- September 12, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Philip Caldwell, Edison Expert, External Affairs, Schneider Electric
Earthquakes nearly ran me over in 1998.
That was when Square D Company / Schneider Electric asked me to review seismic qualifications for building code applications. My initial goal was to get a colleague to take the lead. Despite our best efforts, however, we kept getting hit by a very big bus driven by earthquake provisions in building codes.
In the 1970s, advances in earthquake engineering
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- September 12, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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NEMA Field Representatives are engaged in emergency preparedness and recovery efforts in all regions of the United States to help mitigate electrical hazards before, during and after natural disasters. They maintain relationships with local inspectors and city officials offering education, technical guidance, and supply-chain outreach. They provide intelligence reports on power outage status, electrical equipment, and product needs as they arise. And they field questions from the insurance industry, the enforcement agencies, and building owners related to their particular needs.
There are currently
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- September 10, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Suzanne Alfano, MBA, CET, Industry Director, Building Systems Division, NEMA
The new Building Management Systems (BMS) Section, approved by the NEMA Board of Governors at its July meeting, will integrate building management applications related to energy efficiency and power reliability with devices that measure and report energy use.
A BMS is an integrated system of hardware, software, and interfacing communications that automatically monitor and control building subsystems like HVAC, lighting, power, fire, access
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- September 8, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Don Leavens, PhD, Vice President and Chief Economist, NEMA
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis second-quarter GDP advance estimate released July 27, 2018, economic output grew at a 4.1 percent annual rate from the previous quarter.
Positive consumer spending, net exports, nonresidential fixed investment, and government spending offset a drag from imports, a contraction in residential investment, and an inventory drawdown. Compared to the same quarter last year, GDP was 2.8 percent
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- September 7, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Joseph Eaves, Director, Government Relations, NEMA
While people on the street may focus on daily political news cycles, NEMA stays above the fray, planning instead for a new Congress and mapping the policy areas that are most likely to affect NEMA Members.
Regardless of which party controls the 116th Congress, it will face several major matters beyond the annual appropriations process. NEMA is focusing on four categories, based on conversations with congressional staff,
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Our friends in the energy efficiency advocacy community have raised their voice recently contending that the Administration is poised to curtail energy savings from more efficient light bulbs by wrongfully saving certain incandescent light bulbs from regulatory extinction.
NEMA filed a petition to review a Department of Energy (DOE) rule in March 2017 that addressed this issue; therefore, we have something to say about that.
Our objective in filing the lawsuit was simple: to get a court to order DOE to adhere
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- September 5, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Dean Kamen, whose inventions range from drug infusion pumps to the Segway, is credited with saying, “Every once in a while a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation.”
That trifecta is not too far different from the purpose of NEMA Strategic Initiatives: To seek out promising opportunities or emerging challenges, thoroughly research them, and report to Members so individual companies can make business decisions armed
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- September 1, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the September 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Digitalization, Electrification, Future of Standards, Workforce Development
Each year, NEMA asks its Members to submit ideas for seizing emerging opportunities and overcoming challenges facing the electroindustry. The NEMA Board of Governors recently approved the 2019 Strategic Initiatives, which collectively explore the themes of digitalization, electrification, the future of Standards, workforce development, and more.
Digitalization and the IoT
Blockchain Guidance
Going beyond the hype of blockchain, this initiative will develop technical industry guidance detailing
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- August 29, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
NEMA testified at a public hearing July 24 on proposals made June 20 by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to place 25 percent tariffs on a range of specific products from China, including certain electric motors, electricity meters, insulating materials, and wire and cable products. See NEMA Urges Administration to Minimize Collateral Damage from Tariffs. The new proposals build on a list of products for which the U.S. implemented
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- August 27, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Gustavo Domínguez, Director, Mexico and Central America, NEMA Mexico
NEMA Mexico participated in Expo Eléctrica, Mexico’s biggest international electrical products trade show, held in Mexico City, June 5–7. It featured a panel with representatives of Mexico’s energy regulator (CRE), national energy control center (CENACE), and the state-owned electric utility (CFE).
Each speaker noted that improvement of the nation’s electrical grid would proceed regardless of which candidate won the July 1 presidential election.
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- August 24, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Peter Lafreniere, Cable Product Manager for AFC Cable Systems, Inc., a part of Atkore International
Mr. Lafreniere leads product strategy for the Cable Solutions business unit’s cable product line and is responsible for its strategic innovation initiative.
According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program: National Benefits Assessment, commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 41 percent of all energy consumption and 72 percent of electricity usage in
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- August 23, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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As Hurricane Lane enters the Central Pacific, the citizens of Hawaii need to keep a close eye on the forecasted track of the storm. Hurricane Lane has the potential to bring high winds, flooding rain, and deadly lightning.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has the information and resources you can rely on before, during, and after the storm. This includes tips for preparing your home and workplace, electrical safety during the storm, and guidance on restoring your electrical systems affected by wind,
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- August 17, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Dennis Siegert, Water Director, Johnson Controls
For years, city leaders in Martinsville, Virginia, knew that a replacement for thousands of water meters was inevitable. Upgrades like these are a necessary but significant capital expense for any municipality, and Martinsville was able to make the project a reality without raising resident taxes or fees.
The local government experts at Johnson Controls partnered with Martinsville to plan, prioritize, and enable the improvements through an energy
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- August 15, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Alex Boesenberg, Senior Manager, Government Relations, NEMA
Although water is easily dismissed as not related to energy, that is far from the case.
Thousands of horsepower are required to pump water reliably over hundreds of miles of utility piping to commercial and residential customers who expect nothing less than clean, fresh water delivered at sufficient pressure when they open a tap. The reliable delivery of potable water also involves metering, controlling, and maintaining
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- August 13, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA
In formal statements to an interagency committee chaired by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), NEMA called on the Administration to minimize collateral damage on NEMA Members from additional U.S. import tariffs proposed on Chinese-made products.
Although NEMA agrees with the Administration’s goals and concerns about China’s intellectual property practices and industrial policies, tariffs are a blunt instrument that delivers a tax increase
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- August 10, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
The NEMA Codes and Standards Committee posed for a group shot during its June meeting.
First row: Dan Neeser, Eaton’s Bussmann Division; Sam Friedman, General Cable; Greg Steinman, Thomas & Betts, A Member of the ABB Group (Chair); Steve Campolo, Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.; Marilyn Williams, NEMA; Dave Kendall, Thomas & Betts, A Member of the ABB Group; James Wright, Siemens Industry, Inc.; and George Straniero, AFC Cable Systems, Inc., a part
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- August 5, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA
On June 27, volunteer Members of NEMA’s various wire and cable product groups participated in a series of meetings coordinated by NEMA Government Relations on Capitol Hill and with two Executive Branch agencies responsible for trade policy. The meetings built on themes from the NEMA Wire & Cable Industry Forum held the previous day (see page 5).
NEMA Members spent the morning meeting with staff
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- August 5, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Steve Wilcox, Director, Market Research, NEMA
A nine-point jump brought June's Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) current conditions component to its highest reading since January. Although a larger share of respondents noted worse conditions, those reporting better conditions constituted a majority in June, helping to bring the overall score to 69.2. The solid topline number was tempered by respondent comments that pointed to an undercurrent of uncertainty along with sector-specific struggles brought
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- August 4, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
Jack Lyons, Northeast Field Representative, NEMA
Several states in the Northeast have not yet adopted the 2017 National Electrical Code® (NEC). The obstacles to adoption—whether administrative, legislative, or regulatory—are frustrating because they postpone the credibility of new products and installation changes that provide safer electrical systems.
The Connecticut Legislative Review Board (LRB), for example, recently sent back to the State Building Inspector (SBI) a report on changes to the State Building Code because
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- August 4, 2018
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the August 2018 issue of electroindustry.
The NFL season is just around the corner. When I watch the New York Giants play, I appreciate that no matter how good an individual player may be, it is the entire team that wins or loses. A quarterback may have a near-perfect pass rating, but unless his offensive line and receivers are tuned to each other, the team probably loses, and the fans go home frustrated.
The same concept applies to
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