


PoE and DLVP: Comparing Power Distribution Systems for Lighting and Controls
The invention of the LED has left an indelible mark on not only lighting, but also building power systems. Aggressive market adoption of LED lighting and falling prices have enabled greater use of control systems in every lighting market segment. In turn, the integration of control systems with LED lighting has created an upsurge of low voltage devices in the ceiling.


Complaint Handling and Online Reputation Defence for Contractors, Part 2
Part 1 offered tips on how to respond to a complaint, including writing an apology letter. Here in Part 2: how to protect and even build your business after the complaint is resolved by obtaining a general release (especially if you resolved the issue by refunding money) and even a testimonial on how you successfully handled a complaint.


Five Reasons for Preventive Maintenance
Keeping electrical distribution equipment at optimum performance levels can be challenging and stressful. Why? Because nothing operates without reliable power. Developing a maintenance strategy for your electrical distribution system is a sound business decision and implementing an electrical preventive maintenance program is a great starting point. Here are five reasons why.


Q1 Investment in Non-Residential Building Construction Continues Decline
Investment in non-residential building construction declined for the fifth consecutive quarter, down 1.6% from the previous quarter to $12.5 billion in the first quarter. Nationally, the decrease resulted from lower spending in all three components, with commercial buildings accounting for most of the decline.

Spotlight: Power Over Ethernet
Power over Ethernet, or PoE for short, is a technology that is decades old. Ethernet cable has been around for over 40 years now. PoE refers to when both data and low voltage DC power are provided over the same Class 2, Category 5, or better, ethernet cable. The techniques for delivering power over ethernet have been standardized via the IEEE 802.3 family of standards.

Keith Sones — a Storyteller with a Passion for the Industry and a Focus on His People
Keith Sones, President of Allteck for the past several years and now an executive with the Valard Group of Companies, is an incredible story teller. You will read his stories in EIN on a regular basis starting next month. He will talk to you about safety management, business development in our industry, relationships with your customers, aboriginal advancement, operational leadership and much more because he knows a lot about those subjects.


Building Permits Jump 10.4% in August
Municipalities issued $7.3 billion worth of building permits in August, up 10.4% from July. This marked the second consecutive monthly increase. The gain was mainly attributable to higher construction intentions in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia.

Who Holds the Knowledge in Your Organization?
We’ve all done it. Spent considerable time working on a key document or spreadsheet only to forget where we saved it, and had to start again. Or gone to ask for advice from a subject matter expert in the company only to realize he /she has retired — along with the 30 years of tacit knowledge in their head that’s not all captured “in the files.”


Six Ways to Troubleshoot in Local Area Networks
“Network transmission media can be copper, fibre or wireless so network technicians need to be armed with troubleshooting tools that can tackle any problem they encounter,” explains Tim Widdershoven, Global Marketing Manager at IDEAL Networks. “This makes it more challenging for technicians — if errors occur, they could be located in a wide range of different media and layers of the network.”

Guide to the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I — Instalment 18
In this article: Section 30 – Installation of Lighting Equipment. The code is a comprehensive document. Sometimes it can seem quite daunting to quickly find the information you need. This series of articles provides a guide to help users find their way through this critical document. The series is not intended to replace the notes in Appendix B or the explanations of individual requirements contained in the CEC Handbook, but will hopefully provide some help in navigating the code.