eps magazine november 2012 issue

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PUBLISHERDanny J. Salchert

OFFICE MANAGERAnita Salchert

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERJerry DiChiara

[email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Derek Gaylard

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJohn Olobri • Bill Allen • Karren Hodge

CIRCULATION DIRECTORPam Fulmer

PRESIDENT Danny J. Salchert

Executive and Advertising Offices3591 Cahaba Beach Road

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Electrical Products & Solutions™ is publishedtwelve times a year on a monthly basis by ABDCommunications, Inc., 3591 Cahaba Beach Road,Birmingham, Alabama, 35242, USA. ElectricalProducts & Solutions™ is distributed free to quali-fied subscribers. Non-qualified subscription ratesare $57.00 per year in the U.S. and Canada and$84.00 per year for foreign subscribers (surfacemail). U.S. Postage paid at Birmingham, Alabamaand additional mailing offices.

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P R I N T E D I N T H E U S A

6 Data Loggers – A Useful Tool for Monitoring Power & EnergyPart 1 of a 2 part articleBy John Olobri

18 Saving Time & Money with Remote Power ManagementBy Bill Allen and Karren Hodge

32 Battery Back Up Solutions

DEPARTMENTS

CONTENTS

14

1624 Industry News

34 Product Focus

40 Ad Index

ON THE COVERPhoto courtesy of AEMC® Instruments

FEATURES

CASE STUDY14 The Roosevelt Hotel — Using Advanced Dimming

Controls to Eliminate LED Light Flicker and Create Perfect Hotel Ambiance

2 Electrical Products & Solutions • November 2012

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ering both the significance and benefits ofshort-term diagnostic monitoring for plantmaintenance and expansion.. We will dis-cuss typical monitoring points and showseveral examples of data-logging results. In part two of this article we will discuss

things to consider when choosing a portabledata logging system and point out things tobe cautious about.

What are Energy MonitoringData Loggers?Portable data loggers are compact, light-

weight, battery or AC powered, electronicmonitoring instruments used for collectingdata without the need for operator interven-tion or presence. They can be installed inload center panels or around the facilitywithout difficulty and removed as easilywithout the need to shut down the plant oroffice building first. See figure 1. They arecapable of storing tens of thousands of read-ings to several million readings and can beprogrammed to collect data on a sub cyclebasis or store averages at user programma-ble aggregation periods. They are availablewith a display or blind (no display) and cantransmit their recorded data locally or re-motely.Data loggers can gather electrical data

such as amperage, voltage, power and en-ergy as well as temperature, flow, pressure,event and other data associated with facilitymaintenance and troubleshooting. The data loggers with the most versatile

application employ separate sensors foreach parameter to be recorded. They alsoprovide the ability to automatically recog-nize those sensors and set the scale andmeasurement parameters accordingly. Theycome in single and multi-channel models.Multi-channel data loggers

A work horse up to the task is theportable data logger. They are extremelyflexible and can save a significant amountof time troubleshooting without the needfor an operator to be constantly attendingto it. They can detect unseen problems thatmay be costing many thousands of dollarsannually in wasted energy and untimelyequipment failures.

Whether for troubleshooting a knownproblem or proactively seeking opportuni-ties to optimize power distribution systems,portable data loggers and their accessoriesshould be as common in building mainte-nance technicians’ arsenal of tools as a mul-timeter or thermometer. Energy serviceindustry professionals are making good useof data logging equipment and are discov- Continued on page 8

FEATURE • AEMC® Instruments


Data Loggers – A Useful Tool for Monitoring Power & Energy

Part 1 of a 2 part articleBy John Olobri, Director of Sales and Marketing for AEMC® Instruments

TRACKING FACILITY OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS that have an effecton energy consumption is quite often time consuming and expensive. How-ever, hidden maintenance complications that often are not noticeable affectboth operational and environmental quality and can be the reason for higherthan needed energy costs and more frequent equipment repair and re-placement. There are many instruments available to the engineer and main-tenance staff to tackle finding these problems and costs.

(Figure 1) Easily connect current sensorsand voltage leads without powerinterruption.

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Energy waste is an ongoing issue and isoften undetected. Installing an energy log-ger on equipment that uses large amountsof power or in electrical panels can provideclear and revealing information about en-ergy use when the facility is in a non-oper-ating state. There is a tremendousopportunity to save on energy costs by re-viewing this information.

Energy managers usually track monthlyutility bills to understand a building’s en-ergy use and demand. This helps managersunderstand when energy use or demand hasincreased or decreased. Although good en-ergy reviewing practices will sometimesindicate that a problem may exist, it doesnot always help in understanding where, atwhat time, and why the increases are oc-curring or whether they are correct. Theuse of portable data loggers along with en-ergy reviewing practices provides the miss-ing information necessary to properlyevaluate energy problems. Energy loggerscan help identify and document when intime and where energy

can collect data for several input types si-multaneously. For example, a six or eightchannel logger may be set up to collectmeasurements from three or four voltageand three or four current inputs providingthe ability to monitor three-phase powersystems. Mathematical capabilities providethe ability to calculate power and energy,as well as the cost associated with that en-ergy consumption. Remote access to thedata collection process from the office orat remote locations with wireless or Inter-net access provides the ability to track sev-eral consumption points around the facilityor multiple facilities without the expenseof travel to retrieve the data. Energy management systems in place to-

day provide logging however, they are of-ten installed with only a limited amountof memory and will only capture a sum-mary data. They tend to be permanentlyinstalled devices and will only monitor datafrom one point in the facility making it dif-ficult to troubleshoot problems around thefacility. Portable data loggers overcomethese limitations by providing the ability tolocate problems and provide information

vital to improving energy consumption. Data analysis software provides a pic-

ture of the monitored data over time andthe ability to download to a computer foranalysis. Most software is capable of dis-playing in line graphs often referred to asX/T plots with time on the X axis and am-plitude on the Y axis as shown in figure 2.When evaluating harmonic data, it is ofteneasier to view it in a bar graph formatrather than a line graph.

The ability to look at several channelsof data on the same graph such as threevoltage phases or three current phases pro-vides a convenient way to easily trou-bleshoot power systems. Also, the abilityto zoom in and analyze smaller time sec-tions or compare this week’s data to lastweeks is an invaluable tool. In the energy game, you can’t manage

what you can’t measure. Energy con-sumption takes place over time and there-fore should be recorded over time. Portableenergy monitoring data loggers increase thetechnician’ ability to manage energy byproviding the tool to measure and analyzethat energy over time.

FEATURE • AEMC® Instruments Continued from page 8


Continued on page 12

(Figure 2) Typical X/T plot of energy.

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FEATURE • AEMC® Instruments Continued from page 8

alone is not always enough. No matterhow well technicians maintain equipment,if it operates inefficiently, or more oftenthan needed, energy waste will occur. Thecost of not paying attention to operationalissues along with the maintenance issuescan be significant. Many studies per-formed over the past several years indicatethat most energy savings opportunities areoperational in nature. Energy savings asmuch as twenty to twenty five percent ofthe annual energy cost can be realizedthrough low-cost improvements, with op-erating improvements accounting for agood portion of the savings. Internal facil-ity staff and maintenance personnel andservice contractors can assist the buildingmanagement more effectively by address-ing operational issues as well as equipmentmaintenance issues. Measuring andrecording the performance of energy-us-ing equipment over time is the only wayto verify whether the equipment or systemperforms optimally. Maintaining an in-strument tool crib with several data log-

waste is occurring, which allows the tech-nician and manager to proactively makeimprovements and cost savings. Energy managers can find it difficult to

propose changes in equipment and/or pro-cedures to upper management that requireinvestment because of the lack of data tosupport their recommendations. Data log-gers and their analysis software provide en-ergy managers a clear, documented way tographically present specific data on activi-ties in the facility that increase or decreaseenergy use. This clear information basedon measured data can help energy docu-ment the need for operational changes andprocurement of more energy efficient ma-chinery. They also provide the ability torecord and document the savings by moni-toring the energy usage after the changeshave been made and by comparing the en-ergy usage before and after.

Benefits for Plant MaintenanceStaff and Service Contractors

Performing preventive maintenance

gers will prove invaluable to service tech-nicians and will increase their ability to lo-cate costly building operation problemsquickly. Periodically, monitoring criticalmachinery and high energy consumingbuilding equipment to ensure proper oper-ation should be as important as periodi-cally performing maintenance other taskssuch as cleaning coils, lubricating motorsor changing filters. Portable data loggersallow facility staff and maintenance con-tractors the capability to expand their pre-ventative maintenance programs to alsoinclude pre-emptive operation tasks. Next month we will deal with the se-

lection process for determining the rightdata logger for the task at hand. We willreview the process of selecting the num-ber of channels needed, the right sensors,sampling and storage mechanisms, dis-play and power requirements, communi-cation techniques and data review andanalysis software. Important user pro-grammable parameters and options willalso be discussed. �


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in low-end flickering when the lampswere in dimmed to lower light levels. Thiswas a very prominent problem for bothguests entering the hotel and staff whocould visibly notice the issue. The idealambiance that the hotel had worked sohard to be known for was not being rec-ognized.

Patrick Hughes, chief engineer at TheRoosevelt, in looking for alternative so-lutions that would eliminate the low-endflickering issues, turned to Graybar, aspecialized distributor of high-qualitycomponents, equipment and materials forthe electrical and telecommunications in-dustries. The alternative solution wouldhave to not only eliminate the low-endflickering problem, but have to be aneasy, straightforward solution that didn’trequire extensive renovation to the hotel’slobby – pulling wires, patching walls andrepainting.

In discussing the issues, Jim Edwardsfrom Graybar Seattle, recommended Levi-ton’s Universal Dimmer, a preferred so-lution that eliminates flickering issuesespecially when dimming lighting banksthat contain multiple LED lamps. Ed-wards has worked with Leviton productson a near-daily basis, and after seeingfirsthand the capabilities that the productoffered, knew that the

IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS, creatingthe perfect ambiance is key. It helps show-case the look, feel and mood that hotelguests come to expect when they enterthrough the front doors. This poses uniquechallenges for electrical contractors anddesigners, as is evident in a recent lightingretrofit project completed by The Roo-sevelt Hotel in Seattle, Washington. Builtin 1929, The Roosevelt is a handsomelyrestored hotel located in the heart of anumber of downtown Seattle attractions.The hotel prides itself on setting the idealmood for its guests, and embarked on anupgrade for the lighting fixtures in thelobby area with state-of-the-art energy ef-

ficient lighting to help achieve that.To achieve the targeted lighting levels

and colors, The Roosevelt decided uponLED lighting, based on recent technolog-ical improvements in product design.When used with a dimming device, LEDlamps would help transform the lobbyarea with perfect colors and aesthetics un-able to be achieved with the standard in-candescent lighting used for nearly acentury. LED lighting not only sets theright mood, but since lobby lights requirea 24-hour burn, also provides the hotelwith savings on its utility costs.

Early attempts at using dimming de-vices with the new LED lighting resulted


CASE STUDY • Residential — The Roosevelt Hotel


Using Advanced Dimming Controls to Eliminate LED Light Flicker andCreate Perfect Hotel Ambiance

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CASE STUDY • Residential — The Roosevelt Hotel Continued from page 14

Universal Dimmer would alleviate theproblems The Roosevelt was having withother options.Since the Universal Dimmer works

with both two- and three-wire installa-tions, the solution was ideal for The Roo-sevelt’s existing residential wiringinfrastructure that was built without a neu-tral wire at the switch box. This allowedfor an ease of installation since contrac-tors could install the devices withoutpulling a neutral wire. Through rigoroustesting processes, Leviton ensured that itsUniversal Dimmer would be the ideal so-lution for a wide range of energy efficientlamps – both dimmable LED and dimma-ble CFL – and eliminate the low-endflickering often found with other solu-tions. Leviton’s Universal Dimmer is the

ideal solution for eliminating a number ofissues when dimming energy efficientlamps, including flickering or flutteringof the lamp – as was the case at The Roo-sevelt – as well as reduced dimming range


and inconsistent performance based on thenumber and assortment of lamps beingcontrolled by one incandescent dimmer.It gives contractors, distributors and re-tailers the ability to offer a single lightingcontrol capable of properly dimming next-generation lighting sources while remain-ing backwards compatible with currentlamps.In total, The Roosevelt installed 12

Universal Dimmers – six in the public

lobby space, and since the devices workedso well, six more were installed in man-agement offices to enable proper dimmingcontrol behind the scenes while individu-als were working.Hughes noted that since the completed

installation of Leviton’s Universal Dim-mers in the lobby, everyone has beenpleased. In the hospitality industry, guestsatisfaction is the ultimate goal, and ifsomething is amiss, they’ll notice. Roo-sevelt guests have commented on the up-dated mood of the hotel, and noted thatimproved lighting has made colors crispand clean, even at low levels.“We have been extremely pleased with

the end result that Leviton’s UniversalDimmers provided in helping create theambiance that we here at The RooseveltHotel want our guests to receive,” ex-plained Hughes. “Not only has the overalllook and feel of the hotel improved, butwe have been able to see utility costs godown significantly, which is a major plusfor any business owner.” �


satisfaction. As these data center opera-tions increase, so do the financial and in-tangible costs of downtime. Whenequipment fails, it costs businesses notonly monetarily, but it affects their repu-tation. Ponemon Institute’s “National Sur-vey on Data Center Outages” says that95% of companies experience an un-planned downtime event. 60% of thesecompanies rely on their data center to gen-erate revenue or support e-commerce ac-tivity, and out of these, less than 35%believe they have the system in place tomaximize the availability of uptime.The cost of downtime can be devastat-

ing to a business. According to a surveyperformed by CA Technologies, morethan $26.5 billion in revenue is lost eachyear from downtime which means eachbusiness is losing $150,000 annually. Thesurvey also revealed that outages candamage a company’s reputation, staffmorale, and customer loyalty. According to the same survey, busi-

nesses suffer from 14 hours of IT down-time per year and an average of 18% ofthese companies

WHENEVER A DEVICE FAILS,the most proven method is to cycle poweror reboot. This can be challenging if thedevice is not easily accessed or the deviceis located in another state. It’s simple tocycle power off and on when you can eas-ily get to a device that’s locked up. How-ever, when it’s in an inconvenientlocation, the problem is magnified. Re-mote power management systems are de-signed to solve the problem of equipmentlock-ups and reduce downtime. With anRPM and a static IP address, IT, securityand telecom managers can reboot devicesutilizing a standard web browser and apassword. Locked-up devices can be re-set from a desktop pc, laptop,smart phone or tablet.Regardless of what causes

downtime and/or lock-ups, itis essential to keep vital ap-plications and equipment

up and running. Things happen unexpect-edly and preparedness for these events isvital. It pays to invest in solutions such asRemote Power Management products toaid in the support of mission critical de-vices. When equipment fails, it costs busi-nesses money.Achieving the maximum amount of up-

time is critical to the health of any com-pany who relies on mission criticaldevices such as data centers for businesscritical services. Data centers have be-

come a business asset and a coreof business performance

and customer


FEATURE • Minuteman Power Technologies


Saving Time & Money withRemote Power Management

By Bill Allen, Director of Marketing, and Karren Hodge, Marketing Database Specialist


FEATURE • Minuteman Power Technologies Continued from page 18


described the impact of the outages “verydamaging.” Out of 200 companies sur-veyed, small enterprises lost an averageof $55,000 in revenue, midsized compa-nies lost more than $91,000 and largecompanies lost more than $1,000,000 dueto IT failures.

Let’s face it, locked-upsystems are a fact of life andany enterprise or serviceprovider that relies on theuse of networking equip-ment, such as routers, ATMswitches, and DSLAMs, formission-critical networks ore-commerce services needs aremote power managementsystem.

A majority of enterprises use uninter-ruptible power supplies (UPS) to keeptheir equipment operational. Multiple net-working devices are connected via a sin-gle UPS to power outlets, which poses its

own dilemma. If an individual router fails,for example, the UPS does not have theability to power cycle on an individualpower outlet.

The Remote Power Manager providesthe ability to immediately cycle power orreboot a device without interrupting all of

the equipment attached to the UPS. SomeRemote Power Managers can also initiatea graceful shut down for a wide variety ofservers, and provide remote equipmentmonitoring to ensure devices are runningcorrectly.

Another important function that Re-mote Power Managers can provide ispower sequencing. During a power-up,each of the power outlets can power onsequentially, which distributes the loadand eliminates the risk of a blown fuse ortripping a circuit breaker.

Remote power manage-ment solutions allow ad-ministrators to remotelypower cycle servers and de-vices and troubleshoot prob-lems, both locally andremotely, from any locationin the world. This eliminatesunnecessary service trips tothe remote locations. The

RPM allows the administrator to securelycontrol the power to every piece of equip-ment in the data center.

This provides administrators with theability to manage servers more efficientlyand reduce equipment

The Remote Power Manager provides the ability to immediatelycycle power or reboot a device without interrupting all of the equipment attached to the UPS.




FEATURE • Minuteman Power Technologies Continued from page 20

downtime by giving direct them access topower control. Remote power managementsolutions are also used by many businessesand organizations to manage servers at of-fices and branch locations where there areno IT staff members.

Two-port, eight-port or sixteen-port Re-mote power managers are available, us-ing a single static IP address to managemultiple devices. The newest MinutemanRPMs give the administrator the ability toindividually control up to 16 connecteddevices. Just as these solutions haveadapted to today’s technology needs, theywill continue to adapt to future needs andrequirements.

Many organizations find remote powermanagement solutions are cost effectiveand provide a significant return on invest-ment (ROI). An example was provided bya DirectNet company where an enterpriseworked with a multi-national business so-lutions provider and implemented a com-plete remote power management solution.Their investment of $30,000 provided a


savings of more than $65,000 within oneyear, by allowing them to terminate acostly support agreement with a 3rd partyservice provider. The solution allowed thecompany to more quickly mitigate and re-solve issues as events occurred, increaseworker productivity due to fewer distrac-tions, and reduce equipment downtime.

Today’s Information technology systemsare far more complex and far more distrib-uted than in the past. Because of this, thechallenges of managing these systems hasbecome a more arduous task, demandingthat IT managers, security managers andtelecom managers be far more informedabout the status of all devices on their sys-tems. These systems have become morecritical to the on-going operation of busi-nesses, and the job of managing these sys-tems has become more important, as wellas more demanding. Devices that help fa-cilitate more effective management of mis-sion critical systems can become the bestfriend of these managers. Making life eas-ier for them is the ultimate goal of compa-

nies that produce solutions for these mar-kets. Remote power managers do exactlythat by providing visibility of equipmentstatus and the ability to remotely re-startlocked up devices.

Minuteman’s RPM products are theideal solutions for network administratorswho manage one or more remote locations.Once connected to the network, the usercan easily control power to attached de-vices from virtually anywhere utilizing astandard web browser and a password.With a simple click, users can perform apower up, power down or reboot for de-vices connected to the RPM. With the au-tomatic ping mechanism, users canprogram the RPM to notify personnel whena device locks up, thus allowing immediatevisibility. A re-start of the locked up de-vice is only a mouse click or a finger touchon a smartphone away.

Get a more in-depth look at remotepower management strategies in Minute-man’s white paper: http://www.minute-manups.com/whitepapers �



The National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD)was founded in 1977 by a small group of distributors who wanted to joinforces and promote the Independent Lighting Distributor. Today there areover 100 active members who recognize the great value each of their or-ganizations receives for their investment. The membership now consists ofLighting Distributors, full-line Electrical Distributors with Lighting Divisionsand Manufacturers. In 2011 NAILD created an Associate Member category. Qualified Asso-

ciate Members are organizations involved in the lighting industry that are notdistributors or manufacturers, but whose inclusion in the membership wouldbenefit both NAILD and the Associate Member. Typical candidates for As-sociate Membership would be Manufacturers Reps, Lighting MaintenanceContractors or Consultants.The 2012 NAILD Conference celebrated 35 years of promoting inde-

pendent lighting distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Itwas held at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and in-cluded many retired members who returned to renew old friendshipsand learn about the ever-changing technologies available to lighting dis-tributors. The conference continued its tradition of Education, Network-ing and Technology.The anniversary dinner featured a slide show with 35 years of conference

photos including golf tournaments, networking sessions, keynote addressesand hospitality suite frivolity. Keeping in line with the era in which NAILD wascreated, the music of the 70’s was prominent throughout the evening.Over the past 35 years NAILD has grown beyond networking to serve

the needs of its members in many areas. The main objectives of NAILD are:• Increase the effectiveness and profitability of the lighting distributor througheducational programs and networking with like-minded members.

• Develop marketing strategies and programs to improve membershipawareness and to gain participation in supplier marketing programs.

• Promote the importance and benefits of effective and efficient lighting.

The new NAILD Mission Statement defines what NAILD is all about in2012: Providing the opportunity to grow your business profitably. Througheducation, networking and technology, NAILD continues to be extraordi-nary in the lighting industry.

EducationThe educational opportunities provided by NAILD have become the pri-

mary focus of the membership. In recent years NAILD has developed the LSI Education Program to provide basic lighting training for the members andtheir staff. NAILD is now offering this extraordinary program to non-mem-bers. LS I is a ten module program that was designed to quickly educateemployees on the basic concepts of lighting. Distributors, ManufacturersReps, Lighting Maintenance Contractors and Property Managers can allbenefit from training their Customer Service and Warehouse staff, as well asnew sales or maintenance employees that do not have a lighting back-ground.

Industry NEWS

The LS I program starts with a basic philosophy that the student shouldtake personal responsibility for their own learning. It was designed to in-crease the student’s confidence and competence in light and lighting. Theclass is completed online within 6 months at a pace that the student iscomfortable with. A Coach is available to each student to guide themthrough the process. The course consists of:• Ten online modules that are available on-demand.• Workbook activities for each module designed to reinforce the contentof the modules.

• Hands-on exercises that allow the student to practice what they havelearned.

• Module quizzes – ten questions that help the student ensure retentionof the material.

• Final Exam – a two part review of what the student now understandsabout light and lighting. The exam consists of multiple choice ques-tions and case studies.

• The ten modules cover all of the basics of lighting to help grow yourbusiness.�Module 1 Lighting Overview�Module 2 Introduction to Sources�Module 3 Light and Color�Module 4 How we see�Module 5 Filament Sources�Module 6 Fluorescent Sources�Module 7 HID Sources�Module 8 Ballasts�Module 9 Luminaires and Controls�Module 10 Solid State Lighting – LED Lamps

For more advanced Lighting Education, NAILD has also created theLS II program. NAILD LS II is available to all individuals who have suc-cessfully completed the NAILD LS I course. The focus of LS I is on the ba-sics of lighting and technology. LS II focuses on how to apply thoselighting principles at your customer’s facilities. NAILD LS II is a tool to helpmove you and your staff from the role of “product provider” to the role of“solution provider”In addition to the online training programs, NAILD also offers many

other educational opportunities to its members. The annual conferenceincludes several educational track sessions covering lighting technologiesas well as insights into how to better run your business. There is amonthly program called “A Light Lunch” which is an online, hour long dis-cussion group. It covers a topic of interest to the membership and ismoderated by either a member or an outside expert on the topic. NAILDalso produces a weekly email blast called “A Light Read” that coverslighting, current events effecting the lighting industry and business relatedtopics of interest.

NetworkingNAILD was created 35 years ago to give Lighting Distributors the oppor-

tunity to network with colleagues from throughout the country and shareideas and experiences. Networking remains a major aspect of NAILD mem-bership.

The primary forum for networking is the annual Conference. Eachyear NAILD selects a premier resort property to bring the membership to-gether for four days of Networking, training sessions and recreation.Since many of the members are manufacturing companies that provideproducts or services to distributor members, the conference provides arare opportunity for distributors to spend time with

35 Years of Commitment to theLighting Distributor




and get to know executive level personnel of their major suppliers. Theconvention schedule provides opportunity to meet and compare noteswith other members in formal and informal settings.

NAILD has a Linkedin Group where participants can pose a question, ex-press an opinion or share experiences online, 24/7. The monthly “A LightLunch” session allows for member interaction within the context of the giventopic. There is also an email forum called “NAILD-Talk” whereby memberscan pose a question, express a concern or request input on a product.

TechnologyThe resources of NAILD allow members to be on the cutting edge of

lighting technology. The educational programs ensure that NAILD distribu-tors possess the technical competence to provide the right lighting solu-tions for their customers. The annual convention brings in speakers withexpertise in the new lighting technologies. NAILD is an organization of dis-tributors and manufacturers facilitating the flow of information on new prod-ucts. A NAILD distributor is well prepared to offer the best lighting solutionto any facility.

Other BenefitsNAILD members can become an ENERGY STAR partner with their NAILD

membership. This permits the use of the logo of ENERGY STAR, a volun-tary public-private partnership co-sponsored by the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, on your com-munications.

Industry NEWS Continued from page 24

The annual conference features a trade show of the Vendor members ina much smaller and relaxed environment compared to the major tradeshows. There is also a Product Showcase of new offerings from the Ven-dors. In conjunction with the trade show NAILD schedules 20 minute one-on-one sessions between vendor and distributor members. Thesediscussions are held at a much higher level than is typical of a vendor meet-ing back at the office.

“Today’s Lighting Distributor” (TLD), is the official publication of NAILD.The quarterly issues contain official NAILD news, industry trends and the lat-est in product information.

Several times per year NAILD organizes a “Road Shows” where a Vendormember hosts an event at their facility for local Distributor members andprospective NAILD members. The event consists of product presentationsand networking in a small group setting.

Lighting, as a market segment, has evolved into one of the most dy-namic and rapidly growing sectors in our economy. Our industry sees anever increasing appetite for energy-efficient lamps, ballasts, fixtures, controlsand solutions. NAILD member companies are uniquely positioned to guidecustomers through this brave new world of lighting.

For more information on membership or on the LS I lighting training program contact the NAILD office at 800-205-6210 or go towww.naild.org. �

Kevin Eagan serves on the Board of Directors of NAILD and is a Co-Owner of Northwest Lighting Systems Co.




TOSHIBA’S G9000 UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SYSTEMSare a favorite of many colocation service providers due to its industry-leading efficiency, small footprint, attractive design, and superior re-liability. Among them is Immedion, one of the country’s premier coloproviders, based in South Carolina.

Rob Moser, Co-founder and COO of Immedion, sums up his com-pany’s mission. “Since 2007, Immedion has helped local companieskeep their data, systems, and applications safe, secure, and alwaysaccessible. As South Carolina’s first and premier data center serviceprovider, Immedion’s objective is to keep customer business-criticaldata and applications available 100% of the time 24x7x365.”

Immedion has four data centers in South Carolina at press time.Their commitment to data security, budget consciousness and an in-frastructure management plan that maximizes uptime led them toevaluate and eventually select the Toshiba G9000 as the sole UPS intheir Greenville and Columbia, SC properties. Over time, Moser and histeam were impressed by the G9000s that they installed in their earlierdata centers, but still gave the competition a fair shot at their businesswhen planning their more recent locations. In the end, the G9000was their choice again.

“In 2012, Immedion expanded our Asheville, NC data center, and

Industry NEWS

built a new data center in Charleston, SC as well”, Moser states. “Aspart of these expansion efforts, Immedion evaluated UPS systemsand technologies from all providers; our criteria were reliability, effi-ciency, price, and partnership. Once again, we chose the ToshibaG9000 Series UPS. Given the proven performance

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Immedion and Toshiba are a Reliable Team




demonstrated by the Toshiba systems installed in our Greenvilleand Columbia, SC data centers, Toshiba was the correct choice forImmedion’s expansion. This further developed Immedion’s alreadystrong partnership with Toshiba Systems, who now provides UPSsystems at all four Immedion data centers.”

ABOUT THE TOSHIBA G9000

The G9000 series UPS is a full-IGBT UPS designed specifically fordata center loads. It is available in capacities of 80, 100, 160, 225,300, 500, and 750 kVA and comes with an industry-leading three-year onsite warranty. It is designed for stand-alone or parallel usein up to eight-unit configurations without requiring the use of spe-cial intelligence in the output switchgear cabinet.

Using the new Toshiba IGBT technology in the rectifier/converter,DC/DC chopper, and the inverter sections of the UPS, the G9000'sdouble-conversion topology provides an AC/DC/AC efficiency of upto 97% at loads from 50% to 100%. Even at 20% loading, the effi-ciency remains greater than 96%. This is 10% to 20% better thancurrent industry systems, making the G9000 excellent for N+1 par-allel systems where loads are typically 30-40%.

Toshiba International Corporation (TIC) is a Toshiba America Inc.(TAI) Group Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Cor-poration. TIC is headquartered in Houston, TX, and employs ap-proximately 1,250 people. TIC provides application solutions to awide range of industries including industrial, power systems, trans-mission and distribution systems, and lighting systems. For moreinformation about TIC, please visit http://www.toshiba.com/ind.

Industry NEWS


Immedion and Toshiba...Continued from page 28

If you have industry news that you would like published inElectrical Products & Solutions magazine please email it to

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recently completed a project that guarantees their customerpower regardless of what may be going on outside. The in-stalled system features: 50 REC Group 240W solar mod-ules, SnapNrack racking, 2 Schneider XW 6048s, 3 XWMPPT 80-600 high voltage charge controllers, and 24 twovolt Deka Unigy II cells making up a 48 VDC battery bank.

The batteries are sealed AGM whichmeans they are non-spillable and noventing is needed. The system also in-cludes a Kubota 14kW super silencedback-up generator to charge the batterybank in the event of extended overcastconditions. While traditional generatorsconsume quite a bit of fuel and arerather noisy, the Kubota is almost silentand can be programmed to run duringnighttime hours. The system was designed with the

support of the team at AEE Solar; a Cal-ifornia based solar product and equip-ment distributor with over 30 years ofexpertise. This type of grid-tie battery back-up

system may be just the solution yournext client is looking for. When the gridis up and the solar system is generatingmore electricity than the home is con-suming, the customers’ meter will turnbackwards giving the homeowner abank of kWh credits to use at night or

at a later date when electricity demand is higher. Despite the added costs of battery back-up, the benefit is

immediately realized when the next power outage occurs.In areas of frequent power loss, this is a solution that pro-vides not only consistent and reliable power, but more im-portantly the peace of mind and security that comes with awarm lit home. �

WHEN THE NEXT STORM or natural disaster hitsand entire areas are without power, sadly the vast majority ofhomeowners, including those with solar, will not be able toenjoy the comfort that uninterrupted power from a grid-tiesolar electric system with battery back-up provides. Despiterecent reductions in system costs, currently less than 1% ofhomes with existing solar currentlyhave a battery back-up system. Most people do not think about

owning a back-up system until theylose power for more than a few min-utes. When those minutes turn intohours and food begins to spoil, tem-peratures drop or spike and comfortdisappears. In today’s world even afew hours without power can betremendously inconvenient. Home-owners want their power back the mo-ment it drops off.Thankfully there is an alternative.

Generating one’s own electricity hasbecome both increasingly and com-monplace across the United States.Some states even encourage their cit-izens to generate their own solar elec-tricity with favorable interconnectionpolicies and incentives. Still, the vastmajority of solar electric systems donot have a back-up system tied tothem and the market potential re-mains. In fact, the demand for such systems far outpacesthe expertise to sell, install, and maintain them. For in-stallers looking to create a specialized niche for their busi-ness, tapping into the emerging grid-tied solar electric withbattery back-up market may be just the answer. Mr. David Zachow and his team at Direct Connect Solar

& Electric in Check, Virginia (www.directconnectsolar.com)

FEATURE • Direct Connect Solar & Electric


Battery Back Up Solutions

When the grid is up and the solar system is generating more

electricity than the home is consuming, the

customers’ meter will turn backwards giving the homeowner a bank of kWh credits to use at night or at a later date when electricity

demand is higher.

1112EPSp32_Company Spotlight 11/5/12 9:21 AM Page 32

Cooper Lighting Introduces Lumark LED Parking Garage/Canopy LuminaireThe low-profile Quadcast™ LED luminaire provides adjustable optical control, long life and energy savings.

Cooper Lighting, an industry leader committed to delivering innovativeproducts and driving transformational technology in the lighting industry, ispleased to introduce the Lumark Quadcast™ LED Parking Garage/CanopyLuminaire, an economical, high-performing LED solution for parkinggarage, canopy, stairwell and low-bay installations in which high security il-lumination and energy savings are needed. With a low-profile design, ad-justable rotating optical light panels and easy installation features, theluminaire is an ideal one-for-one replacement for traditional H.I.D., fluo-rescent and induction light sources, while offering up to 80 percent in en-ergy and maintenance savings compared to traditional HID products.The Lumark Quadcast luminaire offers seamless integration into existing or new spaces. The patent pending low-profile (3-1/2

inches) design includes field-adjustable, lockable, optical light panels for precise aiming and control to meet horizontal and ver-tical footcandle illumination requirements. Featuring Cooper’s patented AccuLED Optics™ system, the four 4000K CCT LED op-tical panels rotate 150 degrees and adjust in 15 degree increments. This adjustability vastly improves the cave effect caused bydark ceilings and walls, while improving depth perception and pedestrian and vehicle safety. The LED luminaire consumes only56 watts while delivering a powerful output of 4,365 lumens and maintains greater than 90 percent initial output after 60,000 hours.Designed for easy installation, the Quadcast luminaire features a universal quick-mount plate that adapts to industry-

standard junction boxes. The quick-mount plate is designed with built-in, tool-less click and lock tabs, ensuring a secure in-stallation. A free-swing wire hanger bracket system allows for straightforward electrical connectivity and wire-way inspection.

For more information, visitwww.quadcastled.com


Product FOCUS


1112EPSp34-40_Company Spotlight 11/2/12 12:55 PM Page 34

Continental Control Systems Introduces the WattNode®

Revenue Line of Electric Power Meters with Revenue-GradeAccuracyNew Meters Support BACnet®, LonWorks®, Modbus®, or Pulse Output Continental Control Systems announced today a new line of electric power

meters, the WattNode Revenue. These meters are designed for use in applications requiring revenue-grade accuracy. The WattNode Revenue meters meet the accuracy requirements of ANSI C12.1 and C12.20 Class 0.5, and support Modbus,BACnet, or LonTalk® communications protocol or a pulse output.“We are excited to offer our customers meters that meet and exceed the ANSI C12.20 Class 0.5 accuracy requirements.

Achieving this goal required a significant engineering effort to improve our meters, current transformers, and calibration sys-tems.” – Nathaniel Crutcher, Director of Engineering, Continental Control SystemsThe WattNode Revenue marks a new level of performance for the WattNode brand of electric power meters. WattNode me-

ters are used in building automation and energy management systems world-wide and offer a compact, cost-effective, net-workable solution for electric power metering. The new WattNode Revenue now brings these same advantages torevenue-grade applications.The WattNode Revenue electric power meters are optimized for tenant submetering in residential and commercial spaces,

PV energy generation metering, UMCS metering on military bases, and more.The ANSI C12.1 and C12.20 standards require CTs which meet IEEE C57.13 accuracy, such as the Accu-CT® line of current

transformers. The WattNode Revenue meters are designed for 120/208/240 Vac and 277/480 Vac applications. Each meter is calibrated

using NIST-traceable equipment following the procedures specified by ANSI C12 metering standards, and is supplied witha certificate of calibration.

For more information, visitwww.ccontrolsys.com


Product FOCUS




1112EPSpFullPages_Company Spotlight 11/5/12 1:00 PM Page 37


Product FOCUS


Milwaukee® Introduces Torpedo Levels for Electrical and Plumbing Trades

Milwaukee Tool continues to extend its line of hand tools with its first set of levels, a 10-inch Torpedo Level designed for theelectrical trade and a 10-inch Reaming Torpedo Level for general contractors and plumbing trades. Both levels take into accountthe unique needs of their users and provide design elements that enhance their function.�“We are always looking at and researching how our core users use their tools every day in the field. We take into account the

details,” said Tim Albrecht, vice president of hand tools, Milwaukee Tool. “Both of these levels are more than just a level, their fea-tures add benefits to the user’s experience, saving them

time and making their job easier.”�The 10-inch Torpedo Level has four level vials

signifying 0, 30, 45 and 90 degrees. The30-degree vial makes it ideal for usersto place the level on a metal surface

and with its built-in rare-earth magnet, bends conduit for running wire. Additionally, the level features two holes for switch andoutlet alignment allowing for easy installation of these common parts.�The 10-inch Reaming Torpedo Level has three vials centrally placed signifying 0, 45 and 90 degrees. The 0-degree vial has 1/4-

inch and 1/8-inch markers on both sides to assist with aligning pipes for waste water drainage. Reaming edges allow users to reamPVC pipes from 1/2 to 6-inch in diameter. Additionally, one end is angled and carved to serve as a shovel for clearing dirt. Becausevials are centrally placed, they are less likely to be damaged.��Both levels have a best-in-class accuracy rating, tested by a specialoptic meter. The levels are backed by Milwaukee’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.�Dedicated to delivering advanced solutions to in-crease productivity, Milwaukee’s Hand Tool category will continue to grow and offer innovative products.

For more information, visit www.milwaukeetool.com


November 2012 • epsmag.net 39

Platinum Tools® Adds Bridle Rings for Cable ManagementNow Shipping, Bridle Rings Offer an Efficient,

Secure, and Cost Effective Solution for Low-Voltage Installations

Platinum Tools®, the leader in solutions for the prepa-ration, installation and hand termination of wire and ca-ble, is proud to announce that it has added ThreadedScrew Bridle Rings to its extensive inventory of low-voltage cable management solutions. “We are now shipping our new threaded screw Bridle

Rings for low-voltage installations,” explained John Phillips,Platinum Tools, Inc. product manager. “They attach withbeam clamps on flanges up to a half inch. There arevarious diameter sizes and standard thread configu-rations available. This new line of Bridle Rings com-plements our extensive line of J-Hooks for anadditional cable management solution.”

For more information, visit www.platinumtools.com


NAILDThe National Association of Inde-

pendent Lighting Distributors(NAILD) has developed an onlineLighting Training Program that isnow available to non-members. TheLS I program consists of ten onlinemodules designed to train your staffin basic lighting concepts. There isno quicker way for Distributors,Manufacturers Reps and LightingMaintenance Contractors to providenovice staff members with basiclighting knowledge.

For more information, visitwww.naild.org



Company PG# RS# Company PG# RS#

AEE SOLAR 11 11AEMC INSTRUMENTS IBC 2ARPI OF USA 36 49BRADY WORLDWIDE BC 3BYTE BROTHERS 37 24CONDUIT REPAIR SYSTEMS 4 6CONTINENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS, LLC 28 45COPPER WIRE STRIPPER/RACK-A-TIERS 34 48E-Z METER 36 50EXTECH INSTRUMENTS 3 5FLIR 9 9GENERATOR INTERLOCK TECHNOLOGIES 7 8GENSCO 22 42HB BRACKETS 26 43HIOKI USA 15 13ICC 19 15KRENZ & COMPANY 39 52MEGGER IFC 1MH RHODES/CRAMER COMPANY 34 47

MINUTEMAN UPS 23 17MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC POWER PRODUCTS, INC. 21 16NATIONAL WIRE & CABLE 30 46NORTHWEST LIGHTING SYSTEMS 25 18PHASE-A-MATIC 39 53QUICK MOUNT PV 1 4SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC 33 22SNAPNRACK 17 14SOKKIA 5 7SOUTHWIRE 35 23STEELMAN INDUSTRIES 28 44STRIP-TEC 12 40SUMMIT TECHNOLOGY, INC. 27 19T3 INNOVATION 38 51THE HOME DEPOT 13 12TOSHIBA INTERNATIONAL 31 21UNDERGROUND DEVICES 16 41UTILITY METALS 10 10YOKOGAWA CORPORATION 29 20

This advertisers index is compiled as a courtesy to our readers. While every effort is made to provide a complete and accurate listing of companies, page numbers andreader service numbers, the publisher is not responsible for errors.

Advertiser INDEX

1112EPSp34-40_Company Spotlight 11/5/12 10:24 AM Page 40

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