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Around the Circuit
Construction
Hiring Bolsters
March Jobs Report
Construction hiring accounted for nearly one out of
three net new jobs in March -- 56,000 out of 180,000 in the entire
nonfarm payroll sector -- even though the industry represents less
than 6% of total employment, says Ken Simonson, chief economist for The
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Washington, D.C.
Part of the gain was a rebound from a weather-induced drop in hiring
in February, but three categories of nonresidential construction --
nonresidential building, specialty trade contractors, and heavy and
civil engineering -- have added 3.4% to their ranks over the past
year. According to Simonson, that is more than double the all-industry
rate of 1.4%. The 146,000 nonresidential construction jobs added in
that
time outpaces the 125,000, or 3.6%, lost in residential building and
specialty trades.
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Power Quality Analyzer
The Powerpad® Jr. model 8230 is a single-phase power
quality analyzer that is easy-to-use and shock-resistant. It is
intended
for electricians and engineers to measure and carry out single-phase
and
balanced 3-phase power quality analysis. Users are able to obtain
instant waveforms of the electrical network's characteristics and also
monitor their variation over a period of time. All Power Quality
parameters, including harmonics out to the 50th, can be
recorded. www.aemc.com
Alliance to Save
Energy Joins Lighting Efficiency Coalition
The Alliance to Save Energy, Washington, D.C., recently
joined the Lighting Efficiency Coalition to advocate policies that
will transform the U.S. marketplace to energy-efficient lighting
products by 2016. It is the intent of the Alliance and the other
founding coalition members to expand the group to include all
stakeholders -- manufacturers of lighting fixtures and bulbs, trade
associations, and environmental and consumer groups. Members of the
coalition have pledged to push for government and utility incentives
that would encourage consumers and businesses to replace their
traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient
alternatives,
including compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), halogen bulbs, efficient
incandescents, and eventually new technology such as light-emitting
diodes (LEDs). The group will also advocate wider use of
higher-efficiency fluorescent lighting in commercial buildings and more
energy-efficient street lighting systems.
PUCT Releases
Proposal to Expand Energy-Efficiency Programs
Austin, Texas-based Public Utility Commission of Texas
(PUCT) recently released a draft rulemaking proposal intended to
improve
and expand the energy-efficiency programs managed by Texas' regulated
electric utilities. The commission hopes to conclude its rulemaking by
August. A Texas law adopted in 1999 requires investor-owned electric
utilities to offer cost-effective energy efficiency programs to meet at
least 10% of the utility's annual electric load growth. The utility
programs are often oversubscribed and underfunded. The commission will
include in its rulemaking any changes to energy efficiency law that
occur during the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature, which is
scheduled to adjourn in June.
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 New Flip Clip from Cooper B-Line
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tray, saving installers time and money. The Flip Clip™
can be used with 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch threaded rods, eliminating the
need for multiple hanger sizes. The Flip Clip requires only one nut and
one tool for installation. www.cooperbline.com/flipclip
Project Watch
Pennsylvania
School District Seeks Server Relocation
The Lewisburg Area School District is accepting sealed
proposals for an electrical construction contract
for all electrical work and equipment required to relocate the main
distribution server to a new server room location at the Donald
Eichhorn
Middle School, Lewisburg, Pa. Bids will be received by the Lewisburg
Area
School District, in care of Ronald Kabonick, director of administrative
services, at the District Office, 1951 Washington Ave., Lewisburg, Pa.
until 1 p.m. EDT April 20. For more information, visit the Public
Notices Web
site.
Wisconsin School
District Needs Lighting Replacement
Building Services for the Madison Metropolitan School
District, Madison, Wis., is requesting bids for demolition of existing
wall-mounted HID and ceiling-mounted incandescent lights and
installation of new stem-mounted fluorescent light fixtures. Bids will
be accepted until 2 p.m. CDT on April 24. Bid documents may be obtained
from the owner at the offices of Building Services. For more
information,
contact the owner at (608) 204-6680 or visit the school district's Web
site.
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cables with low-smoke zero halogen jackets; shielded/unshielded
multi-conductor Safe-T-Line® EVAC system cables meet all
applicable survivability requirements. For New Product Bulletin #249,
call 1-(800) BELDEN-1 or www.belden.com/ECM249.
Eye on Safety
ASA-NM Partners
with OSHA
to Improve Jobsite Safety
The American Subcontractors Association of New Mexico
(ASA-NM) and the New Mexico Environment Department's Occupational
Health
and Safety Bureau (OSHA) recently signed the Safety and Health
Initiative Partnership Agreement (SHIP) to help create safe working
conditions for the state's subcontractors. The partnership agreement is
geared toward reducing fatalities, injuries, and illnesses at the
jobsite. SHIP contains milestones ASA-NM members must meet in order to
participate in the program and requires the chapter to have a
comprehensive health and safety program.
Shows and Events
7x24 Exchange 2007
Spring Conference
The 7x24 Exchange International 2007 Spring Conference
will be held from June 3-6 in Boca Raton, Fla. Topics at this year's
event include fundamentals of UPS batteries in data centers, best
practices for structured cabling systems, fire protection technology
and
codes, and the effects of UPS systems on emergency generator sets. For
more information and to register, visit the 7x24 Exchange Web
site.
Windpower 2007
Conference & Exposition
Organized by leaders in the wind energy industry,
Windpower 2007 Conference & Exposition is scheduled for June 3-6 in Los
Angeles. Conference sessions include "Fundamentals of Wind Energy,"
"Growing the Wind Energy Business," "Planning, Operations, Maintenance,
and Safety," and "Transmission Grid Expansion." For more information
and
to register, visit the conference's Web site.
NFPA World Safety
Congress & Exposition
Quincy, Mass.-based National Fire Protection
Association
(NFPA) will present its World Safety Congress & Exposition from June
3-7
in Boston. With more than 150 sessions in 11 educational tracks, the
event will cover topics such as codes and standards, building and life
safety, fire protection engineering, and detection and suppression. For
more information and to register, visit the NFPA Web
site.
EC&M
Code
Change Conferences
Where do you turn when you need accurate information on
changes to the National Electrical Code? Acknowledged as the leaders in
providing information on the NEC, EC&M magazine and EC&M
Seminars have been the preferred sources of this information for more
than 60 years. Seven Code change conferences have been scheduled in the
fall of 2007. Host cities include: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Orlando,
Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Seattle.
As an approved provider with the National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), through its Registered Continuing
Education provider Program (RCEPP), professional engineers attending
any
of our 2008 Code change conferences will receive Professional
Development Hours (PDHs), a requirement for re-licensing in many
states.
The conferences are also approved by every state that has a continuing
education requirement for contractors and electricians.
For additional information on the dates and locations of these
events, click
here.
Race Weekend Prize
Online Drawing at E-Tradeshow
One of this summer's biggest auto racing events will be
the Generac Power Weekend on August 11 and 12 at the renowned Road
America race track at Elkhart Lake, Wis. For the first time ever, the
weekend will feature two of the sport's top series -- Saturday's
Generac 500 in the American Le Mans Series (Le Mans-type cars competing
in a three-hour endurance race) and Sunday's Generac Champ Car Grand
Prix (Indy-style, open-wheel cars). Support races both days will
feature
Champ Car Atlantic, Star Mazda, and Formula BMW competition.
EC&M has teamed up with Generac Power Systems to offer a
special prize drawing for an expense-paid trip to this prestigious
event
for one lucky winner and a guest. The drawing is open until July 10
for
visitors to the Generac booth at the online EC&M E-tradeshow. All
registered visitors to the E-tradeshow, age 21 and older, are invited
to
submit an entry, one per person. Winners will receive free commercial
air transportation to Milwaukee from anywhere in the continental U.S.
or
Canada, two nights lodging (Friday and Saturday), weekend use of a
rental car, onsite hospitality, and race tickets with paddock
access. "This is an exciting prize that we are pleased to offer to
our
E-tradeshow guests," says Dave Miller, publisher of EC&M
magazine. "Road America is one of the most beautiful venues in all of
motor racing and the Generac Power Weekend is the highlight of their
season, offering the chance to see two top racing series in one
weekend.
This promotion will give us an opportunity to attract new visitors to
the e-tradeshow and provide yet another reason for those already
registered to visit again. I invite everyone in the electrical
business
to visit the show and enter this drawing." EC&M's E-tradeshow
is a virtual online event with interactive exhibits featuring some of
the electrical industry's most innovative companies, including AEMC
Instruments, PowerCET, Z Meter, Champion Fiberglass, Encelium,
PowerSight, and Generac. The show, developed and hosted by Expo3D,
also
features periodic "live events" with presentations by industry experts
on a variety of topics. Registration is easy from any personal
computer
and involves a quick download of the Expo3D software and show package.
Navigating the show is simple, using arrow keys and mouse. Visitors
can
interact via real-time text messages or voice chat.
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