The retail property group Westfield’s corporate headquarters under the iconic Centrepoint Tower were designed to minimise the use of natural resources, provide a more productive and comfortable workspace for staff and target a 5-star NABERS energy rating and a 6-star Green Star rating. [ + ]

Thermal survey switchboard reports are a valuable business document that can lower insurance premiums and help businesses save money. [ + ]

Collaborating with Philips, Franklin Healthcare set out to renovate its facility so it would have a residential feel, giving patients as much autonomy as possible in a clinical setting. [ + ]

Philips Lighting has donated a range of state-of-the-art LED lighting solutions for the Sydney Story Factory and Martian Embassy in Redfern to help inspire young writers. [ + ]

Is Fair Work Australia’s decision on urine testing a storm in a sample cup or is just taking the proverbial? The decision has drawn comment from all areas of industry, with unions and industry bodies all contributing their two cents’ worth. [ + ]

The cost of powering lights, which is around 15 to 25% of the electricity bill for NSW businesses, can be cut by as much as 82%, according to the NSW Government. [ + ]

GE Lighting’s design team recently retrofitted the lighting system for dozens of Hollys Coffee branches across Korea with its Energy Smart LED PAR30 lights. [ + ]

There’s a quiet revolution underway. But instead of changing the balance of power, this revolution involves changing something rather more mundane: light bulbs. [ + ]

The complexity of combined business IT systems has lead to a proliferation of hardware installations. When adding a major new software system, the safest option has often been to install it on its own dedicated server, rather than risk unforeseen problems from resource conflict or software compatibility with other software systems. Thus data centres evolved with ever increasing numbers of servers, many running at as little as 5 to 10% capacity, contributing to the fact that IT power consumption already has a larger carbon footprint than the airline industry. [ + ]

Australia is currently examining the option to implement the New Zealand Energy Star program for LED and CFL lighting, said Melanie Slade, Director, Lighting and Equipment Energy Efficiency, Australian Government in her recent keynote address at SPARC Design 2012. [ + ]

In a carbon-constrained economy, green building is the way of the future. And for people in electrical trades, this means staying ahead of the game by learning about emerging technologies and installation processes required to gain Green Star certification. [ + ]

The phasing out of the ubiquitous 50 W 12 V MR16 dichroic mirror reflector halogen lamp in Australia poses some significant challenges. Lighting Council Australia estimates there are some 300 million downlights in Australia using these MR16 lamps - hence there is a lot at stake in getting the right replacement for these products. [ + ]

Master Electricians’ research indicates 80% of homeowners believe they are well protected by safety switches, when in fact only 60% are partially protected with the remaining 40% having no protection at all. This explains why it is important for electricians to continue to endorse safety switches and encourage all their customers to have them installed on all circuits for the greatest level of protection. [ + ]

Within renewable energy there are many different technologies: wind energy, solar thermal energy and solar electric energy known as photovoltaics or PV. Although some electrical mechanics would be involved in the wind farm industry and possibly the solar thermal power industry, it is the PV industry which has seen the demand for electrical contractors in recent years. The growth in this market has been substantial. [ + ]

Cable company Nexans has developed the Lo-Sag conductor, which consists of a thermal-resistant aluminium conductor wrapped around a composite carbon core. It has been installed in Brazil to address the country’s increased power demand. [ + ]