EVSES Formed At NEMA
Just before the electric vehicle
game got into a gear (with the launch of the Leaf and the Volt), NEMA (on Dec.
21) said it had formed a section called Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment/Systems,
the EVSES.
One might think this important.
According to the fifth paragraph of NEMA’s press release, “EVSES is only the
second NEMA section formed within the last decade.”
“The section will align the strengths
of major stakeholders in the electric vehicle market, including auto manufacturers,
utilities, and government,” NEMA said.
Chair: Michael Mahan, GE global
product manager.
OSHA Clarifies Stand On SDoC
Can manufacturers of electrical
equipment self-certify that the things they make meet standards?
OSHA said it will continue
to require third-party certification (via a recognizing testing org) for electrical
products that will end up in a U.S. workplace. See this report.
NEMA loves the OSHA
move, as it essentially matches comments it sent to the regulators almost two
years ago (release).
Reports On Other Countries
COLUMBIA/electrical retailing—according
to Bharatbook.com, which is in the market research biz, there was compound annual
growth of 10.4% from 2003 to 2008 for Specialist Electrical and Electronics
Retailers in Columbia. Roughly 43% of the 2008 sales were for computer hardware.
ENGLAND/energy logjam—from
The Observer (Dec. 19): “Union leaders have joined the Confederation
of British Industry in pressing the government to clear up the logjams that
have led to almost 40 major energy schemes being held up.”
EUROPE/buildings & energy—the
European Commission said an investment of more than $1.3 trillion is necessary
over the next decade “to make Europe’s energy more sustainable and secure,”
with buildings (as well as transportation) “a pressing priority.” More.
GERMANY/solar—a report commissioned by the German Solar
Industry Association, providing a vision for its future, is discussed here.
INTERNATIONAL/cable suppliers—an
article in Post Magazine, “Getting crossed wires,” quoted the U.K. government
as contending that “more than 27% of all electrical fires are caused by either
electrical products or faulty cables.” Here’s a piece of the final paragraph:
“In the case of Turkish
manufacturer Atlas Kablo, more than 11 million meters of its cables were withdrawn
from the U.K. market this year after being deemed unsafe by the British Approvals
Services for Cables, which suspended and then canceled its product certification
license.
“However, it is unclear
how much of the cable remains in the supply chain or how much has already been
installed.
“Certain cables marked
‘Kaydour,’ which entered the U.K. market in 2009 and are understood to have
originated in India, were found to have serious problems, making them unsafe
for use [they were then “quarantined”].
“However, the industry
has also seen a rise in substandard or counterfeit Chinese cables sold on Ebay,
where the distributor and any controls during import are bypassed. These often
end up in the hands of people who have far less knowledge and opportunity to
verify the authenticity of the product.”
[NOTE: tedmag.com attempted
to link to the article, but it’s shut away behind a firewall at www.postonline.co.uk.]
MEXICO/LED street lighting—a
GE Lighting Solutions release noted that an official of Quintana Roo has committed
“to replace 25,507 streetlights in the municipality of Othon P. Blanco” with
GE LED cobraheads.
NFPA & the world—that
was the headline on the “first word” column, penned by NFPA President James
Shannon, in the association’s magazine. He discussed the association’s efforts
in China, Columbia, and Portugal.
NIGERIA/light bulbs—“steady
power supply is possible in Nigeria only if government and the citizenry embrace
modern lighting technology (also known as energy-saving bulbs) to boost energy
conservation.” That’s the gist of a Dec. 12 report in Africa News, based
on words from an electrical engineer, Chris Ihenacho.
Ihenacho recommended
Nigeria duplicate what Ghana did two years ago when people there complained
“of insufficient power supply, as we still do in Nigeria now.” The solution
there? “They managed the level of electricity…a practical success in conservation.”
The place to start,
the engineer said, was with light bulbs.
NORWAY/renewable energy—according
to Nationen (Dec. 9), poor power distribution capacity in parts of Norway
(“especially in…the northwest of the country”) are standing in the way of expansion
of renewable energy. “Many micro-hydro-power projects have been delayed by several
years because of the distribution problems.”
U.K./contractors contribute—the
Electrical Contractors Association of the U.K. has provided roughly $3,000 to
help 29-year-old paraplegic Steve Brown train for a possible spot in the 2012
Olympics—in wheelchair rugby. According to the Kent Messenger, “he will
use the money to buy made-to-measure equipment, including light-weight [tires],
inner tubes, gloves, and to meet travel and accommodation costs.” Brown told
the newspaper that he was “ overwhelmed” by the donation.
© 2012 The Electrical Distributor. All rights reserved.