Articles
KNX city: where intelligent power grids work with intelligent buildings
Engineers and technicians in Europe are working towards creating smart cities where building controls, industrial control systems and city infrastructure systems can all work together for a solution that offers energy efficiency as well as the highest possible supply availability. Read on to find out more. [ + ]
Outsmarted
Smart homes have been the talk of technology for decades, but never really hit the widestream acceptance that was predicted. From the heady space-age promises of the Jetsons to simple single-lamp lighting controls - did we outstmart ourselves? [ + ]
The perils of an unbalanced network
Frequently misunderstood and often not adequately factored in to engineering specs, harmonics can cause serious headaches for contractors. Unbalanced networks often warrant costly upgrades or rectification, which can leave the contractor carrying the can. [ + ]
High-tech aged care
Bethsalem Care is an aged care facility serving the Christadelphian community of Adelaide. For almost 60 years they have provided care and hostel-style accommodation for church members and the wider community. Around 10 years ago, the board realised the nature of aged care was changing. Not only was demand increasing, but the community wanted assurance of a graceful transition from retirement to full-time care. [ + ]
Integration is the key
Clipsal C-Bus can be programmed to do some impressive things, but often the most spectacular functions are unseen - quietly going about their business without any fuss or fanfare. [ + ]
Macquarie Telecom reduces running costs at flagship Intellicentre 2 data centre with server automation
Telecoms and managed hosting provider Macquarie Telecom has deployed server and network automation in its new $60 million Intellicentre 2 data centre to manage, and reduce, the costs of rapid ongoing growth. [ + ]
Financing energy-efficiency improvement works
Rising energy prices are foremost in people’s thoughts these days and although most are aware that investing in energy efficiency ‘pays back’, split incentives can be a barrier to investment. Environmental upgrade agreements (EUAs) are a new finance mechanism that promises to overcome this barrier. [ + ]
School installs 60 kW solar PV system
Autonomous Energy has designed, installed and commissioned a 60 kW Solar PV system at Pymble Ladies’ College. The system was installed in two phases, the first phase (16 kW) was commissioned in July 2011 and the second phase (60 kW) went live in February 2012. [ + ]
Avaya network upgrade helps Sydney Adventist Hospital move to electronic health records
Sydney Adventist Hospital (SAH) has upgraded its network to support growth and deliver around-the-clock connectivity to doctors and other staff. The hospital deployed Avaya Ethernet Routing switches across the hospital and is also upgrading to Virtual Services Platform 9000 core switches, to provide the backbone of the network for the next decade. [ + ]
Managing solar for remote communities
Some Australian electric utilities operate a substantial number of diesel-fuelled power stations for remote communities that are too distant to connect to the main electricity grids. These communities can include hundreds of residents, along with local commercial activities and civil infrastructure to support the region. The wet season can make it difficult to access some communities by road for up to 1-2 months. Photovoltaic (PV) power generation has been identified as the most consistent source of renewable power to cover the daily power consumption profile of these communities. [ + ]
Scoping for the NBN in new homes
The National Broadband Network (NBN) and fibre to the home (FttH) provide competitive options for service delivery. As cablers and installers, we too need to provide installations that meet the needs of the modern resident. [ + ]
New ACMA competency requirements for cablers
New Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regulatory requirements for cabling providers announced this past July will require cablers who perform specialised cabling work - namely optical fibre, structured or coaxial - to hold the necessary competencies relevant to that cabling work. [ + ]
The devil is in the detail
When Lanec Services was asked to “tidy up” a five-year-old comms room install for a Victorian Government department, the decision to use self-tracing leads was a fairly obvious one. As with many IT installations, the project had grown unchecked over time and would likely require that cables be added, moved or removed altogether in the future. [ + ]
Budget hotels are big business
In its first partnership with a major budget hotel chain in Asia, GE Lighting is collaborating with Tune Hotels to jointly explore and implement green solutions across its portfolio of hotels. To date, 2876 light points have been replaced with GE’s energy-efficient and eco-friendly LED lights across Tune Hotels in Malaysia. With the new lighting solutions for both exterior and interior environments, the hotels stand out with high-quality illumination while enjoying energy savings and lower maintenance costs. [ + ]
On closer inspection
When it comes to choosing between a traditional cabled closed-camera-TV (CCTV) installation and an IP-networked surveillance system, many factors suggest that the latter will provide long- and short-term benefits for both the electrical contractor and the end user, but the up-front cost of the cameras can be a turn-off. CCTV cameras have been around for many years, offer reliable surveillance and can be purchased relatively inexpensively. So why bother changing over to an IP solution that can cost up to three times more? [ + ]