United States of America (USA) Electrical Industry News

Scolmore’s collaboration with globally renowned low energy lighting solutions manufacturer, Energetic, continues to produce new products, and the latest addition is a range of FlameGuard fittings that are designed to fit a wide variety of GU10 and E27 lamps. Energy efficient lamps The energy efficient lamps are fully compliant with Part L1 Building Regulations and incorporate the high protection FlameGuard system, which provides a fire and acoustic barrier. The new range includes a fi...

Wiring accessories and lighting manufacturer, Click Litehouse, will be using its attendance at this year’s Electrical Trade Event to showcase the sheer breadth of its range of products for the electrical contracting industry. The company has been enjoying impressive growth in recent years and this led to a move from its site in Wicklow to larger premises in Dublin’s Sandyford industrial estate in 2013. A tripling in the size of its headquarters and distribution center and the recrui...

If rising prices for oil and gas, combined with COP26 sounding the “death knell for carbon” weren’t already enough for fossil-fuel-based companies, a new survey has found that 56% of those working in oil and gas want to pursue jobs in renewable energy in the coming years.  Energy companies such as Shell, BP and a range of smaller firms cut tens of thousands of jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as they tightened budgets. Now, even as energy demand recovers, many co...

Some companies like BCH Electric Ltd look forward to Elecrama to display their product prowess and network strength. Kapil Grover, the Head – Sales & Marketing, BCH Electric Ltd, said “At BCH Electric, you experience the excellence in quality and technology. At Elecrama, we want to show the world how an Indian company can outperform in the switchgears market by offering the right solutions and technologies for delivering desired results. We have launched a few new products at...

Siemens Smart Infrastructure’s building products KNX/DALI gateway N 141 and the switch/dim actuator 2x DALI Broadcast N 525D11, as well as the Desigo PXC3 controller, were recently certified under the new DALI-2 communication protocol standard for lighting in buildings. DALI-2 is an update to the original Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol and facilitates interoperability and control for LED drivers. Application integration Customers can choose between soluti...

Steve Hughes, the Managing Director of REO UK, said "It is impossible to deny the reality of electric vehicles (EVs). With the sale of petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030, EVs will soon be the main cars on the market." He adds, "There has already been a shift in public mentality, with 186 percent more EVs sold in 2020 than in 2019, showing a clear increase in consumer interest. However, there are still problems that EVs can bring that we must consider now." EV adoption The increase...

As the number of people owning a smart phone increases year-on-year, the popularity and use of apps continue to rise. Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director of Scolmore Group, looks at some of the statistics and how apps are making life easier for contractors and installers. mobile phone population and apps In 2015, 52.7 percent of the global mobile phone population accessed the internet from their mobile phone. This figure is expected to grow to 61.2 percent in 2018. In 2020, the number...

With an influx of budget products from hitherto unknown names hitting the UK electrical accessories market, Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore, outlines the value of investing in a trusted brand. wiring accessories market growth According to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is expected to be worth £1.8bn by the end of 2018, while the market for home automation products, including intelligent wiring accessories, is described as a rapidly growing market...

Mark Flanagan, the Technical Manager with Scolmore Group looks at some of the problems associated with inferior quality connector products, which don’t meet the required standards and therefore, represent a safety hazard. Since Scolmore introduced the first-ever Flow Connector in 2007, it has proved a highly popular product and has continued to grow and develop the range. Inevitably this has led to a lot of copies of the product being brought to market. They may be cheaper, but in many...

In the light of the Grenfell tragedy, the spotlight has been shone on fire safety with the result that building regulations are becoming much more stringent, and building products are coming under more scrutiny. As the first manufacturer to launch fire-rated downlights back in 2005, with the award-wining FlameGuard fire protected and acoustic rated products Scolmore has had years of experience in developing, modifying, and improving the range of products to ensure they meet the latest requi...

A recent survey by online wholesaler - Electrical Direct found that despite the ever-growing popularity of smart home products, many tradespeople are unprepared for the increasing customer demand. The poll found that 82% of tradespeople have never undertaken any form of training in smart home technology and this figure remains largely unchanged following results from the same poll in 2018. Smart home integration While this may come as a surprise to many, it shows that despite the huge growt...

Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore Group, looks at the latest report on the UK lighting sector. According to the latest report by AMA Research - Lighting and LED Market Report - UK 2018-2022 the UK lighting market was estimated to have increased by 44% in 2013, in value terms. Retro-fitting lighting solutions The key driver for the lighting market is LED lighting, which has gained a significant share in the non-domestic sector and has started to make inroads into the do...

A new generation of touch voltage detectors with a built-in lamp. Acquisition system with high-speed data processing microcontroller. Providing maximum reliability in areas where there are complex electrical fields. Lamp in the top part with high-brightness, low-consumption LEDs, for use in dark places Lamp use is independent of the detection Voltage present indicator using multiple high-brightness red LEDs over 360° and buzzer-type intermittent acoustic signal Absence of voltage indic...

It is of vital importance that operators make use of the pertinent personal protective equipment in perfect conditions to prevent electrocution, burns due to contact or electric arc, and even death. Dielectric gloves are an essential personal protective element that protects workers from a possible electric shock during direct or indirect contact with a live point.  Personal protective element Dielectric gloves are used for performing tasks involving low and medium-voltage electric lines...

SPECTRA is a compact electronic detector that detects voltage by direct contact. It indicates to the operator whether there is an electric field and guarantees that the work area is safe at all times. It indicates the presence of voltage by means of LED lamps while also emitting an intermittent acoustic signal. It can be used indoors thanks to the integrated insulating telescopic pole and outdoor in a dry environment. It works with two AAA batteries. Compact electronic detector Technical Spec...

Megger are pleased to announce that they have acquired the BALTO product line from STEVO Electric bvba (Belgium). The BALTO products, continually developed since their launch in 2003, are used to test the operation of DC high-speed electrical circuit breakers.  Acquisition of BALTO products These circuit breakers provide protection to equipment and are frequently found in DC traction, rail and underground transportation, where their reliable operation is critical to maintaining safe opera...

Sofamel has announced the release of the PV0/6 Voltametric Poles for Low and MV networks. The capabilities of the PV0/6 Voltametric Poles include a phase comparator function and a voltage meter function. Product Specifications  High voltage measurement from 0 V to 6 kV. Triple indication of phase discrimination through OLED screen display, LED indicators and different phase warning via a buzzer. Navigation between work modes using push button. Visual indication of battery level. Ind...

Relay and current transformers have been in high demand for a long time in India with only a handful of brands that customers are able to choose from. Megger entered this market in early 2016 but faced two critical challenges: Matching technical and commercial qualification criteria Identification of 765 kV site for validation Long-distance travel The end-user in India required specific criteria of performance certificate for the MRCT from 400 kV substations. After a series of demos at m...

Electrical measurement company Megger Group (Megger) announces it has acquired the entire share capital of Metrycom, a provider of grid network sensors and analytics to the electrical supply industry. Metrycom supplies unique grid sensor and analytics solutions for online measurements, condition monitoring, and fault location using extensive detection and prediction algorithms for medium and high voltage grid networks. Smart grid sensor networks bring insight to grid operators, enabling trackin...

Standards Australia published Amendment 2 of the Wiring Rules on 30 April 2021. These standards will come into effect on 1st November 2021 for all states and territories. The amendment covers the following areas: Clarifications concerning RCD requirements for alterations. Clause 2.10.2.2 — switchboard accessibility and emergency exit facilities: location, spacing, room layout, switchboard doors, and switchboard room doorways. Clause 2.10.3.2 — switchboard construction and verifi...

ISH is one of the most influential international conferences with large scale and high academic level in the field of high voltage and insulation technology. Experienced scientists, researchers, and engineers in the field of high voltage engineering from different countries participate in the oral sessions at ISH. The academic committee of ISH 2021 already invited top experts in the field of high voltage engineering to give plenary and invited presentations throughout the conference on current...

When it comes to wiring accessories, installers want products that are as simple to fit as possible. Marie Parry, Marketing Director at Scolmore Group, looks at the sector and how it needs to keep evolving to meet these requirements and the implications for the electrical wholesaler. Expected to be worth £1.8bn by 2018 according to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is a mature one, with the product mix remaining fairly stable in recent years. As a mature and sizeable market,...

According to the latest market report from AMA Research – ‘Home Automation Market Report – UK 2017-2021, the UK home automation market is worth £160 million annually. It has experienced significant growth since 2010 as homeowners seek out system solutions that include access, security, climate, lighting controls, home entertainment, and communications systems. It describes the market for home automation products as a rapidly growing market that has benefitted from the sp...

Marie Parry, Group Marketing Director, Scolmore Group, looks at how feedback from electrical contractors is helping shape the company’s growing wiring accessories portfolio. Regular engagement with contractors via social media, trade magazines, and face to face at exhibitions and trade shows is how Scolmore gains constructive insight into how contractors like to work, the issues they face, and what they need to help them do their work in the most time-efficient and cost-effective way. It...

As part of its 20th-anniversary celebrations, the company is supporting its customers with 30,000 footballs and 12,500 sets of bears which can be used as incentives to generate increased sales.  Guaranteed to be a hit with the girls as well as the guys, the footballs are branded with the Click Scolmore logo, while the cute teddy bears come in sets of five with jumpers featuring the company’s key product lines - Define, Definity, Deco, Mode, and Flameguard. 

Two brand new product directories have been launched by Click Scolmore which, for the first time, sees the product ranges separated into two distinct categories - Wiring Accessories and Lighting. Testimony to the rapid growth of the business and in particular the development of the lighting side of the business, the new ‘Big Book’ Lighting and Wiring Accessories catalogs showcase the company’s entire product offering and include several brand new additions within each of...

Unicrimp is the latest new business to emerge from the successful Scolmore Group of companies. Its formation brings to the electrical contracting industry a comprehensive range of cable accessory products that complement Scolmore’s current wiring accessories and lighting portfolios. Q-Crimp range Launched under the Q-Crimp brand name and available exclusively through the electrical wholesale trade, the product offering comprises an extensive range of cable management consumables. All...

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is changing how buildings, infrastructure, and utilities are planned, designed, and built. Having started life as a three-dimensional modeling system in the 1980s, BIM was originally used by architects and concentrated solely on construction elements. Currently, the latest generation of BIM software includes all the components of a building, including MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) services and it provides contractors with the ability to deliver...

Marie Parry, Marketing Director, Scolmore Group, looks at the growing Smart Lighting sector and the opportunities it presents to specifiers, architects, and installers. Projected to exceed US$47 billion by 2020, the global lighting industry has come a long way from the on/off-world to energy-efficient lighting and adaptive lighting to the current connection or smart-lighting era. Growth in the lighting market In the UK, the lighting market was estimated to be worth around £2 billion...

Scolmore Group is delighted to announce that it has been successful in upgrading its ISO 9001 certification to the new International Quality Standard ISO 9001:2015.  Benefits of the certification With only 15% of UK companies having applied to transition from the old standard when it was introduced in September 2015, Scolmore’s decision to update to the new system early demonstrates a continued commitment to remain at the forefront of developments in their industry and sets them a...