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The Electric Current Blog

Outreach, Training  |  

Electrical Alliance Endows Virginia Tech Scholarship

The Electrical Alliance has established an endowment at Virginia Tech through the Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. The Electrical Alliance Norman Hill Scholarship will endow $100,000 to the university for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, in consultation with the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. This endowment will thusly support one scholarship award every school year, over the next five years, to a student involved in the Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management Program (VCEMP).

Quality, Training  |  

Electrical Apprenticeship Program Celebrates 2019 Graduates

The Electrical Alliance is pleased to announce the 2019 graduating class of the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) Apprenticeship Program. On Saturday, June 1st, graduates were honored in a celebration held in Greenbelt, MD. These men and women completed the program and became Journeyman Electricians over intensive classroom and job site training. As apprentices, they began earning good wages on day one of their training. With their honed skills and newfound knowledge, these graduates have secured high-paying, in-demand careers that offer generous benefits, all without incurring student loans.

Safety, Training  |  

Electrical Alliance Celebrates May as National Electrical Safety Month

In recognition of May as the National Electrical Safety Month (NESM), the Electrical Alliance (EA) sponsored a safety day event on May 18th at IBEW Local Union 26 headquarters in Lanham, Maryland.  All EA contractors’ representatives and employees were invited to the event. Tom Myers, Local 26 President, described the EA Safety Day as an “inaugural event [that] celebrates our industry’s collaborative efforts to protect the safety and health of our workers.”

Quality, Sustainability  |  

New Electricity Laws Enacted to Combat Climate Change

With global warming becoming a major concern, nations around the world are thinking of ways to halt climate change.

What is global warming? According to National Geographic, global warming is the gradual increase of the planet’s overall temperature. This increase correlates with the increase in the human population. Human activity has been labeled as the primary cause of global warming due to the volume of fossil fuels burned. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas caused an increase in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, and has therefore strengthened the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process in which the sun’s heat reaches the earth’s atmosphere and gets trapped by greenhouse gases, causing the earth to grow warmer. In simple terms, an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes an increase in the amount of heat absorbed, therefore raising the earth’s temperature.

Innovation, Sustainability  |  

So, What about the Smart Grid?

It seems like all new electrical projects somehow have something to do with a smart grid at one time or another. What is a smart grid? The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) describes the smart grid as “an intelligent electricity grid—one that uses digital communications technology, information systems, and automation to detect and react to local changes in usage, improve system operating efficiency, and, in turn, reduce operating costs while maintaining high system reliability.”

Innovation, Quality, Safety  |  

Beyond The Code – National Electrical Installation Standards

At this year’s Code Seminar sponsored by the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) of the Electrical Alliance, 160 participants — including Electrical Alliance contractors’ representatives and electricians — received important updates and training on the National Electrical Codes (NEC)®. The Code Seminar, held on March 23, focused on the 2017 NEC® Significant Changes and provided updates relevant to Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E) and fire alarm code.

Innovation, Safety  |  

2019 Industry Advancements – Staying Ahead of the Curve

As technology rapidly changes, electrical contractors must stay up-to-date on industry advancements— their jobs depend on it. Advancements in tools, lighting, machinery, accessories and more, frequently allow for electrical jobs to be completed faster, more efficiently and often times even more cost effectively. In addition, many of these advancements help trades workers to be safer on the job.

Innovation, Quality, Safety  |  

Aarow’s Installation Challenges Working On NIH’s 24/7 Hospital Fire Alarm Replacement

Starting July 25, 2017, Aarow Electrical Solutions was awarded a contract with JV EGI/HSU to replace the active fire alarm infrastructure within NIH main hospital. There are three 14-story risers plus penthouses in the building 10 hospital East, West, center, and five 8-story risers plus penthouses in the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center (CRC), both under one roof, all of which received the new infrastructure.