand t importance ori they realize they Should get involved, but o gather some text pencrratfie OB proce ond fe reports from contactors who have coordination of the entire tae the most already made significant commitmentto Sheri: the discipline and can describe first-hand how DB or PD isactually done onsite yd Young of Red Top Eléetic Co, sid ‘The DB trend has accelerated, and it includes various innovations, according to Ron Wilkon, director of engineering at Rosendin Electric Inc, San Jose, Calif 26 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR 1 AUGI4 | Wii“The big room’ ‘One of Rosendin Electric's largest recent projects is the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los “Angeles. This job involved getting the con- struction team together for face-to-face, ‘hands-on collaboration in what is referred toas“the bigroom”” “People actually come in and live on-site—the mechanical, electrical, architectural, structural, low-voltage, and instrumentation and controls people.” ‘Wilson said. “Depending on the location ofa big job, they can be coming in from all over the country and rotating. time for two to three weeks, including weekends. With every” body co-located toa common area for interaction and ad hoe meetings as needed, the projects are completed more quickly ‘than with traditional DB, and I think we geta better finished product out ofit. “The designers are able to talk to the field ops people ‘throughout, and a lot of the discussion takes place over the model itselftalking about what’ being done today and ‘doing ‘the walk" he ssid While general contractors have become adeptat the process andoftenstillcontrol the model, electrical and mechanical subs arenow taking leading roles more. In terms of saving time, Wil son estimates hata higherise chat mighthave taken five to eight ‘months to design before can now be done in three months. Owning your part ofthe job ‘The design and coordination are taking place in real time ‘within the model, and things ae fine-tuned as we go forward” ‘Wilson said. “We've developed controls so that different play- cers on the team own various aspects of the job and have to keep the others informed of any changes. Ifa panel or riser is moved, that could eascade down to the detailing or support folks. Ownership has to be handed off cleanly. Daily walk- throughs ofthe model avoid clashes among the trades. Itall ‘comes down to communications.” Asan example overtime, ithas become generally accepted that, inthe early design stage, lighting and major switchgear should be the responsibility ofthe engineers and can then be ‘passed on tothe detailer and BIM staff for coordination, “On more complex jobs, BIM and IPD in some form are now the rule, not the exception.” Ron Wilson, Resendlin Electric “Lbelieve tha, thanks to this interactive process, engineers Inave learned a lot more about what i takes to puta building together” Wilson said. “In some ways, this may have slowed down the early design process, but, by putting things down ‘on paper, everyone understands what equipment needs to be procured and installed, so this avoids having to circle back later to pick up these products, The time lost eatly on is more than made up for by the time saved later in the project” But some firms are not sold on the in-person, on-site con- cept. In response to this, over the last few years, a number of FOCUS REPORTING FROM THE FIELD ‘ment software; and Bluebeam Studio, an online collabors and real-ime interactive session software, In addition, some of the more electronic data processing (EDP)-savvy players have built their own customized platforms of this type. This is almost face-to-face but gives firms mare :man-hour leverage so that people don't have to be on-site for such extended periods of time. Get coordinated “Taking part in design work earlier on has become more and more common for us.” said Floyd Young, superintendent for healtheare projects at Red Top Electric Co, Livermore, Calif, “This involves more responsibilty, but also offers the poten= {al for enhanced profitability commensurate with the more sophisticated additional work” “The electrical contractor has to have the mindset that his design not only needs to save him money but help the other trades do the same.” —Floyd Young, Red Top Electric ‘Young said that early participation inthe process and coor. dination of the entire team are the most critical contributing factors to success “On one of the major projects we just finished design on— Dameron Hospital in Stackton—we gat in before there were even progress drawings created." he said. “The general contrac- tor the owner and the architectural teams had decided they ‘would make line drawings with the input ofthe electrical and mechanical contractors. “This preliminary interaction is advantageous for ECs because, at times, an electrical engineer's input on the design process may be based on limited experience with the building process. Butifhe's willing to listen to the contractor about cur- rent construction practices and new things happening in the field that work or that don’t work, this ean avoid slowdowns on the project. This is the wave ofthe future because it's the way ocut costs and waste significantly if done properly’ Inanother of Red Top lectric’s recent projects the need for coordination was essential because the entre construction team ‘would have to be working in extremely confined spaces. twas ‘small healtheare facility called Chinese Hospital in San Bran- cisco's Chinatown tall building with a very small footprint. “We took the basis of design from the electrical engineer's and the architec’s conceptual floorplans,” Young said, "We then populated these with the electrical infrastructure. We caordi- nated with the other trades throughout the process so we could sake sure that what we needed to do would ft in the space, “The design had to be in line with what you could actually accomplish from a construction feasibility viewpoint. Getting involved early, we could spin ideas about how to save money and space and time. This way, during construction, we could alleviate the typical roadblocks you have from workingin sucha tight environment with the trades ontop ofeach other.” he said. Be sure to KISS ‘Young also noted that preproject BIM and IPD can be crucial when working with an owner's gross maximum price (GMP) budget, in which the final cost eannot exceed the amount agreed ‘upon. By becoming jointly involved from an early stage, the eon- struction team is better able to minimize costs that migiat come from change orders or redesign problems while onthe ja. “The electrical contractor has to have the mindset that his design not only needs to save him money but help the other trades do the same." Young said. “That's the only way for aproj- ‘ecto come in under budget” In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of acronyms floating around in this process. Here is one more to keep in ‘mind—KISS, or “keep it simple, stupid.” “In the early phases of DB, you have to learn to limit the Aerails to be modeled and coordinated,” Young said. "Asa pro}- ect evolves, there will be changes as beter ideas come to light through discussion with other members ofthe team. So don't spend a lot of time and money on details that might be elimi- nated later: Learning how much detail is required early comes with experience?” ‘According to some observers, the electrical sector hasbeen somewhat late in embracing DB or IPD work, perhaps partly influenced by the earlier wariness ofthe conceptby unions. The feeling was that it could take work away from their members. ‘This has apparently changed, as progressive electricians have realized that, if they want to learn about this emerging disciplinary area of the construetion process, they could be participating in design and 3-D modeling in the office instead of just framing or bending pipe and wire, “Right naw, 85 percent ofthe jobs we dohave some BIM com- ponents" Rosendin Electric's Wilson said “And ofthat 85 percent, easily 60 percent are complete BIM, populating an entire model Inaddition, IPD also on therise. Tn fact, on mare complex jobs, BIMand IPD in some form are now the rule, not the exception.” ‘Many have come to see DB and IPD as opportunities to gain ‘ew skillsinone ofthe major tendsin the industry—experience— Which might come in handy sooner than they think. a QUINN reports on a broad range af business and indsty issues for journals inthe United States and Europe He can be reached at 205825 9850 and mirabelsenet net 2 FLECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGIA 1 wwwecMac.conCARVIN G9 515 = =] KO's: 1/2" to 2" ( J Box Depths: Cl 1412, DAD" & BID” x You Can Customize ~ ~~ Blank Styles & Save! 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CAN LIGHT BLANK UPS 330 2014 =cHicaco=—= Booth #1407 Smooth White Finish 6°, 8” & 12° Round EASY INSTALL SAVES MONEY!FIBEROPTICS sy Jim Haves Stripping Fibers WE LEFT OFF LAST MONTH preparing. fiber optic cable for termination. We were atthe point where we had slipped the strain-relief boot and crimp sleeve over the cable jacket if we were using # simplex cable and sorted out the tight buffer fiber swe were going to terminate out of a distribution cable, 1f you are terminating a 3 millimeter jacketed simplex orzipcord cable, you will, need to strip the jacket and eutoffthe ara- mid fiber strength members. You need a sguideto stripping the cable jacket and cut- ting the aramid fibers o the right length for the connector you ate using. That guide should come withthe connectors. Cutting and stripping the cable jacket ean be done with a special fiber stripper, ora properly set wire stripper, as long as it does not damage the fiber. Some fiber strippers have grooves for Doth the jacket and the fiber, making them more convenient. Special ultra- sharp scissors are needed for cutting the aramid fibers. Don’t use them for cutting anything else because it will dll the cutting edge and ruin them, Now we are ready to strip the fiber. This is an important step where you have to choose the tool you use. Three types of fiber optic stripping tools are commonly used, and they are typically known by theirbrand names: Miller, No- Nik and Microstrip. Millers look ike wire strippers and are FOCUS ay DARLENE BREMER ire URAC un R of prefabrication and modular construction CUR Wen) Se a ee Ca Eg of popularity, these methods are re-emerging thanks to Cee Renee Cae Cen the influence of green building, according to McGraw- eC eras da Prefabrication methods are increasingly used in residen- tial and commercial projects and include everything from in-floor and in-wall products to switches, receptacles and erate eee Seren eee een na rication as a way te improve productivity by reducing the amount of time it takes to install and terminate the prod- ucts on-site,” said Kevin Kohl, produet manager, commercial SR a ee Nag improving installation efficiency, the contractor should be able to increase the volume of jabs it takes on, orit can take ‘on more sophisticated, complex projects.” Continued on page 36 > ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGM | WWWECMAG.COM> FOCUS PREFABRICATION TRENDS © Continued from page 34 ‘The benefit of improved productivity real- ized from modularization and prefabrication activites is borne out in MeGraw-Hill’s 2011, SmartMarket Report, “Prefabrication and Modularization: Increasing Productivity in the Construction Industry In this report, 35 percent of prefabrication users reported their project schedules were decreased by four Weeks or more, 41 percent reported their proj- cect budgets were decreased by 6 percent or more, and 44 percent reported that construc tion site waste was decreased by 5 percent Lemberg Electric Co. In, Brookfield, Wis, established its prefabrication shop three years ago after president Dave Washebek learned of its value at various peer group meetings. The company prefabs outlet boxes, conduit bends for both power and low-voltage applications, Cemporary power units, larger precut cables and wires, and precut Unistrue racks for con- duisrans “Prefabbing improves productivity on the job site. There's far less material handling on-site and the preassembled electrical com- ponents are shipped out in acomplete fashion,” Washebek sad. Lemberg Electric cited faster project schedules, less trash and scrap at the job site (and Tess work to do to comply with green-building trash-separation requirements), and reduced Tabor needs and costs, Sachs Electric Co, St. Louis, prefabricates industrial and commercial raceway assemblies, wire bundling, raceway sup- port assemblies, panelboard/transformer assemblies, metal clad eable to box assembles, duct bank assemblies, and stru ‘ural steel assemblies. “Labor savingsis certainly driving the use ofprefabrication” stid Robert Moeller, vice president of Sachs Electric's technol- og); health and entertainment group. “A prefab shop is better suited to employ a higher ratio of apprentices and commercial workers and the manufacturing nacure of the shop's environ- ‘ment promotes improved productivity” Don Stockton, executive vice president, Baker Electric Inc, Des Moines, Iowa, said prefabrication’s effect on scheduling is another benefit ofits use “When used correctly, prefabbing allows contractors to perform installations more productively, speeding up the schedule,’ he said, lack of qualified electricians in the area is one of the dri ers of the company’s prefabrication activities, which include everything from branch-circuit wiring and switching and power devices to concrete generator pads “You can use less-expensive labor in the prefab shop because itis considered a manufacturing function and not an electrical construction function,” Washe- Dek said “We believe there is 15 percent or better labor savings on components preassembled ina prefab environment compared to compo- nents bu in the field,” Moeller said. “The repetitive nature of prefabbing cuts down on the amount of work needed to be performed in the field, and the controlled environment in which prefabbing takes place ‘means greater productivity creating assem- blies, less time spent on-site and a more cost-effective projec,” he said, < Another benefit of prefabbing is that it makes the supply chain easier to manage. In theory, whether the electrical component assemblies are manufactured or put together in the electrical contractor's shop, prefabbing consolidates components that would other- wise be delivered separately “Prefabrication reduces the number of shipments and deliveries tothe job ste, which reduces the amount of material that needs to be moved around or disposed of’ Stockton said, Not having to move as much material also snakes the jb site safer: “The less activity you can have on the job site and the more ‘work you can perform ina clean, prefab shop, the safer the proj- ect willbe,” Washebek sad. Strategies According to Kobl, the best prefab strategy starts with a thor- ough and honest skills assessment. “The contractor must examine its current staffing, tools and facilities and then, if deciding to perform prefab work in house, "must hire or train a person or staff to plan prefab activities, establish the appropriate prefab shop space, and ensure that the shop has the right tools and equipment” he said. If prefabling activites are to be successful, the contractor needs to be heavily involved in the project’s preconstruction ‘meetings. Foremen, project managers, purchasing personnel, estimators and the prefab shop director are critical in deciding what assemblies will need to be prefabbed to fit the project's needs. Discussions include how long cable runs need to be, mounting methods, material acquisition needs and how assem- bles should be packaged, shipped and identified, “The biggest issue is getting field personnel to completely accept the prefab process,” Washebek said, ‘To help gain that acceptance, management needs to demonstrate that, although field fabrication work for the electricians may be reduced, prefabbing actually enables the Continued on page 38 —> % FLECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGIA 1 wwwecMac.conaN Te NEW StrongHold™ Supports and Fasteners Areliable, high-quality solution designed for routing and Securing Ome UR Con oT ATs DuaT UT te UU industrial facilities> FOCUS PREFABRICATION TRENDS € Continued from page 36 company co improve overall productivity, win more contsaets and widen the opportunities for work Since prefabbing takes adltional coordination and design effortonthe fren of project early preplaningisanceessi “Discussions, hawever, need tobe held with the local ork force to determine ifprefabbng is allowed inthe jurisdiction” “Moeller said. "Some areas are very uadiional and have not per formed lot of shop prefabrication, requiring that he contractor develop plan that will enable it to effectively work well wich the local workforce!” However, since it doesn't take highly skilled eratsmen for simpler, prfabbed installations, it ean be demonstrated that prefabbing frees up the skilled labor pool to work on more sophisticated, complex project. Supply chain and pricing are other issues that can affect the contractor's profab strategies. Vendors can be helpful in offering suggestions that improve the flow of material within the prefab shop and che shipment of assemblies tothe jobsite “One key item that must be reviewed prior to creating large assemblies isthe logistics associated with shipping them on public roadways and how they will enter the job site and build- ingintrion? Moeller said Contractors can examine integrating set pricing into their estimating process so that projet manager havea standardized price to use for prefab assemblies. “Because many assemblies ae unique to each project itean be dificult to offer accurate pricing early enough inthe project- planning process without st prices?’ Moeller said, adding that the best prefab srategy ends with tracking productivity along the way. “The contractor nee to quantily success to hep it focus futre efforts and identify places for improvement And assets In addition to personnel that are able to handle preplanning, scheduling and logistical requirements, the assets required for successful prefabbing center around fairly inexpensive project management software, transportation assets, tools and materi- als, and space, Depending on the number of jobs that require prefabrication, the contractor may need up to 20,000 square feet of space “Anyone can perform prefab work,” Stockton said. “Ttean be dane om a large or small scale, and the size of the company {snot essential to success” Other tangible requirements include production equi ment such as metal-clad-cable cutters, big band saw. workbenches, material storage and stock, packaging mater als and transportation bins “itis important to remember that you are building a mini ‘ure manufacturing facility that requires manufacturing, rather than field, equipment,” Washebek said. Perhaps the most important asset isthe BIM software. “BIM can drastically improve a contractor's prefab strategy. Itenhances building layout capabilities and helps avoid jobsite conflicts that could significantly reduce productivity” Kohl said. “Because many assemblies are unique to each project, it can be difficult to offer accurate pricing early enough in the project-planning process without set prices. The contractor needs to quantify success to help it focus future efforts and identify places for improvement. Robert Moeller, Sachs Eletie Ca BIM software is eritical for enabling contractors to become best-of-class prefabricators hecause it enables companies to ‘theoretically prefabricate a whole building's electrical distr bution system from its three-dimensional drawings “Not many contractors are using BIM yet,’ Washebek said, “Ttis quite an investment and requires an additional person or persons to operate the software and integrate its capabilities with the company’s prefab activities” “The information offered by BIM not only enables the con- tractor to prefaball the necessary electrical components for the project, but tobe assured thatthe delivery and installations are accurate," Stockton said. ‘Moeller believes that, although 3-D modeling helps itis not absolutely necessary. “There does, however, need tobe coordination between the designer and prefabrication supervisor to ensure thatthe pre- fab components are being designed to specification standards and that the prefabrication concepts are being incorporated into the design,’ he sa Prefabricated electrical components are newer, more progressive and efficient, and more often comply with green- building certification programs. The process enables contractors ‘to teatively manage a project's systems and discover new ways of creating, shipping and installing entire assemblies. It allows ‘hem to increase their reach, sustain a competitive advantage, answer the demand for higher productivity and faster project schedules offer value, and improve profitability: “Contractors that don’t embrace prefabrication will find it increasingly difficult to maintain profit margins and the ability tocompete?” Stockton said, a BREMER, «freelance wrter based in Solomons, Md contributes frequently to ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR She ean be reached at 14105966966 and dacbromerscomesst net 38 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGI4 | wwwecMac.conLU ta is Ty 0 eu 8 LIGHTNING Fi | se DY AND SIZES Pty FSG Petty preitlid cH BANU; cj ‘an CFT Cosa yy [cored Penson as© QUIZ 5 sss OTDRs—The Right Setup for Premises Fiber ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 95. To TAKE THE QUIZ IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT, VISIT WWW.ECMAG.COM. 1. Touse an OTDR with premises cables, the OTDR must OA Hhave very good resolution to see and measure short cables B. Have a very arge loss range to measure multimode fiber Fae able to measure low loss, high reflectance connectors Be able to distinguish splices from connectors 2. OTDR autotest software is smarcer than the typical user and will alwaye give better results than manual setup. Tue Fale he short distance resolution of the OTDRis limited by the 9 A, Number of averages of the trace set on the OTDR > B. Length of the range set on the OTDR CC. Width of the test pulse set on the OTDR D. Core diameter ofthe fiber 4. To make measurements of the entire cable being tested, OTDRe must be used with A. Allaunch cable to measure the near end of the cable 2B, Areceive eable to measure the connector on the far end of the eable DC Both launch and receive cables ta include connectors on both ends ofthe cable 5. To setup the OTDR test properly the user needs to know OA. The approximate length of the fiber 5B. The type of fiber (single-mode multimode) . The wavelength(s) tobe tested OD Allofthe above HAYES 8 VDV wer 6. When getting started testing premises cables, the OTDR pulse width should be set A Aslongas possible for maximum power 2 B. Asshort as possible for best resolution OC Atany value; it doesn’t mater 2D. Automatically by the OTDR For premises cables, the OTDR range should be set ‘A. Asshort as possible OB. About twice the expected length of the cable 9 C. Less than 2 kilometers D. Allofthe above 8. To make an accurate measurement of fiber attenuation or ‘connector/splice loss, the OTDR trace must DA Resolve the cable being tested 9 8, Show all the connectors and splices ) C. Recover from reflective events to the backscatter level ofthe fiber © D. Notinclude any reflective events 9. OTDR measurements are directional, and traces should be taken in both directions and averaged to get reliable data, Tue False 10. A reflective event showing a large peak on the OTDR trace ‘of multimode fiber may indicate A, The end of the fiber OB. Aconnector OC Aghost 2D Allofthe shove lr andthe president af The Fiber ‘Optic Associaton Find him at wn JimHayes.com 40 ELECTRICAL CONTRA: OR | AUG |W ceac.comBEIR aes ed our Box Eitenders extend set bac, electrical boxes upto 1-1/2. ‘Made of heavy-duty, non-conductive plastic they level and support wing devices, protecting wires against damage and sipping BBEIR for round oF ce ‘octagonal boxes, the single (BEI), two-gang (BE2) forall standard devices, switches and GFCIs and now Try them all forthe sate, easy woy to obtain UL Listed installations in set Back boxes! r tiade in usa fan mounting screws Captive fan installation Captive screws fan bracket instalation Threaded Holes for fixture serews ™ Designed for installations ofa fan or isture,Biington's steel One Box™ mounts toa joist for an exa-secure, fan-tated installation Fan installation screws ship captive. No wobble with One Box! UL rated for 70 Ibs. Threaded holes for 48 screws fo instaling the = fature. UL rated for 70 Ibs + 230 cu inches, 2-3/8" box depth + Side-mount to joist in new construction or retrofit 1UL70 LBS - CSA 50185 2 @«POWERQUALITY By RICHARD P. BINGHAM Wiring Spaghetti WHILE SPAGHETTI! ADORNED WITH ONE OF THE DOZENS of different sauces that are served in the smal, off-the-beaten path restaurants in the Italian countryside is “splendido,” wiring that looks like spaghetti is just the opposite. A tangled web of cross-coupled elec- tron carriersis often the result of decades of renovations, including moving a com- puter server room from one side of the building to another. There are cables for power, lighting, computers, precision Jab equipment, telecommunications and networks, alarm systems, and some even used to hold up other cables. The origin and destination of many of these cables is often a mystery ‘This pieture lends credence to claims made on many electric utility's power quality webpages, such as the following: © About 90 percent of al power quality problems in our area start insid ‘customer’ facility ‘© Such problems sometimes mask ‘more subtle difficulties that cannot be remedied without adequate wir- ing and grounding. ‘© Most power quality problems are related to grounding and neutral ‘© Loose wiring and improper grounding. _may contribute to power quality issues. While the datato support these state ‘ments isn’t presented, and some of the statistics originate from studies per- formed decades ago, how the building is wired, and how the loads are distributed among the circuits, play arole in whether the quality of the electric supply is ade- quate for the proper performance and equipment operation. Several sites also note that following the National Elec- trical Code (NEC) may not ensure the proper operation of electronic equip- ment. That is possible, given the NEC's purpose is, “the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards ais- ing from the use ofelecricity Tis C contains provisions that are considered necessary for safety.” However, the sub- sequent statement, “If you're currentiy using high-end electronic equipment, ‘then your system may no longer be up to ‘code is abit ofa contradiction, The Code ie not about equipment ‘operation, rather the electrical system powering the equipmentand, “Compliance therewith and proper maintenance results in an installation that is essentially free from hazard but not necessarily efficient, ‘convenient or adequate for good service or fature expansion of electrical use” Designing and installing an electrical system that can adequately supply the ‘equipment’s intended operation doesn’t ‘conflict with the Code. Instead, itis a step forward to employ wiring practices ‘that focus on the same laws that we use to investigate power quality problem sources—namely Ohm's and Kirchoff's TLaws—and a common-sense awareness ofthe loads susceptibilities and contribu tion to power quality problems. Consider the following “enhancements” for any new or renovated electrical system: 4. Limit the number of receptacle out- ets on a circuit, and put critical ‘equipment on a separate circuit from “polluters” Large horsepower motors ‘on the same circuit as contactors or cemergency-stop photocells cause problems. Keep the harmonic-current ‘or voltage-sag polluters on their own, -subpanels with their own wiring back to the main distribution panel. 2. All conductors should be adequately sized for the maximum current levels. Shared neutrals and/or undersized neutrals and grounding conductors are no longer good practice. The pres ence ofharmonic currents particularly the tiplen harmonies that sum in the neutral of wye circuits, ean resule in neutral currents that exceed those in-phase conductors. The smaller the wire, the higher the impedance, and the larger the voltage developed across it. Grounding conductors can have measurable current levels from ‘the EMI/RFI filters in power supplies of electronic equipment, which ean clevate the safety ground to unsafe Tevelsforequipmentand humans ifnot properly addressed, Using larger size ‘wire for the phase conductors them= selves develops less ofa voltage drop When currents increase, providing bet- ter voltage regulation atthe load, 3, Make ground a universal one, with low impedance beween all points, creating an equipotential ground plane, Use a separate insulated ground wire as the ‘grounding conductor, and don't rely ‘on metal conduit for the ground path, Ensure there are very low impedance connections throughout the circuit. ‘While having an impedance less than “x” ohms toeazth isnt usually essential for equipment to run properly, «low impedance path to ground is impor- tant for safety and protection against lightning transients, Use on voltage surge-suppression devices that have an adequate grounding connec tion, Avoid making ground loops from telecommunication shield groundsand power-circuit grounds. When working in an existing facility, €o not assume ‘that all ofthe receptacles have proper ‘grounds. Check them all ‘As for the spaghetti, properly spacing and securing conductors prevents heat buildup and eross-coupling of high fre- {quency noise and transients, especially between power and communication cables. It not ony looks be ‘works better. a cer butt also BINGHAM, contributing edo fr power quai, can be reached at 7322073680 a ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ oR | AUG chac.com2 CABLE TESTER Platinum Tools Cable Prowler cable tester and report management sytem provides ull cable testing on any category network, coaxal cable or telephone cable up to 1,000 ft. and' can identify nk status nk capabilty and power ver Ethemet {PoE}. The kt includes the main uni, coal and network emote set, network/elesting and ID remote No 1, Rl-12 cables, a miro USB. cable slicone holster and a hanging T3 pouch. thas high-resolution fullcolor granhic dsp. splays length measurement foreach pairin feet or meters using TDR technology, locates unlabled cables, devecis the presence of PoE and class of PoE pe IEEE 8023a/at wath load test for voltage top and detects and reports curtent Ink speed and Ink capabilities for ative Ethernet drops up to 1 Gbps COOLING SYSTEMS 11P% modular cooling system 100 and 200 lose-coupled cooling systems can handle rack power and cooling requirements from 5,000-50,000W without adding to the curent heat load onthe existing conventional datacenter cooling system The systems use wate to evenly clistibute cold a at the front of the equipment rack The HP MCS 100 offers 5,000-35,000WV lof capacity, and the HP MCS 200 ofers 10,000-S0.000W. Each madel is capable of cooling one or two racks. They have hot-swappable fans; fulbfeatured environment manager accessible locally: redundant power that automaticaly detects power failures and switches toalternate source; the abilty to drain condensation through an evacuation pipe; and support for third-party, standarcbrack serves for fulldata center coverage, LUMINAIRE Nora Lightings LED brick stelight can be Use indoors or outdoors to iluminate a change in elevation, staicase, provide a path of light, or act asa safety night light. hasa choice of architectural louvered and shrouded die-cast, aluminum face plates. I has 2¢ LEDs for even illumination with a total consumption of 4W and an integrated embedded diver LeviTON EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Siemans Industry Ine. Building Technologies Dvision's . ‘hal supports up to 64 cial messages. Each panel can deliver cess sedge Quel Branch Receptacle. (CABLE TRAY Snake Tray’s high-capacity Mega Snake cable trayisavalable wih a specalzed single or double he optic ‘urnout module that maintains the oper oend rads ate cable xs he cable tay and protect the able trope clown The precanigued cable ray fr cveead appkatans LOD hasarailthat ao Cc». allows fora sees of THE FUTURE IS ON: 5CODEAPPLICATIONS By MARK C. ODE In Black and White for Years CONCEALMENT OF FLEXIBLE CORDS and cables that are installed as an integral part of appliances—or when used for conn jecting other electrical equipment=is an ongoing issue for the electrical industry, The history ofthe National Electrical Code (NEC) provides some insight. In the 1947 and previous editions of the NEC, Part I dealt with general defini- tions, and Part II dealt with IS different wiring methods permitted for general lighting and power as well as the voltage limitations for electrical circuits. These 15 sethods were as follows: open wiring on insulators, concealed knob and tube, bare conductor wiring, armored cable, non- metallic sheathed cable, service-entrance cable, rubber-sheathed eable, nonmetal- Tie surface extensions rigid metal conduit, flexible metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, surface metal raceways, under floor raceways, wireways and busways, Rubber-sheathed cable (later incor- porated into Article 400) was permitted for exposed wiring in cold-storage areas and similar locations where trouble with moisture was an issue, Part III, “Instal- lation of Materials and Apparatus,” consisted of chapters 3 through 17, which covered the installation ofthese general ‘wiring methods, For example, Chapter 3 applied to conductors based on American wire gauge (AWG), and Table 1 applied to fixture wire; general power wiring, such as T, TW (these two insulated condue- tors were the precursors of TWN and THIN), R REL RW (general-use rubber, heat-resistant rubber, and moisture- resistant rubber); and flexible cable. Chapter 6 covered cable assemblies, such as NM cable, AC cable, service-entrance (SE) cable, rubber-sheathed (flexible) cable, and nonmetallic surface extension (a nonmetallic cable assembly designed ‘obe installed as surface-mounted cable between surface-mounted receptacle and switchboxes) ‘The 1949 NEC reorganized “Parts 1 through VI" from the 1947 Code into chapters I through 7 Articles within the chapters in the 1949 NEC replaced the 38 chapters in the 1947 NEC. Another big change for the 1949 NEC, Article 400 was placed in Chapter 4, anditeovered general electrical equipment with the purpose ‘of applying flexible cords and cables for power source connection of general elec- trical equipment—eg, lighting fixtures, ‘washing machines, drversand ather types of appliances, motors, portable air con- ditioning units, vending machines, and similar electrical equipment. While many articles hve been added to Chapter 4 since it was created in 1949, the general layout and intent of power connection using flexible cords and cables to general electrical equipment ‘pas not changed, ‘wo very pertinent sections of Article {400 are 4007, covering uses permitted, and 4008, covering uses not permit- ted. Section 400.7 states flexible cords and cables shall be used only for the following 11 applications: the connec- tion of pendants, wiring of luminaires (both permanent and portable), por- table and mobile signs, appliances, as levator cables, for wiring of eranes and hoists, connection of utilization equip- ment to facilitate frequent interchange ‘of equipment, prevention of transmis sion of noise or vibration, ready removal of appliances, connection of movable ‘equipment, connection of movable parts ODE is lead engineering instructor a Underwrters Labora (euch as steam lid covers), and a new permission in the 2014 NEC to connect, between an existing receptacle outlet and an inlet that provides power to an additional single receptacle 0 ‘wall-mounted television or similar appli- cation (the assembly must be listed, the wiring within the wall from the inlet to the receptacle behind the television must be a Chapter 3 wiring method, and the exposed flexible cord is only used between the existing wall receptacle and the inlet without attachment to the wal), Unless permitted in 400.7, as described in the previous paragraph, 4008 states flexible cords and cables shall not be used as a substitute for a structure's fixed wiring; run through holes in walls structural ceilings, sus- pended ceilings, dropped ceilings or floors; run through doorways, windows or similar openings; attached to build- ing surfaces (except in accordance with 368.56(B) from busway plugs to equipment with extra-hard usage cord. or listed bus-drop cable); concealed by walls, floors or ceilings or located above suspended or dropped ceilings installed in raceways except where specifically permitted elsewhere in the NEC; or ‘where subject to physical damage. ‘The purpose of most requirements in 4008 is to ensure the flexible cards or cables are really visible for inspection for damage and other problems with the cords or cables. Concealment of flexible let for a cords and cables has been an tion almost from the inception of flexible cords and eables Next month’s article will discuss installation issues for flexible cords and cables, focusingon common violations. i Abie He ise. based in Pe canbe reached at 9199492576 ane mark eo6e'usulcom, “ ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ oR | AUG chac.com10 BUSHING Garvin Industis'spli-colar grounding bushings are designed for use on conduits where ground wites need to be installed and the flow of electricity must be maintained. The twe-screw design allows it to be clamped to EMT, rigid and MC conduits without disconnecting the wites and repuling. DIMMING SWITCH Levitoris Visa + VRMXI Z-Wave universal dimming switch supports local and remote dimming contra for incandescent, dimmable LED and CF, halogen, magnetic low-voltage and electronic low-voltage, and it incorporates the Zensys 45.4 Z.Wave library tis scene-capable includes 49 fade rates and features user presets for powering on and minimum brightness. It has horizantalLED locator and brightness indicator bat. Tivo snapein color-change kit options are inched, STORAGE CHEST/CABINET DeWalt metal roling OWMI73678 36:n, sicdraner top chest and DWIMI73679 36-n, ‘ive-crawer roller cabinet have auto-etuin closing drawers, 00+. capacity deep balLbearing drawers to stare and organize an array of large tools, 2 200-Ie, capacity extra-deep better crasver, and fully extendable drawers, Knockouts in the back ofthe top Id allow power cords to run inside for batery charging with the lid closed and locked, The top chest provides 9,096 in’ of storage space with 2 10¥/rin-deeo top. The id stays open and closes smoothly. thas 12,896 in? of storage space, WIRE ICE Cable Systems alarm wie is avalable ina Big Mouth Payout box constructed of weathersesstant cardboard with reinforced handles, én. payout hole and proprietary winding pate Tae alarm wire has ascending and descending fact markers, SOFTWARE Trimble’ Field Link 20 sofware for management of layout tasks associated with building construction provides taskcbased worlows, customizable views and a touch-screen user interface, Iehas an intuitive, realstic3-D perspective viewpoint and an enhanced in- model perspective layout view. Ithas reporting routines 10 detall layout productivity and the ablty te document ‘existing site conditions for information requests to introduce a GFCl with reset lockout. 9 pe THE FUTURE IS ONe 4sALTERNATIVEENERGY ay cHUCK Ross Electricity Is Inclu ded ROOFTOP PHOTOVOLTAIC (PY) PANELS might not yet be a standard home appliance, but they could be on their way if current growth rates keep up. Even after several record years, installation figures continue to climb. The first quarter of 2014 saw installed solar capacity increase 79 percent over 2013's first-quarter results, and residential projects topped commercial installations for the first time since 2002 among distributed (Le, nonutility) installations ‘Asthese figures from the Solar Energy Industries Association's (SEIA) Solar Market Insight Report show, more PV systems will be coming to rooftops near you-and soon. Homeowners are seeing ‘aluein PV panels, even assome tates are winding down tax incentives, with more than one-third of this year's first-quarter installations coming online without any state incentives However, utility incentives may stillbe part of homeowners’ financial decisions, and large, production-style homebuilders are starting to create entire communities in which solar panels are standard fea- ‘ures rather than upgrades. “At the core, there's an interest in environmentalism,” said Kevin Mor- row, director of sustainability and green building for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) No longer viewed as eccentrie sei ence projects, rooftop PY installations are proving their economic value, "There used to be almost a stigma attached to sola, but now it's becoming. more mainstream. [Its] almost at a tip- ping point” Morrow said, ‘The NAHB and McGraw-Hill Con- struetion documented the trend chat is approaching this tipping pointin « May report, which notes that 65 percent of the 116 single-family and 38 multifam- ily builders surveyed are incorporating renewable technologies (including heat pumps and solar water heaters) in at Teast some oftheir project, Ten percent of single-family builders are now offer- ing solar on all their projects, and 20 percent of single-family and multifam- ily builders and developers anticipate reaching that status in just the next two years, Some of the nation’s biggest builders are among the companies pursuing solar- standard business, For example, Meritage Homes, Scottsdale, Ariz,, recently reported installing some 500 solar-power systems per year on the houses it builds in the South and Southwest, and the company recently announced a partner- ship with PV manufacturer SunPower, San Jose, Calif, 0 offer solar options to all ofits buyers. Also, PulteGroup’s Dell Webb subsidiary is in the process of building two enormous solar-standard communities—totaling more than 1,000 ‘homes—in new Sun City developments in Nevada and Arizona, Meritage estimates its systems run about $4 per watt to install (comparable to the latest SBIA figures) and add $40 to $80 a month toa mortgage, depending on system size. In return, homeowners likely enjoy significantly lower utility bills, espe- cially since homes with added PV also are designed to operate more effcienty. Morrow noted that interest in roll- ing PV into standard home offerings is becoming prevalent throughout the construction industry. Even the smaller volume builders are looking to build ‘homes with solar-power systems, he said, While owners of existing homes often appreciate the lack of upfront costs involved in easing asolar-power system, it can make sense for new home buyers ‘0 roll the cost of purchasing solar into a mortgage, especially when resale valueis considered, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories’ studies have shown returns of up to $5,900 per kilowatt in added resale value in California mar- kets, Researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories have an interactive tool, PV Value, to help appraisers incorporate a fully owned system into property valu- ations undertaken for mortgage lenders. ‘The results contrast with a recent Bloomberg report highlighting difficul- ties that some sellers have had attracting buyers when the transfer of solar lease hras been required With or without solar, selling a home is a marketing effort. The NAHB and ‘MeGraw-Hill researchers found a variety of messages to be effective in promot- ing renewable-energy features in new hhomes, with three of those messages— energy independence and resilience, concern forthe environment, and utility savings—drawing approximately 60 per- cent of builders’ interest each, as either somewhat or very effective with poten- albuyers. Interestingly, slightly more of the surveyed builders found the energy independence argument to be “very effective” than thought the same about possible energy savings, Builders need tobe careful with this message, since the vast majority of installed PV systems do not allow for independent operation in the case of an outage inthe utility grid. However, the next big home-energy appliance could help make such grid- independence a reality, In late June, ‘SunPower and KB Home announced a joint pilot program to include battery based energy-storage systems along ‘with rooftop PV ina limited number of KB Home communities in California, Unlike a separate pilot, these batteries will be installed behind the customer meter, enabling off-grid operation. If such grid-independent combo PVistorage systems expand beyond small-scale pilot efforts, new-home marketers could add another market- ing message to their sales pitches: “Buy this house, and we'll chrow in an elec- tric utility for free” a ROSS isa feclance writer located in Brewster, Mass He canbe reached at chuck@chuck-ross com 46 ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ oR | AUG chac.com" 2 B 4 15 DATA CABLE TESTER Ideal Industries nc SignalTFK ¢ cabling has been installed correctly and s capable of suppor le CONNECTOR Appleton’s Wine multipin conne Itis designed to connect an disconnect power, con engineered for hazardous ATEKMECEx lo methods are available, and tt AIV CONTROL SYSTEM fxn Electronics lerumiauk Systems ate complete centtlzed audiovisual sitching and ed for clssrooms witha suspended ceiling. uses twsted-pair technology for wansmittng signals and are mounted and controlsystems desig includes network connectivity for Web-based ass necessary audio and video sw system contra, souree connectivity, 5 hardware and cabling, audio amplification, eakers, mounting MOBILE APP Dexter + Chaney payrolltime entry mobile op for Android and Anple iO enab project managers to enter labor and equipment hours directly rom the jo and enter time for employees and equipment assia 0 that job It can be used online and offline, Data is ied automaticaly with Spectrum clo site, Users select the appropriate jo RACK ENCLOSURES Video Mount Prodi TE and ERWEN-1SE 19-1n, wall-mounted rack enclosures have adjustable front and rear calls, a removable hinged wall plate and a reversible glass front door. They work with all standard 194n, rack equipment and accesso 5 rack spaces respectively The rls are threaded with standard 10-32 threading, They have vented tops and bottoms and top and bottom cable rauting knocko. Removable si 1a 15 13 a data cable 302.3. It carries out two primary ests through is autotest function: a wirerna is designed for heavy-duty and haar fol and instrumentation connections emelayed in a pilorlant or small batch pracess, and mounted in portable equipment. The MIP sees i purpose ns; the MIN Seres i for nonhazardous environments Various cable supporvretenti management, monitering and control. Compane insmission tester is designed sipment, can be used 35 8 backup esa choice among anodized aluminum, brass or stainless-steel shell materials, Two smart ways we put cations up to 800V AC/DC inthe plenum space above a suspended celling, I's available in two:,three- and foursnput systems with all th Safety First. prove that copper ing gigabit Ethernet applications to the international stand data transmission test. 14 leviton.com/safety aIDEAS tHat WORK oreo sy anronmuec Submit your ideas at wnwecmag.comjideasthatwork Unistrut Tip, EMT Wrenches and Pilot Hole Hangers [> FIRST PLACE Conduit lcknut wrenches made conduit locknut wrenches using serap pieces of Y, 1, and 1Vé-in. EMT. 1 Unistrut and scrap piece of EMT Itis impossible to geta ¥4-in. socketto tighten a in. mut inside Unistrut So, take a serap piece of Min, EMT and put in a 30- or 45-degree bend. Then, graba V7 ‘cut the EMT approximately én, long and then cut notches in one end to match the teeth on the lockauts, Iam then able to use these locknut wrenches torque down, thelocknut while holding the other end ofthe fitting with apair of pliers. t's great ‘when working alone or with a one-handed operation, Als, itis easier to tighten down a locknutin a crowded panel when it's hard to get at the acknut with pliers of the ¥4-in. EMT and tap around the sides of | or ahammer and screwdriver. the EMT where the nut is. If done correctly, it will ic in the Unistrut and you willbe able to tighten the nut RON SOKOLOSKI TOMMY DECAROLIS | Using coat hanger for pilot holes ‘When installing a fan box or light box in the center ofa 00m, cut the hook off ‘metal coat hanger with your dikes, straighten itout, puttin your battery drill and ‘make your pilot hole with the hanger. Ifyou hita stud, then you are in good shape. ‘fnot, take the hanger off the drill and shove ital he way up in the ceiling. That ‘way, when you go in the atic or craw space, you can’t miss it. I've always used coat hangers for pilot holes, and I've used them to drill through wood and even through mortar joints. Ifthe tip gets dull, cut the end ata 45-degree angle and you z have a new tp, PAUL SMITH IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA that has saved you te or money onthe job, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers woul ike to hear about it Be sure to include a good photo of your ides hand-drawn sketches ROT ned are often hard tointerpret Note that some similar ideas are submitted by ‘more than one person. In these eases, the one tate more clerly written and includes a phot is given precedence Send your letter and photo to Ideas Editor, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, 3 Bethesda Meteo Cente fi i 2 ‘Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814-5372; emailitwénecanet org or use the “ online submission tool at wnwecmag.comideasthatwork. i“ vg CASH AND TOOL PRIZES FOR WINNING IDEAS Each published . author in eas That Work receives 2 $50 American Express giftcard from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Inaddition, Southvre (nw southiretoos com) wl send the folowing set of electricians tools to each months fis. , cy plac winner gv ‘Fish tape. ‘¢ Pump pliers ‘© Multimeter j -® Long nose pliers © Screwdriver '® Diagonal- DISCLAIMER: The des pened tc ir for ond ny Nathar ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR rer Sue Ce tues any by mys re eee tet me 48 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AUGI4 | WWWECMAG.COMPRO GRADE TOOLS THAT HELP YOU WORK SMARTER. BENDstation™ PRO workstation Cee eee Sa Built-In Protractor for Coeur Ctocoig We don’t just help you bend conduit, we change the way you do Ce Siealled Rect Re ee) mentee 1 EMT conduit heping contractors work faster and stay fresh |. Cone eed longer. The BENDstation" PRO workstation can lower jobsite —- Ca cee rea od Cees a tea na o7 ruc) CMe’ Poets coc Come Southwire™ 2 1072 comsiee lection of Tools, Equipment, Meters and Testers Sekt St DE Care) ett ee re ences attCODE FOCUS sy cssisse wee Sizing Conductors, Part XXXIX ARTICLE 100 OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE (NEC) defines _Usiization equipment uses electric “equipment” asa general term, including fittings, devices, appliances, luminaires, energy fr electronic, leetromechanieal, apparatus, machinery and the like, used asa part of or in connection with, anelee- chemical heating lighting or smslar pure trial installation. An appliance also defined n Atile 100, is utilization equipment, _ poses. Sizing conductors for equipment generally other than industrial, normally built in standardized sizes or types and involves referencing the usual tables installed or connceted a aunt to perform one or more functions, such as clothes that pertain to conductor sizing, such as ‘washing, airconditioning, food mixing, deep frying, ete. "Equipment" isa general $10:15(B)(16),$10:15(8)(2), 31015(8) term that includes appliances, and the term “appliance” is utilization equipment. —(@)@) and 310.15(B)()(0. also involves So what is “utilization eqaipment”? (Sometimes, when looking ata definition of referencing the usual sections, sich at word ar term, the definition may contain words or terms that also need defining). 110.4(C),210.19(A), 210.28 and 2404 When the equipment isan appliance, it FIGURE 1 APPLIANCES-SIZING CONDUCTORS will sso be necessary to reference Arti- cle 422. Inaccordance withthe scope of Aaticle 422 4222, the artclecoverselee- ‘ecupancy Ths fxeestoragesyae water heater wilhove a capoe ty 035 gallons ‘ameplste onthe wer neater shows S00 total vats a 240V The branch trical appliances used in any occupancy. rei conductors suapying pave’ to ts water heoter ule THEN capper, and Part IT of Article 422 contains require ne conductors illoe installed in elecrcal metalic tubing eae se tn ‘ments for the appliance installation. Tt ser? ray be necessary to reference differ- st daw (amy gw Fixed-storage-type 1 ent sections and even different articles ret craw (ampere) by ising wats by vot ‘waterheater 240 = 18758 ter heat when sizing conductors. For example, (Gh) ang fexble metal conc As stated in 422.2, a fxedesto water heater that i ety h thas a capacity of 120 gallons or less shave considered 3 will be installed in a small commercial contnuous load forthe purposes of sizing branch ccs fccupancy, This fixed-storagetype water In accordance with te thd paragraah i922 TOA), che bbranch-crcuit rating for an appliance that is a continuous heater will have a capacity of 55 gallons, load, other than a motoropeated epolance,shallnot be ‘The nameplate on the water heater Iesethan 128 percent afte marketing shows 4,500 total watts (W) at 240 voles 875% 125% = 224= DA (9. The branch-cicuit conductors sup- Check Table 3101516 for conductor tha hasan plying power to this water heater will be smosciy oft TTHHIN copper, and the conductors will 12 AWG the 75° column) = 254 be installed in electrical metalic tubing Although 212 PZ (EMT and exible meal conduit FMC). ee ‘What is the minimum size conductor a. required ro supply this water hester? *etoveo ne First, calculate this water heater’s current dra Since watts and voltage (forth sinstaaton) permitted See 240 are Sac wa anole are given, divide the nameplate watts by Upper 4 0044 are kuumpine tel ein the sper The minimum ie ‘Maximum 4,500W (A). This water has a current draw of = endured _ 1875A.4300=240 1875) The thitd heater is 10 AWG. @ paragraph in 422.10(A) specifies whatto Nem | initcscspptianceiscontncousiond, Siang conduconforequpmentinvolevrferendngiheunalarides sahastT0, | bithowdowelnowiftheapliancewill = Zrodavandsto.vhentheequpmentsanapplancealsowillbeecestyto” | beaconinuou loud? reference Article 422, which covers electrical appliances used in any occupancy. Continued on pageS2- = 50 ELECTRICAL CONTRA: | Aui4 1 wwwEcwAGcoMaE eu aD a sua Angton'snoneetalic ONE-BOX" fan fadure and device boxes feature buitn anges with installed gaskets He that form a protective barrier against air inltration — to reat al codes whore reuted "Non-metallic, non-conductive ONE-8OX Vapor Boxes... in new construction ~ Captive instalation screws for wood C... pengeatle ie sb caskets net ody etched No assembly required! + For fatures (round), fan or fiature (bar hanger) and devices (Single and multiple gangs) | a it s . i Vad 3 FOF & aere Sr } Bue Bee Boe “ “ Bo aceon Bee Arlingted OG ceregmee ia OM LL ‘ington’s aluminum or plastic ARyBODY™ ships as an LB, but converts FAST to aT, LL LR or C by switching the cover plates x and threaded flanges to create the style you need. Easy and convenient, it saves you the hassle and cost of carrying five diferent conduit bodies. + Competitvely priced with LBs ~ = UL/CSA Listed + Plastic 1/2" to 4" indudes three J flanges w/ glue pipe joint 7+ Aluminum 1/2" to 4" includes threaded flanges for three openings. a 1/2" to 2" are combination bodies: threaded for rigid, they also have 2 setscrew for use with EMT. Antingt OG coereromn se rene vw enCODE xX FOCUS © Continued from page 0 In accordance with the definition in Article 100, a continuous load is a load where the maximum currentis expected to continue for three hours or more. Instead of trying to figure out if this water heater willlkea maximum currentfor three hours ‘or more, ook a the provision in 422.3. A, fixed-storage-type water heater that has ‘ capacity of 120 gallons or less shall be considered a continuous load for th poses of sizing branch circuits. Because ‘of 422.13, this water heater shall be con- sidered a continuous load, In ceordance withthe third paragraph in 422:10(4), the Dranch-circuitratingfor an appliance that {sa continuous load, other than a motor operated appliance, shall nt be less than 125 percent ofthe marked rating. ‘The last part of the sentence pertains toabranch-cireuit device and its assem- bly thats listed for continuous loading st 100 percentof ts rating Since this exam- ple did not state that the circuit device and its assembly would be listed for con- tinuous loading a¢100 percent, multiply the current draw of the water heater by 128 percent. The conductor must have an allowable ampacity of atleast 234 (873 %125% = 234 = 23). In accordance with ‘the 75°C column of Table 310.15(8)06), a 12. AWG conductor is good for 258. But 812 AWG conductor is one of the con- ductors with a double asterisk, which references a footnote at the bottom of ‘Table 310.15(8)(16), and the foornore refers to 240.4(D) for conductor over- current protection limitations. Unless 2404(8) or (G) specifically permits, the overeurrent protection shall not exceed 20A for 12 AWG copper [240.4(0)(5)] Anelecricstoraget heater illhave a capacy of 55 gallo fon the water heater shows branchvcrcu canductors supplying power w rue re Since the curtent draw ofthis water heater as in igure tana the resultwas1875A, multiply 150 percent 1875 x 150% 26125 = 288, An ampere ating of 28s not a standard over rating in FIGURE 2 APPLIANCES RATED OVER 13.34, be install ina small commercial occupa. this fuedstorage-bpe a Tne nam 00 total wats at 24 jer ana the concuctrs willbe installed n LT anc hats the mnimur rating forthe overran Bul because of he secona sentence o 2221100), eshlloe permis ble to Found upto tne next 7 Fixed-storage-type ers ‘water heater he hoe THN 5 cakulsted a en device protecting this ign stand ting ah * 55-gallon capacity 240V 60 Hz Element watts Upper 4,500W Tortheovercarent ee, Maximum 4,500W branch crelt 208, Ifthe branch crclt supplies a single non-motor-eperated appliance, the rating of overcurrent protection shal comply with the 422.11(E1) through (3). In aceardance vith 422.11 (E13), the rating of overcurrent protection zhall not exceed 150 percent ofthe appllance-rated current the overcurrent protection rating is net marked and the appliance is rated over 153A, Where 150 percent ofthe appliance rating does not ‘correspond oa standard overcurrent device ampere rating, the next higher standard ‘ating shall be permitted In accordance with 210,20 and 210.20(A), an overcurrent protective device that has a rating of atleast 125 percent of the continuous load shall protect branch-cireuit condu equipment. Recause the branch circuit supplying this water heater is consid- ered a continuous load, the rating of the overcurrent protective device shall not be less than 12S percent ofthe load, ‘The load ofthis water heater multiplied by 125 percent is 23A (18.75 x 125% = 234=23), A list of standard ampere ratings for fuses and inverse-time circuit breakers isin 240.6(A), and 23 is not a standard rating. In accordance with 240.4(B), the next higher standard size is permitted. ‘The minimum rating for the overeur- rent device protecting this water heater is 254. Since the rating of the overcur~ rent device must be at least 25A, a 12 AWG conductor would not be permit- ted because the maximum rating for a 12 AWG conductor supplying this load is 20A, Therefore, the minimum size conductor required to supply this water hheater is 10 AWG (see Figure D. Some provisions in the NEC specify ‘minimum sizes, such as minimum size conductor and minimum size overcur rent device, Other provisions specify ‘maximum sizes, such as maximum nu ber of conductors in a raceway and maximum size overcurrent device. Notice that overcurrent devices are examples of both minimum sizes and ‘maximum sizes, Sometimes the mini- mum size overcurrent device is specified in the Code, sometimes the maximum size overcurrent device is specified, and sometimes both minimum and maxi- ‘mum sizes are specified. As previously mentioned, the minimum overcurrent device rating forthe water heater in Fig- ‘ure Ii 25A, but is there a maximum size overcurrent device and, ifso, what is ie? Forthis appliance, there isa provision that specifies the maximum overcar- rent device rating, Ifthe branch circuit supplies 2 single non-motor-operated Continued on page 54 > and 2 ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ | Aui4 1 wwwEcwAGcoMEASY-TWIST. Easy Tvs” Red winged wire connectors for 18-8ANG It’s easy on the hands and it’s oe finger friendly. It grabs wires labor. That's why quickly. Fewer twists are there's an Eosy-Twist needed to secure the wire, in over half a billion Find out more about the safe and secure connections. engineering behind a FA twist. Easy-Twist”: DE eee nec DORM en aCODE xX FOCUS © Continued from page 82 appliance, the rating of overcurrent percent is 28A (18,75 x 150% = 28125 protection shall comply with 422.11(8) 28). Since 28 is nota standard overcur- (© through (3). In accordance with rent device ampere rating and the next 422.11(6)(3), the rating of overcurrent higher standard rating is permitted, the protection shall not exceed 150 per- maximum size fuse or breaker permit- cent of the appliance-rated current if ted for this branch circuit is 208 (see the overcurrent protection rating is not Figure 2). sarked and the appliance is rated over Section 422.11 provides a provi- 13.38. This section continues on by stat-_sion if the single non-motor-operated ing. where 150 percent of the appliance appliance is rated over 15.38, but it also rating does not correspond toastandard provides a provision if the single non- overcurrent device ampere rating, the _ motor-operated appliance is rated 133A next higher standard rating shall be per- or less. In accordance with 422.11(E) mitted. The current draw, orload, ofthis (2), the rating of overcurrent protection water heater was previously calculated shall not exceed 204 ifthe overcurrent tobe 18.754. The load multiplied by 150 protection rating is not marked and FIGURE 3 APPLIANCES RATED 13.3A OR LESS A.28-gallon slectcscragessype water heater willbe installed na small commercial & ne nameslate snows 2000 otal wats 3 2A. The ‘jing i not marked on this water heoter. The branch-ccult conductor suming powe {ts water Reate” wile “HHN copper, anc the concctots willbe installed in ENT anc 1c Whats the minim size conductor reqed to spl this water heoter and what the maximum rating forthe overcurent protective device? ret craw (amperes) by divi 3900+ 249 wats by vot toad and shallot be les than 125 (Check Table 310151816) fora conductor that hasan ampacity of at east 5A, [As stated in 2404(0)), the overcurereshallnot feaceed TSA for 9 8 Ais coper conduct Fixed-storage-type ‘water heater As stated in 422.1190), the ating of overcurrent protection shall nol exceed 208 he over protection ating sat marced and the appliance Sales 1330 ores Since ths yates heater dows ‘onl 125A the maximum rating forthe overcuren protective device 204, ‘The minimum size heater ie 12 ANG 28-gallon capacity *240V 60 Hz Element watts Upper 3,000W Lower 3,000W Maximum 3,000 ‘The maximum rating for the overcurrent device protecting this branch circuits 208, Tn accordance with 422.11(E)2) the rating of overcurrent pratection shallnot exceed 20A the overcurrent protection rating snot marked and he appliance israted 133A, orless the appliance is rated 18. or less. For example, a 28-gallon electrie-storage- type water heater will be installed in a small commercial ccupancy. The name- plate shows 3,000 total watts at 240. ‘The overcurrent protection rating is not ‘marked on tis water heater The branch- circuit conductors supplying power to this water heater will be THEN cop- per, and the conductors willbe installed ic tubing (EAT) and flexible metal conduit (FMC). What is ‘he minimum size conductor requited to supply this water heater and whatis the ‘maximum size or rating forthe overcur- rent protective device? “This water heater has current draw of 5A (000+ 240 = 125). The con- ductor must have an allowable ampacty of atleast 16A 0125 x125% = 15.625 =16). In accordance with the 75°C column of ‘Table 10.15(8)(6), 14 AWG conductor is good for 204. Huta stated in. 2404(0) {) the overcurrent shall nt exceed 154 for a M4 AWG copper conductor. Since therating forthe overcurrent device pro- tecting thisbranch circuit shallbe atleast 1samperes andthe overcurrent shall not exceed 15 amps fora 14 AWG conductor, ‘the minimum size conductor requited 9 supply this water heater is 12 AWG As stated in 422.1(8)(2),therating of overcurrent protection shall not exceed 204 if the overcurrent protection rat ing is not marked and the appliance is rated 1534 of less. Since the overe rent protection rating isnot marked and the water heater draws only 12.5, the maximum rating for the overcurrent pro- tective device is 204 (se Figure 3). Next month's coluran continues the discussion ofsiingeonductors. in electrical met MILLER, onner af Lighthouse Edveational Services, teaches eustom-tilred seminars o the Notional Electrical Cade and NEPA 70E He ithe author of "Msrated Guide tothe National Eeeviesl Code’ and “Electrician's Exam Prep Manual” He canbe reached at 61555556, chrkeschalesm ler com, and won charlesRenillecom, Connect with Chores & Mille on Linke, 54 ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ | Aui4 1 wwwEcwAGcoMSAVE TIME...FAST, EASY PUSH ON INSTALLATION PUSH-ON CONNECTORS FOR NON-METALLIC LIQUID-TIGHT CONDUIT PUSH ON installation —_ ee wie WPeeconcs per connector Conventional installation NMLTSO NS 1 5 seconds per connector SAVE 40 seconds or *33¢ per push-on connector! Arlington's push-on connectors offer the fastest, easiest way to install non-metallic iquid:tight conduit, type B. ‘Our one-piece connectors reduce labor steps ‘and eliminate lost pieces. They ship fully assembled with no disassembly needed ~ and are removable and reusable. ‘Save time and money with our user-friendly, Sisight | 90" straight and 90° push-on connectors. 4 ‘a Sno0/ou bre Vie Video Sete z wre —[ tv 8 ‘wmaurgor0 | 1° v Arlington © Perens EyeSERVICE/MAINTENANCE By ANDREW MCCOY AND FRED SARGENT Resilience—A Hot New Concept SINCE MANY LOCALES have suffered some form of natural disaster in recent years, ‘world and thought leaders have begun to hone in on massive preventive solutions that are now commonly lumped under the label “resilience.” How can the manu factured physical infrastructures of our societies be rendered resilient to Mother There is overwhelming potential for Nature's neat-and long-term attacks? the electrical contracting industry to play a starring role in the transforma- Electrical distribution systems of tens of billions of dollars had been spent tion to resilience, especially through every scale are a centeal focus of this helping victims, repairing infrastructure, service-based opportunities. George question. While the United States com- unblocking transportation corridors Fechter,aspecialty contracting company pleted its national build-out for general and cleaning up debris. Sandy was well owner and executive with more than 40 electrification decades ago, populations beyond the scope of other disasters, but _ years’ experience in both electrical and inevery country inthe world have come _ many asked, “How could we better pre- _ mechanical field services, recently had a todemand and expectthe daily availabil-_pare for events of this scale before they role inthe planning and implementation ity of electric utility power. /appen?” Consensus settled on the con- of initiatives to harden major facilities However, they do not always get it. cept of resilience. for resiliency after Hurricane Sandy. Take Cairo, for example Pailypower out- Andrew Zolli described this think- “We need systems to prevent the ages are common there and have become ing in a New York Times op-ed on Nov. costs and losses of disasters, not :o duck politicalissue. In April, NPRaired corre- 2, 2012; “Its a broad-spectrum agenda and cover,’ Fechter said. “A doctor diag- spondent Leila Fadel’ report, “Egyptians that, at oneend, seeks toimbue our com- noses, treats and monitors. Why can't Fear Power Outages Could Fuel More munities, institutions and infrastructure contractors offer the same service, upon Unrest” Itcovered how life without elec- with greater flexibility, intelligence and which owners will depend?” icityin Cairoisthe resultof*anelectrical responsiveness o extreme eventsand,at Owners of facilites that are but- avid that needs repair and agovernment the other, centers on bolstering people's tressed with resiliency are rewarded in thatfindsit difficult torespond” Egyptin psychological and physiological capacity their insurance premiums, For electrical hardware toreshavehad trouble keeping to deal with high-stress circumstances” contractors, opportunities to improve generatorsinstockbecause peoplearetak- __Resilience-thinking has started to _resilieney in customers’ systems might ‘ng the matter into their own hands. ‘become a focal point of conversations in be likened to engineering submarine:— ‘The consistent delivery of electricity _ many fields, including urban planning, _ installing waterproof equipment, wiring, {n't only a concern in other countries. design, engineering and construction. It connections and electrical rooms. Fech- ‘Two years ago, Richmond, Va. experi- centers aroundwhatis happening rather ter said 90 percent of the effort in the enced amajorweather system thatrolled than how it happened and the planning subway systems restoration in Lower through the state overnight, knocking around it. ‘Manhattan went toward waterproofing down trees and cutting off power all___Inafuturethatmightincludeextreme the electrical systems. over the city. When everyoneemergedto weather events, Zolli said resilience ‘The thirdpillar of sustainable service survey the damage, the widespread pres- “isn't just about building higher walls. success is systems that will enable ser- ence of electric generators was striking, It's about accommodating the waves.” vice delivery to be sustainable. Lower Many people had power, even though From the restoration of wetlands that | Manhattan, hithard by Sandy, strived to thousands had been reported without it protect coastlines, o temporary (possi- be sustainable but had not gone very far angline crews had yet to respond. Local bly inflatable) infrastructure, to electrical tobe resilient. Combining resilience with folks were prepared because Richmond microgrids that resist loss of power in sustainability holds incriguing possibili- ‘many previous storms had taught them transformer explosions, a common phi- ties for electrical contractors and the tobe ready for any possibility, losophy of resilience could change the future of the electrical power systems Hurricane Sandy hit on Oct 29,2012, future of natural disaster preparedness. thatare the center oftheir business. @ causing extensive damage. More than 23,000 people were without refuge, and | MCCOY i esstant profesor in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies st Vigna Tech, 85 million without power, especially in Contact him st apmecoySvt edu. SAR [New Jerseyand New York One earlater, _busnersbased in Pisburgh can be reached at iredsargent.com T, 40-year veteran af the elecicl contacting 56 ELECTRICAL CONTRA: OR | AUG |W chac.com@ | IDEAL NETWoRKS Proof of Performance Voice, Data and Video Cable Verifier More than just a wiremapper ‘The new VDVII series are easy to use cable testers that voice Support for 1.2 or Spar RUI/72 telephone cable vesting check the integrity of copper cables in voice data and video installations including telephone wiring, data bara Testing of shielded and unshielded Cat 3/5/50/6/6,/7 ‘AN cable networking and video/security cabling. Accurate - a: length anc p TDR measures cable stance to feu in Fast - kientifies wiring errors insta and displays the results allon viDEo Tests coax cable through F-connector Interface Intelligent - detects active Ethnemet servi and quickly h services are ru visit www.vdvii.com TR Tele terse) laa eee cdl eco)FIRE/LIFESAFETY By WAYNE D. MOORE Friends to the End HOW DO YOU BUILD A RELATIONSHI It starts with meeting commitments and consistently completing projects on time, ‘on budget and in a code-compliant fashion, Why's this relationship important? All ‘our business in the electrical and fire alarm system installation profession relies on successful relationships. The more good relationships we develop, the better our chances are that business will prosper. ‘As you continue to build these loyal relationships, vou will find that custom- crs will listen to your recommendations. ‘They will listen to how you believe a project should develop and the action they should take to Keep their electrical and fire alarm systems in reliable worke ing order. Because they trust you, customers will come to you first with new projects, knowing you will provide them with the most cost-effective direction, They know you will recommend the latest new technology based on compliance with the most recent changes to the code. In short, hey know that you will provide them with the most efficient approach coeeach new projet “How can you establish these valuable relationships that will position you todo sore design/build fire alarm and com munications systems projects? Fist, ou should have already developed a com- plete audit of each fire alarm system in buildings where you provide inspection, testing and maintenance, Ideally, you performed the original installation and already have the correct as-built draw ings. Otherwise, performing an auditasa service tothe owner will help you better recommend upgrades based on changing customer operations or needs, Second, a8 you assist owners when they make tenant fit-outs, or modify building conscruction in any fashion, you will have the credibility to advise them fon any changes to the fire alarm system required by the code. 1fyou make it your business to under- stand your customers’ operations and the with your customers centered on trast? trends that affect their operations, you will have the best basis (o advise them ‘regarding common-sense fire alarm sys ‘tem upgrades. Most owners stay far too busy to give mich thought to the life safety protec tions their existing fire alarm systems provide. If you take the responsibilty to vise them of code changes or new tech- nology that will ensure thei systems are reliable they will more likely hire you to perform additional upgrade work. And, if you understand their operations you will, have the credibility to determine whether they will need mass notification sys- tems to integrate with their emergency response plans When customers approach you to ssst with design/build projects, youbave the opportunity to use your knowledge ‘of the customers’ operations to redesign their existing fire alarm aystems to bet- ter serve their needs. This means you can directly influence the specifications and the products used for the fire alarm or ‘mass notification systems that will pro- Vide flexible, cost-effective solutions to the problems their operations pose. Becoming a value-based partner requires you to take responsibility for understanding and anticipating cus- tomers’ needs. It also means being responsible for your technicians to censure they are trained to remain observant while performing work at ‘customers’ sites, Your technicians must MOORE, slcensed fre protec fd i past es n engnee feque ofthe NFPA 72 Technieal Correlating Committee Masre ss prinepal with eportanything in the fre alarm or eom- minications systems that might need revision due co changed operations, building modifications or code require- ‘ments. Of course, you should also train your techinicians to be more competent than your competition, so your customer sees them as efficient and professional Another easy way to develop a clase relationship with your customer is dem- ostrating that you have a strong and cooperativerelationship with the author- ity having jurisdiction (AH). Often, fire inspectors show up ata building and dis- cover fire safety issues that require them toorder the shutdown of specific oper- ation within the building. Sometimes, these issues prove costly to remedy. If you have a clase relationship with the ATU, you may assist your customer in negotiating with the AHL for the most reasonable approach to mitigate what- lever safety issues exist. You may not have the background necessary to address all of the issues raised, bus if you have formed solid relationships throughout the scope of your business associations, you may knaw someone—such as a local fire protection engineer—whom you can recommend to asist your customer. Providing professional, competent service to your customers helps form the foundation for excellent relationships. Sometimes the service you provide will extend beyond your specific installation or service experience. Ultimately, you ‘want che customer to look at you as a ‘rusted adviser who can help solve any problem related to fire alarm or mass notification systems. Remember, forming good relation- ships with your customers makes good sense for asuccessful business, peaker and an expertin the fe safety Hughes Associates ne atthe Warwick Refi He canbe reached at wmeoreithaire com, st ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ oR | AUG chac.comTe UL LISTED ELE SDSS a SUPPORTS LOMace _Atington’s Gard-N-Post™ enclosures and supports offer the atactve, safe, and easy way to installa light fiature and/or one or two devices outdoors! Non-metallic, heavy-duty . UV rated plastic Molded:in colors! Damage resistant 'No chipping ot loss of color GARD-N-POST - in a variety of styles from 9° to 73" tall OG ovis 195 on eae 2 Ste Gouna Arlington Browne Sse dorimues france Soe eeWHEN PRIME ELECTRIC INC. (Prime) signed on tothe Uni- rersity of Washington's Husky Stadium renovation project, it hhad challenges ahead—the leanest possible projec, large and complex design/build structural elements, and a short turn- around that would ensure the Huskies football team and its fans had anew home in which o play within 21 short months. ‘This was a perfect kind of projec for Prime. The comp: uses a fully integrated project delivery ({PD) model, including Jean construction modeling, multidiscipline prefabric Se ete pepe eraeetnt ad training wit lighting and Teena aes NC in the execution ofall ofits large projects spertise helped meet the need for fast and effective response to each step in the Husky Stadium project. ‘The company was selected by che development team headed up by local Seattle developer Wright, Runstad & Co. and included 360 Degree Architecture, Turner Construction (or the stadium core) and Howard S. Wright Construction (for interior spaces). These spaces included a new Sports Medicine Center, Football Operations Building, Touchdown Terrace Suites and an upgracte to she Don James Center, which acco- modates some ofthe university's most enured alumni, "The University of Washington's outdoor foothal stadium was originally built in 1920 and, since then, has been through more than a half-dozen upgrades. The new stadium seats 72,500 fans, which is more chan double its original capacity of about 30,000. . dium boasts state-of-the-art locker zz error" ar Tee ee 1m 2011, the stadium was due for renovation. Yeas of sellout ‘crowds had led to significant structural problems in the south stands, aleaky roof and crambling concrete foundation: it was a facility extended well eyond its life expectancy. ‘The $280 million reconsteuetion included t ‘of more spacious seating areas closer tothe field, which was accomplished by removing the running track and lowering the actual playing surface by 6 feet. The scope ofthe project also included new lighting for most ofthe stadium. ‘end of the stadium would also include new coaching facilities and conference rooms and an 83,000-seuare-foot Football Operations Building, featuring a workout area with hydro~ therapy pools. On the east end, Prime would install an electric service forthe Touchdown Terrace to include feld-level,end- zone suites with bar and food services for VIP ticket holders. Some elements, however, wouldn't change. The stadium \would maintain the features that have always made it unique. For instance, the U-shaped stadium was designed to face south- ‘east to reduce early afternoon glare for athletes and to open up the stunning vistas of neighboring Lake Washington and ‘Mount Rainier on the horizon. The renovation was specifically designed to bring improvements to the facilicy while showeas- ing its existing strengths From the onset, everything about the renovation was designed with lean construction in mind—minimiz= ing waste of material, time and effort to generate the ‘maximum possible value for the customers—devel- oper Wright, Runstad & Co. and the University of Washington. One example was the management of concrete. As part of the project, the existing concrete was erushed on-site and reformed to create the sta- jum new foundation subgrade. ‘The project was competed at the developer level in “best value” competition said Dan Gemme, vice prest- dent and general manager at Turner Construction Co. “In Prime's case, this meant developing a reliable and competitive budget on preliminary concepts developed for the proposal, then guaranteeing: this budget [which accounted for 10 percent of the overall construction budget] was viable to deliver the scope and quality promised," he said Pe eae ae Going lean Prime gained its contract for the Husky Stadium core reno- vation project in August 2010 from Turner Construction’s Northwest Office in Seattle. Almost immediately, Prime began preparation, design and preconstruction services, which included cutting power to the south end of the stadium af ‘the last foosball game was played in November 201) From that time on, the clock was running. In the 20 months to fallow, about 75 percent of the facility would be removed, replaced ‘or renovated: the north stands were largely Ieft intact. Tn the meantime, the UW Huskies football eam would play one se sonat Century Link stadium in nearby downtown Seattle, home ‘of the NFI. Seahawks and the MLS Seattle Sounders FC. ‘Rather than design according apply prices, we start with a budget,’ said Paul Snorskey, vice president, Howard S. Wright. “Our MEP specialty contractors like Prime are heavily involved in that process.” In this project, ean construction meant employing build- ing techniques that ensured no extra materials were required and prices never exceeded what was predetermined as neces- sary, That required close and frequent planning between both general contractors and these members ofthe team. Typical planning took into account the necessary lighting controls and scheme needed for a specific space that would meet the budget, and then schematically designing a system that met the owner's vision while also meeting the budget. Prime's efficient material-management system features a logistics center where equipment, such as fixtures, ean be bro- ken down, prepared for installation and then delivered to the Droject site as needed “We've seen a substantial reduction in production cost and ‘ime improvement by using this model’ said Erie Reichanadter, president, CEO and majority shareholder, Prime Electric ‘The company had a small window to complete its design, ‘order equipment, secure permits and deliver project approach ‘to Turner Construction and Howard S. Wright, To ensure equipment wasn't on-site until needed, but could be quickly accessed, workers constructed custom bins stored on racks at the company’s warehouse for just-in-time delivery. Those bins were then returned to their home office for use on the next project. All refase and containers for an architect’ vision, then : Fe ICALCONTRACTOR | AUGIS | Fevac.com a> PROFILE prime € eTRIC INC materials delivered were removed and recycled when arriv- ing on-site. ‘Due to the schedule restrictions imposed by the football season, “Getting our detalers engaged with BIM modeling at the onset was a key for us” said Danny’ Thomas, Prime's project executive and associate principal ‘The crews held weekly BIM coordination meetings as well as pull planning meetings that were attended by all the trades, Safety was central to each aspect of the renovation, Prior 1 project, Prime conducted a Job Hazard Risk Analysis torate the safety challenges and go over the game plan for the entire projectto ensure no unnecessary risks were taken, This was then followed and monitored on aday-to-day process.’The entire construction crew took part in weekly safety meetings as wellas daily huddles and pretask planning. “Fortunately, we had no safety issues, but from day one, the project certainly posed safety challenges.” Thomas said. "We have an exceptional safety program and are fiercely committed toall of our craftsmen going home atthe end of the day: Power and lighting “The stadium's distribution network consists ofa medium-voltage Joop for which Prime ran the 138-ilovolt power from the west and southend ofthe stadium, Itnstalled anew transformer wi 1 2,000-ampere service to serve the entire ste with temporary power uring the constriction, That included not only the south, cast and west portions of the stadium (the north end had its cwn service) but also the outlying Waterfront Activities Center (WAC) building and the UW Boat House. Construction erews sed the stadium's Don James Center for temporary offices. ‘When it eame to lighting, some of the existing high-bay arenalighting and poles could be reused following the remodel During the 2000-2001 football season, the Seattle Seahawks played at Husky Stadium while Century Link Field was under construction. At that time, Husky Stadium had installed pro- fessional NFL-approved lighting, which still provides the high-quality lighting that meets both NFL and NCAA standards However, Prime also went through the stadium and relamped the north roof lighting and renovated the existing poles on the east end. The workers then reinstalled the old lighting once the new roof was constructed. To accomplish this, Prime installed 360 feet of new cross-arm material and vertical supports on the south roofto coincide with the removal and reinstallation ofall those lights Prime safeguarded the old fixtures in a warehouse where existing lamps were replaced, Prime also relocated some stadium light poles on the east end accommodate the new field-level suites building By conducting lighting work off site, “Prime played a large role in the preplanning of high-risk work activities” Gemame said. “The stadium lights and conduit paths were preassem- bled and attached to the structural truss members while on the ground. This drastically reduced the number of man-hours of work above ground in the high roof areas ofthe stadium” Altogether, Prime installed 4,861 lighting fixtures for the ried stadium, 1,108 in the Football Operations Building, $78 in the Sports Medicine Center, 107 in the Don James Center, and 139 inthe Touchdown Terrace For power redundancy, Prime installed a 750-kilowaet die sel generator. In total, it installed 140,000 feet of metal-clad cable and nearly a quarter million feet of electrical metallic tubing (EMT) hard-walled conduit, Company electricians also installed 2,500 feet of galvanized steel conduit and 100,000 feet ‘of PVC conduit for underground installations Digital documents Prime, together with the general contractors also innovated on document controls, by eliminating the need for rolls of paper carried by staff on-site, and instead provided project manag- ers with iPads that employed the stadium's Wi-Fi connection to automatically access documents digitally. Once a foreman or supervisor entered a password into the app, he or she could reference any documents. “And that gave them a direct portable access for drawing review." Reichanadter said. ‘The users could also post hyperlinks for additions, such as lighting fixture submittals that could be accessed by field crews to give them real-time information on materials and coordination elements throughout the project. Requests for information could be added, and details could be highlighted based on whether they were resolved. Using mobile devices, as well as application-based software, Prime largely reinvented document control for the project. “The use of technology is revolutionizing the way we pro- cess information within our industry? Reichanadter said. “We _got some great takeaways from the Husky Stadium project on what works and what still needs improvement” ‘The greatest challenges for Prime included a very short schedule, the unusual spaces including 40-foot ceilings that required lighting, and development of systems that met bud- gets and space constraints, Snorsky said. The entire electrical contract value included approximately $17 million for shell and core work and an additional $2. million forthe interior spaces. ‘Thomas said the most memorable experiences from the entire project were atthe beginning and end, Being selected by Wright, Runstad & Co. and the University of Washington was a source of great pride for ‘Thomas and the company, and seeing the final result gave hima similar feel- a ELECTRICAL CONTRA‘ OR | AUG |W chac.coming. He was on-site with a crew ensuring everything went smoothly when the Huskies played their first game in the renovated stadium, and he was able to see the reaction from ticket holders as they arrived, Seeing their reactions was very ‘rewarding afterall the work,” Thomas said aS ELECTRIC Poe a eee has supported its Pacific Northwest eet et ese eee eee Poet ao ae ey Pree ee ee) ae ennai oe ner ie er to abetter business model,” said Eric Reichanadter, president, CEO and Se es koe ee from a series of senior executives that make up the current ownership Per eee eee ea eet Fe as ees ee ee een are Rolf tee ness, 90 percents design/build and Coen ee a es ocd eee eee ey pegs You can attract and retain key Po eer ad Sete se eee their abilities and treat them fairly, and you reward them when they achieve success” Reichanadter said ees eee] Poteet ones eed pee eae nese Peace ee back and connect all within the frm eon rok Prime continues to provide personnel on-site from their service group to man the games together with facilites staff tw ensure the systems operate smoothly. It also installed a temporary genera- tor to energize two sports light poles for emergencies. The project won Turner “Build Washington” award and Wright, Runstad & Co, wasree- ognized late last year with a fourth-place finish in an ATA worldwide competition forrecently constructed stadiums. @ SWEDBERG ir freelance witerbased in western Washington. 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Moore lite safety systems | Thoreas# Hammerbers met ine integrator T Wilam Arson T Darlene sremer [et Gute ends | Clare Sweaters publication and editorial ofces shone 301657510 | for 3012154501 address changes/new subscriptions: Piease vst si eerag.cors Sinewr subscription you are not Eatreniy receling tis magazine SOHN M, GRAU secretary treasurer “TRACI PICKUS tn stems CONTRACTOR contents 70 fire focus NO FALSE ALARMS WAYNE D. MOORE 74 on the market RECURRING REVENUE IN AUTOMATION CLAIRE SWEDBERG 72. life safety systems INSPECTION, TESTING AND MAINTENANCE THOMAS P. HAMMERBERG 80 meet the integrator PAGANINI COMMUNICATIONS INC. LEADS IN INDUSTRY CHANGE WILLIAM ATKINSON integratedsystems 82 security KEEP IT IN ORDER DARLENE BREMER 78 cool tools WORKING SAFELY WITH FIBER JEFF GRIFFIN integrated systems products 6 ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AuGM 1 wwweemacea 4) eee a _ VISIT US AT VY THE NECA SHOW LEARN MORE AT NECA BOOTH #1623 mep.trimble.comNO FALSE BY WAYNE D..MOORE = = ae = =— = \ \\ Pe gall INCREASING FIRE ALARM SYSTEM CREDIBILIT) THROUGH EFFECTIVE M “THE SERIOUS LOSSES IN LIFE AND PROPERTY oem. am sure that such unneces resulting from fires causes me deep sary waste can be reduced, The substantial pragrass mado inthis country during the last 40 years convinces me thatthe means are available for limiting this unnecessary destruction,” said President Harry S. Truman at his conforance on fr prevention in 19 Sixty-seven years later fires stil result intargeloss of lie, and people sill ignore ire alarm signals, We have made pragress in contrling fire ‘AcToastwe know how ta do so wit automatic sprinklers. Howover, when people ignore a fie alarm signal, it poses a substantial threat Poople typically disragad fire alarms as false alarms. So, why don't wwe have false-alarfroe fire alarm systems? I's because we stl have ‘ystems that are poorly designed ard instal ‘Admittedly, better codes and code enforcement have helped reduce the ruber of poor designs andinstalations, What about inspection, testing and maintenance of fire alarm systems? Do these tasks affect the number false alarms a system might produce over the course ofits useful life? To help answer this question, le’ begin by examining the subject offre alarm system maintenance NFPA.72, Nationa Fie Alarm ana Signaling Code, of fire alarm systems, including the requirements for maintenance. The code further defines maintenance asthe “work, including, but nt limited to, repair, roplacamant and service, performed to ensure that equipment operates prope The failure to propery maintain fire alarm system directly crelatas with false alarm rates. Why do we maintain fie alarm systems? The obvious answer isto ensure the system wil remain operational when it elects a fre, and to ensure it notifies occupants to take the appropriate action, However, maintenance ensures anothar important feature ofa fie rs many facots NTENANCE arm system is intact, When a fre does not exist, the fire alam system mustremain silent so building occupants believe any alarms ae credible So what responsibilty do you have as an electrical or fr alarm con tractor? Do you inspect, test and maintain te fre alarm systems you install If you don't provide these valuable services, you miss the op- portunity for future work from your customer and have abdicated your professional responsibly, | suspect you may have just sai to yourself, “I cant maintain a sys tom iftho owner doos not hira me todo that.” lagre, but you stil have responsibility to sell the importance of fire alarm system maintenance What about exstng systems that you may offer to maintain? A num: be of aditional relevant questions come to mind tte system does not comply withthe code, can you bring it into compliance? Do you know the authority having urisdetion (AHL) approved te orignal installation? [Do you have the training and specific knowledge of the e need to maintain? Do you have spare parts in stock for that manufac turers equipment? Easting systems offer a greater challange because each one may have many issues that could cause false alarm. Furthermore, you must carefully consider whether you want to bocome involved witha fie alarm system if you discover the original installer or subsequent service contactors juerigged that system When you prepare abi for maintenance on a fr alarm system tha you dc nt instal, carefully consider the following: Did you find al ofthe issues that might affect the system? In other words did you thoroughly aut the systam to discover its flaws? You should always audit an existing fire alarm system and communicate your findings to the owner. Ownars often assume that faulty equip ‘ont causes false alarms. Although that happens occasionally, poor 70 | auc 1 womaintonaneo, ulin reconiguations or changed operations within the buldng usually contribute to false alarms. Giver the ease of ho tograping with your smartphone any problems found, youcan visually FOCUS sy JEFF GAVIN Understanding the cloud is now much easier sits advantages have become clear Having an off- site digital repository to leave, grab and share large files of information in multiple ways provides cost-saving economies of scale when managing business operations and, ‘construction projects. Cloud services ean be free or paid. Tele- ‘communications companies; manufacturers; service firms, such asBox.com and Dropbox, and web conferencing firms, including Adobe Connect, WebEx and others, offer these solutions. Often, the cloud is presented as a tool for customer rela- Gonship management (CRM). In the construction arena, its biggest impact may be as a project management tool. In its 2012 Construction Industry Hiring and Business Outlook,” the Associated General Contractors of America reported that one in four construction firms planned to switch financial job cost ot ‘operational software to che cloud. Since that report, the preva- lence and adoption of software has only increased. Ina webinar, “Changing the Game with the Cloud in AEC,’ Vince Sarubbi, Mobility and cloud computing shake up business SAVING TIME AND MONEY through collaboration and mobility are new imperatives for today's construction industry. However, these essentials reside in a changing world. The desktop computer is taking a backseat to the ubiquitous tablet and smartphone for business. Bringing this new landscape together is “the cloud,” a network of servers, each with a different function, such as storing data or providing an online service chief technology officer and vice present, Webcor Builders, San Franciseo, said, ‘Weare saving $50,000 ayear using the cloud by simply reducing our proper documentation storage and making ‘employees more productive on or away from the jb site” ‘Sarubbi sees the cloud as one tool for adding productivity and lowering some cost, wth immediate advantages, but its advan- tages are immediate. His firm uses Box.com and offers features forthe construction industry. \Webcor is one of many firms where construction team mem- bers—from architects to subcontractors—conduct business more easily at the office and the job site, using app-to-cloud platforms. The electrical contractor (EC) isin the mix; and a numberof firms are targeting the EC with cloud-tased software. The mobile phone transformed Companies that serve the EC have taken note ofhow common mobile devices can serve as a work computer. Firms are devel- ping contractor-tailored software apps for the smartphone 6 ELECTRICAL CONTRA: OR | AUG |W ceac.comwithin project teams.” Melisa: Hammer, Fluke Connect, ike Corp. > ‘and tablet that feed into the cloud. Far the EC, new products and services using this platform can help in realtime testing and measurement, eam collaboration and business processing, Fluke Corp,, Everett, Wash, has entered the cloud arena ‘with its Fluke Connect app, which ean capture, store and share ‘contractor data between parties and project team members. ‘The data is housed on the Fluke Cloud, Using an iPhone or Android smartphone and connecting wirelessly through Blue- ‘tooth or Wi-Fi, a service technician can measure three-point phase draw, thermally inspect wire insulation and connections, ‘check losding and balance across phases, and test electronically ‘controlled equipment using modules at the point of electrical connection (load, supply). This software enables the user to video record an installation or process and live consult, capture and log equipment images for later comparison, and itenables the user to graphically interpret operational data to identify ‘trends and make informed decisions in the field, The user ean read some 20 Fluke tools from the app. “Fluke Connect was several years in the making.” said Melissa Hammerle, marketing manager. “In that time, we ‘watched the changes in how our customers were working—the impact of mobile phones and now the tablet. That informed us ‘we should be delivering a tool that accommodates the com- munication devices our customers use daily. Mobility was not “only important but was opening new doors to sharing informa- tion on-site” a frequently than Ham Shah, Schneider Electr using the cloud by simply reducing our proper documentation storage and making employees more productive on or away from the job site.” Vince Soubi, Webcor Builders ‘Fluke Connect is Fluke’s frst foray in cloud-based services and interconnected products, and Hammerle ses tas the future ‘of Fluke's business, as such products will continually evolve. “This is a new way to provide collaboration and commu nication within project teams,’ she said. “Ie gives members the ability © maintain and share records, maintenance prac- tices and more on a mobile device, Everything is saved to the cloud, The app allows fr better record-keeping. For example, ‘you can take equipment measurements and organize them in ‘one place. You ean communicate information graphically ‘through an image, video or email-be it testing, servicing or commissioning” Using a similar platform for low-voltage work, WOW loved, from WOW Insites LLC, Omaha, Neb, is anather new smartphone and tablet app tied to the cloud, Using Bluetooth technology, technicians can use their smartphone to commu- rnieate with the WOWTester Master and Remote to initiate and ‘run low-voltage cable tests, Floor plans, project progress and real-time test results can be collected and shared. “The idea for WOWClowd started with a whiteboard, asa friend and Ieame up with this idea of using your smartphone as teste” said Steve Kanne, WOWClowd CEO. "We saw thisasa lower cost solution for cable testing, allowing for quicker deliv- cerables and more security up in the cloud. With a stall team ‘of people, we had a proof-of-concept in six months—mobile, ‘hardware and cloud.” ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR | AuGIs 1 wwwecmaccom 7> FOCUS cLouby Days Simplicity is one reason why mobile-to-cloud platforms are proliferating a such a rapid rate. “The smartphone is our personal interactive device,” Kanne said. “We're familiar with how to use it, whether ie taking pictures, videos, emailing one or more recipients, or starting a conversation thread. What's an easier tool for business than smartphone? Itcertainly reduces the training time with new business apps, Architects and engineers we spoke with were excited by having solution that gives their clients a permanent project record. Even if you aren't involved in low-voltage work, the EC should take note, I predict this platform will become a standard actoss the entire construction industry Kanne'sfirmis developing an app specifically for the EC, to be introduced ata later date, Working to cut project development time Schneider Electric directly involved BCs in its development anew cloud-based app. It conducted a nationvvide survey of ‘more than 15,000 contractors to understand their needs and ‘wants involving faster digital quote process. Accurate pricing, easy access to project drawings and real ity were voiced as important features. The result is QuoteFAS which is tailored for small to medium projects, Like the other apps mentioned, QuoteFAST’s int accommodates the simplicity of a smartphone or tablet, ‘hough it’s also tailored for a desktop monitor, When a cus- tomer submits a quote request, the EC can create the bill of ‘material (BOM) and access drawings and list prices to share with a distributor, In turn, the distributor reviews it, makes suggestions and provides negotiated pricing. The EC com- pletes the quote and submits prices, installation information and drawings to the customer. “We wanted to turn a two-week process into two hours; said Iram Shah, senior vice president, Digital Customer Experi= ence, Schneider Electric. “In our company, cloud discussions came slowly but inereased once speed and storage became so ‘important in construction and other industries: Ina profession where project planning and management is still paper-driven, finding cheaper and more efficient do ings through digital devices isn lost on ECs, Those sur- veyed by Schneider weren't resistive to the app-to-cloud idea behind QuoteFAST, but they just wanted to ensureit could do things that made their life essier "We discovered BCs from both small and medium firms are always on the road, so they used their iPhone and tablets more frequently than their desktops,” Shah said, “That was a surprise to us, There was no resistance to change involving mobility and digital.” ‘The company willsoon make QuoteFAST partofa total mobile and PC suite package for BCs called “Square D “Proficient” me product availa Keeping information secure While the cloud is more secure than internal network configu= rations, all three companies had to address what they could do to make their cloud-based information platform as safe as possible for users, Fluke uses the latest security protocols and added encrypted data storage firewalls electronic surveillance fits datacenters and a monitoring service WOWClovid also uses the latest Internet security protacols and has developed additional levels of safety that are propriety tothe company. 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