Automation and technology group ABB has won an order worth around $25 million to supply electrical and control systems for a new 75 MW photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. [ + ]

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and extremely toxic gas. It is absorbed by red blood cells in the lungs in preference to oxygen - this results in rapid damage to the heart and brain from oxygen starvation. [ + ]

Lightning is a huge natural electrostatic discharge between electrically charged areas within a single cloud, from one cloud to another or between a cloud and the earth. The discharge is accompanied by a flash or strike, can result in serious injuries or fatalities when people are exposed to it and can cause serious damage to equipment, installations and buildings when it hits the ground. [ + ]

Simons Green Energy has completed the installation of a 70 kWe cogeneration system at the soon-to-be-opened Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel. The hotel has adopted a range of environmental initiatives in line with the Sydney Airport Environmental Management Strategy. [ + ]

Organic photovoltaics, although potentially a disruptive technology, do not currently offer very high efficiency levels or lifetime and these characteristics limit their market uptake, says a recent IDTechEx Research report. However, OPVs can offer versatility in form factor, improved indoor performance and low capital expenditure for large-scale manufacture. [ + ]

This article discusses the top nine electrical safety mistakes contractors make, from PPE to maintenance. [ + ]

Four out of five fastest growing territories in terms of data centre power requirements are the ‘BRIC’ economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China), reveals a recent report by DCD Intelligence. [ + ]

Smart lighting control systems make a significant contribution to the effective operation of commercial buildings. As the race towards new technologies for lighting control continues, the prospect of creating smarter, more intuitive controls is seemingly straightforward - all a system really needs to do is to make decisions about which lights to switch on, and how brightly, based on information in the space beneath them. [ + ]

The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) is building a diamond-shaped facility designed to foster researchers’ creativity and productivity. [ + ]

ASIS International, an organisation for security professionals, has released two new ANSI standards: Maturity Model for the Phased Implementation of a Quality Assurance Management System for Private Security Service Providers (PSC.3) and Quality Assurance and Security Management for Private Security Companies Operating at Sea - Guidance (PSC.4). [ + ]

1 March 2013 saw the commencement of the Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) rollout in participating states and territories of Australia. First cab off the rank is Queensland, with WA, Vic, Tas, SA, NT and ACT all looking to follow suit. Additionally, New Zealand will implement similar legislation. [ + ]

Large smelters in electricity-intensive, metal-winning industries can use as much power as a medium-sized city, so finding ways to reduce their energy requirement is a high priority.  In a bid to help smelters cut their consumption and associated emissions, the Australian research agency CSIRO, in partnership with industry players, is assessing and testing new electrical connection systems. [ + ]

Much has been said about the limitations of photovoltaic (PV) solar as an alternative energy source, given its inherent intermittent nature. PV solar has even been blamed for grid instability as well as pushing up the price of electricity. So what about a solar system that allows the utility to decide how much power it requires and when? [ + ]

As the world adapts to technological advancements in readily deployable virtualisation, cloud computing, CoLo and enterprise networks, the migration towards 40 Gbps copper and 100 Gbps fibre cabling infrastructure will see the daily work practices of telecommunications installers undergo a drastic change. [ + ]

A number of developing technologies are ready to surface in the access control market throughout the course of 2013, all of which will bring new levels of security and efficiency to Australian companies. [ + ]