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Number of establishments in Canada by region: December 2014 

Today’s building stock accounts for a substantial amount of global energy use, putting increased pressure on governments and corporations to reduce their carbon footprints and energy-related spending. As a result, energy efficiency has become a broad-based strategy to solve both of these challenges.

A $3500 scholarship for any college or university student across Canada in sustainable development, engineering (electrical & mechanical) and electronics and environmental studies, sponsored by Convectair, is just one of 52 scholarships available this year through Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)’s 2015 Scholarship Program.

In fall 2014, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon exhorted all countries to raise the ambitions of their climate change policies to avoid a global temperature increase of more than 2oC during this century. Since the Rio+20 Conference, he has repeatedly called for a greater contribution of science to resolve environmental problems. Responding to this call, 30 Canadian universities created a collective initiative called Sustainable Canada Dialogues (SCD).

This at-a-glance look at copper pricing captures its dramatic fluctuations year to year.

In an unprecedented commitment to cooperation, the International Code Council (ICC), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES), and ASHRAE are collaborating on the next editions of the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ASHRAE Standard 189.1, and the LEED standard. 

To hear Standard Products Inc. President and CEO David Nathaniel tell the story of this family business, you have a sense of going back decades. However, it’s a contemporary story that finally looks a bit like that of the technologies that have accompanied the business along the way.

Employment rose, fell and rose again from 2009 to 2011. Since then, it’s been steady.

Engaging university and college students is critical in our industry, says Joris Myny, Chair of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)’s scholarship program and a senior vice president of Siemens Canada Limited.

The total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities fell 12.9% to $6.1 billion in January, following a 6.1% increase the previous month. Lower construction intentions for non-residential buildings in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario were responsible for much of the national decline. 

For an electrical installation, meeting the minimum code requirements is not achieved simply by following the installation requirements of the Canadian Electrical Code Part 1 (CE Code)…

From 1992 to 2008, electrician Denis Lapointe worked at the Canada Revenue Agency’s Ottawa taxation facility drilling and pulling wires through walls, floors and ceilings. In the process, he may have been exposing himself and others to asbestos. According to CBC news reports, Lapointe learned that asbestos was present only while reading a 1995 building condition report —despite laws requiring employers to inform workers of hazards they may be exposed to. To find out more, he had to file access to information requests.

Unique messaging and a well-constructed website gave us the impetus to want to look into Kamloops’ forty year old, family owned and operated, Crawford Electric.  Their team of licensed electricians support the firm’s long-standing reputation as the 2011 winner of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Green Award, and a full British Columbia Hydro Alliance Member, Crawford Electric specializes in energy-saving lighting upgrades. 

Surge protection devices (SPDs) play a critical role in guarding sensitive electrical equipment from the destructive effects of power transients, but servicing them safely without impacting critical operations has traditionally been difficult. Now a new generation ofSPDs with sophisticated safety functionality is helping organizationsaddress that longstanding limitation. This white paper explains howthe latest SPDs empower companies to maximize surge protectionwithout endangering technicians, and outlines critical features to lookfor when evaluating these new and advanced devices.

From 2013 to 2014, websites remain the dominant source. Among the greatest changes, e-newsletters jumped 11%, while print newsletters dropped 15%.

So, Who are You Supporting? Feedback from Electricity Human Resource Canada (EHRC) research into the lack of diversity in the electricity industry has shed interesting light on the challenges and successes associated with the attraction, recruitment and retention of women in the sector. With the expected exodus of much of the workforce to retirement, and less than 5% of women working in the trades (and only 25% industry wide), engaging this under-represented group is a priority.