Solar Panels Could Become Burning Issue for Firefighters
from Business Monthly
As state and local incentives to promote alternative energy sources increase, so do the chances that firefighters will someday find themselves dealing with a photovoltaic (PV) system at the scene of a fire. PV systems, which are high voltage, direct current electricity generators, pose potential new hazards for firefighters who frequently need to ventilate burning residential and commercial buildings by cutting holes in roofs - where solar panels are typically located. Electrical inspectors are trying to educate themselves about potential problems that firefighters might encounter, hoping to get ahead of an issue which is fast approaching. More

Changes -- The 2009 Canadian Electrical Code
from IAEI Magazine
It’s here! The author just received her shiny new copy of the 2009 Canadian Electrical Code and eagerly scanned it to find out what has changed. We are advised that there are 199 revisions, but many of them are editorial and will not result in changes from the 2006 CEC. This article reviews some revisions that may impact us in the near future. More

Multitaskers
from EC&M
Tenant build-outs are becoming more common as the recession continues, says Steve Giacin, president of Kaiser Electric. Difficulty in securing financing for new construction projects has forced commercial and industrial clients to make do with their existing locations, while some tenants are voluntarily staying put in the interest of launching a green initiative and saving money through conservation. More

Steps for Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment
from Buildings via Interiors and Sources
The Mississippi River Flood of 1993, one of the most significant natural disasters ever to hit the United States, cost the American public billions of dollars in damage, including severe damage to electrical equipment. As with earlier disasters, jurisdictional authorities and insurance companies were soon at odds over the degree of damage to electrical equipment that had occurred and whether the water-damaged electrical equipment could be repaired, replaced, or simply allowed to dry out. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) provides six actions when evaluating water-damaged electrical equipment. More

Mother Killed Touching 'Live' Bath Taps
from the Belfast Telegraph
A U.K. family last week demanded electricity laws be changed after an inquest ruled a mother-of-two was fatally electrocuted when she touched her bath taps with wet hands. An inquest heard that the 33-year-old died on March 28 last year because a faulty heater and a lack of earth bonding under the enamel bath combined to turn the metal bath taps into a live electrical conductor. More

Pickens Scales Back Ambitious Wind Farm
from The New York Times
In a sign of the difficulties facing the development of wind energy, T. Boone Pickens, the legendary Texas oilman, is suspending plans to build the world’s largest wind farm, The New York Times’s Kate Galbraith reports. Over the near term, Mr. Pickens instead plans to build three or four smaller wind farms, at a cost of some $2 billion. He said that he was unsure whether he would ever revive the giant wind project in the Texas Panhandle that has been on the drawing board for years. More

Florida Communities Sue Over New Growth Legislation
from the Herald Tribune
Lee County and several South Florida communities are suing the state over a growth management bill they say they cannot afford. A lawsuit filed in Leon County circuit court Tuesday said the legislation (SB 360) signed into law June 1 by Gov. Charlie Crist violated the Florida Constitution by creating unaffordable requirements for local governments. The suit noted that the sponsor of the bill being challenged, Republican Sen. Mike Bennett, a Bradenton electrical contractor, said it was intended to "encourage urban infill and redevelopment by removing costly and unworkable state regulations." More