lighting controls

Beyond the Switch: Understanding Lighting Controls By Brian McDivitt, PE – Ever since the late 1800s, electrical circuits have used simple switches to turn lights on and off. In recent decades, energy codes have been encouraging innovation to reduce the amount of energy consumed by electric lighting. With lighting controls now starting to involve new functionalities such as automatic control of plug-in receptacles, many building owners find themselves wondering: what happened to the basic switch on the wall? The lighting controls components used in a building depend on the needs of the owner and the building’s function and size. Some components can wire into buildingRead More →

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power distribution morrison maierle

Building Power Distribution: What Configuration is Best? By Brian McDivitt, PE, and Ryan Maroney, PE – Many of the devices and equipment we use in our day-to-day tasks require a power distribution system that makes 120V available for users. This 120V power can be achieved by a single-phase or a three-phase (wye or split-phase delta) configuration, but is one configuration better than another for your building? Ultimately, the configuration used for your building depends on your equipment needs, overall building electrical load, and what is most economical. Editor’s Note: This is the third in a three-part series on power distribution systems. Read parts one andRead More →

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basics of switchboards switchgear panelboards garth stevens morrison maierle electrical engineering

The Basics of Switchboards, Switchgear, and Panelboards By Garth Stevens, PE – Article 240 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) covers overcurrent protection and notes that all electrical conductors shall be protected. Overcurrent protective devices (OCPDs) consist of fuses and circuit breakers. Both were patented by Thomas Edison — the circuit breaker in 1879 and the fuse in 1890. Although fuses were the first OCPDs to be widely used in homes and commercial buildings, circuit breakers have also had a rich history of protecting electrical installations and are very common today. This article covers the basics of panelboards, switchboards, and switchgear, which are the threeRead More →

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