MCEE 2017 — Experts, Innovative Products And Significant Participation

May 7, 2017

By Line Goyette

The MCEE 2017 conference and trade show, for the electrical, lighting plumbing, hydronics, and HVACR industries, took place on April 26 and 27 in Montreal.

The trade show alone, comprising 400 exhibitors, welcomed nearly 9000 visitors, including many students from different technical programs. MCEE also offered 23 sessions, some of which are discussed below. Highlight of the MCEE: the new product showcase, which featured more than 120 innovative products.

Product winners were chosen by a panel of industry experts:

• Eric Fournier, engineer, representing the American Society of Plumbing Engineers
• Simon Khaled, engineer, ASHRAE
• Imed Laouini, engineer, Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ)
• Pierre Grenier, Corporation des entreprises de traitement de l’air et du froid (CETAF)
• Mihaï Pecingin, Illuminating Engineering Society

The session on upcoming changes in the new CE Code was very popular. Speaker Gilbert Montmigny, from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, discussed the 20 most important changes, which will be the subject of much discussion until a consensus is reached. These changes include sections on arc flash protection, electric vehicle recharging, wiring from other buildings and a new way to calculate allowable currents. Also on the agenda: two sessions sponsored by Electro-Federation Canada (EFC).

Jean-Sébastien Bercier, Vice President at Desdowd and President of SoluCharge gave a presentation on issues related to charging stations. These issues are, in Bercier’s opinion, both simple and complicated at the same time. The market for charging stations is experiencing significant growth, but poses a demand management problem. The future lies in changes to the CE Code and management of power by smart charging stations. According to the speaker, the cost of vehicles on the market today poses a significant market barrier.

Rob Nadler and Jeff Beare of Stanpro, responsible for EFC’s research activities, presented a report on future prospects for electrical contractors in Canada http://www.electrofed.com/market-research/ [PLEASE EMBED THE LINK]. Their presentation of the research highlights was followed by an industry panel session on the findings. Panel members included Bernard Brunelle (Franklin Empire), Benoit Meunier (Contact Davis), Patrick Perreault (Britton Electric), and Mihai Pecingina (DND Consultants). Participants were all a little surprised by the importance of online information, and commented on a pre-purchasing trend among end users at different levels. A growing need for technical expertise also got participants thinking. The moderator asked the panelists to summarize this research report in one word, and they cited the globalization of purchases, new technologies, the technical product training, and the future of collaborative work.

Line Goyette is Managing Editor of EIN; linegoyette@kerrwil.com