More and more consumers these days are making wiser energy-efficient choices. Energy efficient products that once sat on the shelves for months because they were too pricy are now recognized for their double-duty nature: conserve energy and reduce energy bills.

 

While attending the 2007 NECA Show in San Francisco, there was plenty of buzz over energy-efficient products, seminars on energy-efficiency and even a section of the show floor dedicated to alternative energy exhibitors.

 

While you may be hesitant to provide energy-efficient products due to their higher upfront costs, consider your customer before making that decision. Many customers are well aware of what energy-efficient products can do for them and are willing to pay for that extra benefit. And if you’re quick to recognize this trend, it can mean more green in your pocket.

 

In fact, while walking through the exhibits at the NECA Show, I overhead a contractor discussing a new energy-efficient meter that tracked just how much energy a building used and monitor it against energy-efficiency standards. The contractor had a very energy-conscious client who owned a rather large 12,000 square foot ‘cabin’ (anyone else amazed that 12,000 square feet is still called a cabin?) in the Northwest. The contractor, upon hearing how the meter would be able to track energy usage in terms of its energy efficiency, immediately recognized that his client would certainly be interested in such a device. By thinking of his energy-conscious clients, he is also thinking about the additional revenue he can bring in.

 

In case you missed some of these energy-efficient products. I’ve included information on a few here:

 

Energy Efficient Transformers
GE Consumer & Industrial’s new TP–1 Transformers are 100 percent compliant with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s (NEMA’s) TP–1 energy efficiency standard. Each GE TP–1 transformer offers significant improvements over comparable same–size, non–TP–1 units, including an up to 10–decibel noise reduction, an owner payback via energy savings in an estimated four years and a two–year warranty. The NEMA TP–1–2002 establishes efficiency levels for single–phase and three–phase transformers by kVA size. The estimated four–year payback of incremental TP–1 costs through energy savings is based on a 75,000 volt–amp (75kVA) transformer at a 38.6 percent average load and electricity cost of 10 cents per kilowatts an hour (kWh). GE’s TP–1 Transformer is Energy Star rated and UL approved. http://www.geelectrical.com/

 

 

Room Control Solution
Watt Stopper/Legrand’s new LI-ARP can reduce the cost and complexity of lighting control projects that use layered control strategies to maximize energy savings. Previously, incorporating additional controls into a panel-based system meant long added wiring runs and wasted circuit capacity. The LI-ARP moves relays into the areas they control to eliminate these problems. Now greener designs, including LEED-certified designs, are easier and more cost effective to implement. Ideal for areas with small lighting control zones, the LI-ARP brings both power handling and intelligent control right where it’s needed. The pack provides two relay outputs to support bi-level switching and manual-on operation for maximum energy savings. It is also equipped to accept inputs from occupancy sensors and daylighting controls. By providing terminations for the loads as well as for the control inputs, the LI-ARP eliminates multiple runs of line voltage and control wiring back to a central panel location. Engineers can optimize the electrical system by feeding multiple relay packs from a single circuit breaker, fully loading each circuit. http://www.wattstopper.com/

 

 

Energy-Efficient Submeter
Offering utility-grade metering accuracy, E-Mon’s Green Class electric submeters are a cost-effective way to benchmark and monitor energy usage trends and to estimate CO2 emissions. Green Meters are also ideal for measuring and verifying the on-going effectiveness of LEED, EPACT, Renewable Energy, Demand Response and other major energy-related initiatives that can positively impact the facility bottom line, while also increasing environmental awareness within the using facility. Equally suitable for new or retrofit installations, Green Class meters offer a number of important features that provide users with a complete facility energy snapshot, including: scrolling display of kilowatt (kWh) usage on the meter’s 8-digit LCD display; kWh in dollars; current demand load (kW); Cost per hour, based on current load; estimated CO2 emissions in pounds, based on DOE standards; estimated hourly CO2 emissions based on current load;
optional net metering, including utility-delivered vs. user-received power and net usage;
and certified to ANSI C12.1 & C12.16 national accuracy standards. http://www.emon.com/

 

 

By Amanda Earing, associate editor

Workplace safety always should be a concern for workers, managers and owners. Obviously the main reason safety is important is because people are involved and no one should want to have to deliver the bad news to an employee’s spouse and family at the worst, or have to endure time off and possible lost or lower pay at the least. Owners and managers also do not want to lose valued employees for any length of time due to injury or death. Finally, workplace safety helps keep insurance costs lower, which benefits all.

The importance of workplace safety is one reason Electrical Contracting Products chose to have its first-ever Webinar on NFPA 70E. And judging from the number of registrants and the amount of questions submitted for the Webinar, electrical safety is a concern to ECP readers.

One that note, let’s hear from ECP readers about your thoughts on safety, experiences you’ve had that are both good and bad, and how you keep your workplace as safe as possible. One way to make sure workplaces are as safe as possible is when people can share their experience and knowledge. Learning from our peers is often the best education out there.

John Dyslin
Editor
Electrical Contracting Products