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from the editor
So where is “World Electrical Day”?
B
I would love to see us get the ball rolling on a “Canada Electrical Day”...
ack in March, I received word of something called “World Plumbing Day” (March 11), which got me thinking... where is “World Electrical Day”? So I googled. And I sent some emails. I made some calls. I could not find anything called World Electrical Day. There’s “National Lineman Appreciation Day” in the United States (April 18) and some would say our industry has “Earth Hour” (the electrical industry, in all its various disciplines, deserves so much more attention than just the act of turning off the lights for one hour once a year!). There’s also “National Day of Mourning” (April 28) and 2015 is the “International Year of Light”. Sure, there’s probably something like an Energy Week, but that’s for all forms of energy, including natural gas and crude. There is simply no Day devoted to just electrical power. After not being able to find anything myself, I called the IBEW-1st District and, after they did some poking around themselves, they admitted they could not find a “Day” that was specifically dedicated to “Electrical”. And they don’t have one themselves. Same result with the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association. I couldn’t find anything on the International Electrotechnical Commission’s website or IEEE, either.
My resolve in finding (or founding) a Day for the electrical industry was recently bolstered by comments made Harald Henze, the former VP and GM of Wesco Distribution Canada LP. Granted, he was speaking as an electrical distributor to his peers and manufacturers, but I believe the sentiment still applies: “We work in an industry that has such an enormous role to play in the development of our country... the infrastructure of that country. The products that we sell create societies and build societies.” And those products mean nothing without the professionals who spec and install them. Henze’s sentiment was echoed by last year by Electrical Safety Authority chair Charlie Cipolla: “It’s miraculous the things that we can do with electricity, and shame on us for not telling that story and making people more aware.” I would love to see us get the ball rolling on a “Canada Electrical Day” with the hope of seeing it expand into a “World Electrical Day”. This industry of society-builders has earned it, and deserves it.
P.S. If something like this does exist, please drop me a line
Contents 8 Attracting and keeping women Stock Photo
in the electricity sector
On the Cover and Page 16 What are they saying about you online? In an age where online reviews websites allow customers to share their opinions with the masses, residential service providers must do all they can to provide memorable customer experiences that encourage positive feedback.
departments 4
Industry News
6 Letters
EBMag spoke with Michelle Branigan about the launch of “Connected Women”—a new national mentorship program aimed at attracting women to (and keeping them in) the electricity sector. And, yes, men have a role to play.
7 Electrical Safety 360
10 Reflections from OEL’s 2015 annual conference
20 Products & Solutions
EBMag recently returned from Ontario Electrical League’s annual Electrical Industry Conference—a great forum for networking with peers and regulators, and learning from industry experts about everything from Working at Heights training requirements to succession planning.
Pushing the risk assessment procedure in CSA Z462
15 Personalities 21 Calendar 22 Code File No easy answer to generator bonding/grounding
22 Code Conundrum
12 Interior, mounted electric heaters with purposeful style The fourth article in our ongoing series “House of Unlimited Budget” explores the hot opportunities in the world of indoor mounted electric heaters... no plug-ins permitted!
Gutenberg would be proud!
page 20
Electrical Business Magazine is published by Canada’s largest B2B publisher, Annex Business Media... and we have our own presses! Talk to us about your custom publishing needs. Contact John MacPherson • (905) 713-4335 • jmacpherson@annexweb.com
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industry news Acuity “to help shape retail shopping” with ByteLight acquisition Acuity Brands Inc. (www.acuitybrands.com) has acquired certain assets—including the patent portfolio and all other intellectual property rights—of ByteLight Inc., a provider of indoor location software for LED lighting. ByteLight (www.bytelight.com) exploits Visible Light Communication (VLC) and Bluetooth lowenergy (BLE) technologies—in combination with smartphone apps and cloud services—to transform LED lighting into indoor location waypoints. These waypoints provide shoppers with indoor navigation and allow retailers to create a personalized shopping experience for their customers by communicating digital content to a shopper’s smartphone.
June 2015 • Volume 51 • Issue 6 ELECTRICAL BUSINESS is the magazine of the Canadian electrical community. It reports on the news and publishes articles in a manner that is informative and constructive. Editor Anthony Capkun - acapkun@annexweb.com Group Publisher John MacPherson - jmacpherson@annexweb.com Account Manager Scott Hoy - shoy@annexweb.com Assistant Editor Renée Francoeur - rfrancoeur@annexweb.com Art Director Svetlana Avrutin - savrutin@annexweb.com Production Manager Kathryn Nyenhuis - knyenhuis@annexweb.com Subscriber Customer Service Representative Karen Thomson - kthomson@annexweb.com Director of Soul/COO Sue Fredericks
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Subscription Rates: Canada: Single issue $7.00 12 issues: $35.00 (includes tax) USA: $59.00 (US) International: $75.00 (US) per year Occasionally, Electrical Business will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. The contents of Electrical Business are copyright ©2015 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.
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industry news Prompt Payment legislation: What’s Canada waiting for? asks NTCCC “Trade contractors have a high dependence on cash flow and, right now, the money isn’t trickling down to pay people who’ve completed work—even when there is no dispute about the work that’s been done,” said John Blair, director with the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (www.ntccc.ca). Representatives from Canada’s trade contract communities came together at the Prompt Payment Summit in Ottawa to discuss the “urgent need for federal and provincial governments to adopt prompt payment legislation”, reports NTCCC. Trade contractors perform more than 80% of all construction work in Canada, insists NTCCC, yet they “routinely receive late payments from general contractors, which has resulted in cash flow problems that discourage hiring, investments in capital and, in some cases, even bankruptcy”. Due to prompt payment issues, NTCCC says fewer contractors can bid on projects, thereby driving employment down and keeping apprentices from training opportunities. The adoption of prompt payment legislation would stimulate the construction sector at no direct cost to government, adds NTCCC, “while bringing Canada in line with all other comparable jurisdictions”. IPO for Hydro One, and Christmas comes early for Toronto-area LDCs The Government of Ontario announced it intends to “broaden ownership” of Hydro One (www. hydroone.com) through an initial public offering (IPO), after which it would be the largest shareholder (remain in control) and, by law, no other shareholder or group thereof would be permitted to own more than 10%. The government has appointed a new Hydro One chair, David Denison, and will review the membership of the board before the process of broadening ownership to the public. The government plans to enhance the governance of the company through specific controls over board membership, including the ability to nominate 40% of the board’s members, and even remove the board as a whole.
But that’s not all! The province intends to proceed with a merger of Hydro One Brampton with Enersource, PowerStream and Horizon Utilities to create what it calls the second-largest electricity distributor in Ontario. The merger will also help catalyze
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local distribution company (LDC) consolidation for the benefit of ratepayers, added the province. The opportunity to buy into Hydro One will be made available in stages, says the government, to “maximize return to taxpayers”.
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industry news Techspan expanding its footprint to serve Western Canada “Techspan is committed to supporting the ongoing growth of our distributor customers in British Columbia and Alberta,” said Frank Dunnigan, president and CEO, as he announced Sean Dunnigan Techspan will be setting up a full-scale packaging, sub-assembly and warehousing facility in Vancouver, B.C. “Speed-to-market with next-day delivery is a keystone of our business model,” he said, adding, “While some manufacturers are shrinking their Canadian-based service, Techspan continues to invest in Canadian facilities and employment.” The new facility will inventory over 8000 SKUs of connector, wire management, control and automation products, as well as “hard-to-get C and D items”. The facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of October 2015. Effective June 15, 2015, Sean Dunnigan (photo) will be promoted to the new position of general manager Western Operations, and will be based in Vancouver. AD member sales up 7% in Q1
Sales for Affiliated Distributors (AD) members grew by 7% in Q1 2015 to $7.9 billion, AD (www.adhq.com) reported. “Our members hired 638 new employees, opened over 32 new locations and made 12 acquisitions,” said Bill Weisberg, chairman and CEO. “Additionally, we added 12 new AD members with 51 branches, and expanded into the bearings and power transmission market with 27 charter members. 2015 is off to a strong start.” By division, first quarter sales grew as follows: • Canadian Electrical up 12% • Industrial up 5% • PVF up 2% • HVAC up 7% • Building Materials up 12%
Nova Scotia releases electricity system review results The final results of the Nova Scotia Electricity System Review (tinyurl.com/p567oml) are now in and available to the public. After a year of consultation and input from more than 1300 Nova Scotians, the provincial government says the review will help shape the upcoming electricity plan. As part of the review, experts, interested groups and the public considered emerging technologies, trends in market supply and demand, and how the system is administered and structured. The province’s new electricity plan—slated to be unveiled this fall—is to outline how government will support economic development and innovation through technology and other solutions such as storage and in growth areas, including tidal. BC Safety Authority releases 2014 State of Safety Report BC Safety Authority (BCSA) released its 2014 State of Safety Report, which also includes information on as-found hazards—conditions observed by BCSA (www.safetyauthority.ca) officers during physical assessments “where intrinsic hazards are not suitably controlled”. The report is an overview of BCSA’s activities and information analysis, including data on installation and operating assessments, incident investigations, as well as research and enforcement activities. In addition to summarizing information on installation and operating permits, physical assessments and incident investigations, the report also highlights longer-term trends on specific types of incidents (e.g. uncontrolled refrigerant ammonia releases, carbon monoxide leaks). Voith Hydro Mississauga celebrates 25th anniversary Voith Hydro Mississauga in Ontario—which the company calls its “centre of excellence for coil production”—celebrated its 25th anniversary. The history of Voith Hydro (voith.com) in Canada dates back to 1904 with the installation of the first turbines at Decew Falls, Ont., more than 100 years ago. Voith Hydro Mississauga has been serving customers and Voith Hydro locations worldwide.
BC Hydro, SaskPower, Manitoba Hydro among Canada’s Best Diversity Employers A number of industry players were among those listed for the 9th year of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers competition. The contest recognizes the leading organizations when it comes to creating inclusive workplaces for employees from five diverse groups: women; visible minorities; persons with disabilities; Aboriginal peoples; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. Congratulations to: • BC Hydro (www.bchydro.com) • Home Depot Canada (www.homedepot.ca) • Manitoba Hydro (www.hydro.mb.ca) • SaskPower (www.saskpower.com) SaskPower invests in renewing grid; impacts 2014 income SaskPower (www.saskpower.com) says it invested $1.279 billion into Saskatchewan’s electrical grid in 2014, as “aging infrastructure, increasing demand and changing environmental regulations” continued to be a challenge. SaskPower reported an operating income of $43 million in 2014 on over $2 billion in revenue, after tabling its 2014 Annual Report in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. “Our province is focusing on investing in infrastructure to keep Saskatchewan strong, and that includes our electrical grid,” the minister responsible for SaskPower, Bill Boyd said. “Those investments do have an impact on SaskPower’s annual income...”
letter Be responsible and switch off your LED lighting phoTo CoURTESY GE.
Starting last month, and in every issue this year, we explore electrical technologies, products and systems for the discerning homeowner... where cost is not an issue! This month we look at highend outdoor lighting solutions that are guaranteed to light up your clients’ nights... and lives.
tapping into the sex appeal of
outdoor lighting
Renée Francoeur
“M
oonlight is sculpture,” wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne, but it has its limits. And for those clients wanting to draw attention to the ornamental bonsai tree in the front yard, or highlight the garden pathway after the sun goes down, a little help from artificial lighting is most definitely called for. Exterior lighting today has left the single-bulb, porchlight concept in the dust. From crystalized torch-like wall sconces to beaming tape outlining the hot tub, lighting systems can bathe a property in an elevated and ritzy guise. “At night time, light is a very powerful element that we can play with to create ambiance that just adds a quality of life to outdoor living or night time activities,” said Sean Bourquin, the managing director at First Light Technologies in Victoria, B.C. “Light has this attractive, sexy kind of appeal,” echoed Jesse Lilley, vice-president of marketing at Lumenpulse Lighting Inc. in Montreal. “It’s definitely something that makes a property look more attractive.” Endless possibilities with LEDs For GE, the first thing any electrical contractor should do when it comes to outdoor lighting is
pretty straight-forward: use or convert all existing bulbs to LED. “That has the benefit of tremendous energy efficiency, a very long life, great lighting output and a couple colour temperature variations,” said Linda Pastor, GE’s consumer LED product manager. In turn, some of GE’s LEDs, such as the Link Connected PAR38 spotlight bulbs (retail for about $24.99), allow consumers to remotely control their outdoor lighting from their smartphones. With Bluetooth and GE’s Wink app, the driveway’s carriage lights, for example, can be programmed to turn on as the owner approaches, said Tom Boyle, GE’s chief innovation leader. “You can run scheduled groups and lighting themes so you can start to automate turning lights on and off in a way you weren’t able to do before Link,” he added. LEDs, which are “just begging to be controlled,” really amped up the calibre of exterior lighting offerings, Lilley said. Grazing is one example where directional LEDs, such as Lumenpulse’s Lumenfacade, are placed very close to a wall. “It literally grazes that surface. It’s very precise. Like a lot of those residential buildings made of
red brick; grazing the brick is a wonderful effect,” Lilley said, because it accentuates all the detail. While Lumenpulse primarily handles commercial lighting projects, its 14W Lumenbeam Small can be used to illuminate sculptures and foliage in a variety of colours and optics (wide or narrow) with dimming control. As for what to put along outdoor railings, eaves and gazebos, Jesco Lighting Group unrolled its rope-like Infina flexible LED in late 2014 and will be introducing a hardwired version this spring. Retailing at $48.50 US/ft, the Infina is made of optically clear thermoplastic and emits 550 lumens from 4.95W/ft, said Andrij Burchak, marketing manager at Jesco. “You just plug it into one outlet and, with a run of 150 ft, you can run it around the house and you’re ready to go,” Burchak said, noting no additional power source or LED drivers are required. Jesco also recently introduced its WW2 LED series aimable outdoor wall-washers and floodlights. “Most tend to buy these for colour-changing purposes because these have a built-in controller inside and you can set a series of colours the lights can switch through over a period of time,” Burchak said.
18 • April 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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Just a comment on the “Tapping into the sex appeal of outdoor lighting” article (EBMag April 2015, page 18). I understand LED lights have brought efficiency to our outdoor lighting, but I’ve seen homes leaving these lights on all night long. I’m not sure it is wise to even install outdoor lighting, for most. If everyone has LED outdoor lights and leave them on because of their efficiency, this could potentially offset the power savings. In future, please be responsible and encourage people to turn their lights off when not in use. — Philip F.
For taking the time to write, we’re sending Philip some new toys from our friends at Milwaukee Tool (www.milwaukeetool.com). We always welcome your Letters to the Editor. Email acapkun@annexweb.com.
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6 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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electrical safety 360
Mike Doherty
Pushing the risk assessment procedure in CSA Z462
B
y this time, you’ve hopefully had a chance to use CSA Z462-15 “Workplace electrical safety” for a few months, so now is a good time to take a closer look at a few of the new definitions and some of the terminology used in the standard. (Tip: Don’t dismiss the “Preface”, as it contains an excellent overview of the changes in this edition.) Why are definitions importance? A new definition has been added for the term hazard, which is defined as “a source of possible injury or damage to health”. Meantime, hazardous is now defined as “involving exposure to at least one hazard”. Take note of these two other definitions in Clause 3: • Risk: a combination of the likelihood of occurrence of injury or damage to health, and the severity of injury or damage to health that results from a hazard. • Risk Assessment: an overall process that identifies hazards, estimates the potential severity of injury or damage to health, estimates the likelihood of occurrence of injury or damage to health, and determines if protective measures are required. A Note directly after the new definition for Risk Assessment states that: “As used in this standard, arc flash risk assessment and shock risk assessment are types of risk assessment”. So when planning electrical work, it is important to realize that arc flash and shock are two (2) distinct risk assessments (this distinction becomes more apparent as you move into Clause 4).
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While redefining definitions (or adding new ones) may seem like a pointless exercise, it was done deliberately to bring Z462 into technical alignment with CAN/CSA-Z1002-12 “Occupational health and safety: Hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment and control” and also Z1000-14 “Occupational health and safety management”. This alignment is a leading-edge concept, as we can now reference the top OH&S safety standards in Canada as “due diligence best case practices”. These safety standards make it easier to ensure that federal and provincial health & safety legislation can be met effectively in the workplace. Before you start: Clause 4.1.5.7 Before any electrical work can start, Clause 4.1.5.7 requires the electrical safety program to include a risk assessment procedure that guides a worker’s assessment and treatment of electrical hazards: a) identify hazards b) assess risks c) implement risk assessment procedure (see below) The Notes that follow the risk assessment procedure provide guidance on the hierarchy of risk control methods identified in CSA Z1002 (from best to last resort): a) Eliminate the hazard b) Substitute other materials, processes or equipment c) Engineering controls i.e. designs or modifications to plants, equipment, processes, etc., that reduce the source of exposure
d) Systems that increase awareness of potential hazards e) Administrative controls e.g. training and procedures, instructions and scheduling f) PPE (personal protective equipment), including measures to ensure its appropriate selection, use and maintenance. The same Notes section also provides these two gems: • For an example of a risk assessment procedure, see Annex F in CSA Z462-15. • The risk assessment procedure may include identifying situations where more than one person is required to be part of the process, as well as the training and equipment that should be provided to evaluators. Incorporated as a best practice into CSA Z462, this hierarchy of risk control methods serves as an excellent tool while planning comprehensive electrical work, and will lead to safer workplaces for those on the tools. As always, it is crucial you use Z462 in its entirety when making any decisions regarding actual work in the field. A subject-matter expert on electrical safety, Mike Doherty is the director of learning & continual improvement at Shermco Industries Canada Inc. He is a licensed electrician and an IEEE senior member, and has served as the Technical Committee chair for CSA Z462 since its inception. His specialties include electrical safety and health & safety management, maintenance, consulting, training, auditing and electrical incident investigations. Mike can be reached at mdoherty@shermco.com.
4/15/11 11:59:45 AM
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“Connected Women”
national mentorship program EHRC aims to attract and keep women in electricity sector Anthony Capkun
Men need not apply? When asked whether men have any role in Connected Women, Branigan explained that— at EHRC’s most recent Steering Committee
Photo © EHRC.
“W
e’re building on the work of our Bridging the Gap program, [which] looked at the challenges in getting women to enter and stay in the electricity sector,” explained Michelle Branigan of Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) to EBMag. “One of the recommendations that emerged from Bridging the Gap centred around mentorship and developing mentorship models.” Enter EHRC’s newest initiative... “Connected Women” is a national mentorship model for women seeking to enter or advance in the electricity and renewable energy industry. “Over half the jobs in this sector are in trades, technology or the engineering field, and we’re still—in 2015—woefully underrepresented in those technical and trades jobs,” added Branigan. Funded by Status of Women Canada, the program will be piloted with graduates of Algonquin College’s Women in Electrical Engineering Technology (WEET) program. “We’re developing it, at this stage, for women who are working to enter or to advance in the sector. So that means women who are currently studying in a trade, or they’re actually working in the sector and looking for support,” Branigan said. “So we partnered with [WEET] on this project, and we’re going to use that cohort as a pilot; so they will be the mentees, and we will be partnering them with women who are working in the industry, in the utilities,” explained Branigan. She added that Connected Women will also include a number of women who are already working in the sector as mentees, too, “who are going to be looking for support internally as they advance in the sector”. “We always have to remember there are two challenges to getting more women in the industry: first of all, we have to attract them to the sector and, then, once we get them in, we have to make sure that we keep them,” noted Branigan.
Photo (left to right): Samantha Evelyn, Hydro Ottawa; Kellie Leitch, minister of Labour and Status of Women; Michelle Branigan, CEO EHRC; Jenna Van Vliet, Hydro Ottawa; Lana Hughes, Hydro Ottawa. Photo taken at Hydro Ottawa, April 23, 2015, when the Government of Canada announced funding for Connected Women. meeting—is was decided to include men as mentors in the program. “In the same way that you don’t want a sector discounting 50% of the population as a potential source of supply, potential workforce, neither do we as part of this project want to exclude 50% of the workforce as a valuable support mechanism for women who are looking to enter and stay in the sector; because there are a fantastic number of men out there who are fantastic champions. But, overwhelmingly, the discussion led to the fact that, absolutely, men are part of the solution... men play a huge part in that role of ensuring we have a diverse workforce,” noted Branigan. How does it work? EBMag asked Branigan how the program will unfold, using a WEET graduate as an example. “So we have a mentee from Algonquin College who is looking to get into a job in the sector... what we will do is have a list of mentors who have volunteered to participate in this program. What we will be developing will be a process, an actual model, that will allow us to match the mentor to the mentee,” Branigan explained. “As part of that, we will be developing a tool, a handbook, for both the mentor and the mentee that outlines [their] roles and responsibilities. We’ll also be doing some training with the mentors as to the types of things you should be
“We always have to remember there are two challenges to getting more women in the industry: first of all, we have to attract them to the sector and, then, once we get them in, we have to make sure that we keep them.” — Michelle Branigan
working on, types of discussions that you should be having with your mentees, to support them. And then what we’ll do is roll out a 6-monthlong mentor-mentee relationship. [Depending on geographical location], some of these relationships may be face-to-face, where you go out for a coffee, you meet up maybe once every couple of weeks, once a month, or they may be via Skype and via telephone,” she added. “For us, the whole goal also is to have these women—who are acting as mentees—then themselves become mentors to other women, so it’s almost like a passing of the torch,” she said. Utility companies across the country—along with women who would like to be considered as mentors—are encouraged to participate by contacting EHRC. The not-for-profit EHRC is a source of human resources information and tools to help the Canadian electricity industry match workforce supply and demand. Partners of Connected Women include Hydro One, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), Manitoba Hydro and Hydro Ottawa, along with Women in Nuclear-Canada (WiN), IBEW, Power Worker’s Union (PWU), University of Toronto, Electro-Federation Canada and WESCO.
Expose yourself online! EBMag.com boasts well over 25,000 page views per month. That’s a whole lot of good online exposure for very reasonable rates! Contact Scott Hoy (905) 726-4664 • shoy@annexweb.com
8 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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Ontario Electrical League’s 2 Anthony Capkun
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ith the theme of “The Great Canadian Adventure”, the 90+ year-old Ontario Electrical League (OEL) hosted its annual Electrical Industry Conference in Huntsville, Ont., at Deerhurst Resort at the end of April. While serving as a great opportunity to learn from industry experts about everything from Ontario’s new Working at Heights training requirements to succession planning, the conference also brings together contractors from various parts of the province to not only talk shop with each other, but with Ontario’s inspection authority—Electrical Safety Authority—and utilities... not to mention the solutions providers found on the tradeshow floor. The Elgin & District Chapter is hosting OEL’s next Electrical Industry Conference May 11-14, 2016, at the Best Western Plus Stoneridge Inn. Stay tuned to Electrical Business Magazine and EBMag.com for delegate registration, sponsorship opportunities, etc., as they become available. Meantime, visit www.oel.org.
The Richard Cullis Leadership Award of Distinction recognizes a member for their leadership, commitment and passion toward the industry, as well as their outstanding efforts in volunteering personal time and energy for the betterment of our members. The winner of this coveted award for 2015 is Glenn Sturdy of Sturdy Power Lines.
More OEL conference photos at EBMag.com Photos and more photos... we love taking pictures to help give you a feel for the events we’ve attended. Visit tinyurl.com/n68b9g5 to go straight to our online photo gallery of OEL’s annual conference in Huntsville. The gallery contains photos of speakers, the tradeshow and the awards dinner.
The Electrical Inspector Recognition award honours a current or senior inspector for their exceptional contribution to the industry. Kudos to ESA’s Victor Becker.
OEL will turn 95 in 2017 Ontario Electrical League traces its back to 1922 when, in January, a meeting was held to promote the formation of an Electric Home League. Soon thereafter, the Electric Service League of Ontario was incorporated under The Ontario Companies Act by Letters Patent. OEL didn’t get its current name until April 1966, when the Electric Service League of Ontario and Electric Heating Association of Ontario amalgamated as one corporation under the name “The Ontario Electrical League”.
10 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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s 2015 annual conference Mauro Di Tullio of Federated Insurance provided an insurer’s general perspective on the underground economy (which has increased 56% between 2001 and 2011), and the problems that can be associated with unlicensed contractors, including the obvious— such as tax avoidance—but also illegal labour, subpar materials, lack of permits and being underinsured (if insured at all). He asked attendees to explain these risks to their employees, “as they may be in the underground economy after they finish the workday with you”. Di Tullio also warned contractors to ensure any subcontractors they use provide proof of insurance, otherwise you may be on the hook for their mistakes.
James Wong, vice-president and business owner specialist with RBC Wealth Management, explained that succession planning is the process of transferring both the management and the ownership of a business, and it cannot be done overnight. A good succession plan promotes business efficiency and family harmony but, to get started, you must have a vision and set goals... and involve your family (note the family theme?). Part of involving your family means evaluating the aptitude of the next generation: your kids. Are they capable business owners? Do they even have an interest in taking over?
New this year was “Lunch with the Experts”, where each table was set up with a designated topic and subject-matter expert leading the discussion. Topics ranged from codes & standards to working with utilities.
Do you know your profit break-even? Do you know what that is? If not, you may be an electrical contractor who’s pricing himself out of business. Andrew Houston explained that your break-even amount is the money you need to cover your hard costs—which include your own salary—before you make any sales; your profit break-even, meantime, is the money you need to cover your fixed costs plus your desired profit margin. Using a simple chart, Houston showed delegates how decreasing your margins can actually kill your business, as you now have to sell a ton more work just to make up the shortfall.
Solutions providers, like Bob Campbell from IPEX Electrical, were on hand to explain the latest innovations for industry. Work smarter, not harder.
Delegates also heard from OEL’s Safety Communications Committee during the “Safety Panel” discussion. Included on the panel were Stan Pokrywa of SP Safety Solutions (left) and Electrical Safety Authority’s chief public safety officer, Scott Saint (right). Among ESA’s safety priorities, Saint explained, is targeting the electrical worker throughout his life cycle, which means teaching CSA Z462 “Workplace electrical safety” at the first-year apprenticeship level. Pokrywa, meantime, warned delegates that, as of April 1, 2017, all of their employees who work at heights have to be trained. “As of today, there are 14 trainers approved by the Ministry of Labour [and] there is not one trainer in Eastern Ontario,” Pokrywa warned, meaning you should start booking your training now (classes are for a maximum of 12 students). He also encouraged owners to take the training so “they know what their employees will be asking for,” and reminded them that employers still need to conduct site-specific training. Also part of the panel was Diane Laranja with Sherrard Kuzz LLP, who warned that, on the horizon, we could be seeing mandatory training for anyone entering the construction industry. We are also likely to see mandatory powered access training.
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We continue to explore electrical technologies, products and systems for the discerning homeowner... where cost is not an issue! This month we find out what’s hot in the world of indoor mounted electric heaters—no plug-ins permitted.
Turning up the [electric] heat Interior, mounted electric heaters with purposeful style Photo courtesy Stelpro.
Renée Francoeur Stelpro’s Silhouette electronic convector, known as SIL, is the company’s “high-end” residential convector.
In the name of design Stelpro’s Silhouette electronic convector, known as SIL, is the company’s “high-end” residential convector, according to Paquet. This product can be installed throughout the home—below windows, on the sides of counters, in children’s bedrooms—for a uniform feel, Paquet explained. “It’s totally silent and has a built-in thermostat with LCD display,” he said, adding there is a backlight that can be used as a nightlight. The SIL has over 225 models (low, high, standard) available in various colours and sizes. Prices range from around $364 to $566. Stelpro’s architectural baseboards (such as the DB, SPDHA, ALC1B, SPDH, ALC3A and PDH) also feature trendy designs and surprising sizes (the smallest one is only 2-in. wide and 4.5-in. high) to cater to budget-less clients, Paquet said. The DBI draft barrier baseboard stands apart from the list because it boasts a 9-gauge aluminum front pane and has blank sections available for peripheral heating. “Blank sections are sections that we make along the baseboard that don’t have heating in them so the baseboard has a continuous look but you don’t have every part emitting heat because obviously in some cases, you’d overheat the room,” Paquet said. He explained that a 20 ft baseboard, for example, could be built so that only 7 ft of it work as a heater, the rest being “for design and looks.” Prices for the DBI range from $369 to $669. Convector or fan? Ouellet’s Hybrid OHY, a 2000W convection and forced-air wall heater, offers clients a two-in-one deal.
Photo courtesy Convectair.
F
rom built-in thermostat features to chic colours and finishes (think champagne or stainless steel), electric heaters—and we’re not talking about the plug-in type here—can offer up a viable solution for many of your clients shivering in finished basements or drafty bathrooms. In a Canadian climate, heaters make a big difference in a home’s comfort level, said Richard Paquet, director of marketing at Quebec-based Stelpro, especially if that home is large. Fan heaters, convectors, baseboards and draft barriers take heating up a notch, he continued, because the system is now zoned. “You can bring the heat down in the room that is less used; bring it up in the room that is over the garage or the baby room or the one facing north. Those are big plusses.”
Convectair displays its Impresario line for living spaces in white lily and copper brown colours for a Montreal show opening to appeal to designers last year. “It’s our highest high-end bathroom heater,” said Louis Beaulieu, Ouellet’s national sales manager. “First of all you have an electronic, digital control and a cast-aluminum cover in front so it’s super steady and visually the design is nice.” OHY’s dual mode means the fan can be programmed to kick in for a heat boost before a shower, for example, but will use the convector the rest of the time. This creates less noise overall, which is desirable for bathrooms near bedrooms, Beaulieu noted. Wireless advantage Over at Dimplex, it’s the wireless technology that’s making waves. The company’s Precision Comfort Heater (PCH) is the top product when it comes to fan-forced heaters, said Jeremy Ballard, Dimplex product manager, and retails for about $230. The company markets it as its “quietest fan-forced heater.” It has a built-in digital thermostat, a “boost function” to emit “quick, instant heat,” and is “very accurate, within 0.2F,” Ballard said. But, “what makes it high-end is the wireless Connex technology; that’s exclusive to Dimplex”. Dimplex’s Connex technology does away with the need to run a wire to a thermostat on a wall. Instead, a Connex controller (either single-zone or multi-zone) mounts on the wall (or it can sit on a table) and sends a radio frequency to the heater. While it works like a thermostat, it’s really just a controller, Ballard explained. The heater maintains itself with built-in temperature sensors, “so it will adjust itself if it needs to get hotter or if it’s already warm
12 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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Photo courtesy Dimplex.
enough, it will shut itself off,” he continued. “As opposed to if you had a thermostat in a different location and it doesn’t know temp of that room, you’re potentially wasting energy.” One controller can manage different kinds of heaters within multiple zones in the home, added Dimplex’s marketing communications manager Lauren Redman. She noted that the next generation of Connex technology with app control is set to be released later this year. For baseboard heaters, Dimplex’s linear proportional convector (LPC) is Connex-enabled as well and was selected for the TV show Colin & Justin’s Cabin Pressure, Redman said. In this show, the interior designers were gutting a cabin for a luxurious renovation and installed eight of Dimplex’s LPCs with a controller. Ouellet also has wireless technology, in the form of NeviWeb communications controls, launched this past December. Up to 300 controls can be connected with one interface, Beaulieu said, and unlike other systems, the controls are not constantly “talking” to one another. “Once instructions are sent to a thermostat, there is no more communication whereas others are constantly checking each other. These act independently.” The system does monitor the use of each unit however, allowing homeowners to see how often they are in use and during which times of the day. The Precision Comfort Heater (PCH) from Dimplex is Connex-enabled, doing away “For someone worrying about which room is costing them more or with the need to hardwire it to a thermostat. which of their tenants is using more power, this application works awesome,” Beaulieu said. Dimplex provides material to its distributors, such as commercial catalogues and spec sheets, which are also available via mobile app to contractors, Redman said. Heater, heater on the wall... Additionally she recommended contractors use the company’s heat loss Electric heating has transcended the basic baseboard concept at Convectair, calculator on its website where a home’s dimensions can be input and the the North American brand of Europe’s Muller Group, say company staff. heat loss number then determined. These numbers could open up the conTheir units are all about “high-quality heat” with upscale visual appeal, versation with clients about feasible heating solutions. said vice-president of sales and business development Michel Roy. Meanwhile, Convectair says showrooms at its 150 distributing locations “Years ago, when we were talking to designers about our products, you across the country help make the sale. were talking about a white unit that stuck out of the wall and the designers “These showrooms at our distributors have four, five, six—sometimes 10 were not interested. They wanted to hide it because there wasn’t a design units in them,” Roy said. “We set these displays up for contractors originin it,” Roy said. ally but found they were actually used by consumers more; we changed our That changed two years ago with the launch of Convectair’s Impresario, approach and built displays for consumers, so take your clients into these a radiant heater with a tempered glass exterior. showrooms.” Now designers “want to show” the heater off and incorporate it into the With high-end heating, it also comes down to personal style and preferences. room’s composition, Roy said. “People are generally willing to pay a bit extra if they really like the look Impresario, available in 1000 to 2000W, consists of two heating eleof a particular baseboard and it comes in a colour that matches their furniments, an electronic backlit thermostat, which is precise to 1/10C, said ture or floors for example,” Paquet said. Roy, and a thermal sensor, located 6 in. from the floor. Additionally, electric heating is more economical than perceived, accordThe line has been selling well in Europe for the past 16 years, Roy coning to Paquet. tinued, but is slower in the North American electric heat market, which “From the research that we’ve seen, the overall cost is less, when you comhas largely been focused on “a typical, low-profile baseboard,” he said. pare it to gas or oil,” he said, touching on the lower installation and main“We decided to launch the Impresario line at $1500 instead of going tenance price points. He noted no particles or sheens are left on walls and towards the $100 product because we wanted to position Convectair even windows, compared to oil. further in terms of quality, design and so on.” “Then there’s the safety aspect also; it’s very safe,” Paquet added. Roy doesn’t recommend radiant heaters in the bedroom but said they Beaulieu advises contractors to simply propose the idea of electric heat. are well suited for high ceiling areas as they keep the heat on ground level. “Most people don’t know about it as an option or haven’t considered it,” he Convectair’s Opéra radiant heater (which also boasts a model to fit said. “For someone for which cost is not an issue, electric heat should be snugly into tight corners) is another higher-end option as it features an considered every single time.” absence detector, which gradually lowers heating hour by hour when it no But he also echoed Paquet in regards to addressing the financial concerns. longer detects human activity in the room. In some locations, such as Quebec and New Brunswick, “heating an entire “There’s plenty of thermostats that are programmable,” Roy said. “But home with electricity remains very economical”, Beaulieu said, as it’s cheap what we’ve noticed over the years is that the button that is used the most to install and is also eco-friendly with no greenhouse gas emissions. In is the overwrite button... With this motion detector, people don’t have to markets where electricity costs are prohibitive, electric heating can be used play with their thermostat.” simply as a supplement, he added. Another component that stands out for Convectair is a little purple cable. “People have preconceived ideas an electric heater will cost you a fortune “All of our units have a communication cable or what we call a pilot but if you use it to supplement heat in a couple rooms, you’ll possibly be wire and this can take signals from a home automation system for able to reduce the cost of heating the whole house.” instance,” Roy said, meaning units can be shut off (or turned down to the And, he added, you’ll be a lot more comfortable. frost protection mode) along with lights, blinds, etc. According to Roy, Convectair is the only company in North America that includes this fourth cable in all its products (in addition to the standard black, red and green ones). Educate at the speed of now! Pitching tips Show, don’t tell, are Paquet’s words of wisdom when it comes to marketing electric heaters to clients. “Your marketing tools should have photos of previous heaters in homes,” he said. “I always find that speaks volumes.”
What better way to show off your expertise than by having us orchestrate your very own webinar, or sponsoring a subject matter expert? That’s quality education for a fast-paced world. Contact John MacPherson • (905) 713-4335 • jmacpherson@annexweb.com
14 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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personalities “I dropped out of university after one year—I was bored stiff—and started in the warehouse and ended up running a $2-billion business,” Harald Henze said Harald Henze, the recently retired vice-president and general manager of Wesco Distribution Canada LP (www.wesco. ca) while accepting Electro-Federation Canada’s (www.electrofed.com) 2015 Industry Recognition Award. See the video at tinyurl.com/oea5egr. Joel S. Spira—credited with inventing the first solid-state electronic dimmer and founder of Lutron Electronics Co. Inc. (www. Joel Spira lutron.com)—passed away at his home April 8, 2015, at the age of 88. Spira started Lutron in 1961 with his wife Ruth in a spare bedroom of their apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Lutron will remain in the Spira family, according to president Michael W. Pessina. Étienne Guay has joined Stelpro as vice-president of innovation and product development. Guay possesses a Bachelor’s degree Étienne Guay in Industrial Design and, before joining Stelpro (www.stelpro.com), held the position of director of design and innovation at BRP. The president and CEO of EPCOR Utilities Inc. (corp.epcor.com), David Stevens, is retiring, but will remain in his position as the board initiates the recruitment process for his replacement. “David has accomplished a significant amount in his tenure with EPCOR, achieving solid financial and operational results, and growth in our business,” said board chair Hugh J. Bolton.
Carlo Gavazzi Inc. (www.gavazzionline.com) has appointed Vinesh Kumar as account manager for the Alberta region. Kumar, who “brings over a decade of sales experience Vinesh Kumar with electrical and automation products,” also holds a diploma 2320-26 FLIR Bonus Buys Ind Technology. EB Jun15_6.375x9.75 in Electrical Engineering
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Arling JU
What are they
A f f i r
saying
•
•
about you
•
•
Stock Photo
online? Online review management for residential service providers
I
n an age where online reviews websites allow customers to share their opinions with the masses, residential service providers must do all they can to provide memorable customer experiences that encourage positive feedback. Field service management functions like work order histories and intuitive scheduling and dispatching can have direct impacts on customer service, but there’s still the question of how customers share their experiences with others online, and what effect these reviews have. To learn more, Software Advice surveyed residential service customers to determine how they use online reviews sites to select residential service companies. The findings, along with commentary from industry experts, will help these companies better understand the impact of reviews sites and how they can maximize their online presence to attract the business of both new and existing customers. Word of mouth... online Consulting online reviews has become an integral part of the modern consumer’s buying process. A recent study from Dimensional Research found that the buying decisions of 90% of respondents who read online reviews were influenced by positive reviews, while 86% were influenced by negative reviews. “With the rise of social media and online reviews sites, consumers are talking about local businesses on the internet more than ever before,” says Morgan Remmers, manager of local business outreach at Yelp, an online reviews player. Though Remmers points out the lack of control that businesses have with online reviews sites, there are still best practices for recruiting more (and better) reviews, as well as for creating and managing an online presence for your business. This report will outline some of these best practices and help residential service business owners realize the importance of cultivating a positive presence on online reviews sites. Paying more for well-reviewed provider Our most compelling finding for business
Figure 1
Figure 4
Figure 2
Figure 5
A
A Figure 3
owners is that an overwhelming majority of respondents say they would pay more for a service provider with higher rankings and better reviews versus paying less for a provider that did not (Figure 1). In all, 86% of respondents said they would pay more, to some degree, for a service provider with more positive reviews.
N
Figure 6
“Consumers highly value their dollars spent and are typically willing to pay a higher price for what they believe is a better service or product,” explains Chris Sullens, CEO of Marathon Data Systems. “Word of mouth has [been], and always will be, one of the strongest points of persuasion for consumers...” In understanding how customers use online
16 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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reviews to find residential service providers, we thought it prudent to determine just how valuable these reviews are to customers (Figure 2). It turns out that a majority of respondents do indeed value reviews when evaluating and selecting a residential service provider. In fact, 25% find the reviews “extremely valuable” for this purpose and 43% find them “very valuable”. Another 28% of respondents find reviews “moderately valuable”. Sullens says the value of these online reviews stems from the snapshots they provide of businesses’ relationships with their customers.
“Putting an emphasis on customer relationships can certainly help,” he says. “If a business consistently provides high-quality services, competitive pricing and quote accuracy, positive word of mouth from satisfied customers will come easily.” To see if there is a difference in how males and females perceive online reviews, we broke down Figure 2 by gender (Figure 3). While there are some similarities in how the two demographics value online reviews, a much larger percentage of women find online reviews “extremely valuable” compared to their male counterparts (36%
N I W o t r e Ent
versus 17%, respectively). As such, business owners should strive to include positive reviews in any advertisements targeted to women, and should make an effort to recruit reviews from this demographic. Customers primarily seek quality and cost Now that we know the value potential customers place in online reviews, we next wanted to know what specific information they seek when evaluating residential service providers (Figure 4). Among respondents in our sample, 87% look for information on the quality of services provided, while 78% seek pricing and cost information. These are two crucial elements that could sway potential customers toward or away from choosing to do business with a given provider. While business owners cannot control what information people choose to include in their reviews, they can control what information is listed on their company profile on online reviews sites. According to Remmers, when it comes to what businesses can do to improve their online profiles, the more information a consumer has when making a buying decision, the better. “Be sure to add your website and business hours, as well as a 3000-character description about the services you offer. Adding photos is highly recommended. In fact, people searching Yelp stay on a business page with photos two-and-a-half times longer than one without. Photos of your friendly staff and before [and] after photos of work you’ve completed are a good start,” says Remmers. Maintain a good online presence We began our survey by asking respondents how they found their most recent residential service provider. From this, we filtered out those who didn’t use online reviews so that those answering the remaining questions had their online reviews experience fresh in their minds. Thus, Figure 5 represents every respondent who participated, whereas the rest of this report only refers to those who used reviews sites to choose their last provider. We found that 56% used online resources, such as reviews sites, search engines and Craigslist to find their most recent residential service provider. The other 44% used traditional resources, such as asking family and friends for referrals. Given a majority are using online resources, it’s crucial for businesses to develop an online presence, especially as it pertains to reviews sites. Continues page 20
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Her decision to cut energy costs by 70% with LED lighting was a great idea. And a great start. Once your clients start seeing the benefits of our incentives for LED lighting, they will want to look into making other parts of their business like HVAC, refrigeration and building automation systems more efficient too. When they do, they’ll be joining thousands of organizations across Ontario who are already enjoying the savings that our programs deliver. Take a look at their stories and our incentives at
saveonenergy.ca/business
Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. Subject to change without notice. OM Official Mark adopted and used by the Independent Electricity System Operator.
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products
Continued from page 18
Next, we drilled into those respondents that used online resources to select their most recent service provider. Search engines are the most popular means of selecting service providers online, cited by 56%. Online reviews sites came in at 38% (Figure 6). It’s important to note that while search engines are the most popular online means of selecting providers, many of the results these engines return are for online reviews postings and websites. To explore this further, we decided to examine how often online reviews sites appear on the first page of Google searches. We searched the term “plumber [city]”, inputting the 30 most populous U.S. cities. Out of 300 results, 127 (42%) were for general reviews sites or for specific postings within those sites. This finding indicates that not only are online reviews beneficial in and of themselves, but that having a strong online reviews presence can capture many potential customers searching for providers through other online channels, as well. Remmers says the best way for businesses to leverage online reviews is to thank positive reviewers and encourage them to refer their business to friends. Meantime, it is also important to communicate with reviewers who leave negative reviews. Businesses should provide these unsatisfied customers with some restorative solutions to their pain points, while keeping in mind that, sometimes, there is simply no pleasing some customers. This article is an abridged version of “Use of Online Reviews to Select Residential Service Providers: IndustryView” published in January 2015 by Justin Guinn, a market research associate with Software Advice (tinyurl. com/mn9jl2e). He can be reached at justinguinn@softwareadvice.com.
Best electrical product, industrial of MCEE: T&B Helix
Greenlee adds GTSD-1930 to Saber line Thomas & Betts’ Helix cable tray fitting received the award for “Best New Electrical Product-Industrial Applications” at the recent MCEE tradeshow held in Montreal. “The Helix fitting was developed specifically for use in confined areas,” said T&B’s Claudine Cromp. “It allows installers to transition from horizontal to vertical cable tray in less time while using significantly less space.” The Helix is available in left or right configurations in aluminum, pre-galvanized steel and stainless steel, in 12-in. and 24-in. widths, with 6-in. side rails. THOMAS & BETTS www.tnb.ca
Never fish wire again with GoConex
Key survey findings Key findings 86% of respondents would pay more for a residential service provider with higher ratings and reviews. A majority of respondents (68%) say they find online reviews to be “extremely” or “very valuable” when evaluating residential service providers. The most important information respondents look for in online reviews is the quality of service provided (87%) and cost (78%). 56% of respondents say they used online resources to find their most recent residential service provider.
switch is 300 ft and one load controller can receive On/Off commands from up to 10 different switches. GOCONEX goconex.com
The GoConex switch is a “switch without wires.” Just install a GoConex load controller in the junction box or an existing switch box and the controller then receives On/Off commands from a wireless switch. The wireless range of the
Greenlee’s GTSD-1930 drillmounted Saber tool has a laser-etched depth stop and a self-contained depth gauge for wire stripping without the danger of exposed blades. The springloaded retention pin allows the user to pull the pin and insert specific bushing sizes. GREENLEE www.greenlee.com
Arlington’s FBC4225 Rainbox
Arlington’s nonmetallic Rainbox is a rain-tight solution when installing a fan or fixture exposed to the elements, inside or outside. Suitable applications include pool screen enclosures, open porches, lanais, outdoor kitchens and eating areas, pavilions, greenhouses, barns, etc. The oversized medallion of the FBC4225 accommodates canopies up to 7 in. in diameter. It is also UL/ CSA Listed. ARLINGTON www.aifittings.com
EBMag launchEs canada-widE ElEctrical SafEty awards PrograM Canada’s leading electrical industry publication, Electrical Business Magazine, has launched its Electrical Safety Champion Awards Program this year, which aims to recognize Canadian companies and individuals who are passionate about promoting the health & safety of Canadian electrical workers. The awards program recognizes this commitment across several categories AND you are permitted to nominate yourself! These awards recognize both individuals and organizations as evaluated against criteria that reinforce: • Leadership and influence • Education, information and awareness • Advancing knowledge or standards Eligibility requirements, deadlines, etc., have been posted at EBMag.com/esca. Good luck!
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calendar IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Photos • Ontario
Electrical League (OEL) wrapped up its 2015 Electrical Industry Conference, and EBMag was there to record the sessions, awards dinner and, of course, the tradeshow. Visit tinyurl. com/n68b9g5.
CECA National Industry Conference Canadian Electrical Contractors Assoc. Sept. 16, St. Andrews, N.B. Visit ecao.org WILL BE
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BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition Sept. 20-24, Las Vegas, Nev. Visit www.bicsi.org
Ontario Energy Industry Sunnybrook Foundation Golf Tournament Ontario Energy Network July 16, Gormley, Ont. Visit ontarioenergynetwork.org
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EFC Federation Cup Golf Tournament Electro-Federation Canada Aug. 19, Milton, Ont. Visit www.electrofed.com
Contact Scott Hoy (905) 726-4664 shoy@annexweb.com
Affiliated Distributors 2015 North American Meeting Sept. 28-Oct. 1, Grapevine, Texas Visit www.adhq.com
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SEGE 2015 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Aug. 17-19, Oshawa, Ont. Visit www.sege-conference.com
Franklin Empire Customer Appreciation Day Sept. 9, Toronto, Ont. Visit www.feinc.com
IAEI Canadian Section Meeting Sept. 24-26, Regina, Sask. Visit www.iaei.org
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CANEW 2015 - Canadian Airports National Electrical Workshop Sept. 27-Oct. 2, Penticton, B.C. Visit www.canew.ca
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Utility Contractors Assoc. of Ontario 2015 Convention July 26-28, Minett, Ont. Visit www.uca.on.ca
OEL Industry Golf Tournament Ontario Electrical League Aug. 12, Nobleton, Ont. Visit www.oel.org
IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition Sept. 20-24, Montreal, Que. Visit ias.ieee.org
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code file
David Pilon
No easy answer to generator bonding/grounding
I
was recently asked, “What is the simplest way to hook up a generator transfer switch so that the generator I hook up will work—regardless of whether it has a floating neutral or a grounded neutral?”. This is a common concern when dealing with generators, which are intended for backup power during an outage, and also for construction power, camper power, etc., versus permanently installed generators used only for emergency backup. But there is no simple answer to this question. When installing a receptacle to a transfer switch or panel, then the type of generator involved is an important piece of information. If the generator has a floating neutral, then the neutral must be solidly connected to the system neutral to ensure the system is grounded and safe. When the generator has a grounded or bonded neutral—and you are not able to remove this without modifying the equipment—then you need to ensure the neutral for the generator is grounded at the generator and isolated from the main system ground through the transfer switch. Follow the manufacturer’s installation, grounding and operation instructions. If a single-phase 240V generator neutral is bonded to the frame, then a 3-pole transfer switch is required. The supply service neutral and the generator neutral must be isolated from each other and grounded separately.
When the power plant is used solely for emergency backup, we first need to look at the internal wiring of the generator and the connections to ground. Let’s assume a 3-phase system: if the generator has a floating neutral and is to be permanently installed, then we would use a 3-pole transfer switch with a solid neutral bar for connecting the neutral from the two supplies and the load. This configuration uses the building ground to ground both source neutrals one time only. Note, if the generator is in a separate building or in an outdoor/remote location, I recommend you install a ground rod and a #6 ground conductor to the frame of the generator to protect against step/touch potential. If in this same installation the generator had a grounded neutral, we would require a 4-pole transfer switch to also switch the neutral. In this instance, we need to ground both the main service neutral at the first point of delivery and the generator neutral. These two neutrals must now be switched in the transfer switch to ensure that, as per CE Code 10-204(1)(c), neither has any connection to the neutral on the load side. When either system is operating, the system is using its own system ground. Note: it is possible to use the same ground grid to ground both systems, or to create a new ground grid as required. If they are in the same building, they need to be interconnected—unless as per 10-200 there
Questions and answers compiled by the Electrical Safety Authority
Tackle The Code Conundrum... if you dare! Answers to this month’s questions in July’s Electrical Business.
Question 1 Signs shall be located so that no part of the sign, other than its support, is less than ___ above grade. a)1.0 m b) 1.5 m
c) 1.8 m d) 2.2 m
Question 2
How did you do with the last quiz? Are you a...
In a high-voltage installation, lightning arresters shall be connected to the station ground electrode by a conductor of not less than No. 6 AWG copper.
Master Electrician ? (3 of 3) Journeyman ? (2 of 3) Apprentice ? (1 of 3) Plumber ?! (0 of 3)
Question 3
a) True
b) True
Conductive racks used to support batteries’ non-conductive cases are permitted where no rack material or other obstacle is located within ___ of the tops of the non-conductive cases. a) 150 mm c) 600 mm b) 300 mm d) 750 mm
Visit www.esasafe.com Answers: EBMag May 2015 Q-1: Non-locking 15A receptacles in a hospital shall be “hospital grade” in: c) Basic, Intermediate and Critical care areas. Rule 24-106 and 24-114. Q-2: Fire alarm system conductors are permitted to be installed in electrical nonmetallic tubing only where embedded in at least 50mm of masonry or poured concrete. a) True. Rule 32-102(1)(d). Q-3: The maximum standard rating for a time-delay fuse required for overcurrent protection to a 5.0hp, 240vdc motor is: c) 30A. Rule 28-200, Tables D2 & 29.
is flow of objectionable current. When this is the situation, you need to review the grounding arrangements. First, have you insulated all of the neutrals to the nominal voltage? Second, have you isolated all of the neutrals beyond the first point of connection? Third, have all metallic systems been bonded together to ensure they are all at the same potential? Be aware of the hazards of parallel neutrals, and take all necessary steps to keep your installation safe. David Pilon has been an electrical inspector with SaskPower since 2000, and is currently the vice-chair of the Canadian Certified Electrical Inspector (CCEI) committee of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), Canadian Section. David can be reached at dpilon@saskpower.com.
Always
consult the electrical inspection authority in your province/territory for more specific interpretations.
Advertiser index Advertiser..............................................PAGE AD Rewards.................................................... 24 Arlington Industries......................................... 17 Bridgeport Fittings............................................ 9 CSA Group...................................................... 22 Electrical Safety Champion Awards................. 20 FLIR Canada................................................... 15 GE Industrial Solutions.................................... 21 IPEX Electrical............................................. 2, 18 Independent Electricity System Operator........ 19 Mercedes-Benz.............................................. 13 Mersen........................................................... 23 Nexans............................................................. 1 Northern Cables................................................ 7 Thomas & Betts............................................ 1, 5 United Wire & Cable.......................................... 4
CSA Z462 - WORKPLACE ELECTRICAL SAFETY The NEW EDITION of CSA Z462 has been extensively revised and updated. It reflects a major shift towards risk assessment, with new definitions that harmonize with other safety standards such as CSA Z1000 and Z1002.
22 • June 2015 • www.EBMag.com
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Mersen_
Reduce wire installation time up to 75%
Mersen USG Series UltraSafeTM Fuseholders Innovative UltraSafe class CC and midget fuseholders with screw-less, spring pressure, wire termination technology.
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