April 2007.pdf - Electrical Business Magazine

INFO NO. 1 

T&B_LUG_EB_April07.indd 1 3/27/07 2:23:30 PM 

Page 12 

Check out what Ford and GM offer this 

year in the way of work vans. 

Page 18 

Montreal wraps up the most successful 

High Lights Festival to date. 

Page 30 

With their frosted lenses, these lamps 

provide soft, even light distribution. 

PM # 40063602 PAP registration # 10774 

DriveRx 

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INFO NO. 3

Electrical 

B usiness 

THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE OF 

CANADA’S ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY 

April 2007 

Volume 43 • Issue 4 

ELECTRICAL BUSINESS is the magazine of the Canadian 

electrical industry. It reports on the news and publishes 

articles in a manner that is informative and constructive. 

Editor 

Anthony Capkun - acapkun@clbmedia.ca 

Publisher 

Bill Begin - bbegin@clbmedia.ca 

Account Representative 

Jennifer Sewell - jsewell@clbmedia.ca 

EB Editorial Advisory Board 

Tom Crist, Kerry Heid, Ron Bergeron, Stephen Tatrallyay, 

Dan Mott, John Vickery, Ian Dempsey and Pierre Dowd 

Art Director 

Svetlana Avrutin - savrutin@clbmedia.ca 

Production Manager 

Robert Russell - rrussell@clbmedia.ca 

Contributing Editor, Quebec Report 

Normand Gosselin - ngosselin@clbmedia.ca 

Creative Director 

Einar Rice - erice@clbmedia.ca 

Manager, Production 

Lisa Drummond - ldrummond@clbmedia.ca 

Subscriber Customer Service Representative 

Kristen Schulz - kschulz@clbmedia.ca 

240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 

Tel: 905-727-0077 Fax: 905-727-0017 

President 

Stuart Morrison 

Vice President, Media, Publishing 

Niel Hiscox 

Vice President, Finance/Corporate Development 

Kent Milford 

Vice President, Human Resources 

Susan Bishop 

Vice President, IT and Operations 

David Overall 

Director, Sales and Marketing 

Frank Shoniker 

Director, Editorial and Production 

Jackie Roth 

Director, Circulation 

James Zammit 

Director, Facility Management and Logistics 

Steve Dale 

Director, Human Resources 

Denise Desrosiers 

Director, IT 

Phillip Damianidis 

Member, CLB Media Management Committee 

Nigel Bishop 

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The contents of Electrical Business are copyright by ©2006 

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Agreement 40063602 ISSN 0013-4244 

Printed in Canada 

Although we’ve been around 

for 43 years as Canada’s 

national publication for 

electrical professionals, we by no 

means want to become stale. And 

this philosophy extends to our 

Editorial Advisory Board, which 

we launched last year to serve as a 

‘Brain Trust’ to the magazine. 

As such, we intend to shake 

things up every year with the addition 

of new voices and opinions 

to the board while thanking previous 

members for their efforts 

and commitment to the magazine. 

This month, we bid farewell 

to Maureen Bzowy, Ted Olechna, 

Erhard Hermann, Tim Jones and 

Debbie DeCaire. Staying on board 

for another term are Ron Bergeron 

of Bergeron Electric, Pierre Dowd 

of Desdowd Inc. and construction 

law expert Stephen Tatrallyay. 

And we welcome 

the following 

to our Editorial 

Advisory Board:> 

Photo by Paul Wright 

lighting showcase 

20 Lightfair a beacon to the world 

of lighting 

20 Energy-efficient streetlights 

show us the way home 

21 The present and future promise 

of LED technology 

25 Pity the poor incandescent bulb 

Tom Crist 

Tom is the president and CEO 

of Eecol Electric, a prominent 

Canadian electrical distributorship 

founded in 1919. 

Headquartered in Calgary, 

Alta., Eecol is a member of the IED Limited 

Partnership. You’ll remember Tom from our 

Round Table discussion in last month’s issue. 

Kerry Heid 

Kerry is the president of 

Magna Electric (Regina, Sask.) 

and was the first Canadian 

sworn in as president of 

the InterNational Electrical 

Testing Association (NETA), an 

accredited standards developer for the American 

National Standards Institute (ANSI). He was our 

“Meet the Players” profile in September 2006. 

Dan Mott 

Dan is the president of Mott 

Electric, a prominent electrical 

contractor in British Columbia 

that’s in its 77th year of business. 

Dan was profiled in our 

January 2006 issue and, more 

recently, we told you how he was selected to 

chair the board of directors of B.C.’s construction 

industry training organization (ITO). 

FEATURES 

8 Getting to the root cause of motor failures 

The squirrel cage induction motor remains the workhorse of industry, which is 

why it is important to pay more attention to root cause failure analysis. 

17 Grouping of motors on a single branch circuit 

There are code limitations with motor starters when we group them on a single 

branch over-current device, and these limitations are not always well known. 

37 Voltage regulators provide MRI solution 

A variable transformer controlled voltage regulator solves a design dilemma 

for the world’s first manufacturer of upright MRI scanners. 

REGIONAL FOCUS 

11 Atlantic Focus 

This month’s focus is on Nova Scotia—the “Gateway to the New World”. 

18 Quebec Report 

In Quebec, basic education is changing for maintenance and construction 

electricians, which are often considered two distinct trades. 

From the editor ▼ 

Refreshing the Brain Trust 

ON THE COVER & PAGE 19 

Lighting Showcase–Lightfair 2007 

John Vickery 

The president Vickery Electric 

(Whitby, Ont.), John holds 

a number of electrical 

licenses, worked with Durham 

College and the Ministry 

of Colleges and Universities to establish 

the Apprenticeship Certification Act, and is 

listed on the Faculty of UNSOED University in 

Powerkerto, Central Java, Indonesia. 

Ian Dempsey 

Ian is a registered professional 

engineer and a 

member of the Association 

of Professional Engineers of 

Nova Scotia (APENS). He is 

currently a full-time instructor 

at Nova Scotia Community College (Institute 

of Technology Campus) in Halifax, where he 

has taught a number of various courses, 

including Fundamentals of Electricity. 

Again, we welcome our new members, 

and thank them for their commitment to 

both Electrical Business and Canada’s 

electrical industry. 

CONTENTS 

Lightfair is the preeminent North American showcase of lighting products and technology, 

and it’s also the reason we present this month such a huge Lighting Showcase, starting 

with our cover feature on the present and future promise of LED technology (presented by 

T.Y. Wang, Ph.D., shown in photo). 

26 Innovative products from 

lighting leaders 

27 Drugstore chain’s 

sustainability initiative 

29 Lighting impacts your 

health more than you know 

31 Lighting Efficiency Coalition 

issues call to action 

DEPARTMENTS 

4 Industry News 

7 Personalities 

12 Trucks for the Trade 

16 From the Legal Desk 

Specific tender questions 

33 Calendar 

36 Meet the Players 

CECA’s Rick Brodhurst 

39 EB Careers 

40 Library 

41 Marketplace 

42 Code File 

Rule 10-700 Grounding Electrodes 

42 Code Conundrum 

page 18 

www. mag.com • APRIL 2007 • 3

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Alberta funds training for over 3600 apprentices 

The Alberta government is investing more than $15 million 

to provide the in-class portion of apprenticeship programs to 

more than 3600 additional apprentices across the province. 

“The demand for skilled tradespeople in Alberta is at an 

all-time high,” said Doug Horner, minister of advanced education 

and technology. “This investment is a positive step toward 

addressing the province’s labour shortage and increasing access 

to post-secondary learning.” 

This investment in apprenticeship is part of the government’s 

10-year labour strategy, “Building and Educating Tomorrow’s 

Workforce”, which aims to improve the supply of appropriately 

skilled and motivated workers in the province. 

“It’s important that government continue to increase access 

to technical training,” said Brian Bickley, chair of the Alberta 

Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board. “More apprentices 

will now receive top-notch technical training, which is 

great news for apprentices, industry and our province.” 

“Alberta Construction Association applauds the Alberta 

government’s ongoing investment in the development of a 

world-class apprenticeship training system,” said Ken Gibson, 

executive director of ACA. “Construction trades play a critical 

role in the continuing prosperity of the Alberta economy, so 

we’re pleased that increasing the number of skilled tradespeople 

is a priority for government.” 

The number of registered apprentices in Alberta has 

reached 60,000, up 47% in two years and 141% in 

10 years. Of the 3621 additional apprenticeship 

technical training seats, 372 are slated for electrician, 

which are broken down as follows: 

• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology 

(NAIT)–Edmonton: 100 

• NAIT–Grande Prairie: 80 

• Southern Alberta Institute of Technology 

(SAIT): 100 

• Lethbridge Community College: 29 

• Red Deer College: 32 

• Keyano College: 31 

There are a variety of technical training delivery options—such 

as distance learning, onsite training, mobile delivery, Alberta 

SuperNet delivery and others—to meet the needs of apprentices 

and their employers. For more information about apprenticeship 

programs or to find available technical training seats in 

Alberta, visit www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca. 

Scott Lynch, driver of the Cooper Bussmannsponsored 

#63 Ford F-150 NASCAR Craftsman 

Series MB Motorsports race truck. 

Win a trip to NASCAR Ford 

Championship, courtesy Cooper 

Authorized Cooper Bussmann distributors can 

now register for the 2007 Winners Circle sales 

promotion. It kicked off April 1 and runs through 

September 30, with sweepstakes winners travelling 

to the 2007 NASCAR Ford Championship Race 

Weekend in November. Register online by visiting 

www.cooperbussmann.com. The promotion kit is 

available for $100/unit and can be purchased using 

available Cooper Bussmann co-op funds. 

INFO NO. 4 

 

3M is a Trademark of 3M. Used under license in Canada. TTS is a trademark of Thermon. 

Used with permission by 3M in Canada. 0703-CP-28484 E BA-07-11824 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$2M from province creates trades, 

technology campus 

British Columbia is investing $2 million to create 

a second Cranbrook campus for the College of the 

Rockies, offering trades and technology training to 

support local industry. Premier Gordon Campbell 

said this investment would support training for— 

among other things—electricians. 

The $2 million covers the purchase price of 3.92 

hectares on Cranbrook’s southeast boundary and 

includes five buildings on the site. The workshops 

and office buildings occupy almost 2400 sq. m, 

or one-sixth of the area. The college plans to use 

the new campus initially to house trades programs 

currently operating out of leased space, adding 

technology programs later. 

“This is the sixth campus we’ve created in British 

Columbia, and it gives the College of the Rockies 

room to expand in the future,” said Murray Coell, 

minister of advanced education. “This new site, 

along with our expansion of the main Cranbrook 

campus, will open up more great places for young 

people in the Kootenays to train for exciting 

careers in trades and technology.” 

In the long term, the college plans to occupy all 

the buildings at its new campus, which is expected 

to open this September. In the shorter term, extra 

space may be leased to generate revenue. 

Since 2001, B.C. has invested more than $1 billion 

in new facilities on campuses around the province, 

which includes $15.4 million to design and 

build an academic and trades facility expansion at 

the College of the Rockies’ main Cranbrook campus, 

also scheduled to open this September. 

SIAST Palliser to upgrade facilities 

Pat Atkinson, Saskatchewan’s minister of advanced 

education and employment, recently announced 

$3.9 million in additional funding to enable the 

Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and 

Technology (SIAST) Palliser campus in Moose Jaw 

to enhance the quality of its facility and expand its 

current training capacity. 

“The expansion of the lab and shop space for 

the instrumentation program will help meet the 

critical need for skilled labour in our booming 

economy,” the minister said. 

According to the ministry, this capital investment 

in SIAST Palliser is part of the greatest total 

annual provincial investment in training by any 

government in the province’s history. The investment 

began in April 2006 with the addition of 

$15.5 million to the training budget, followed by 

a November commitment of $52.6 million. 

“Renovations in the instrumentation area will 

ensure that training keeps pace with contemporary 

4 • APRIL 2007 • www. mag.com 

3M_7x10_EB_April07.indd 1 3/27/07 2:37:02 PM

INDUSTRY NEWS 

requirements,” said Bob McCulloch, SIAST’s 

president and CEO. “It will also enable us 

to build on our flexible training model, expanding 

capacity through brokerage arrangements 

with other institutions and custom training 

for employers.” 

Work on the SIAST Palliser project is expected 

to begin in the spring. 

British Columbia outlines energy plan 

B.C.’s minister of energy, mines and petroleum 

resources, Richard Neufeld, unveiled the province’s 

new “BC Energy Plan: A Vision for Clean 

Energy Leadership”, which includes aggressive 

targets for zero net greenhouse gas emissions, 

new investments in innovation, and an ambitious 

target to acquire 50% of BC Hydro’s incremental 

resource needs through conservation by 2020. 

The plan’s 55 policy actions focus on the 

province’s key natural strengths and competitive 

advantages of clean and renewable sources 

of energy. Among the highlights The province 

aims to be electricity self-sufficient by 2016. Visit 

energyplan.gov.bc.ca for more information or a 

copy of the plan. 

GE to open new Canadian facility 

GE is opening a new Canadian Assembly Centre 

in Mississauga, Ont., for its low-voltage electrical 

distribution products. Now Canadian distributors 

and end-users can benefit from faster lead 

times and customized service solutions for a range 

of distribution products, including switchboards 

and power and lighting panelboards. 

According to Pat Haughey, general manager 

with GE Consumer & Industrial, Canada, “This 

new facility underlines GE’s dedication to serving 

the needs of Canadian customers and will enable 

us to satisfy individual product requirements 

while providing faster turnaround”. 

A reception to mark the opening of the centre 

is planned for April 25th. For more information 

call (877) 259-0941 ext. 2912. 

iPod is a trademark of Apple Inc. 

Comprising 450 employees coast-to-coast, the business will 

go to market under the Edwards Sprinkler and Troy Sprinkler 

brand names. The sprinkler component is made up of Troy 

Sprinkler Ltd. in Ontario, Upper Valley Fire Protection 

in British Columbia and Alberta, and the former Barley/ 

Edwards Sprinkler business in Atlantic Canada. 

Dave Heaps, GM/vice-president, Suppression Division, for 

the new team, said there are already big plans underway: “A 

divestiture such as this is the ideal way to gain rapid growth 

and we have hit the ground running, working with a team 

that is experienced and incredibly committed to success”. 

Heaps has been in the suppression business for over 30 years 

and was the former owner of Upper Valley Fire Protection. 

Saskatchewan provides funding to Skills Canada 

In support of upcoming provincial and national competitions 

being held in Saskatoon, the Wheat Province is 

providing nearly half-a-million dollars to Skills Canada– 

Saskatchewan. 

“With the critical need for skilled labour in this booming 

economy, it is important that we promote skilled trades 

as a lucrative career choice for our young people,” said Pat 

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Atkinson, minister of advanced education and employment. 

“The two upcoming competitions will profile and promote 

the broad range of careers in skilled trades and technologies 

that are available to our youth.” 

The $446,750 in funding comes from the Dept. of Advanced 

Education and Employment, Dept. of Learning, Crown 

Investments Corp., and the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship 

Trade Certification Commission. 

The 9th annual Saskatchewan Skills Provincial Competition 

takes place June 4-5, with the winners competing at the 13th 

annual Canada Skills Competition June 6-9. Both events will 

be held at Saskatoon’s Prairieland Exhibition Park. 

Skills Canada is a national not-for-profit organization 

devoted to addressing the skills gap and encouraging young 

Canadians to consider trade and technology careers. 

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Siemens completes Flender integration 

Siemens Canada Ltd. has completed its integration 

of Flender Power Transmission Inc. As 

the new member of the Automation & Drives 

group, Flender’s product range of gear technology 

will broaden and round off Siemens’ drive 

systems portfolio. 

The product brands of MOTOX gear 

motors and CAVEX gear units will merge into 

Siemens’ Standard Drives business unit, allowing 

Siemens to offer fully integrated mechanical 

gears, low-voltage NEMA and IEC motors and 

general purpose electrical drives for all industrial 

applications. 

The Loher Motor division of Flender—specializing 

in custom-made motors and explosion-proof 

applications—is now part of Siemens’ 

Large Drives business unit, thereby expanding 

Siemens’ offerings of large motors and low- and 

medium-voltage Sinamics drives. 

The Flender Heavy Duty, Industrial Drive 

Applications, Standard Gear units and Coupling 

businesses form the new Mechanical Drives 

business unit, offering mechanical drive solutions 

that benefit from Siemens’ nationwide 

sales and support offices. The Flender operations 

continue to be managed through the Markham, 

Ont., facility. 

Smooth, coined edges 

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Panel builders agree that 

Thomas & Betts’ new line of 

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hands and a no-hassle cover snaps on 

simply and easily. 

Troy Sprinkler announces 

management buyout 

Jim McCoubrey, president of Troy Sprinkler 

Ltd., announced that members of the Canadian 

management team from GE Security Canada 

have purchased the Troy business, along with 

12 fire sales and service operations in Canadian 

non-metropolitan areas. Troy is a privately 

owned company offering a lineup of fire alarm/ 

suppression, communications, nurse call and 

security products. 

Atlantic 

1-877-862-4357 

Quebec 

1-800-465-1399 

Ontario 

1-877-291-7771 

Mid-West 

1-866-540-8220 

Alberta 

1-888-664-5666 

B.C. 

1-866-540-8220 

w w w . t n b - c a n a d a . c o m 

See the difference for yourself. Schedule your 

free product demonstration today. Simply log 

on to www.tnb-canada.com/en/tyduct.asp 

and submit your request. 

INFO NO. 5 

T&B_7x10_EB_April07.indd 1 3/27/07 1:50:05 PM 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

The future of electricity transmission 

One of the dilemmas facing governments and utilities is supplying 

large amounts of electrical energy for growing populations in 

a way that is both efficient and has minimal impact on the environment. 

The answer may lie in ‘ultra-high voltage’ (UHV). 

In countries such as Brazil, China and India, ultra-high voltage 

(UHV) can get electricity from power generating stations 

thousands of kilometres away to urban populations. Defined as 

voltages of 1000kvac (or higher) and 800kvdc (or higher), UHV 

first delivers large quantities of power over very long distances 

with very little loss of power (higher voltage means lower current 

on the transmission line) over fewer lines. Hence, no proliferation 

of transmission lines, thereby minimizing environmental 

impact. 

Standards for UHV do not exist yet, so they need to be developed 

to ensure the safe and efficient use of this technology. This 

is why world experts on UHV are convening in Beijing, China, 

this July (under the auspices of the International Electrotechnical 

Commission [IEC] and the International Council on Large 

Electric Systems [CIGRE])—to map out the way forward for 

this new technology and its potential applications. 

The first issue is to develop reliable equipment and systems 

that deliver electricity safely. At present, the highest voltages 

used for long-distance transmission are about 765kvac, and 

that’s pretty much the limit—today’s equipment could not 

withstand higher voltages. The next task is to then develop new 

transformers, breakers and associated equipment, new transmission 

lines and insulating equipment designed for UHV. 

The IEC/CIGRE symposium is recommended for utilities, transmission 

system planners and operators, contractors, equipment 

manufacturers, transmission design engineers, research and test 

laboratories, government regulators and universities. To learn more, 

visit www.cigre.org, click on Events, then click on CIGRE Events. 

Capital Investment for University 

College of the North in The Pas 

The Government of Manitoba is committing $17 

million to several capital projects for the University 

College of the North (UCN) at the existing campus 

headquarters in The Pas. 

“Our government is committed to developing 

Manitoba’s north and UCN was developed in collaboration 

with northern Manitobans for northern 

Manitobans. This unique institution will have a longterm 

impact on the quality of life for all northern residents 

by contributing to community and economic 

development, increasing opportunities for employment 

and training, and helping people develop the 

skills and means to improve housing and other critical 

infrastructure,” said Premier Gary Doer. 

The capital planning and design phases will begin 

immediately and construction could start as soon 

as Spring 2008. Equity hiring provisions will be a 

consideration in development agreements to ensure 

Aboriginal and northern residents are employed at 

the various stages of development. 

“The Manitoba government has made training 

and employment initiatives a priority over the past 

seven years as part of our Northern Development 

Strategy,” Doer said. “Northern and Aboriginal 

people are undertaking education and training programs 

that have prepared them to work in a variety 

of jobs, such as designated trades and construction 

support services. These capital projects will offer 

more job opportunities closer to home.” 

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sales@rittal.ca 

SDTC supports NxtPhase’s 

optical sensors for electric power 

NxtPhase T&D Corp., a provider of digital relays, 

recorders and fibre optic solutions for the electric 

power industry, announced that Sustainable 

Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is contributing 

$986,000 toward the development of a 

family of optical voltage and current sensors for use 

on high-voltage electric power grids. 

NxtPhase is to develop and demonstrate a class 

of environmentally friendly, safe, reliable and costeffective 

optical sensors for the electric power industry. 

These sensors employ fibre optics for measuring 

current and/or voltage, eliminating the need for 

insulating oil and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas currently 

used by traditional instrument transformers. 

(NxtPhase says SF6, a greenhouse gas, is 22,000 

times more potent than carbon dioxide.) 

“As Canada’s electric grid is upgraded to enhance 

both capacity and its ability to accommodate more 

renewable electricity, there is a great opportunity to 

introduce environmentally friendly components to 

the infrastructure,” said Vicky J. Sharpe, SDTC’s 

president and CEO. 

The total value of the project is $3 million. It 

is leveraged by investments from other sources, 

including consortium members Powertech Labs (a 

wholly owned subsidiary of BC Hydro) and the 

British Columbia Transmission Corp. (BCTC), the 

crown corporation responsible for the planning, 

operation and maintenance of British Columbia’s 

publicly owned electrical transmission system. 

Building permits, January 2007 

(StatsCan, The Daily) 

The value of building permits surged to their highest 

level ever in January, thanks to huge gains in the 

value of residential and non-residential permits. It 

was the third time in four months that the $6-billion 

mark was surpassed. 

Builders took out a record $6.3 billion in building 

permits in January—11.3% higher than December 

2006. These results point to a busy spring on building 

sites, as permits are a leading indicator of construction 

activity. 

The value of non-residential permits increased 

19.3% to a record $2.6 billion in January, the third 

monthly gain in four months. January’s gain was 

due largely to surges in the values of both industrial 

and institutional permits in Ontario. 

In the residential sector, the value of building 

permits rose 6.3% to $3.7 billion after two monthly 


Rittal_EB_Nov2006 1 11/23/06 3:39:13 PM

INDUSTRY NEWS 

declines. This was the third highest monthly level 

on record. Intentions increased in both single- and 

multi-family components. 

Provincially, the largest gain (in dollars) occurred 

in Ontario, where municipalities approved $2.6 

billion worth of permits in January, thanks to new 

record highs in both the residential and non-residential 

sectors. 

On the other hand, the value of building permits 

fell in six provinces. The biggest decline in terms of 

dollars occurred in Alberta, where a large drop in 

commercial and industrial permits more than offset 

a gain in the housing sector. 

Residential: record-high value 

of single-family permits 

Municipalities set a record for the value of building 

permits for single-family units for a second consecutive 

month. They issued $2.4 billion in singlefamily 

permits, up 2.8% from December. A major 

contributing factor was higher construction costs. 

Demand remained high for single-family dwellings, 

as municipalities authorized 10,220 new 

units, a slight 0.6% decline from December. This 

level was 3% higher than the monthly average of 

9920 units set in 2006. The demand for new-single 

family units has been on an upward trend since the 

middle of 2006. 

Following two monthly declines, the value of 

multi-family permits rebounded, rising 13.8% in 

January to $1.3 billion. The increase was powered 

by gains in the three types of multi-family dwellings 

(apartments/condominiums, semi-detached 

and row houses). 

In January alone, permits for 10,005 new multifamily 

units were issued, up 27.4% from December. 

A vast majority of the January permits were for new 

apartments/condominiums. 

Among the provinces, six showed increases in 

their value of housing permits in January. The 

largest gains (in dollars) were recorded in British 

Columbia (+16.7% to $719 million) and in Alberta 

(+15.1% to $758 million). The gains in both provinces 

were due to jumps in the values of single- and 

multi-family permits. 

PERSONALITIES 

To strengthen its product development 

department, W.A.C. Lighting 

has appointed Eric Silverman to 

project director of R & D, where 

he is responsible for helping develop 

custom lighting products, updating 

Eric Silverman products to comply with changing 

standards, and identifying and 

developing new lighting technologies in the residential 

and commercial markets. 

Paul Caragher has been named 

president of Fluke Networks, a 

provider of solutions for the installation 

and certification, testing, 

monitoring and analysis of copper, 

fibre and wireless networks. 

He comes to Fluke from his role 

Paul Caragher 

as business unit director at Hach 

Lange—which, like Fluke Networks, is a part of the 

Danaher family of companies. 

Ontor Ltd., a national distributor 

of industrial automation systems 

and HVAC component parts, has 

appointed Lawrence Rosen to the 

position of vice-president, Industrial 

Systems Division. Rosen comes 

Lawrence Rosen to Ontor from running his own 

rep agency, RoMark Technologies 

Corp., for the last 10+ years. Ontor has acquired 

RoMark and will be the exclusive Canadian representatives 

for several new product lines. 

The housing sector continued to be positively affected 

by the very dynamic economy in Western Canada. Other 

contributing factors were advantageous mortgage rates, 

the continued strength in full-time employment and in 

personal disposable income, not to mention the high level 

of immigration. 

Non-residential: rebound in institutional 

and industrial components 

Strong growth in the values of both institutional and industrial 

permits was the main factor behind the new monthly 

record in the non-residential sector. 

Permits in the institutional sector rebounded a spectacular 

69.3% to $620 million, after falling 51.1% in December. It 

was a fourth monthly increase over the last six months, and 

was largely the result of higher construction intentions for 

medical and educational buildings. Among provinces, six 

showed gains in the institutional sector. The largest gain (in 

dollars) was recorded in Ontario (+115.0% to $337 million). 

In fact, the value of institutional permits has been on an 

upward trend since February 2006. 

In the industrial sector, the value of permits surged 

45.9% to $650 million. The big gain, which followed 

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ELECTRIC UTILITY FOR ANY 

INSTALLATION REBATES OR 

INCENTIVES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE 

Visit us online at iplc.com or 

call toll-free 866-353-2785. 

IPLC 

* 

* Recipient of Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy 

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Developed and marketed by Vantera Incorporated. 

Available from our stocking distributor: 

an 11.1% decline in December, was the result of large 

increases in the manufacturing and utility building categories 

in Ontario. Alberta showed the biggest drop (in 

dollars) on the heels of a 125.6% gain in December. The 

value of industrial permits has been on an upward trend 

since January 2006. 

Commercial sector permits fell 2.6% from December to 

$1.3 billion. Behind this decline was the lower demand for 

permits associated with warehouses and recreation buildings. 

Despite the retreat, the value of commercial building permits 

in January remained 12% higher than the average monthly 

level in 2006. 

Provincially, the biggest gain (in dollars) in the non-residential 

sector occurred in Ontario, where all three components 

(commercial, industrial and institutional) registered huge 

gains. In contrast, the largest decline (in dollars) occurred in 

Alberta, the result of important drops in the industrial and 

commercial components. 

Several economic factors were consistent with the strength 

in the non-residential sector, including growth in consumer 

spending and declining vacancy rates for industrial and commercial 

buildings. In addition, corporate operating profits hit 

a record high in 2006. 

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✔ Internal unit diagnostics save unnecessary 

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reduce needless complaints. 

✔ Ten years use in the field with 99.8% reliability. 

IPLC_EB_Aug2006 1 7/5/06 2:20:28 PM 

www. mag.com • APRIL 2007 • 7 

INFO NO. 7

By Austin Bonnett and Chuck Yung 

Getting to the root cause 

of motor failures 

The squirrel cage induction motor 

remains the workhorse of industry 

because of its versatility and ruggedness. 

It has its limitations, however, 

which, if exceeded, will cause the stator, 

rotor, bearings or shaft to fail. Numerous 

industry surveys document which parts 

fail and how, but very little data is available 

to explain why a given part fails. 

As industry’s approach to maintenance 

and repair gradually evolves from reactive 

and preventive to diagnostic and predictive, 

it is important to pay more attention 

to root cause failure analysis. Neglecting 

to do so will often result in repeated failures 

and expenditure of valuable resources 

and time in an effort to get back online. 

FIGURE 1 

Distribution of failed components 

TABLE 1 Motor components and stresses TABLE 2 Detailed summary of motor stresses 

failed. The root cause may be contamination, 

vibration, lack of lubrication, etc. 

Data provided by an Institute of 

Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 

study (Figure 1) is helpful because it points 

to the most likely cause of motor failure by 

virtue of which component has failed. It 

is the responsibility of those analyzing the 

failure to search for the root cause that led 

to the failure of that particular component. 

(These percentages in Figure 1 may vary 

for a specific industry or location.) The 

real challenge, then, lies in reducing the 

large category of ‘unknown’ failures, as 

they are the ones that make analysis of the 

entire motor system so critical. 

INFO NO. 8 

Failure surveys 

Most failure survey data for electric motors 

is influenced by the particular industry, 

geographic location and combination of the 

motors in use. As such, specific numbers may 

not always be relevant. Most failure surveys 

focus on the component that actually failed, 

but do not address the root cause of that failure. 

For example, a bearing failure is not the 

root cause; it is simply the component that 

Root cause methodology 

Root cause methodology is a step-by-step 

method for examining a failed motor and 

its system, focusing on the stresses that 

acted upon the failed component. By 

better understanding these stresses, the 

service centre is more likely to uncover 

the root cause of the failure. The five key 

steps in root cause methodology are: 

1. Failure mode. The manifestation, 

form or arrangement of the failure (i.e. 

turn-to-turn, phase-to-phase, etc.). 

2. Failure pattern. How the failure is 

configured (i.e. symmetrical 

or asymmetrical). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Appearance. Examination of the 

failed part, the entire motor and the 

system in which it operates. Care must 

be taken to inspect all motor parts 

for damage, contamination, moisture, 

cracks or other signs of stress. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Application. A close examination of the work 

performed by the motor and the characteristics 

of those types of loads. 

5. Maintenance history. An examination of the 

work performed to keep the motor and system 

in proper operating condition. 

In an ideal world, all relevant information pertaining 

to the application, appearance and maintenance 

history would be available prior to the actual inspection 

of the motor or failed component. In real 

life, however, the methodology usually unfolds by 

first inspecting the failed part, then the motor and 

finally acquiring information about the application, 

appearance of the system and its maintenance history. 

This sequence is usually driven by the urgency 

to return the motor to service, as well as the availability 

of application and historical data. 

The good news is that the root cause of failure is 

obvious in some cases. Such examples could be: 

• A balancing weight comes loose and 

strikes the winding. 

• The winding is saturated with water. 

• The bearing lubricant is contaminated. 

In a case where the root cause must be known, 

however, it is imperative to complete each step of 

the methodology. 

Summary of motor stresses 

Most motor failures are caused by a combination 

of various stresses acting upon the bearings, stator, 

rotor and shaft (Table 1). When these stresses are 

kept within the designed capabilities of the system, 

premature failure should not occur, but when stresses 

combine to exceed the designed capacity, then the 

life of the system may be drastically reduced and 

catastrophic failure could very well occur. 

8 • APRIL 2007 • www. mag.com

FIGURE 2 

The typical motor 

and system 

vice, and may not be the operator 

who is familiar with the motor or 

its application. 

Incorrect, incomplete or even misleading 

information is the norm. It 

may be impossible to draw the correct 

conclusion from the evidence 

provided. Never assume a piece of 

evidence exists just to force a conclusion 

that fits the ‘facts’. 

When a conclusion is built around 

erroneous information mingled with 

‘facts’, the root cause of failure is seldom 

correct. The result is additional 

failures or assigning blame to the 

wrong parties. 

Chuck Yung is a technical support specialist 

at the Electrical Apparatus Service 

Association (EASA), while Austin Bonnett 

is EASA’s education and technology consultant. 

EASA is an international trade 

organization comprising over 2000 electromechanical 

sales and service firms. 

Driving at the root cause 

A winding has failed after a very short 

run time, with a turn-to-turn failure. 

Be it new or rewound, the customer 

is prone to think the motor’s short life 

indicates poor workmanship. 

The customer failed to advise (or 

the service centre failed to ask) that 

the motor was operating on a pulsewidth 

modulated (PWM) drive with a 

100-ft cable run. This would have been 

a valuable piece of information for the 

service centre and, at the same time, 

it would have accurately described the 

motor’s power supply. 

Lacking knowledge of the PWM drive, 

the service centre forces the conclusion 

that the motor manufacturer damaged 

the winding, even though there was 

no such evidence. The manufacturer 

“must have damaged it in some notso-obvious 

way”. 

The wrong party is assigned responsibility 

for, and the cost of, repairing 

the failed motor. More importantly, 

the problem is not fixed and will likely 

occur again. 

The location of the failure is critical 

evidence that may explain the real 

reason for the winding failure. If the 

turn-to-turn failure is in a coil connected 

to a line lead, then a transient 

voltage could be the culprit. The location 

of this failure should alert the 

service centre to find out more about 

the power supply. 

When a motor is operating from a 

PWM drive, especially with a long cable 

run (more than 50 ft), a turn-to-turn 

failure in the lead coil is a classic indication 

of high voltage spikes produced 

by the PWM drive and long cable run. 

The difference in knowledge will: 

• assign the responsibility and cost of 

the repair to the correct party, and 

• most importantly, make sure the 

root cause of the failure is identified 

and corrected. 

These stresses can be classified as follows: 

• Bearing stresses: thermal, dynamic and static 

loading, vibration and shock, environmental, 

mechanical, electrical. 

• Stator stresses: thermal, electrical, mechanical, 

environmental. 

• Rotor stresses: thermal, dynamic, mechanical, 

environmental, magnetic, residual, miscellaneous. 

• Shaft stresses: dynamic, mechanical, environmental, 

thermal, residual, electromagnetic. 

For a more detailed summary of these stresses, see 

Table 2. 

Analysis of the motor and system 

Surrounding the motor is a system that consists of 

the power supply, mounting, coupling and driven 

equipment. The environment—including the ambient—acts 

as an umbrella covering all of the elements 

of the system. Even the end product or process can 

be considered part of this system (Figure 2). 

Many factors affecting the system will also affect 

the motor, and may contribute to motor failure 

and vice-versa. Failure to consider each of these 

elements of the complete motor system could lead 

to an incorrect diagnosis of the root cause of failure. 

An effective tool for a systems approach is to conduct 

a failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) of the 

complete system. The idea behind this is to determine 

the possible failure modes for a component, 

then determine how that failure can impact the 

system where the component resides. This analysis 

provides at least some of the possible scenarios that 

can lead to a motor failure. 

It is important to note that a number of failure 

mechanisms can lead to the same failed part with a 

common mode and pattern of failure. As examples, 

improper voltage, too much load, blocked ventilation, 

and excessive cycling and ambient can all 

produce the same type of winding failure. It is not 

always possible to correctly identify the problem 

without considering the entire system. 

In many cases, arriving at the correct conclusion 

is a process of elimination driven by the collection 

of accurate data and facts associated with the system. 

At the risk of stating the obvious, failure to eliminate 

the root cause usually assures expensive downtime 

and repeated motor failures. A classic example is the 

repeated replacement of failed bearings without ever 

trying to assess the root cause of failure. 

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When analyzing a motor failure, it is important not 

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supplied by the customer. 

The service centre often does not know much 

about the motor application, much less the power 

supply and/or maintenance history. The customer 

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INFO NO. 10

NEWS FROM THE 

“Gateway to the New World” 

ATLANTIC 

FOCUS 

Photos courtesy Province of Nova Scotia. 

Photo of the MacDonald Bridge from Dartmouth at night. During the 

winter months, Nova Scotia’s peak power demand occurs in the evening 

hours, typically between 6 and 8 o’clock. 

Province and utilities look for savings 

A new study is looking for ways to save money for municipal 

electric utilities and the customers they serve. Launched jointly 

by the Municipal Electricity Utilities of Nova Scotia Co-operative 

and the Department of Energy, the study will examine 

ways to manage electricity use during winter months. 

“Electricity is most expensive to produce during times of 

peak use... We want to help municipal electricity utilities manage 

that peak, and the costs that go with it,” said Bill Dooks, 

energy minister. 

“If we can shift customer demand away from the peak, 

everybody can save money—our utilities and our customers,” 

said Don Regan of the Berwick Electric Commission. Berwick 

is one the province’s six municipally owned electric utilities that 

buy energy from Nova Scotia Power and distribute it to local 

residents in Antigonish, Berwick, Canso, Lunenburg, Mahone 

Bay and Riverport. 

“We all want to find ways to save 

money. And we need to do it with minimal 

disruption to the routines of these 

customers, to make sure our study is 

grounded in reality,” said Regan. 

Nova Scotia commits to green energy market reform 

By 2013, almost 20% of Nova Scotia’s electricity—roughly 

400MW per day—will be generated by renewable energy: wind, 

tidal, biomass, solar and hydro. 

The new regulations under Nova Scotia’s Electricity Act call 

for renewable energy increases of 5% to the total supply by 2010, 

and 10% by 2013 (on top of renewables already in the system as 

of 2001). To meet the 2010 target, only independent power producers 

will be able to bid on new renewable projects. Electricity 

utilities pay a penalty up to $500,000 a day for failing to meet 

these targets. 

“This is excellent news 

because it will create economic 

growth for independent 

power producers as 

well as environmental benefits 

and stability in Nova 

Scotia’s power supply,” said 

Luciano Lisi, Cape Breton 

Power Ltd.’s CFO. 

Photo of the Pubnico Point Wind Farm. 

Nova Scotia expects most of its renewable 

supply growth over the next six 

years to come from wind generation. 

Energy Minister Bill 

Dooks promised more 

action in the coming 

months: “I want to remind 

Nova Scotians that we are 

going to do more to support 

Nova Scotia’s renewable energy industry, and we will continue 

to look at electricity market reform”. 

By spring, Dooks expects to complete his assessment of additional 

options for independent power producers to sell green 

energy, including: a rate for buying energy shortfalls (‘top-up’) and 

selling surpluses (‘spill’); and legislation for the retail sale of green 

energy to industry, municipalities and the public. 

IBERVILLE ® CI4006 Connector 

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The new IBERVILLE ® CI4006 non-metallic 

connector is the first 3/4” plastic connector 

that is fully adjustable and reusable, providing 

unsurpassed flexibility during installation. 

Simply insert the connector into the opening 

and then feed and clamp the wire or, install 

and clamp the connector onto the wire and 

then insert into the opening. In cases where 

there is limited access to the exterior of the 

enclosure, the CI4006 connector can be 

installed from the inside. 

Designed and manufactured in Canada, the 

IBERVILLE CI4006 is for use on 6/3 and 

8/3 cables. 

Now available at your local electrical distributor. 

monthly 

INFO NO. 13 

Half-million-dollar 

research investment 

Nova Scotia is investing $500,000 in 

renewable and non-renewable research 

to help develop both green energy (such 

as tidal power) and a better understanding 

of natural gas deposits. 

Premier Rodney MacDonald said the 

government’s investment will make it 

easier to move forward on projects such 

as in-stream tidal power and create new 

interest in Nova Scotia’s offshore oil and 

gas fields. $250,000 will be used to support 

a strategic environmental assessment 

for offshore renewable energy. 

“This strategy is good for OTANS 

members, and we agree with the 

approach,” said Barry Clouter, chair 

of the Offshore/Onshore Technologies 

Association of Nova Scotia. “This 

industry has huge upsides, and we need 

to do all we can as a province to maintain 

momentum and keep our member 

companies working in Nova Scotia.” 

The strategic environmental assessment 

will gauge the impact of offshore 

renewable energy projects in the Bay 

of Fundy, a crucial step in moving 

technology—such as in-stream tidal— 

closer to the water. The $250,000 grant 

is being offered to OEER, an offshore 

energy and environmental research 

association, to do an assessment. 

The second $250,000 grant will 

be used to reprocess seismic data 

and make it available online through 

the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore 

Petroleum Board’s new data management 

centre. 

INFO NO. 11 

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iPod is a trademark ofApple Inc. 

INFO NO. 12

Trucks for 

the trade 

offerings:vans 

GM’s and Ford’s 

work truck 

GMC’s workhorse, the Savana 

GMC’s 2007 Savana continues to offer versatility in the fullsize 

van segment. Available with two wheelbase lengths— 

regular (135 in.) and extended (155 in.)—it offers stable 

handling, precise steering, good ride motion control and 

balance, as well as a quiet driving experience. 

The three-piece frame features fully boxed sections for 

strength and rigidity, while extended and tapered front frame 

rails improve crashworthiness. Additional tubular frame crossmembers 

are used to increase torsional stiffness. 

A standard four-wheel antilock disc brake system with 

Hydroboost works with a high-volume brake master cylinder 

to provide increased stopping power with an easy, linear 

feel on the brake pedal. Dynamic rear proportioning also is 

used and helps apply the correct amount of pressure to the 

rear wheels, depending on whether the van is loaded. 

And you’ll like some of the other details found throughout 

the van if you use it as a mobile office. This includes 

supportive front seats, good interior lighting, glove-friendly 

door handles, storage pockets, secondary power outlets and 

durable carpeting. Also, a 60/40-split left-hand, side-hinged 

door provides flexible loading capability. 

The Vortec 5.3L V8 delivers 295 hp and 335 lb-ft of 

torque, resulting in great acceleration, and is the standard 

engine in H1500 cargo and conversion models. You can also 

order a GM FlexFuel E85 version of the Vortec 5.3L, which 

delivers the same horsepower and torque as its gasoline 

counterpart but runs on E85 ethanol fuel or a mixture of 

E85 and gasoline. 

Other Savana engines include: the 195-hp Vortec 4.3L 

V6 with multiport fuel injection (base for light-duty Savana 

cargo); the Vortec 4.8L V8 with 285 hp (found in the 

2500 Series); the Vortec 6.0L V8, which delivers 300 hp 

and 360 lb-ft of torque; and, for maximum performance, 

the Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel V8 engine, which delivers 

250 hp and 460 lb-ft. of torque. Boasting fast-heating glow 

plugs, the diesel is teamed with the Hydra-Matic 4L85 electronically 

controlled four-speed automatic transmission, and 

is available on G2500 and G3500 cargo van models. 

The 1500 Series vans include light-duty models rated at 

7200-lb GVW. The 2500 Series includes heavy-duty models 

rated at 8600-lb GVW. The heavy-duty 3500 Series includes 

full-bodied cargo vans rated at 9600-lb GVW, and commercial 

and RV cutaway chassis with GVW ratings of 9600 lb to 

14,050 lb. 

Protect Yourself 

with 

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To meet the latest in electrical safety practices, 

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Kits & Accessories 

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Available in both 

1000V CAT III 

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INFO NO. 14 

Complies with 

UL 61010-1 

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IDEAL INDUSTRIES (CANADA), CORP. 

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Ideal_FusedLeads_EB_April07.indd1 1 3/19/07 11:35:11 AM

Trucks for 

the trade 

side collisions. The standard four-wheel anti-lock brake 

system (ABS) helps provide steering control in hard-braking 

situations. 

Meantime, electronic throttle control and engine oil 

cooler are now standard on all E-Series models. Larger rear 

anti-roll bar and driveshaft increase the capacity of E-150 

models to more than an 8500 lb Gross Vehicle Weight 

Rating. Also added to the lineup is the E-250 cutaway with 

4.6-L V8, electronically controlled 4R75E transmission and 

midship fuel tank. 

Ford’s E-Series 

It was 1960 when Ford first introduced the E-100 

Econoline as a 1961 model, and it’s come a long 

way since then. 

Several engines are available and, when properly 

equipped, the E-150 van can tow up to 7500 lb and 

the E-350 Super Duty up to 10,000 lb. An available 

Class II/III/IV trailer tow package includes an electric 

brake controller with tap-in capability, a sevenpin 

trailer wiring harness with bumper bracket, and 

a relay system for backup and running lights. 

Ford E-Series has aerodynamic styling that 

complements its image as a working vehicle. 

Wraparound bumpers help protect front-end sheet 

metal in minor impacts, while a medium platinum 

bumper is standard on the commercial van. The 

van is available in regular- and extended-length 

models, with a Cutaway version and Stripped 

Chassis version—each with three wheelbases—also 

available. The standard side doors on the van are 

60/40 swing-out, but a sliding cargo door is a 

no-cost option. The standard E-Series offers up to 

236.5 cf of rear cargo space, with up to 275.1 cf in 

extended van versions. 

The E-Series cargo area features a doublewall 

design, leaving the exterior sheet metal less 

vulnerable to damage from shifting cargo. The 

Masterack work-bin rack system is good for customers 

who must secure tools and parts. It includes 

fully installed steel shelving, drawers and cabinets. 

A full-width safety partition provides workarea 

access from the passenger compartment. 

The QuietFlex Racks and Bins System is made of 

composite material and provides a quieter, more 

flexible storage solution. The QuietFlex package 

includes a lockable composite bulkhead that offers 

the driver 4 in. of additional seat recline. These 

packages are available at no charge. 

E-Series also offers a full suite of conventional 

safety features. The driver and front-passenger air 

bag supplemental restraint system provides protection 

in frontal collisions. Side-door intrusion 

beams provide additional protection in certain 

2287 

®Adrian Steel is a registered trademark of Adrian Steel. 

That’s the retail value of the Work-Ready Equipment you can receive when you 

purchase or lease an eligible new GM van through the Business Choice program. 

Quality Adrian Steel ® all purpose storage bin system helps you put all the plentiful 

space inside Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana to very good use. With 

Adrian Steel, you know the upfitting equipment is going to be durable, just like your 

GM van. The right choice for your line of work – Business Choice. It’s Your Business, 

It’s Your Choice. Visit fleet.gmcanada.com or call 1-800-866-0313 for more information. 

INFO NO. 15 

GM_7x10_EB_April07.indd 1 1/25/07 10:07:15 AM 


Trucks for 

the trade 

INFO NO. 16 

INFO NO. 17 

AEB047 

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Brady_EB_April07.indd 1 3/20/07 1:40:46 PM 

New voltage-indicating 

safety switches for improved 

personnel Safety. 

Now you can tell when voltage is present 

in Square D safety switches, helping to 

prevent arc-flash hazards and electric 

shocks during maintenance work. 

Voltage monitors can be factory installed 

on Heavy Duty, 600V, 3 Pole, Type 3R/12 

and 4/4X stainless steel enclosures, 

on the line and/or the load side. Bright, 

high luminescent LEDs are highly 

visible and their readings are not 

affected by ambient light. 

They can detect and indicate current 

leakage greater than 2 mA or any 

remaining voltage on the load-side 

of the switch. 

Combined with many other safety 

features such as visible blades, 

viewing windows, and colour-coded 

handles, Square D safety switches 

are the industrial choice for 

personnel safety. 

Square D 

Turn It On. 

www.schneider-electric.ca 

Taking Safety 

to a new level 

® 

Astro body returns to GM lineup 

Great news for commercial customers who loved 

the Chevy Astro and GMC Safari: GM offers an 

all-new Astro body package on 2007 Chevrolet 

Colorado and GMC Canyon pick-ups. 

“Shortly after we discontinued Astro and Safari, 

a number of our commercial customers told us 

that the midsize vans filled a number of important 

needs,” said Tim Cavanaugh, marketing product 

manager for General Motors mid-size trucks, adding 

that many of these customers used Astro and 

Safari for trade applications. 

The 2007 Astro package delivers more capacity 

than the original mid-sized vans. Compared to the 

2005 Astro and Safari vans, the Astro body is taller 

(78 in. versus 75 in.), longer (82 in. versus 80 in.) 

and can carry wider items (43.1 in. above the wheel 

housings) safely and securely inside the vehicle. 

Total payload capacity for Colorado and Canyon 

Astro body is nearly that of the mid-sized vans 

(1515 lb versus 1647 pounds) once you consider 

that the mid-sized vans required a driver partition 

that weighed about 100 lb. 

Cargo loading and unloading is accomplished 

via either the 30-in. side door opening or the 

48.45-in. double-rear doors that swing out 180° 

for greater efficiency. The side and rear doors are 

keyed the same as the vehicle cab for greater convenience. 

The box portion of the package features the 

same door handles, taillights and CHMSL (centre 

high-mounted stop light) as those on Colorado and 

Canyon models, and is constructed of commercialgrade 

fibre glass for durability. The inside features a 

durable floor and a 12V dome light. A host of bin 

packages and ladder racks are also available from 

GM suppliers. 

The standard engine is the new 3.7L I-5, which 

delivers 242 hp and 242 lb-ft of torque. It features 

variable valve technology (VVT), electronic 

throttle control and other features that contribute 

to high levels of operating efficiency and fuel economy. 

The 3.7L is coupled with the Hydra-Matic 

4L60 electronically controlled four-speed automatic. 

The Astro package is available on Colorado 

and Canyon Chassis Cab models, in 2WD and 

4WD configurations. 

These vehicles were specifically designed based 

on customer input and engineered to offer GM 

Fleet and Commercial customers models designed 

for unique uses—ordered right from the factory 

and backed by GM warranties and service. 

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INFO NO. 23

From the Legal Desk 

Non-compliant bids and fairness 

And other specific tender questions 

By Stephen 

Tatrallyay 

Do the rules of fairness in tendering apply to 

relations between a GC and a subtrade, or just 

between owners and contractors 

The Supreme Court of Canada answered this in Ellis Don 

v. Naylor Electric. 1 There was clear evidence that Ellis was 

bid shopping among the electrical trades while it waited for 

a decision from the owner as to whether the project would 

proceed. Ellis told one subtrade, Naylor, that it could base 

its price on non-union workers, although Ellis knew there 

was an application against it at the Labour Relations Board 

(LRB) wherein the IBEW claimed bargaining rights for all 

electrical workers on Ellis projects in Ontario. 

Ellis continued to negotiate with Naylor, carrying its 

price in the final submission to the owner, which was made 

some time after an adverse LRB ruling declaring the IBEW 

Collective Agreement covered all electricians employed by 

both Ellis and Naylor on Ellis projects. In the end, Ellis 

contracted with a union electrical subtrade and Naylor sued, 

claiming it had been unfairly treated by Ellis. 

Ellis argued that a clause in the contract gave it the right to 

refuse to deal with Naylor if it had a “reasonable objection” 

to using them. Apart from the fact that the clause was clearly 

drawn to protect the owner, the court held that Ellis—by its 

actions in inviting Naylor’s bid and negotiating with Naylor, 

not to mention carrying Naylor’s price in its final tender 

with full knowledge of Naylor’s affiliation with another 

union—had waived any right of objection it may have had 

under this clause. 

This was further reinforced by the fact that Ellis had continued 

to use Naylor’s price, especially to get better prices 

from other subtrades, even after it learned of the LRB’s decision 

against it. Ultimately, Naylor was awarded damages for 

breach of the duty of fairness in Contract A, leading to the 

reasonable conclusion that such a duty exists between GCs 

and subtrades, as well as owners and GCs. 

What about when all bids are non-compliant 

This situation often arises in circumstances where there is an 

upset price for an improvement. A fixed price is allocated to 

part of the improvement—say, the gymnasium in a school— 

and the architect designs it to a performance specification. 

The trades tender to what the architect has designed, and all 

the prices come in way over budget. 

There are two theories as to what should be done in this 

situation. The first says you reject all bids, tear up the specs 

and try to design something cheaper, then allow all previous 

tenderers to provide a new price. The other says you 

negotiate with the lowest bidder complying with the original 

specs. (The Canadian Construction Documents Committee 

[CCDC] takes this position in its Document 23.) 

In Dominion Construction v. Keewatin-Patricia District 

School Board, 2 the lowest price—which was still more than 

the upset limit—came from a contractor who found a different 

way of doing the work. In essence, both the work and 

the price he proposed were non-compliant. When the owner 

let all trades re-tender on the basis of the revised specs, then 

awarded the contract to another trade (whose original price 

was non-compliant but at least based on the specs), the first 

contractor sued. 

Justice Zielinski held that since all bids were non-compliant, 

the owner could essentially do what it wanted. It did 

not have to comply with CCDC Document 23 (which, in 

any event, is only a suggestion). The fact that the owner 

did let the non-compliant bidder back into the rebidding 

process made no difference: once non-compliant, always 

non-compliant. 

Most recent decision: are the times a-changin’ 

On 25 January 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered 

its decision in Double N Earthmoving v. City of 

Edmonton. 3 This decision signals a change in the nature 

of the way the majority of the court thinks tendering fairness 

claims should be treated, and suggests that the owner’s 

duty to tenderers is much less substantial than previously 

thought. We will explore this decision, and hopefully early 

judicial reaction to it, in the next column. 

The information contained in this column is not a legal opinion. 

For more specific interpretations, feel free to contact the author or 

consult your own legal counsel. 

Notes 

1. [2001] 2 SCR 943. 

2. An unreported decision of the Ontario Superior Court 

(Zielinski J) released 4 June 2004, Court File No. Thunder 

Bay 010758). 

3. Not yet reported, [2007] SCC 3. 

Stephen Tatrallyay is a prominent Toronto construction lawyer and can 

be reached via e-mail at statrallyay@rogers.com or by calling (416) 

482-5164. He is also a member of EB’s Editorial Advisory Board. 

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Grouping of motors on 

a single branch circuit 

As required by the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) 

By Rick Martin, P.Eng., MaSc. 

Even though they are being used in this capacity, not 

all motor starters are branch circuit over-current 

protection. There are code limitations with motor 

starters when we group them on a single branch over-current 

device, and these limitations are not well known. 

Two types of motor starters are certified for use in Canada: 

motor starters and Type E combination motor controllers. 

Motor starters do not offer any branch circuit protection, 

while Type E combination motor controllers offer branch 

circuit protection for motors. 

The following definitions are from a CSA T.I.L K-17: 

Manual Motor Controller (Motor Starter): 

A device designed for manual-only control of a motor under normal 

and locked rotor conditions. A motor controller may incorporate a 

means to automatically interrupt motor overload currents. Some 

manual motor controllers are provided with limited short circuit 

interrupting capabilities; however, the certification report will state 

that the ability of these devices to open the short circuit currents was 

not evaluated. A manual motor controller is evaluated to CAN/CSA- 

C22.2 No. 14. 

Type E Combination Motor Controller: 

A single device designed to control a motor under normal and 

locked rotor conditions, disconnect the motor branch circuit and 

interrupt short circuit and overload over-currents having nonreplaceable 

or integral discriminating overload and short circuit 

sensors, and provided with one or more sets of contacts where the 

contacts cannot be isolated for separate testing. A Type E combination 

motor controller is evaluated to the requirements of CSA 

Standard C22.2 No. 14-95. 

Perhaps the similarity in their names is what causes motor 

starters to be misapplied as branch circuit protection. 

The misapplications started slowly with the introduction 

of IEC starters many years ago. Although they are accepted 

in Europe as over-current devices, these starters could not 

meet North American standards as over-current devices as 

per C22.2 No. 5.1. Instead, they’ve been certified similarly 

to NEMA starters as required in C22.2 No. 14. 

Although the literature is clear in saying they must meet 

NEC and CEC, there is no clear Canadian literature to 

explain the code rules. Add to that the fact they’re accepted 

in Europe as an over-current device, and it slowly became 

common to see the popular IEC starters applied as “Branch 

Over-Current Devices” in many applications. 

To add to the confusion, some devices are certified as motor 

starters while others are certified as Type E combination 

motor controllers—neither of which is defined in the code. 

So what are the specific issues 

1. Maintaining consistent code application. 

2. Motor starters not having adequate over-current 

protection in front of the motor starter, resulting in 

severe welding of contacts and failure. 

3. Oversized over-current for motors and conductors when 

group-fusing. 

The following, then, is an explanation on how to apply 

rules from Ontario’s electrical safety code when using motor 

starters so that a number of motors can be grouped under a 

single branch circuit over-current device, and to show how it 

is different for Type E combination motor controllers. 

Use of manual motor starters when grouping 

motors on a single branch over-current device 

The term ‘motor starter’ is not defined in Ontario’s code. In 

Rule 28-206(b)(i), the words “the control equipment” mean 

‘motor starter’. This rule permits the use of a single branch 

circuit over-current device for a group of motors, and related 

“control equipment” (i.e. motor starters)—subject to a few 

limitations that we will discuss. 

This rule allows the grouping of a number of motors 

under one branch circuit over-current device provided: 

• Rule 28-206(b)(i): motor starters are used (and marked 

with the maximum group fuse rating). 

• Rule 28-206: a single over-current is selected based on 

the motor feeder rule (Rule 28-204[1]). 

• Rule 28-106(3): tap conductors to motors are 1/3 the 

feeder ampacity. 

Basically, select one branch circuit over-current device to 

protect a number of motors and related control equipment 

so that the latter can withstand a fault until the branch circuit 

over-current device operates. 

Code rules can be difficult to read, so I’ve highlighted the 

key parts in the following: 

Rule 28-206 Grouping of Motors 

on a Single Branch Circuit 

Two or more motors shall be permitted to be grouped under 

the protection of a single set of branch circuit over-current 

devices having a rating or setting calculated in accordance 

with Rule 28-204(1) provided that the protection conforms 

to one of the following: 

(b) Protection is provided for the control equipment of 

the motors by having the branch circuit over-current 

devices rated or set at: 

(i) Values not in excess of those marked on the 

control equipment for the lowest rated motor 

of the group, as suitable for the protection of that 

control equipment... 

Rule 28-106(3) Conductors, Individual Motors 

Tap conductors supplying individual motors from a single 

set of branch circuit over-current devices supplying two or 

more motors shall have an ampacity at least equal to that of 

the branch circuit conductors, except where the tap conductors 

do not exceed 7.5 m in length, they shall be permitted 

to be sized in accordance with Subrule (1) or (2) provided 

the ampacity so determined is not less than 1/3 of the 

ampacity of the branch circuit conductors. 

Use of a Type E Combination Motor Controller 

How does a Type E combination motor controller get referenced 

in the code 

The type of equipment referred to in Rule 28-200(c) 

and 28-210 is a Type E combination motor controller. 

These rules are difficult to read, so I’ve highlighted the 

key parts: 

28-200 Branch Circuit Over-Current Protection 

Each ungrounded conductor of a motor branch circuit shall 

be protected by an over-current device complying with the 

following: 

(c) Instantaneous trip (magnetic only) circuit interrupters 

shall be permitted where applied in accordance with 

Rule 28-210... 

28-210 Instantaneous-Trip Circuit Breakers 

(see Appendix B) 

Instantaneous-trip circuit breakers, when used for branch 

circuit protection, shall be: 

(a) Part of a combination motor starter or controller that 

also provides overload protection... 

These two rules give us over-current protection of the conductor 

and the motor when we use a Type E combination 

motor controller. The Type E controller is a device that 

meets the requirements of 28-200(c) and 28-210(a). 

Method for grouping motors when using starters 

(not Type E) 

Step One: Know that manual starters/protectors are not 

certified as over-current devices in North America (see CSA 

Technical Information Letter TIL K-17). Starters can be certified 

for branch circuit over-current protection for motors 

only. These are certified as Type E combination motor controllers. 

If it is just a ‘motor starter’, then it has no over-current 

application within the CEC. 

Step Two: We can use these motor starters in North America 

based on Rule 28-206(b)(i). Some manufacturers have tested 

their devices and have marked ratings up to 2000 amperes for 

the maximum fuse size for group fusing. This is the maximum 

size of over-current allowed for group fusing. However, this 

does not mean that this is the allowable code setting of the 

upstream branch circuit over-current as shown in Step Three. 

Step Three: Rule 28-206 refers us back to 28-204(1) for the 

setting of the over-current device. This rule generally forces us 

to use a much smaller over-current setting than the maximum 

marked on the device. Go to Table 29 to pick an over-current 

device, then add the other loads that are in operation at the 

same time. That is the setting of the single branch over-current 

device. Now we have the over-current device for the motor, 

but we still need the over-current for the motor conductors. 

Step Four: Rule 28-106 (3) gives us guidance when 

looking for the over-current protection for the conductors 

supplying the individual motors. The ampacity of the tap 

conductors to individual motors cannot be less than 1/3 

the ampacity of the branch circuit conductors and cannot 

exceed 7.5 metres. 

Example: Grouping of seven motors 

on a single branch circuit 

Data: 

• One 10-hp motor, full load amps 14, 

supplied with #12 wire. 

• Six 2-hp motors, full load amps 3.4, 

supplied with #14 wire. 

• Motor starters are each marked 1200 

amperes maximum group fusing. 

Method: 

Select single over-current fuse per Rule 28-206 Table 29 

time delay fuse at 45 amperes. 

Explanation: 

1.75 x 14 amp (for the 10 hp) + 3.4 amperes load per motor 

x 6 motors = 45 amperes. 

A number 14 conductor is OK for the 2-hp motors (Motor 

Tap Rule). A Number 12 is OK for the 10-hp motor (Motor 

Tap Rule). Maximum conductor length from the over-current 

protection ahead of the motor starter to the motor is 

limited to 7.5 metres. 

In summary, the seven motors are protected with one fuse 

rated at 45 amperes. 

Note 

The wire size for the motor starters may not exceed the maximum 

terminal size of the motor starter. For example, for a starter 

with a maximum terminal size of #10 AWG, when we use the 

Motor Tap Rule 28-106(3), the maximum over-current protection 

size is really limited to 90 amperes (3 x 30 i.e. not 1200 

amperes). The feeder rule may still reduce this size as well. 

Rick Martin, P.Eng., MaSc., is a senior research engineer with the 

Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA’s) Field Evaluation Services Group. 

He has attended the universities of Toronto, York and Waterloo, taught 

at Seneca and Sheridan colleges, and possesses 35 years of diverse 

experience in the electrical industry. 


QUEBEC REPORT 

Scouts’ evening parade on Place Jacques-Cartier draws crowds and sets the festival’s atmosphere for children. 

Buildings are adorned with beautiful, distinctive lighting. In the background you see Montreal’s City Hall. 

High Lights Festival lights up Montreal 

The Montreal High Lights Festival “has established its identity”. These were the words of 

Alain Simard, founder and chair of Montreal’s lighting festival, which just completed its 

eighth season. The event was held in Old Montreal and the quays of the Old Port this year, 

which made it easier to set new activities and a different program for every day of its run. 

The festival’s three-pronged program of culture, gastronomy and outdoor celebration really took 

Montrealers and visitors out of hibernation to join in Hydro-Quebec’s celebration of light. 

Among the highlights was the 5-km downtown/underground footrace, which boasted well over 

700 participants and thousands of onlookers, all of whom got to know the city better. Ending at Le 

Complexe Desjardins, the race was the sparkle to a great party. 

Of course, great food, fine wines and wonderful performances gave the festival a very special 

atmosphere. But the magic and impressive Milk Ice Slide—built in the middle of Place Jacques- 

Cartier—brought a unique sense of celebration to the Festival. It took 600 blocks of ice, each 

weighing 135 kg, to have 120 metres of fun! 

Thanks to free shuttle services provided by Société des transports de Montreal (the transit 

authority), the 4th Montreal All-Nighter took 175,000 night-owls through three great neighbourhoods—Old 

Montreal, Complexe Desjardins and Plateau Mont-Royal. Festival-goers had 

86 activities to choose from and 12,500 of them attended performances at Place des Arts between 

midnight and 4:30 AM. All this concluded with participants sharing in a huge free omelet at 

Complexe Desjardins, comprising 10,000 eggs, gallons of milk and a few whole cheeses. 

Toronto to be treated like royalty 

Next year’s edition of the festival will 

feature the City of Toronto, as chef 

Susur Lee will bear the title of honorary 

president of the Wine and Dine 

Experience. This place of honour given 

to Toronto is well deserved, as it is now 

regarded as one of the great dining cities 

of North America. 

Montreal has received more than 

210 chefs and winemakers since the 

first High Lights Festival in 2000. 

“No event of this kind brings together 

as many chefs from the host city to 

prepare festival menus and welcome 

guest chefs into their kitchens,” beamed 

this year’s honorary president, Daniel 

Boulud. 

Kids are given plenty of room with performances they appreciate. 

In the background, the sphere of Hydro-Quebec Place 

warms participants and provides another look at light. 

The 2008 festivities will run from February 20 to March 2, and will honour Quebec City, 

(which is celebrating its 400th anniversary) while Chile showcases its great wines, now topranked 

the world over. 

The festival opening event required 1250 metres of electrical wire and 1.3 million watts! Hydro- 

Quebec can be proud of its accomplishments, especially this annual celebration of light at a time 

of year when daylight gets longer and the weather is mild. 

Photo by Jean-François Leblanc. 

Photo by Jean-François Leblanc. 

The difference between construction 

and maintenance electricians 

Did you know that Quebec makes it a point of 

distinguishing between construction and maintenance electricians 

In fact, the difference is such between these two categories that we often consider them 

two distinct trades. While construction electricians (CEs) spend most of their time 

installing all manner of electrical and lighting equipment, maintenance electricians 

(MEs) spend their days ensuring everything installed runs smoothly. They do a lot of 

troubleshooting and concentrate on preventive maintenance, so it should come as no 

surprise that their studies and apprenticeship are also quite different. 

Until now, basic education has been longer for MEs than CEs: 1800 hours versus 

1350 hours. But this will change in September 2007 when the basic courses for the 

two are merged into one at 1800 hours. 

Although MEs already study more than CEs in Quebec, they’ve always had to 

attend additional courses to be able to transfer into the construction field, whereas 

CEs have been able to work in maintenance without any additional preparation. 

This one-way privilege remains in place with the new rules going into effect 

January 1, 2008, but the apprenticeship will take quite a turn. 

CEs will continue as before; they have to invest 8000 hours (courses and apprenticeship) 

to get their companion card. After completing their studies, MEs will get an apprentice 

logbook in which they record their prescribed experience (countersigned by the 

mentoring companion). Depending on the skill of the apprentice in question, he could 

complete his education in less than 8000 hours (though the minimum has yet to be set). 

In the months ahead, we’ll hear hours of discussion on this topic. Maintenance 

electrical is still an underdog to many, but the manufacturing industry, institutions 

and large building owners are far from giving up and hiring electrical contractors to 

do their maintenance work. The latest statistics available say there are approximately 

16,000 construction electricians and 7500 maintenance electricians in the province. 

ERCO awarded 

$2.5 million for energy 

efficiency projects 

Under its energy efficiency programs for 

large-power customers, Hydro-Quebec 

will provide ERCO Worldwide (a division 

of Superior Plus LP) with $2.5 million in financial 

assistance for 50 energy efficiency projects. 

The projects are designed to improve the 

energy efficiency of the electrolysis process used in 

the production of sodium chlorate, an industrial 

salt used to produce chlorine dioxide—the key 

ingredient in an environmentally preferred pulp 

bleaching process. The electrolytic cells now in 

use will be replaced with high-performance cells 

to reduce electricity consumption. 

The projected power savings for the 50 projects 

will amount to 50GWh per year; that’s the 

equivalent of the average annual consumption 

of about 3000 Quebec households. In terms of 

greenhouse gases, these savings will represent the 

equivalent of 17,500 tonnes of CO 2 

per year. 

ERCO Worldwide is a major producer of 

sodium chlorate for the North American pulp 

and paper industry, and a leader in chlorine dioxide 

generator technology. In addition, ERCO’s 

Buckingham plant produces sodium chlorite 

for water treatment and food processing markets 

throughout North America. Hydro-Quebec 

plans to invest $1.3 billion by 2010 with a view 

to reaching annual electricity savings of 4.7TWh 

as targeted in its Energy Efficiency Plan. 

Events 

April 24 and 25, Montreal 

PIDE (Partners in Distribution 

Excellence) has organized a twoday 

seminar (English), Leadership 

Skills for the Wholesale Branch 

Manager, with Jim Ambrose. 

For details, visit www.pide.ca and 

click on Training and Education. 

April 24, Quebec City 

April 26, Montreal 

Le salon Lumen: an exhibition 

featuring over 100 industryrelated 

manufacturers, hands-on 

labs and seminars. To register, 

visit www.lumen.ca and click 

on Le salon Lumen. 

May 22, Montreal 

It’s time for the Annual 

EFC–Quebec Region Golf Event at 

Beaconsfield Golf Club. $1 million 

up for grabs for a hole-in-one. 

For details, e-mail golfquebec@ 

electrofed.com. 

September 19, Brampton, Ont. 

EFC’s Economic Forecast Day: 

featuring Maureen Farrow and 

other knowledgeable speakers. 

More details to follow. 


Over 75% of Thomas & Betts products sold in Canada are made in Canada. 

80% of these products are manufactured in Quebec. 

Thomas & Betts — electrical products for Canadians since 1928. 

INFO NO. 25 


TnB_ENG_Banner_EB_Feb07.indd 1 1/31/07 4:31:57 PM

lighting 

showcase 

26 Innovative products 

from lighting leaders 

27 Drugstore chain’s 

sustainability initiative 

29 Lighting impacts 

your health more 

than you know 

31 Lighting Efficiency 

Coalition issues 

call to action 



LIGHTFAIR a beacon to 

the world of LIGHTING 

Lightfair (LFI) is the preeminent North 

American showcase of lighting products and 

technology. Last year’s show, which was held 

in Las Vegas, attracted 16,676 registered attendees, 

of which 1390 were international registrants—many 

of those Canadian. 

And because it is a lighting show, there were 

architects and interior designers in attendance, 

as well as a strong showing by electrical and 

general contractors. The strongest showing, however, 

came from engineers and electrical engineers 

(13%) and, check this out, lighting and electrical 

distributors, accounting for a whopping 18.82% 

of registrants. 

LFI 2006 welcomed 550 exhibiting companies, 

including 97 international exhibiting companies 

and 138 first-time exhibitors. 

This May, the architectural and commercial 

lighting industry will be connected to the industry’s 

largest and most diverse educational initiative 

in New York, N.Y., offering 72 courses, 

totalling more than 210 hours of programming. 

LFI 2007 takes place at the Jacob K. Javits 

Convention Center May 6-10 (trade show May 8- 

10). Strategically structured and designed in close 

partnership with industry experts, conference topics 

address everything from lighting software and 

applications, to business and lighting fundamentals, 

to design innovation and product updates. 

For example, the session “New Residential 

Lighting Trends and Technologies” will help participants 

better understand the forces that are 

driving technology and design trends in residential 

lighting. Another session, “Emerging Standards 

for LED Performance”, speaks to the standards 

issues raised in our cover feature by T.Y. Wang, 

“The present and future promise of LED technology”, 

found on the next page. 

And while Electrical Business will report on all 

it has seen and learned at Lightfair, it simply does 

not compare to actually being there. Go online to 

www.lightfair.com, and see you in New York! 

FUN 

facts 

about New York City 

Why is NYC called “The Big Apple” 

In the 1920s, a sportswriter for the Morning 

Telegraph named John Fitzgerald overheard stablehands 

in New Orleans refer to NYC’s racetracks as 

“The Big Apple”. He named his column “Around 

the Big Apple”. A decade later, jazz musicians 

adopted the term to refer to New York City—especially 

Harlem—as the jazz capital of the world. 

There are many apples on the trees of success, they 

were saying, but when you pick New York City, 

you pick The Big Apple. 

The Bronx: how Swede it is 

The Bronx was settled in 1639 and named for the 

Swedish settler Jonas Bronck. It is the only New 

York borough connected to the mainland. 

Why NYC cabs are yellow 

John Hertz, founder of the Yellow Cab Co. in 

1907, chose yellow for his cabs because he had read 

a study conducted by the University of Chicago 

indicating yellow was the easiest colour to spot. 

• There are 6374.6 miles of streets 

in New York City and 578 miles of 

waterfront. 

• 

Broadway’s original name was the 

Wiechquaekeck Trail (it was an old 

Algonquin trade route). 

• 

Babe Ruth hit the first home run 

in Yankee Stadium in the first 

game ever played there. 

• 

In 1898, the five boroughs—The 

Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, 

Queens and Staten Island—were 

incorporated into a single entity 

known as Greater New York. 

• 

As late as the 1840s, thousands 

of pigs roamed Wall Street to consume 

garbage: an early 

sanitation system. 

• 

Under the Dutch, Wall Street— 

where there really was a wall— 

was the city limit. 

• In 1664, the city’s tallest structure 

was a two-storey windmill. 

• 

The vaults of the Federal Reserve 

Bank on Maiden Lane store more 

than one-quarter of the world’s 

gold bullion. 

• 

Without firing a shot, the 

British seized control of Nieuwe 

Amsterdam from the Dutch in 1664 

and renamed it New York City. 

• The Brooklyn Bridge was the first 

bridge to be lit using electricity. 

• 

The New York Stock Exchange 

began in 1792 when 24 brokers 

met under a buttonwood tree facing 

68 Wall Street. 

• 

The New York Mercantile Exchange 

began as the Butter and Cheese 

Exchange in the 1750s. Today it is 

the world’s largest physical commodity 

futures exchange. 

Photo © Jeff Greenberg/NYC & Co. Inc. 

Show me the way to go home... with LEDs 

Energy-efficient streetlights unveiled at Exhibition Place 

Canada’s largest LED streetlight installation went 

‘live’ recently at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. The 

pilot project shows how LEDs can reduce city 

lighting costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Each 

streetlight comprises 117 LEDs to produce the same 

intensity as a conventional streetlight but with 50% less 

electricity. For this pilot, the LED fixtures were installed 

along the south side of Princes’ Boulevard while the older, 

conventional streetlights still run along the north side. 

The pilot will continue through 2007 to test public 

acceptance, durability, light performance and weather 

resistance. Additional pilot tests of LED technology are 

planned for a number of the Business Improvement Areas 

(BIAs) in Toronto. 

Toronto’s CN Tower can be seen behind the new LED streetlight 

installation unveiled at Exhibition Place. A pilot project of 

GreenTbiz, Exhibition Place and Electromega, these streetlights use 

50% less electricity than older, conventional streetlights and last 

five times longer. It is estimated the city could save $6 million/year 

in electricity were all of its 160,000 streetlights LED based. 

Left to right: Dianne Young (Exhibition Place GM & CEO); Joe Pantalone (deputy 

mayor and chair of board of governors, Exhibition Place); John Kiru (executive director, 

Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas [TABIA]); Chantal Brundage 

(program manager, GreenTbiz); Peter Love (Ontario’s chief energy conservation 

officer); Barry Beale (director, Conservation and Distributed Energy Branch, Office 

of Conservation and Strategic Policy, Ministry of Energy); Mayor David Miller; and 

Brian Owen (program advisor, GreenTbiz). 


The present and future promise of 


LED technology 

By Tung Yang Wang, Ph.D. 

Since the mid-1990s, when semiconductor-based 

blue light emitting diodes (LEDs) became 

widely available, LED technology has become 

an interesting and promising alternative to traditional 

light sources, such as incandescent, fluorescent and 

high-intensity discharge (HID). Initially playing the 

role as passive lighting indicators, LEDs began coming 

into their own when it was discovered you could 

generate white light from a blue LED by introducing 

a yellowish phosphor coating. 

Due to its unique characteristics, this dynamic new 

light source has been providing tremendous improvements 

to the lighting industry in recent years. LED 

performs extremely well in specific application areas 

where its advantages over traditional light sources are 

obvious and necessary, such as automotive interior 

and exterior lighting, and backlight sources for various 

personal digital assistants. 

The global LED business has grown from $1 billion 

dollars in 2000 to about $4 billion in 2006 and, if industry 

projections prove correct, will continue to grow at an 

impressive double-digit rate for years to come. 

LEDs have been perceived as ‘high tech’ in the 

lighting industry, and are often referred to as ‘solid- 

1. lm/W comparison of different light sources 

2. Linear flex 3. Bridge with LED 

4. Colour mix application 

5. Yorkdale sign 

before 

after 

6. LED MR16 7. Building with LED (Sweden) 

state lighting’ (SSL). With the dramatic performance 

improvement of the high brightness (HB) 

LED along with significant cost reductions, LEDs 

are slowly but surely penetrating the broader general 

illumination market, where they will surely find 

their greatest potential. 

Technology with unique features 

Unlike traditional light sources that contain filaments 

and glass, LEDs consist of several layers of 

semiconductor materials that produce visible light 

when voltage is applied to them. The way this 

device generates light also defines some of its unique 

characteristics, such as: 

• small dimensions 

• (potentially) high luminous efficacy (lm/W) 

• long life (50,000 to 100,000 hours, depending 

on materials and operation conditions) 

• high shock resistance 

• directional light 

• high colour efficiency 

• no UV/IR radiation 

• no mercury 

One of the most important parameters for general 

illumination is its efficiency; namely, the luminous 

efficacy measured in lumens/watt. Currently, 

typical commercially available LEDs exhibit about 

40 lm/W (depending on the quality of the device 

and colour selection). Just five years ago, the 

best you could hope for was up to just 10 lm/W 

(Photo 1). Another important feature is the long 

life of LEDs, because this translates into less 

maintenance and waste generation, and lower 

ownership cost. 

Optimistic projections suggest that this luminous 

efficacy will approach about 100 lm/W by the year 

2010. Regardless, current LEDs are more efficient 

than incandescent (~10 lm/W) and halogen (~15 

lm/W) bulbs, and are competing against wellestablished 

gas discharged-based light sources, 

such as fluorescent, neon and HID. 

With its small dimensions, an LED is suitable 

and attractive in applications where space is 

limited. LEDs also present new opportunities for 

compact and aesthetic lighting fixture designs. 

Individual LEDs can be assembled in a flexible 

array or cluster configuration with 

different modular formats (Photo 2) 

to illuminate some objects that 

heretofore could not be illuminated, 

or illuminated only 

with great difficulty, like this 

stone bridge in Regensburg, 

Germany (Photo 3). 

Taking advantage of 

RGB (Red-Green-Blue) 

colour mixing, LEDs can 

produce dramatic results 

and offer amazing lighting 

design solutions in 

decorative, architectural 

and entertainment lighting 

applications (Photo 4). 

With a 50,000-hour typical 

lifespan for white LEDs, 

property owners and facility managers 

will realize significantly lower maintenance 

costs when LED systems are employed in 

signage applications. For example, a 74% 

energy savings was achieved compared to 

traditional neon sources in the Yorkdale 

Shopping Centre sign project (Photo 

5, Before and After). Here, the LED backlighting system also 

improved overall efficiency, because LEDs are a directional light 

source, going only to the targeted area. The versatile and flexible 

backlight LED module offered an ideal retrofit solution for this 

custom-made channel letter, allowing for easier installation without 

any of the fragile glass one associates with neon tubes. 

The fact that one versatile LED product can fit into all kinds of 

shaped channel letters is reshaping the signage industry. In addition 

to these advantages, LEDs provide higher luminous efficacy 

in lower temperatures (good news for Canadian winters), whereas 

the light level from a neon system drops significantly 

under similar low temperatures. 

Continued on page 24 

Photo by Paul Wright 


OUR COMPETITORS HAV 

TO IMPROVE ON OUR 

SO WE DID 

 

FUS 

 

SMALLER 

is the 

next revolution in CFL 

miniaturization. 

lamps 

have a M.O.L. ranging 

from only 3.42” to 

4.5”, giving users more 

freedom to replace inefficient 

incandescent 

bulbs with energy saving 

fluorescents. 

BRIGHTER 

lamps 

turn on instantly and 

have an average 70+ 

lumens per watt with a 

CRI value greater than 

85. 

boasts 

high lumens maintenance, 

instant on features 

and IEL (Intelligent 

End of Life Technology) 

protection. 

GREENER 

are th 

safest CFL for the en 

vironment. Containing 

only 1mg of mercury 

These lamps are Ener 

gy Star compliant fo 

an average of 10,000 

hours, and with the us 

of lead-free solder and 

glass they are RoHS 

compliant as well. 

FOR A DISTRIBUTOR NEAR

E BEEN UNABLE 

 

. 

ON 

WWW.TUROLIGHT.COM 

INFO NO. 23 

OU CALL: 1-877-736-0447

INFO NO. 24 

Savings 

a Hot Topic 

Is Energy Savings 

In Your Ofce 

Universal Lighting Technologies can help energy ef ciency feel like a breeze. Basic-12® electronic T12 ballasts can provide 

energy savings greater than 20% when replacing magnetic T12 ballasts during xture maintenance and re-lamping programs. 

ULTim8® high ef ciency electronic ballasts can cut your energy bills by up to 40% compared to magnetic T12 systems – and 

up to 6% over standard electronic ballasts. For more information, please contact Universal or your Universal Distributor. 

Universal Ballasts are available at all GE Authorized Distributors 

Energy Intelligence in Lighting 

Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc . • 26 Century Blvd. , Suite 500 • Nashville, TN 37214 -3683 • (615) 316-5100 

GE_Universal_EB_Feb07.indd 1 1/23/07 8:36:18 AM 

Continued from page 21 

Applications for today and 

adoption for tomorrow 

Replacing existing lighting products 

Because LEDs are more efficient than incandescent 

and halogen bulbs, it comes as no surprise they 

are being designed and marketed as a replacement 

for some existing products, such as halogen MR16 

(Photo 6) and GU10 lamps, as well as incandescent 

chandeliers. It makes particular sense against the 

backdrop of an increasingly energy-conscious, environmentally 

friendly marketplace. 

When it comes to colour-based decorative lighting 

products in the consumer market, LEDs again offer 

great advantages; not just because of colour efficiency 

but also due to more vibrant colour appearance and 

longevity. Red and Green Christmas lights clearly 

demonstrate how important a role LEDs can play in 

the residential decorative lighting market. 

New light source opportunities 

The low-profile, high-lumen features of LEDs open 

entirely new light source opportunities, such as 

undercabinet lighting. More intelligent and sophisticated 

RGB colour mixing solutions will eventually 

make it possible to customize a light source’s colour 

temperature according to the user, or even the season. 

This could have a deep impact on the future of residential 

and office lighting design, and the healthiness 

of the environments in which people live and work. 

Architectural and entertainment lighting 

With unlimited colour possibilities, LED lighting 

has shown great promise in the architectural lighting 

field. Façades of great buildings with LED lighting 

components (Photo 7) employ this light source, not 

only to enhance architectural design, but communicate 

art and corporate identity. LED lighting transforms 

the role of architecture—combining elements 

of science and engineering with advertising and public 

art—and redefines a building’s relationship with 

surrounding spaces. 

In entertainment lighting (where colour applications 

are critical), LEDs are becoming a preferred 

lighting solution for major attractions at significant 

venues and concert halls. 

Looking ahead at LEDs 

The benefits of LED technology are undeniable, 

leaving users with the simple matter of choosing the 

right LED for the desired result. Informed decisions 

are made through an open dialogue between lighting 

designers and lamp/fixture manufacturers, who can 

specify solutions that meet the needs and requirements 

of different lighting applications. 

Given the high cost of LED products at this time, 

specialty applications will be the major driving force. 

However, cost will continue to improve as demand and 

volume increase. Also, there are some technical issues 

that still need to be addressed, such as: colour consistency 

and performance reliability; thermal management; 

system solutions (including control and optics systems); 

and standardizing testing procedures and specification 

definition/agreement among manufacturers. 

Awareness and education throughout the entire 

value chain are also crucial for quick LED adoption 

in the marketplace. Taking the advantages of LED 

light sources and applying them to lighting design 

and/or application projects will accelerate their adoption. 

For example, a completely new low-profile fixture 

with low weight can be designed that will lower 

material and shipping costs. 

LED products with long lifespans provide users with 

great low-maintenance benefits, which will motivate 

electrical contractors to consider employing them in 

retrofits for their clients in applications where relamping 

could be very costly, such as residential exteriors, 

swimming pools and landscape lighting. As we all start 

to embrace LED technology, it is important to note that 

LEDs cannot completely replace other light sources, but 

will happily co-exist with them. 

INFO NO. 25 

Tung Yang Wang, Ph.D., is the manager of product marketing 

for high-intensity discharge (HID), display/optic and LED 

systems for Osram Sylvania Ltd. 



Pity the poor incandescent 

GE speaks out against looming bulb bans 

By Anthony Capkun 

Illustration by Enrique Corts 

Photos courtesy Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium 

Ever get the feeling the whole world is 

against you General Electric must be 

experiencing this feeling, and it’s all 

because of an innocuous little thing: the 

incandescent light bulb. 

As more attention turns to protecting the 

environment and saving energy, many jurisdictions 

are declaring all-out war against the 

125-year-old light bulb. California is looking 

at banning the sale of these bulbs starting in 

2012. Connecticut, too. Australia announced 

it would ban incandescent bulbs by 2010. 

Closer to home, Ontario is considering 

becoming the first province to follow 

Australia’s lead. In that province, politicians 

like Conservative Leader John Tory have said 

the Liberals should stop mulling over options 

and act now, starting with a ban on incandescents. 

“This technology is outdated, it’s antiquated 

and it needs to go,” said Chris Winter, 

executive director of the Conservation 

Council of Ontario, while Julia McNally, 

manager with Ontario’s Conservation Bureau, 

agrees: “You need a ban.” 

GE issued a Position Statement in response 

to these movements, in which it explains: 

GE believes legislation, regulations and other 

programs should support the ongoing market 

transition to more efficient lamp types 

and further development of current and 

emerging lighting technologies. We think 

these efforts should target efficiency levels 

and support emerging energy efficient technologies, 

not dictate the technology used to 

achieve a required efficiency. 

— GE Position Statement 

(23 Feb 2007) 

Prompted by all the commotion in various 

legislatures, GE was somewhat ‘forced’ to tell 

us—earlier than planned—about something 

it has been working on. GE Consumer & 

Industrial’s Lighting division recently proclaimed 

advancements to the very same hated 

incandescent light bulb that would, potentially, 

elevate the energy efficiency of this 125- 

year-old technology to levels comparable to 

those of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). 

Over the next several years, GE says these 

advancements will lead to the introduction of 

high-efficiency incandescent 

lamps that provide 

the same light quality, 

brightness and colour as current incandescents 

while saving energy and decreasing greenhouse 

gas emissions. 

Setting a goal based on lumens per watt 

encourages innovation and the development 

of emerging technologies... It’s shortsighted 

to freeze technology in favour of today’s highefficiency 

compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) 

and other fluorescent products. We’d rather 

keep innovating and offering traditional, commercial 

and industrial consumers more energy-efficient 

choices—not fewer choices. 


(23 Feb 2007) 

The HEI (high-efficiency incandescent) 

lamp—which incorporates materials being 

developed by GE’s Lighting division and 

Global Research Center—would initially 

replace traditional 40W to 100W household 

incandescent bulbs, but could be expanded to 

all other incandescents as well. The target for 

these bulbs at initial production is to be nearly 

twice as efficient (at 30 lumens/W) as current 

incandescents. Ultimately, HEI technology is 

expected to be about four times as efficient as 

current bulbs and comparable to CFLs. 

GE made this announcement in conjunction 

with its decision to support legislation in 

the European Union, the United States and 

other areas that would accelerate the introduction 

of all types of high-efficiency lighting 

products as part of the global effort to promote 

energy security and reduce greenhouse 

gas emissions. (The company says it has 

invested more than $200 million in the last 

four years on the development of energy-efficient 

lighting.) 

There’s not a direct CFL replacement for 

every incandescent lamp type. Also, it’s 

impractical and draconian to require consumers 

to use only CFLs in the more than 40 

light sockets in the average U.S. home. 


(23 Feb 2007) 

“In addition to offering significant energy savings 

comparable to CFLs, the 21st Century 

version of Edison’s bulb provides all the desirable 

benefits... at a price that will be less than 

CFLs,” said Kevin Nolan, vice-president of 

technology for GE Consumer & Industrial. 

The photo on the left is a shot of Edison’s 

first commercial incandescent bulb 

(produced November 1879 to May 

1880), while the one on the right 

shows a drawn tungsten lamp circa 

1911. Over 100 years later and 

today’s incandescents employ the 

same technology as their somewhat 

odd-looking predecessors. Will today’s 

incandescent bulbs soon be the stuff of 

a museum’s collection Perhaps, especially 

if GE has its way with HEI. 

He went on to say that GE, along with other 

lighting manufacturers, have been aggressively 

developing and marketing CFLs, but conceded 

that consumers want more options. 

“It’s important that we offer consumers a full 

range of products that meet their personal 

desire to reduce their negative impact on the 

environment while preserving their ability to 

pick the best lighting product for their needs,” 

said Nolan. “That’s why we are moving aggressively 

to commercialize these new lamps.” 

The target year for introducing the first of 

these HEI lamps is 2010, which is just a few 

short years away. However, a lot can happen in 

three years. By that time, incandescents may be 

banned altogether, regardless of newfound efficiencies. 

On the other hand, the market may be 

clamouring for them all the more, simply 

because they bring more choice to market. 

Ultimately, most (if not all) consumers of 

lighting products crave energy-efficient, costeffective 

offerings in the market. What 

remains to be seen is the road by which we 

achieve this ideal. 

Philips head criticizes GE 

“I don’t think we should wait until 2010 because there are alternatives 

available now,” said Philips Lighting’s CEO, Theo van Deursen, commenting 

on GE’s statement in an interview with The Associated Press. He 

added that, while he didn’t know the details of General Electric’s plans, he 

didn’t believe traditional incandescent lighting has a long-term future. 

“We believe there are better technologies going forward,”’ he said, predicting 

that halogen lights and CFLs will continue to gain market share in the 

medium term, but that LEDs will dominate the market in the long term. 

— With files from SiliconValley.com 

We want 

YOUR 

feedback!> 

How do you feel about the situation Do you feel government 

should dictate precisely the kinds of products we are to use to attain energy efficiency 

objectives, or should they simply set the objectives and leave us free to decide the means 

by which we attain them Visit EBMag.com and take our poll! 



Check out 

lighting products 

these innovative products from lighting leaders... 

INFO NO. 26 

Hazlux pulse-start metal 

halide fixtures 

The Hazlux pulse-start ballast option is a 

high-efficiency alternative to the traditional 

ballast. Benefits include increased efficiency 

of up to 120 lumens per watt (up to 20% 

improvement in lumen maintenance and a 

longer lamp life). Hazlux pulse-start ballasts 

extend lamp life from 15,000 to 20,000 

hours on 175W and 250W units compared 

to the traditional 10,000 hours of 

a normal ballast. The ballast provides 

faster re-strike time, requiring only six minutes to re-light, compared 

with 15 minutes for a standard MH ballast. Fixtures are fully illuminated 

in two minutes compared to four minutes for MH. It also allows 

for colder ignition temperatures of -40°F compared to-20°F in traditional 

MH. Available on Hazlux 3 and Hazlux 5 fixtures. 

101 Thomas & Betts 

AeroDomeTM 

Electronic HID ballasts 

Ultrasave’s line of electronic HID ballasts is designed 

for low-wattage, 20W through 150W MH lamps. 

With programmed cold start configuration, these 

ballasts have high power factor and low total harmonic 

distortion. Lightweight and small ballast 

housings provide flexibility in fixture designs. 

Featuring electronic circuitry, the ballasts offer significant 

energy savings 

over incandescent and 

magnetic HID alternatives. 

Ballasts 

are available in 

thermal or programmed 

electronic 

protection 

options. 

102 Ultrasave Lighting Ltd. 

High Performance Optics... 

Precision Full Cutoff and 

Advanced Vertical Lamp Design 

www.ruud.ca 

• Perfect for illuminating large commercial lots 

with strict cutoff and uniformity codes 

• Improved for greater spacing, fewer fixtures 

• 250- to 1000-watt lamp 

Easy Installation... 

Saves Time and Money 

• Separate removable ballast module means you can 

install the fixture with less weight 

• Simple, direct pole Side-Arm or Post-Top Mount 

• Tool-less lens frame saves time, eases installation 

and maintenance 

Longer Life... 

With Less Maintenance and No Worries 

• Thermal Chimney and isolated ballast compartment manages heat for 

longer component life (rated for 40˚C ambient) 

• Seamless, die-cast aluminum housing with Colorfast DeltaGuard TM 

finish 

• High-temperature silicone gasket seals optical system from debris and 

insects to reduce maintenance (IP65) 

Let us prove... how AeroDome is the 

best solution for your next project. 

Contact your local Ruud Lighting agent 

today for a layout. 

Ruud Lighting products are available in Canada 

exclusively through authorized electrical distributors. 

Part of the Aviator Family of Area Lights 

Ruud Lighting Canada 

(800) 473-1234 

® 

CFL PAR 

Standard’s CFL Professional 

Series uses advanced amalgam 

technologies to provide 

stable light output over broad 

temperature ranges and burning 

positions in indoor/ 

outdoor applications. 

By replacing an 

incandescent lamp 

with one of these 

CFLs, you can enjoy 

up to 75% energy savings 

with enhanced 

light output. 

103 Standard Products 

LED low-bay fixture 

Make the switch to an energyefficient 

lighting system 

with the LED 

low-bay fixture 

from Philips. 

Compared to 

HID, low-bay lighting 

fixtures use advanced LED 

technology that provides long life 

(twice the average life of metal halide and HPS), 

energy efficiency, improved visibility with white light 

and high colour rendering, instant on, and easy installation. 

The Philips low-bay fixture is designed for use 

in warehouses, stockrooms, parking garages—anywhere 

reliable low maintenance lighting is required. 

104 PHILIPS 

Next generation CFLs 

GE has added an extra-small 

size to the screw-in CFL product 

line’s list of attributes. Not 

only are they among the smallest 

in the industry, but among 

the longest rated life Energy Star 

products available (from 10,000 

to 12,000 hours)! This broad 

range of products—including 

reflectors, three-way and decorative 

lamps—offers value to the customer 

by reducing costs through 

longer life and reduced energy costs. 

Several lamps are even smaller than 

their incandescent equivalent. Other 

benefits include great colour rendering (82 CRI), 

warm pleasing colour (2700K) and flicker-free 

instant start. 

105 GE Lighting 

Hazlux 3 induction 

lighting fixtures 

In the typical industrial 

plant, lighting is often 

required in hazardous, 

hard-to-reach places. 

Lamp replacement can 

put employees at risk 

and may require the 

rental of expensive 

equipment, such as scissor 

lifts. Hazlux 3 

induction lighting fixtures 

deliver over six 

times the life of traditional 

MH lamps, drastically 

reducing maintenance/relamping operations 

and related installation risks. The fixtures retrofit 

into existing Hazlux 3 installations and are certified 

for use in hazardous (Class 1, Zone 2, Groups IIA, 

IIB, IIC, Exn R II T3 [restricted breathing], Division 

2, Groups, A, B, C, D) and non-hazardous areas. 



RUUD_EB_Feb07.indd 1 2/1/07 1:15:36 PM

case study 


ILLUMINATING 

before after 

the need for reducing 

greenhouse gases 

One drugstore chain’s sustainability initiative 

The drugstore chain’s lighting retrofit resulted in better lighting overall, reduced maintenance 

hassles, and pronounced energy savings. 

Founded in 1962 by Toronto pharmacist, 

Murray Koffler, Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. has 

grown to become a leading player in Canada’s 

retail drugstore marketplace. Shoppers Drug Mart/ 

Pharmaprix now has over 950 drugstores nationwide, 

and recorded annual sales of $7.2 billion in 2005. 

Despite their size and leading market position, 

Shoppers remains dedicated to reducing costs and 

improving the shopping experience for its customers. 

In addition to improving its bottom line, the company 

implemented an ambitious sustainability policy 

to help improve the environment by reducing energy 

consumption. Analysis of their lighting requirements 

revealed opportunities for improving quality, reducing 

costs and helping the environment. 

For certain specialty sections, like the cosmetics 

department, Shoppers used 90W PAR38 halogen 

bulbs. While the halogens succeeded in bringing additional 

attention to the products, there were some drawbacks 

in terms of replacement frequency and maintenance. 

Furthermore, their high wattage created a great 

deal of heat, making both employees and customers 

feel uncomfortable. To deal with these temperatures, 

air-conditioners had to run for most of the year. 

Discontented customers and expensive energy bills 

provided the impetus for change. The replacement 

and maintenance headaches faced by Shoppers is 

clearly illustrated by Norman Peck, the company’s 

manager of store premises and maintenance, who 

explains, “The PAR 38s were causing a number of 

headaches because they are only good for 4000 hours. 

Our stores are open for an average of 5800 hours per 

year; that means every nine months we had to replace 

the lights... and at $12 a shot, that adds up”. 

light, making the indoor environment 

more natural. 

Light intensity was a concern for Peck. 

In the first generation of stores, Shoppers 

had roughly 150 spotlights per store (even 

more depending on the size of the store). 

This number has been reduced to anywhere 

from 120 to 130 per store. In the 

end, the decision to move toward a more 

sustainable lighting solution resulted in 

a one-year return on investment with an 

estimated annual energy savings of 76%. 

“The new lights have resulted in significant 

energy savings and produce a more 

comfortable light in which to work,” 

Simons summarizes. “It enhances the 

look of our displays and is especially 

important to our cosmetics department 

in accentuating facial tones. Overall, our 

return on investment is approximately 

one year.” 

90W halogen versus 25W HID 

In the fall of 2005, Shoppers started testing the 

MasterColor Integrated 25W CDMi from Philips as a 

potential alternative to the halogens at two of their locations. 

The product is an HID lamp with an integrated 

ballast that can be instantly retrofitted into existing 

halogen sockets. Not only did they do the trick, but 

Shoppers feels they improve the visual impact of displays, 

making merchandise more appealing. 

Peck has not replaced any of the lights in the past 

16 months at these two locations, as the 25W integrated 

has three times the life of a standard halogen. 

By the end of April, Shoppers expects to have installed 

40,000 of these lamps across 250 stores nationwide. 

The decision to use the 25W HID lamps was not 

based solely on reduced replacement costs. Switching 

from 90W halogens to 25W HIDs not only reduced 

the wattage, but the amount of heat generated. The 

new lights lowered the ambient temperature and 

conserved a great deal of energy, which translates into 

diminished greenhouse carbon dioxide emissions. 

Advantages like these are typically weighed 

against certain drawbacks, such as limited light 

quality or intensity. However, Peter Simons—the 

manager of strategic procurement for Shoppers— 

explains he didn’t have to face this problem. The 

light produced by the 25W lamps was comparable 

(if not preferable) to the 90W halogens. Nowhere 

was this more evident than in the cosmetics department 

of the stores. Cosmeticians would often take 

customers to the front of the store where natural 

daylighting could more accurately show the true 

effects of a product. The 25W produced a ‘whiter’ 

INFO NO. 27 

Cambrian_7x10_EB_April07.indd 1 3/27/07 2:47:47 PM 



CFL electronic ballasts 

Offering maximum application 

flexibility, Ultrasave’s line of 

CFL ballasts operates twin 

tube, PL-H quad and triple 

tube, circline, 2D and long 

twin tube (Biax / PL-L) 

lamps. Each ballast has 

multi-lamp/wattage 

capabilities, as well as 

high power factor, low total 

harmonic distortion, sound rating A 

and lamp end-of-life protection. In addition, the 

CFL-T4 series has colour-coded, poke-in connectors that ensure 

wiring accuracy and reduce installation time. Available in normal 

or high case temperature options, they’re ideal for numerous 

applications. 


XL31 fluorescent/Optistart 

Retrofit existing T12 fluorescent fixtures with energy-efficient 

XL31 T8 fluorescent tubes and Optistart electronic ballasts to 


capture up to 40% in energy savings without reducing light 

levels. XL31/Optistart retrofit systems can increase tube life 

from 20,000 hours to as much as 36,000 hours. 


Linear fluorescent coated lamps 

Philips TuffGuard linear fluorescent 

coated lamps can 

improve the bottom line 

while offering the same 

protection from breakage as 

standard coated fluorescent. 

The Philips fluorescent lamp 

family offers long life, which reduces maintenance 

costs by extending the re-lamping cycle. Lower 

wattage lamp options—such as the Energy 

Advantage 25W—reduces operating and energy 

costs. And, using Philips reduces the impact on the 

environment with its patented ALTO low-mercury 

lamp technology. 

109 PHILIPS 

ConstantColor 

CMH lamps 

ContantColor CMH 

lamps are a great light 

source for all applications. 

They have 

a crisp white halogen-like 

light that 

provides dramatic 

accents and highlights, 

with excellent 

colour rendering (up to 92 CRI). GE’s CMH 

lamps use an advanced three-piece arc tube design 

developed through rigorous Six Sigma processes. In 

fact, GE offers a variety of shapes and sizes to allow 

maximum creativity and design flexibility. Designs 

available include elliptical, single- and doubleended, 

as well as PARS. 

110 GE Lighting 

Survive-All NXM Series battery unit 

Create your Free Listing by Filling out 

your information for verification or go online at 

www.EBmag.com 

Publishing Fall 2007 

The Emergi-Lite Survive-All NXM series battery 

unit sets a new standard for centre-to-centre path of 

egress illumination, lighting an egress path up to 

70-ft long and 3-ft wide. Visually appealing, the 

Survive-All NXM battery unit is designed for use in 

commercial and industrial environments where 

humidity, dust, water infiltration and the risk of 

vandalism are specification criteria. This series also 

features advanced diagnostics, a non-intrusive magnetic 

test switch, 0.5-in. conduit entry on top and 

back, tamper-proof screws and an MR16 light 

source—all standard. Optionally, this series offers a 

cold weather choice that will withstand temperatures 

of -40°C. This series is fully approved for 

NEMA-4X and NSF type installations. 

111 Emergi-Lite 

Linear T5/T5HO electronic ballasts 

Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postal/Zip Code. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Email. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

WISH TO APPEAR UNDER WHICH CATEGORY 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

TYPE OF BUSINESS 

Contact Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Contact Number. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Check here if you wish to have numerous locations (you will be contacted by phone or email) 

Fax completed form to (905) 841-4357 

Electrical Business is published by CLB Media Inc. 240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 

T. 905.727.0077 F. 905.717.0017 www.ebmag.com 

Ultrasave’s broad line of electronic ballasts for T5 

and T5HO linear fluorescent lamps offers proven 

performance, reliability, flexibility and energy savings. 

Each is designed with a lamp end-of-life protection 

circuit that shuts off power automatically, 

thereby preventing overheating and protecting the 

ballast. The ER-T5HO high-bay series is ideal for 

high-bay fixtures, operating T5HO 54W and long 

twin tube lamp types. It is available in wire or pokein 

connector options, and has a case temperature 

rating of 90°C. 



Lighting impacts 


your health more than you know 

Scientists and designers exchange information about lighting and health 

Did you know that certain lighting methodologies 

help people who work the night 

shift Or that light while you sleep could 

lead to cancer 

The second Commission Internationale de 

l’Eclairage (CIE) Symposium on Lighting and 

Health held in Ottawa last fall provided a wealth of 

new information on the effects of light on health, 

and the implications for practical lighting design. 

Some highlights from the presentations included: 

described a dynamic lighting system that changes both in intensity 

and colour temperature throughout the workday, in response to 

visual, circadian and energy-efficiency requirements. 

Industry leaders’ perspectives 

Industry leaders summarized their views on practical applications. 

The central theme of these comments was the connection 

between healthy lighting and sustainability. In fact, the research 

findings point most strongly to the role of good daylighting in 

providing healthy lighting, which offers additional justification—on 

top of sustainability—for investment in daylighting. 

Going beyond symposium walls 

The symposium speakers and discussions identified many 

areas for new research and its application. For their part, 

lighting researchers in NRC Institute for Research in 

Construction’s (IRC’s) Indoor Environment program are 

developing new research projects, building on work presented 

at the symposium. 

The Symposium was co-hosted by the NRC and 

Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage, with financial 

support from Philips, GE, Osram Sylvania, Velux, 

Zumtobel and Canlyte. 

Lighting for jet lag and shift work 

Resetting a maladjusted circadian rhythm (your 

24-hour biological cycle)—like what you would 

experience when flying across time zones or working 

a night shift—can be achieved with intermittent 

bursts of 20-minute exposure to 1200-lux white 

light, provided that the exposures are properly 

timed and the worker avoids light exposure during 

non-working hours. This information represents an 

important advance because the solution does not 

require energy-intensive additions to room lighting, 

contrary to what was previously thought. 

Lighting for well-being 

The National Research Council of Canada’s (NRC’s) 

Dr. Jennifer Veitch reviewed research from the U.S. 

and Finland suggesting that well-being could be 

enhanced by increasing the amount of light to 

which people are exposed on a daily basis. Thus far, 

it appears that the lighting increases might not need 

to be very large, nor constant. 

Simplicity is a lighting solution that makes sense for your 

needs, and the needs of our planet. 

Cancer risk from light at night 

It is known that night-shift workers face an elevated 

risk of breast cancer, and animal studies have shown 

that light exposure at night can speed tumour 

growth. At the symposium, attendees learned about 

a test of the hypothesis that light at night increases 

human breast cancer risk by reducing levels of the 

hormone melatonin. The pattern of results suggests 

that disrupted melatonin rhythms are a significant 

risk factor for human breast cancer, and possibly 

other cancers. From a practical perspective, this 

means that healthy lighting includes healthy darkness. 

Experts advise that one sleep in a dark room, using 

light-excluding window coverings, and direct lights 

away from neighbours’ windows. 

® 

MasterColor 

Integrated PAR38 - 

A sustainable lighting 

solution 

Extra Long Life T8s - 

An environmentally 

friendly, cost-saving 

solution 

New lighting technologies 

One paper addressed a possible treatment for night 

restlessness experienced by Alzheimer patients, which 

is a serious problem for patients and caregivers alike. 

Exposure in the late afternoon or evening to bright 

blue light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs)—as compared 

to dim red LED light—reduced the frequency of 

patients’ early-morning waking. Another presentation 

philips.com 

INFO NO. 29 

Philips_EB_April07.indd 1 3/21/07 10:23:39 AM 



Switch to LEDs 

Considering changing conventional lamps to LEDs 

Light emitting diodes provide many advantages over 

conventional lighting, such as increased energy 

efficiency and savings, very long life, 

reduced maintenance costs, cooler operation, 

and shock and vibration resistance. Standard 

offers an extensive line of LED lamps, specializing 

in retrofit exit sign and miniaturebased 

replacements. 


High-efficiency electronic ballasts 

Advance Optanium 

2.0 electronic ballasts 

are designed to 

offer high efficiency. 

Constant current design ensures maximum 

energy savings, and lamp auto re-strike capability means lower 

maintenance costs. The Optanium anti-striation circuitry 

eliminates lamp striation problems, and its anti-arcing protection 

will safeguard system components in the event of damage 


to sockets or poorly seated lamps. They are ideal for temperature-sensitive 

applications. 

114 PHILIPS 

Marrette luminaire disconnect 

As of January 1, all new and existing fluorescent 

lighting fixtures and ballasts over 

150V must be equipped with integrated 

electrical disconnects. CSA-approved, the new Marrette luminaire 

disconnect from Thomas & Betts is the device of choice 

to meet this new requirement. When disconnected, the device 

enables safe servicing of the fixture and ballast without exposure 

to dangerous electrical shock hazards. Connected, it provides 

great conductivity. Quick and easy to install, the Marrette luminaire 

disconnect is available in convenient kits for electricians 

and bulk packaging for fixture and ballast manufacturers. 


Linear T12/T12HO electronic ballasts 

Ultrasave’s new generation of linear T12/T12HO electronic 

ballast is designed to replace magnetic T12 ballasts affected by 

the federal ballast efficiency ruling (April 2005). These ballasts 

generate up to 20% in energy savings compared to 

their magnetic counterparts. They are lighter, smaller 

and quieter, offering longer warranty coverage than 

traditional magnetic ballasts. The same wiring configuration 

makes converting from a magnetic fixture 

to an electronic one simple and effortless. 


Standard ICE 

With their frosted lenses, 

ICE lamps provide consistent, 

even light distribution, 

putting the light where 

you need it. ICE lamps emit a 

soft light enhancing the white 

look of halogen and eliminating 

dark lines and shadows. An 

added benefit is their ability to 

disperse heat off the front lens, 

leaving a cooler-feeling lamp. 


Extra-long-life T8 lamps 

Now available from Philips are the T8 32W and 

Energy Advantage T8 25W Extra-Long- 

Life lamps. They provide a 

cost-saving, environmentally 

friendly 

solution lasting 

to 40,000 hours 

(tested at 12 hours 

per start, instant-start 

ballast), will operate on all 

existing T8 ballasts, and are suitable for both new 

construction and retrofit applications. 

118 PHILIPS 

4-ft T8 lamps 

Standard’s energy-efficient 30W, 28W and 25W 4-ft 

T8 lamps offer a minimum three-year payback, 

reduced lamp-end blackening, TCLP compliance, 

high CRI and lumen maintenance, and are also a 

direct replacement for conventional 32 W lamps. 


Retract-a-Lite series battery unit 

INFO NO. 30 

The new and improved Emergi-Lite Retract-a-Lite 

battery unit is virtually unseen, emerging only during 

a power failure. The motorized door will rotate 180 

degrees, allowing the MR16 lamps to illuminate the 

path to safety. Upon restoration of AC, the motorized 

door will rotate the remaining 180 degrees, returning 

the light source back into its invisible state. It can be 

fully recessed in the wall or ceiling, and comes complete 

with an electrical box for connections. There is 

no need for an external junction box. The Retract-a- 

Lite comes standard with two MR16 lamps up to 50W 

each, which will cover an extensive path of egress at 

various mounting heights. 

120 Emergi-Lite 


GE_7x10_EB_April07.indd 1 3/28/07 8:14:25 AM

Photo © Philips. 


Lighting Efficiency Coalition issues call to action 

The Philips-led Lighting Efficiency Coalition is a 

group of energy-efficiency advocates who have proposed 

legislative action for a major shift toward incorporating 

high-efficiency lighting technologies in home and office 

settings. In essence, they seek to phase-out inefficient 

lamps through the substitution of existing energy-efficient 

alternatives, such as compact fluorescent (CFLs) 

and halogen lamps, and light emitting diodes (LEDs). 

The coalition comprises the Alliance to Save Energy, 

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 

Californians Against Waste, Natural Resources Defense 

Council and Earth Day Network. 

Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Ill.) explained, “We 

can either build more power plants, or we can increase 

the energy efficiency of what we have.” Manzullo said 

he became involved with Philips about two months ago, 

when they told him about a program that would save 

“the equivalent of 30 nuclear plants or up to 80 coal-fired 

plants”. However, Manzullo did note that while the push 

would be on CFLs, halogens and LEDs, he recognized the 

potential for “new generation incandescent lamps”. 

Noah Horowitz, senior scientist with the Natural 

Resources Defense Council, admitted that the Lighting 

Efficiency Coalition’s main priority is to work out the 

details on exactly how efficient replacement products 

should be, and how they are to be phased in. “We are 

able to send the message to manufacturers that it’s worth 

making the investment [in energy-efficient lighting products],” 

he added, noting there are roughly four billion 

screw-sockets in the United States that could use replacement 

products. 

Although the coalition said it wants to move quickly, it 

added that it wants to move intelligently while advocating 

performance standards. 

Through the Lighting Efficiency Coalition, Philips wants 

to introduce sweeping lighting reform in the United 

States, making traditional incandescents obsolete by 

2016, to be replaced by more energy-efficient solutions, 

such as solid-state lighting. 

In a live webcast last month, lighting manufacturer 

Philips—along with several American 

politicians and environmentalists—announced 

their plans for proposed legislative action for a 

major shift toward incorporating high-efficiency 

lighting technologies in home and office settings in 

the United States. 

“We want sweeping public policy for energy-efficient 

[lighting] alternatives by 2016,” said Senator 

Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who opened the broadcast. 

Brian Dundon, CEO of Philips Lighting 

Electronics North America, said setting the year 

2016 as the target elimination date for energywasteful 

incandescents should ensure an orderly 

phase-out. “The time has come for this technology 

to be moved into a museum,” he said. 

Lighting giant acquires 

Canada’s TIR Systems 

Royal Philips Electronics has reached 

an agreement with Vancouver, B.C.’s 

TIR Systems Ltd. under which it will 

acquire all of the outstanding shares of TIR for 

a total consideration of about $75 million (to 

be paid in cash upon completion). The transaction 

is subject to the terms and conditions 

of the merger agreement, and approval of TIR 

shareholders. It is expected to close Q2 2007. 

“... Through the acquisition of TIR Systems 

we now strengthen our position in delivering 

integrated lighting products to lighting 

fixtures manufacturers,” said Peter van Strijp, 

chief executive of Philips Lighting’s SSL (solidstate 

lighting) business unit. “Our focus will 

now be on making lighting products that utilize 

TIR Systems’ solid-state lighting modules 

widely available.” 

TIR is involved in SSL technology for products 

that generate high-quality white light. The 

company is commercializing its newly developed 

Lexel technology for SSL-based spotlighting 

with a platform of fully integrated SSL 

modules. Supporting the company’s technology 

and products is a solid and sizeable intellectual 

property portfolio that, when integrated 

into Philips’ SSL patent portfolio, should create 

a strong competitive advantage. 

INFO NO. 31 



PRODUCT 

SHOWCASE 

SMALLER. BRIGHTER. GREENER. 

leading the way through research & design 

 

 

FINALLY ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH 

NO SACRIFICE IN LIGHTING DESIGN 

It seems as if everyone wants an LED replacement for the 

halogen bulbs and up until now everything the competitors 

offered fell short of practical. More often then not, the 

bulbs are more for decoration then they are for illumination. 

WELL NO MORE. Turolight has the brightest MR16 

at 8Watts replacing a 35Watt Halogen. It can flood or 

spot and beat out every conventional LED technology 

known today. It’s not cheap, but it is worth it. 

INNOVATION USING 

GENESIS FUSION T2 TECHNOLOGY 

The first 3” and 4” recessed can fixtures (potlight) that can 

replace an MR16. Using our patented Genesis Fusion 

bulbs we’ve created the smallest, brightest, most innovative 

CFL fixture that is light years ahead of our competitors. 

Just think how many MR16 fixtures can now be replaced 

with energy efficient Genesis Fusion fixtures. Available in 

11W and 13W versions these bulbs produces and unbelievable 

50W of flood light. 

PHASE4 

PAR-P SERIES 

A DIMMABLE FLASHABLE FLUORESCENT 

Turolight Litetronics Micro-brites are the perfect solution: 

CFL’s can not be dimmed or flashed while LED’s are 

directional light and fairly expensive. Micro-Brite CCFL’s 

are the perfect solution. This large family of bulbs is very 

versatile being used in everything from household fixtures 

to the mammoth signs in Las Vegas and Macao. Micro- 

Brites have a rated life of up to 25,000 hours, and can be 

used in or outdoors making them perfect for signage and 

marquees. 

A TUROLIGHT REVOLUTION 

Turolight first introduced Phase 4 Par Series Bulbs over 

3 years ago and has set the benchmark for quality CFL 

lighting ever since. These bulbs are successfully being 

used in countless commercial/industrial buildings across 

Canada. Some features include: Same shape and size of 

a halogen PAR30 or PAR38 bulb. An outstanding 1300 

Lumens and average life span of 8,000 hours. Available 

in 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4100K, 5000K and 6400K. 

These bulbs are above standard in every way. 

MEOM 

VIRTUALLY MAINTENANCE FREE 

The TL-ELLED bulb is the ideal replacement for all incandescent 

and PL fluorescent based emergency exit light bulbs. 

Completely self ballasted, this product runs on 120V and 

can last up to 50,000hours or longer. Using less then 1W 

this Turolight LED far surpasses all of its competition when 

it comes to brightness and energy savings. A swivel base 

design allows you to focus the beam precisely where you 

need the light. These bulbs will pass any fire code with 

ease. CSA Approved. 

ONE BULB MANY LOOKS 

There is no comparison when it comes to the MEOM 

Turolight’s very own Multi cover series bulbs. Starting at 

5Watt (comparable to 40Watt incandescent) these bulbs 

come with the option of three cover types; Bullet, Globe, or 

R20. When the bulb expires there is no need to purchase 

a new cover. Simple replace the bulb itself. Just one way 

to reduce waste and future costs. 

FOR A DISTRIBUTOR NEAR YOU CALL: 1-877-736-0447 

OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: WWW.TUROLIGHT.COM 


Arc Flash: Measures for Prevention & Control 

Schneider Electric (CSA) 

Halifax, N.S., April 24 

Moncton, N.B., April 26 

Visit learningcentre.csa.ca 

Static, Transient Voltages & Lighting Protection 

Systems (Fundamentals/Evaluation/Control) 

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) 

Edmonton, Alta., April 25 

Vancouver, B.C., April 27 

Ottawa, Ont., May 23 

Halifax, N.S., May 25 


Healthcare Lighting Design Solutions 

The Source/Cooper Lighting 

April 26-27 

Peachtree City, Ga. 

Visit www.cooperlighting.com and click 

Source, then Course Calendar 

Electrical Learning Expo 

Alberta Electrical League (AEL) 

May 3 

Grande Prairie, Alta. 

Visit www.elecleague.ab.ca 

Annual Meeting 

National Association of 

Electrical Distributors (NAED) 

May 5-9 

Washington, D.C. 

Visit www.naed.org 

NEW 

DATE! 

Design, Installation & Certification of 

Electrical Equipment in Hazardous Locations 

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) 

Vancouver, B.C., May 7-8 

Moncton, N.B., June 14-15 

Niagara Falls, Ont., June 18-19 


Lightfair 

International Association of Lighting 

Designers (IALD) and Illuminating 

Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) 

May 8-10 

New York, N.Y. 

WILL BE 

THERE! 

Visit www.lightfair.com 

Industrial Ethernet and IEC 61131-3 Seminar 

WAGO Corp. 

May 14-16 

September 24-26 

November 5-7 

Germantown, Wis. 

For details, e-mail info.us@wago.com 

Lighting Fundamentals/Lighting Basics 


May 16-18 


Visit www.cooperlighting.com and click 

Source, then Course Calendar 

Quebec Region Golf Tournament 

Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) 

May 22 

Pointe Claire, Que. 

Visit www.electrofed.com 

Annual General Meeting and Convention 

Electrical Contractors Association 

of Alberta (ECAA) 

May 24-26 

Lake Louise, Alta. 

Visit www.ecaa.ab.ca 

CALENDAR 

April is just around the corner and, before you know 

it, the Ontario Electrical League’s (OEL’s) Electrical 

Industry Conference will be upon us. As the date gets 

closer, more details about the event are solidified, so we 

present an update as to what else you can expect this year 

in Windsor. 

Reid Bigland, president and CEO of DaimlerChrysler 

Canada Inc., will help kick off the conference Thursday 

April 19th with a discussion on the state of the Canadian 

manufacturing industry. He will also talk about the initiatives 

manufacturers are undertaking to develop fuel-efficient 

and environmentally friendly vehicles. 

And it appears confirmed that Friday’s keynote speaker 

is Dwight Duncan, Ontario’s minister of energy 

and chair of cabinet. He will talk about his goals for 

fostering a culture of conservation while ensuring a reliable, 

sustainable, diverse and affordable supply of power for the province. 

Also on Friday (“Contractor Day”) is the Product Expo/Lunch & Learn, where Electrical 

Business is exhibiting along with other well-known industry names. Afterward, drinks are 

on us, as we proudly sponsor the Friday Afternoon Hospitality Suite, which precedes Friday 

evening’s South of the Border Dinner/Dance. 

The event runs from April 18-21. Visit www.oel.org for more information. 

NEC/CEC: A Comparison 

of Requirements 

Canadian Standards 

Association (CSA) 

Windsor, Ont., May 24-25 

Niagara Falls, Ont., June 25-26 


Annual Conference 

Supply & Distribution Council, 


May 30-June 2 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

WILL BE 


THERE! 

WILL BE 

THERE! 

Canadian Electrical 

Code 2006 Essentials 

Canadian Standards 

Association (CSA) 

Montreal, Que., June 7-8 

Halifax, N.S., June 11-12 


National Conference 

Canadian Electrical Contractors 

Association (CECA) 

June 13-16 

Ottawa, Ont. 

WILL BE 

Visit www.ceca.org 

THERE! 

Spring Golf Tournament 


June 14 

Visit www.elecleague.ab.ca 

or call (403) 514-3085 

IESNA Teachers 

of Lighting Workshop 


June 17-22 


Visit www.cooperlighting.com 

and click Source, then Course 

Calendar 

Power Distribution 

and Lighting 

Solutions 

NQOD Panelboards 

Offer reliable performance for 120/208Vac 

or 240Vac lighting systems and electrical 

distribution systems. Available in 600A main 

circuit breaker and main lug configurations. 

Accept bolt-on or plug-on branch circuit 

breakers for 120/208Vac or 240Vac 

lighting systems. 

NF Panelboards 

Provide a cost effective solution for all 

your lighting and electrical distribution 

needs at 600/347Vac. Available in stock 

with up to 600A main breaker or 800A 

main lug interiors, and a wide range 

of accessories. 

Square D 

panelboards 

offer you the 

best quality, 

reliability, 

flexibility 

and ease of 

installation. 

I-Line Panelboards 

Offer sophisticated power-distribution 

at 600Vac/250Vdc and 1200A ratings. 

They are the ultimate solution for all 

your commercial and industrial electrical 

distribution applications. A unique 

plug-in connection style offers the 

easiest installation for power branch 

breakers in the industry. 


INFO NO. 32 

INFO NO. 33 


Accubid_EB_April07.indd 1 3/19/07 1:52:26Schneider_half_EB_Feb07.indd PM 

1 2/1/07 12:01:12 PM

CALENDAR 

Electrical Showcase 

British Columbia Electrical Association (BCEA) 

June 21 

Kelowna, B.C. 

Visit www.bcea.bc.ca 

53rd Pulp and Paper Industry Conference 

Institute of Electrical and Electronics 

Engineers (IEEE) 

June 24-29 

Williamsburg, Va. 

Visit www.pulppaper.org 

Annual Convention and Exposition 

Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA) 

June 24-27 

Minneapolis, Minn. 

Visit www.easa.com 

Residential Lighting Design Solutions 


June 25-26 


Visit www.cooperlighting.com and click Source, 

then Course Calendar 

Annual Golf Tournament 

Ontario Energy Network (OEN) 

July 26, 2007, Gormley, Ont. 

Visit www.ontarioenergynetwork.org 

If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for the 2007 National 

Industry Conference presented by the Canadian Electrical 

Contractors Association (CECA), and hosted by the Electrical 

Contractors Association of Ontario (ECAO). 

Change is Good is the theme of this year’s event, being held June 

13-16, which will feature exciting speakers and great social functions 

held in some of Ottawa’s finest venues. The conference kicks 

off with the Welcoming Reception held at the National Gallery 

where, as an added bonus, delegates will enjoy a private viewing of 

the Renoir Landscapes. (Ottawa is the only Canadian venue for this 

travelling exhibition.) 

The weekly presentations begin with keynote speaker, 

Warren Macdonald, the first double above-knee amputee to 

WILL BE 

THERE! 

reach the summit of Africa’s tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, 

and America’s tallest cliff face, El Capitan. Meantime, luncheon speaker and 

political guru, Mike Duffy, will paint a picture of Canada’s political scene... its colourful 

history and ever-changing landscape. 

Educational opportunities abound throughout the week on marketing, productivity, 

management, finance, health and safety, and more. ECAO’s conference committee 

is also pleased to announce the addition of a Product Exposition to this year’s lineup 

of activities, where the electrical industry’s partners will showcase their products and 

services and provide an opportunity for networking and information exchange. 

Visit www.ceca.org for more information. See you in Ottawa! 

CFL FLUORESCENT ELECTRONIC BALLASTS 

UNIVERSAL VOLTAGE 

 

Fundamentals & Lighting Basics 

for Distributors & Contractors 


August 1-3 




Annual Golf Tournament 

Ontario Electrical League (OEL) 

August 15 

Nobleton, Ont. 

Visit www.oel.org 

Atlantic Golf Tournament 


August 16 

Moncton, N.B. 


Retail & Hospitality Lighting Design Solutions 


August 22-24 




Federation Cup Annual Charity Golf Tournament 


August 28 

Bond Head, Ont. 


INFO NO. 34 

• 120V - 277V 

• < 10% ATHD 

• High Power Factor 

• End-of-Life Protection 

• Operate 1x, 2x Lamps 

• Twin, Triple, Quad, 

Double Quad 9-70W 

• UL, cUL 

• 90ºC Max Operating Temp. 

Advanced Features: 

• Programmed start for extended lamp life in frequent switching applications 

• End-of-lamp-life protection to safely remove power from the lamp as it nears end-of-life 

• Cold starting to ensure proper functionality even in low temperature applications 

• Improved reliability due to precision control flicker-free operation 

• Auto-restart which eliminates the need to reset the power mains after lamp replacement 

• Versatile mounting: Side and back leads included with optional ballast 

• Auto light compensation during low power situations 

• Dual entry color coded connector 

Fulham HeadQuarters (USA) 

12705 S. Van Ness Avenue 

Hawthorne, CA 90250 

Tel: (323) 599-5000 

Fax: (323) 754-9060 

info@fulham.com 

www.fulham.com 

Trusted worldwide for cost efficient lighting solutions. 

Fulham Electronic Co. Ltd (South China) 

Room 415 Junda Business Center, No.23 Road 

Dongguan City Guangdong Province P.R.. China 

Tel : +86-769-2234-7250/7251/7252 

Fax : +86-769-2234-9904 

tonyzhang@fulham-china.com 

Fulham Company Ltd (International) 

Unit 2617, Miramar Tower, 132 Nathan Road 

T.S.T., Kowloon, Hong Kong 

Tel: +852-2314-4801 

Fax: +852-2314-4186 

anita-lau@fulham.com.hk 

Fulham Electronic Co. Ltd (Mid China) 

Room 312-315, Xing Yuan Technology Plaza, 

No 418, Gui Ping Road, 

Caohe-Jing Hi-Tech Park, 

Shanghai, P.R.C. 

Post Code: 200233 

Fulham Company Ltd (Middle East) 

LOB-2, No 127 

P.O. Box 261051, 

Jebel Ali Free Zone, 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

Tel: + 9714-8873577 

Fax: + 9714-8873599 

fulhamdubai@fulham.com 

Fulham Electronic Co. Ltd (North China) 

No. 9 Xingchang Road, Nanshaozhen 

Changping Science Park 

Beijing 102200 

P.R. China 

Tel : +86-10-6073-5858 

Fax : +86-10-6073-3765 

tonyzhang@fulham-china.com 

Fulham Co., Inc. (Canada) 

2967 Lotus Court 

Coquitlam, BC V3B 7B3 

Tel: (604)-288-2609 

Fax: (604)-288-2554 

thughes@fulham.com 

Patent Pending 

Fulham Co., Inc. (Caribbean / Latin America) 

12705 Van Ness Avenue 

Hawthorne, CA 90250 

Tel: (800) 2-FULHAM 

Fax: (323) 754-9060 

jrodriguez@fulham.com 

Fulham/Lightech (Dominican Republic) 

Calle 24 Este No. 16 

La Castellana 

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 

Tel: (809) 476-9965 

Fax: (809) 412-4224 

lightech@tricom.net 

Fulham/Carlson Trading, (Philippines) 

#97 Tomas Arguelles St. 

Cor Bayani Brgy. 

Santol Quezon City, Philippines 

Tel: +632-712-8888 

Fax: +632-749-9950 

christopher_tiu@carlsonphil.com 

Fulham Electronics India Pvt Ltd. (India) 

A1 , 2nd Floor , Chirag Enclave , GK-I 

New Delhi - 110 048 INDIA 

Tel: 0091-11-46567394 

Fax: 0091-11-46567398 

Fall Golf Tournament 


August 30 

Visit www.elecleague.ab.ca or call (403) 514-3085 

Lighting Fundamentals/Lighting Basics 


September 5-7 




Advanced IRiS Solutions 


September 17-18 




Annual Conference & Convention 

National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) 

October 5-8 

San Francisco, Calif. 

WILL BE 

Visit www.necaconvention.org/2007.htm 

THERE! 


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IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR, SEE, OR RESIST. 

When it comes to upgrades, it’s the details that make the difference. That’s why Broan and NuTone QT Series 

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They’re available in a number of Energy Star-rated models. Whichever you choose, you’ve got one easy-toinstall 

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©2007 Broan-NuTone, Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Broan-NuTone LLC. Patents pending. 

INFO NO. 35

Meet the players 

From mechanic wanna-be to 

electrical leader 

By Anthony Capkun 

CECA’s president, Rick Brodhurst 

“It was by pure accident that I got into the 

electrical field. I didn’t have any particular 

interest in electrical whatsoever.” 

These were not the words I expected to hear from Rick Brodhurst, president of both Quantech 

Electrical Contractors Ltd. and the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association (CECA). 

I met with Rick not long ago to learn more about CECA itself—particularly as the date 

of their annual conference in June is fast approaching—so I was taken aback to learn that not 

only did Rick not have any interest in electrical, he would have much rather worked as an auto 

mechanic. 

“When I left high school, I needed to find a job... any kind of a job,” explains Rick. “I was 

hoping someone would offer me a mechanic’s apprenticeship—I like repairing old cars—and 

while I had knocked on a number of doors, no one would let me in. So when someone offered 

me an electrical apprenticeship, I jumped at the opportunity.” 

His start as an electrical apprentice came in October 1958 when he joined the Robert Simpson 

Company (a huge department store that would hire additional staff around Christmas). At the 

time, their maintenance department was looking for an apprentice electrician, and Rick figured 

it was something he could do. “In retrospect, thank God I didn’t land an auto mechanic apprenticeship 

back then,” he admits. 

Rick completed his apprenticeship October 1962, and was in among the first groups to receive 

an Inter-Provincial Seal. He then joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 

(IBEW) and started working in construction for Noble Electric in 1963. 

“During my first four or five years at the trade I attended Ryerson Polytechnical Institute three 

or four nights a week with the goal of obtaining enough education to be accepted into Waterloo,” 

says Rick, explaining that the University of Waterloo had a co-op program in electrical engineering 

that he wanted to get into, as he could learn and earn simultaneously. “I applied for a spot, 

and I got it,” he says, then admits, “but I decided to work one year to save some money before 

entering co-op, and ended up getting too distracted by both work and good times (it was the 

first time I had any money). In the end, I never got to university.” 

In the grand scheme of things, that was probably a good thing, because a couple of pals of 

his formed Quantech Services Ltd. in April 1967. Rick decided to join them several years later, 

so he sold his one-third interest in a ski chalet in Collingwood, Ont., to buy into 

Quantech. “I did it with $1200,” he says, noting that things were much cheaper in 

1971, and “it was a real small business”. And a tough one too, it seems. “Business was 

certainly a struggle in the early years, with the partners working many hours,” Rick 

recalls. “Hard work was the only substitution for our lack of knowledge and business 

experience, and we learned a lot of lessons that, once learned, we never forgot.” 

Quantech underwent a change in 1973, when the partners divided the company 

into a maintenance entity and an electrical construction company. “I became the 

owner of Quantech Electrical Co. Ltd. and, having arranged some financing, started 

expanding the business,” says Rick. 

Through the early years, Quantech’s main field was mainly institutional and commercial 

projects. Some significant early projects included the redevelopment of the 

Old Mill Complex (“our first design-build project for the Skyline Hotel Group”), the 

redevelopment of CNE stadium for Toronto’s new baseball team (The Blue Jays) and 

even an offshore project—a large hotel development in Panama. “In the early 1980s 

we did a few water and wastewater projects, and found this to be a market at which 

Quantech excelled, so we opened a Process Control Division in the 1990s. This type 

of work has now become our area of specialization,” says Rick. 

Learning where to go to learn 

So how did Rick go from wanna-be mechanic to president of CECA 

“Early on, I perceived I needed more education, which is what prompted me to 

get involved in an electrical association,” Rick remembers. “And, at some point, I 

must have been asked to serve on some committee for the Toronto ECA. From there, 

I gravitated to the provincial association (ECAO), then CECA.” He also became a 

member of NECA early on. “Someone had once told me that the best bargain around 

at that time was a NECA membership. They have tremendous resources, and I got 

a lot out of my participation.” The great thing about a CECA membership, Rick 

continues, is that—as the Canadian distributor of NECA products—all of these great 

resources are at your fingertips. 

Which, of course, brought me back to my main reason for chatting with Rick in 

the first place: to learn more about CECA. 

“CECA is an association of associations,” says Rick, explaining that it’s more of 

a forum where provincial ECA representatives meet to discuss issues of national 

importance. It’s not set up like a typical association with a corporate staff, large budgets 

and the like. “We meet formally a minimum of twice a year and communicate 

informally several times a year as required. We discuss things like a prescriptive- versus 

performance-based national electrical code, worker mobility, reverse auctions, 

MasterFormat and construction documents,” he explains. “And we use CECA to get 

word out to regional associations; let them know what’s happening in other jurisdictions 

that might be coming their way.” And let’s not forget holding national conventions 

“to facilitate the exchange of ideas among industry peers”. 

For a small fee, contractors can become CECA members directly without having to 

be members of any provincial association. Although the provincial associations tend 

to have union members only, Rick assures me CECA membership is open to both 

union and non-union contractors. “It’s a tremendous value if you look at just what 

you get in the way of both CECA and NECA materials for all manner of subjects, 

including training courses, installation standards, management, safety and organizational 

development,” he adds. Throw in networking and social activities, and you just 

can’t lose. “I encourage everyone to consider attending CECA’s annual conference, 

hosted by ECAO, in Ottawa this June. You won’t be disappointed.” 

Outside the president’s office 

Rick’s father, who ran a successful painting contracting company, once told him, 

“Once you have a skill, no one can take it away from you”. Rick took that advice to 

heart, and would love to see more young people get into skilled trades, but he suggests 

that the trades are perhaps less attractive these days. “I don’t know if the trades have 

done enough to sell themselves,” he muses, adding, “Maybe we should do more in 

the way of publicizing the wages, the opportunities for advancement—even owning 

your own business.” 

One issue Rick would like to see everyone work on is ethics. “We are often the 

authors of our own destruction,” he laments, explaining that some electrical contractors 

will complain long and loud for general contractors to respect the sanctity of the 

low bid, use fair and reasonable contracts, then turn around and “beat up” their suppliers—not 

offering them the same fair treatment. “We all have to try to be fair with 

all our partners—particularly the client—and be proud of the jobs we do,” he states. 

On the bright side, he notes a better attitude between management and labour 

these days. “IBEW is being proactive, producing well-trained and motivated people. 

They realize we have to be competitive,” he says. “North America-wide, we are realizing 

that we have to be more like partners. I feel more positive about the management/labour 

relationship today than ever before,” Rick happily concludes. 


CASE STUDY 

By Paul Heiligenberg 

Voltage regulators provide 

solution for unique MRI 

In 1980, Fonar revolutionized diagnostic imaging though the introduction of the world’s first commercial MRI scanner. 

Now, Fonar offers an upright MRI—the world’s first that performs upright imaging and position imaging. 

At the heart of the upright system are electromagnets that require a stable 

power supply to ensure a high degree of reliability and image clarity. In fact, 

controlling the voltage to a few parts per million is required. 

Fonar was the world’s first manufacturer of upright MRI scanners, 

which allow doctors to scan patients in a weight-bearing state, 

recumbent position, or both, then compare the results. At the 

heart of their system are electromagnets that require a stable power 

supply to ensure a high degree of reliability and image clarity. 

In fact, controlling the voltage to a few parts per million is 

required. This is achieved using several stages of regulation. 

Regulating the incoming line voltage is the critical first step. 

Incoming line voltage (which is normally supplied at ±10%) is regulated 

to ±1%. Output from the voltage regulator is sent to a power 

supply where it is converted to DC with a stability of 1 ppm. 

How important is the initial stage of the process In areas that 

are prone to brownouts, voltage fluctuations can have disastrous 

effects. “In a best case scenario, it would require the technologist 

to repeat a scan,” says Fonar’s Mark Gelbein, director of electrical 

systems engineering, adding, “In the worst case, it would turn the 

scanner off. A technician would then have to restart the system 

after the voltage dip had passed.” Although the time required for 

the magnets to re-stabilize is brief, it could seem like an eternity to 

an anxious patient. 

Because of the high 225kva required to power the electromagnets, 

the Fonar design team originally considered tap switchers, 

ferroresonant-type voltage regulators, direct sine wave synthesis, 

and the Staco variable transformer controlled voltage regulator. 

Three key considerations 

When considering technology options, three parameters were vital 

to the final decision. From a performance perspective, the input 

line voltage has to be regulated to ±1%. Each of the considered 

technologies is capable of achieving this level. 

The second consideration is reliability. The unit has to perform 

reliably on a daily basis with Fonar’s low-impedance power source 

requirements. Linear, rather than stepped, regulation was required, 

since any transient voltage jumps would disturb the 

power supply, translating to output disturbance— 

which is unacceptable. 

Ferroresonant constant voltage transformers use a 

capacitor in series with the transformer coil and tend 

to be high impedance devices. Additionally, their sensitivity 

to load changes and inability to handle high 

inrush load well compound the reliability problem. 

Furthermore, because they can interact with switchmode 

power supplies to produce transients and 

electrical (output) noise, their resonant circuits make 

The supplier was able to custom-engineer a solution for 

Fonar that did the job without breaking the budget. 

them particularly sensitive to frequency changes. The 

compound effect of these multiple reliability issues 

ruled out ferroresonant technology. 

Other technologies such as tap-switchers use solidstate 

switching circuits for changing taps on transformer 

for regulation. Although these regulators are 

fast, this rapid response time can often create instability 

when powering equipment with switch-mode 

power supplies. Their output waveform tends to produce 

harmonics and radio frequency. The combination 

of these undesirable attributes made tap-switchers 

a less-than-optimal choice. 

A voltage regulator suggested by Staco Energy 

Products employs a variable transformer/buck-boost 

transformer design. The buck-boost transformer 

reduces the work the variable transformer must perform, 

and multiplies the power rating of the transformer. 

The buck-boost reduces the current per coil 

requirement of the variable transformer, which results 

in increased MTBF (mean time between failures)—a 

key measure of reliability. 

Additional reliability-oriented advantages include 

the ability to withstand substantial current overloads, 

no additional harmonics or wave form distortions, a 

low impedance (less than 1%), high overload capacities 

(1000% for 30 cycles), attenuation of electrical 

noise and imperviousness to frequency changes. 

The final parameter within the decision-making 

process was one of cost. While each of the technologies 

can regulate voltage to the ±1% design specification 

at the 225kva, the Staco option proved most 

cost-effective. 

Product customization 

Many Fonar installations are used in 480V service, 

so the standard 225kva voltage regulator suited their 

needs and met budget requirements. For 208V installations, 

however, the task of voltage regulation was 

disproportionately expensive. (At 208V, you essentially 

have twice the amps, meaning the magnetic 

components are twice as large—making the unit bigger, 

heavier and more expensive.) 

“We had a 208V unit that was 50% more expensive 

than the 480V model,” explains Gelbein, adding they 

asked the supplier to come up with something that 

could meet budget without impacting performance. 

The supplier was able to custom engineer a solution 

at a price acceptable to the customer. By including an 

autotransformer to step up the line voltage from 208V 

to 480V, engineers were able to use standard 480V 

components, which significantly reduced the cost of 

the 208V version while providing the performance of 

a larger model. The supplier also arranged to have the 

unit field-inspected to meet UL standards. 

As is often the case with complex technologies, 

the success of Fonar’s upright MRI hinges on several 

components working together. Tight regulation of the 

incoming line voltage provides a stable input to the 

power supply that, in turn, produces a very tightly controlled 

DC output that powers the electromagnets. As 

this case study illustrates, just about anything is achievable 

when you work closely with your supplier. 


PRODUCTS 

Expanded line of washdown motors 

Elektrim has expanded its line 

of Barracuda stainless steel washdown 

motors with ratings from 

fractional to 30 hp. To help it do 

its job, the Barracuda relies on 

features such as vacuum pressure 

impregnated (VPI) windings to 

withstand electrical shorts with 

shielded, sealed bearings to stand 

up to punishing loads, as well as 

drain holes located every 90° to 

counter condensation. With one-phase (56C) and three-phase 

footed and non-footed, you can take advantage of a range 

of power and mounting versatility for operation in food and 

beverage, and other washdown applications. Other features 

include: severe duty; C-face; TEFC; squirrel cage rotor; Class 

F insulation; and protection degree IP55. 

125 Elektrim Motors 

Motors aplenty in this catalogue 

Bodine has published a new and expanded standard products 

catalogue that boasts over 1000 AC, DC and brushless DC 

fractional horsepower motors, gearmotors and controls. There 

are over 100 new standard products, 

including the type ‘3RD’ gearmotor, 

which is designed for applications 

requiring very slow rotation and 

high torque, as well as the type ‘HG’ 

gearmotor, built to provide flexible 

mounting and high torque in 

a compact package. Bodine has also 

increased its selection of the ‘all-inone’ 

control/motor/gearhead combination, 

the IntegraMotor, which is 

now available with digital (PWM) speed input. The catalogue 

is available as a downloadable PDF at www.bodine-electric. 

com, as are links to a complete library of 3-D CAD drawings 

of Bodine products. 

126 Bodine Electric Co. 

Explosionproof manual motor starters 

Adalet has a new line of explosionproof manual motor starters 

that complements its line of motor control products for hazardous 

and industrial areas. The MS2000 line of explosionproof 

manual motor starters includes the Cutler Hammer A302 series 

starters, available in sizes rated up to 25A. Features include 

easy-to-operate pushbutton actuation with a lock-out provision 

Improving business efficiency throughout 

the world with the most complete IEC 

power control product lines — every 

application, everywhere. 

to lock the manual motor 

start in the OFF position. 

The MS2000 is UL classified 

and CSA certified for 

use in Class I, Division 1 

areas, and is complemented 

by a range of accessories 

and options. Auxiliary contacts 

are available with one 

normally open and one 

normally closed contact. A 

shunt release is available to electronically trip 

the starter when voltage is applied (120V or 220V) 

while an optional undervoltage release protects the 

motor from low-voltage situations. 

127 Adalet, a Scott Fetzer company (subsidiary 

company of Berkshire Hathaway) 

Motor protection relay 

The SEL-710 motor 

protection relay from 

Schweitzer boasts accurate 

motor protection together 

with settings, mounting 

and communications 

options designed for easy 

application. The relay 

calculates speed based on 

voltage and current, and the electrical 

model of the motor and, because it knows the speed, 

SEL-710 can calculate the heat, solving problems of 

high inertia. SEL claims the same technology permits 

some repeated starts, without delay, on most motors. 

With the AccuTrack thermal model, the relay determines 

the longest starting time, with no need for a 

speed switch, and reduces wait time between motor 

starts up to 33%. You can set protection easily based 

simply on motor nameplate data. 

128 Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) Inc. 

XT IEC POWER CONTROL 

IT. IEC POWER CONTROL 

Underfloor branch circuit 

monitoring system 

PDI unveiled a new way to 

incorporate the PDI branch 

circuit monitoring system 

(BCMS) into a new or 

existing data centre. The 

JComm BCMS system fits 

under a raised floor and 

monitors current, voltage 

and other power-related 

metrics for up to 168 

branch breakers. Its compact 

design makes it easy to install, and helps data centre 

staff track and control power usage in all distribution 

equipment. BCMS is used to monitor each 

individual circuit branch breaker and keep any of the 

circuits from overloading. 

129 Power Distribution Inc. 

INFO NO. 36 

XT IEC Power Control 

Global ratings: Meets IEC, UL, CSA, 

CE and CCC standards and RoHS 

compliance. 

Global voltage ratings: 115 to 1000VAC 

and up to 440V DC 

Wide power range: 1 to 1000kW and 

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Low power consumption means less 

energy and heat to remove from the 

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Modular Combination Motor 

Controller (CMC) 

- Perfectly matched components 

- Plug-in connectors that require 

little wiring 

IT. IEC Power Control 

World’s smallest contactors/starters 

offering superior solid-state overload 

protection 

Communications capabilities. Starter 

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allows for direct connections across a 

variety of globally accepted network 

communications platforms. 

Eaton is proud to be able to offer the 

most complete IEC power control 

product lines available. The new XT line 

joins the already popular Intelligent 

Technologies (IT. ) line of IEC power 

control. Eaton now offers contactors, 

starters, manual motor protectors and 

combination motor controllers at every 

application level throughout the global 

marketplace. 

For more information visit us at: 

www.EatonElectrical.ca 

Toll Free 1-800-268-3578 

Filter solution for 

transients and noise 

Sola/Hevi-Duty’s STF 

series of Active Tracking 

filters is designed to 

safeguard industrial, 

medical and telecommunications 

equipment 

against damaging 

low-energy voltage 

transients and highfrequency 

noise. The 

filters continuously track the input AC power line 

at all locations on the sinewave and instantaneously 

counter noise. By reducing normal mode transients 

to ±5 volts and absorbing large bandwidths of noise, 

they recreate a well-regulated sinusoidal waveform 

isolated from input disturbances. Available in oneand 

three-phase configurations with input voltage 

of 120, 240 and 480 VAC at 50/60 Hz, STF power 

filters allow you to meet a range of power quality 

requirements. The simple-to-mount hardwired filters 

can be installed on a single piece of equipment 

or at the branch panel. 

130 Sola/Hevi-Duty (EGS Electrical Group) 


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Vantera Brady Incorporated 

47 38 32 41 Ruud Lighting Canada 

48 39 42 

1-800-473-1234 

33 37 

Tel: 1-866-353-2785 

1-800-263-6179 

www.ruud.ca 

Fax: www.iplc.com 

800-387-4935 

info@ruud.ca • www.ruud.ca 

www.bradycanada.com 

Order Ty-Rap all your Maintenance, Supply 

® 

and Repair (MRO) products direct 

Detectable from The Home Depot Ties 

Supply, a 

Avoid national unpleasant wholesale surprises distributor. with We 

Ty-Rap offer ® Detectable more than Cable 10,000 Ties. in-stock 

In the products pharmaceutical, in 10 categories food and including: 

beverage appliance industries, parts, electrical, the last thing hardware, 

you housekeeping, want is the trimmed-off janitorial, end HVAC, lighting, 

a cable paint, tie plumbing packaged with and tools. With 

of 

your low product. wholesale The prices, new Ty-Rap fast delivery, 

® 

detectable personalized cable service, tie is an special efficient orders 

alternative and to nationwide standard nylon coverage, cable ties we and have 

costly stainless steel fasteners. 

what you 

Incorporating 

need! Call 

a 

today 

unique 

for a free 

compound detectable by metal detectors and x-ray 

catalogue or visit www.hdsupply.ca 

equipment, it is also available in a buoyant polypropylene 

version for use in liquid processing areas. 

Home Depot Supply 

Thomas 

1-800-782-0557 

& Betts Limited 

450-347-5318 

www.hdsupply.ca 


NEW P&S ROTARY DIMMERS 

Pass & Seymour/Legrand’s new 

Rotary Dimmers include a Dial on/off 

600W Dimmer, activated by rotating 

the knob, and Pre-set 1000W Single 

Pole and 3-Way Dimmers, each activated 

by pushing in the knob. Featuring 

104V dimming ranges for excellent 

heat management, there’s no 

de-rating required on 600W versions. 

Shallower depth leaves more room, 

easing installation. Available in light 

almond, ivory and white with colorlighted 

options for easy location in 

the dark. 

Pass and Seymour 

43 

44 

905-738-9195 

45 

XX 40 49 34 

41 50 35 42 36 

51 XX 

www.passandseymour.com 

B-Tech offers one of Canada’s most 

Woodhead Portable GFCIs 

complete lines of Audio-Video 

Mounts Woodhead for Flat now Panel offers LCD a complete and Plasma 

line TVs, of portable as well as automatic for traditional and CRT 

screens. manual The GFCI boom products. in Flat This Panel broader, 

deeper line includes plug-in 

TVs, 

whose space-saving advantages are 

maximized via wall or ceiling mounting, 

models, offers in-lines, an excellent tri-cords, “extra boxes business” 

and fi opportunity eld-attachable for electrical devices. contractors 

Woodhead who GFCIs may already combine be toughness 

with or other affordability work at the for residen- 

the best 

doing 

wiring 

tial, overall commercial value. Available or industrial under site. the B- 

Tech Woodhead®, supplies a Watertite® full range of and Low 

Profile (Flat), Tilt and Articulated Flat 

Super-Safeway® brand names. 

Panel TV mounts. 

Woodhead 

Rocelo 

Lighting 

Inc. 

24 Vice Roy Rd., Unit 1 

from 

Concord, 

Woodhead 

Ontario 

Industries 

L4K 2L9 

woodhead.com/gfci 

905-738-0737 

46 43 52 37 

Sitelink 

Connect to the future with a revolutionary 

new versatile pole system. 

Extruded aluminum poles that feature 

four self-contained dovetail 

tracks & locking hardware for 

mounting equipment. Integrated on 

one pole: Luminaires, speakers, signals, 

signs, communication 

systems, banners & cameras. It is 

also designed to incorporate amenities 

including everything from trashcans, 

benches, newspaper stands 

and more. Sitelinks system gives you 

the ability to adjust continuously for 

present and future needs. 

Holophane Canada Inc. 

905-707-5830 

www.holophane.com 

47 

53 44 XX 38 

WAGO Iberville® Offers Roughing-In Better Alternatives 

Products 

From An the updated innovation version of CAGE of CLAMP the Iberville® 

® 

spring-pressure Roughing-In connection Products catalogue technology is now in 

1977, available. WAGO has Technical consistently catalogue brought includes the 

electrical product contractor information better for alternatives the complete to 

existing range technologies. of Iberville roughing-in The Electrical products Contractor 

Products Brochure continues that 

for the commercial and residential market 

including connectors, fittings, cable 

tradition by offering 22 pages of WAGO’s 

latest alternatives to twist connectors, barrier 

strips, and conduit screw accessories, and lug connectors. and grounding 

fittings and accessories. Catalogue 

This means available fast, on reliable, T&B web maintenance-free 

site or printed 

connections that are vibration and corrosion 

resistant and designed to withstand 

format. 

the demands of temperature cycling 

Thomas 

applications. 

& Betts Limited 

WAGO products conform to 

national and international standards. 

450-347-5318 


WAGO CORPORATION 

www.wall-nuts.us 

45 54 39 48 

Industrial, Commercial & 

Datacom Enclosures 

Hammond Manufacturing offers thousands 

of Industrial, Commercial and 

Datacom enclosure solutions. We can 

cross our products to other major suppliers 

and provide service and quality 

second to none. 

Email us today to request our full product 

catalog or visit our website for 

more information. 

Hammond Manufacturing 

Tel: 519-822-2960 

ebinfo@hammfg.com 

www.hammfg.com 

EYE HALOGEN 

The CHOICE in Halogen 

How important is QUALITY 

When visually inspecting a halogen light bulb, 

it is difficult to distinguish any difference in 

quality. Poor quality becomes apparent only 

during the operation. A low quality halogen 

light bulb can damage your fixture and provide 

substandard performance. 

EYE Halogen lamps are Japanese 

made lamps with the highest 

quality standards. 

For more information or to locate your local 

distributor, please contact: 

Custom Armoring, 

Jacketing and Special 

Constructions: 

Northern Cables Inc. provides custom 

interlocked armor services on other 

manufactured cores supplied by the 

customer. The most common materials 

for armor are aluminum or galvanized 

steel. Choice of material thickness and 

grade can vary depending on the physical 

properties required by the end user. 

Other materials are available upon 

request. 

Northern Cables Inc. 

STANDARD Products Inc. 

55 46 40 49 

1-(800) 361-6965 Dial option #1 

47 56 50 41 

888-524-5050 

42 51 48 57 

marketing@standardpro.com 

info@northerncables.com 

www.standardpro.com 

www.northerncables.com 

Wunpeece Duct Spacer 

The Wunpeece Spacer is the ideal duct 

spacer for all concrete encased duct 

bank projects. The Wunpeece replaces 

traditional base and intermediate duct 

spacers. With its sturdy one piece construction 

and snap-in design, field 

assembly is significantly reduced and 

labor can be cut by as much as 50% on 

installation. Additionally, with only one 

item to order, inventory hassles are 

eliminated. 

Underground Devices Inc. 

Call (800) 800-2118, 

or visit www.udevices.com 

for more information 


For more information, enter the appropriate number on the Complimentary Subscription/Info Card found in this issue 

MARKETPLACE 

INFO NO. 58 

WANTED 

Molded Case Circuit Breakers. New & Used, All Brands. 

Motor Control & MCC. Buckets in A&B, S.D. & W.H. & C.H. 

Please call, email or fax Ralph Falvo with your list. 

INFO NO. 59 

FALVO ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LTD. 

5838-87A St., Edmonton, Alberta 

1-800-661-8892 

780-466-8078 Fax 780-468-1181 

email: rjf@falvo.com 

INFO NO. 61 

DeltaGroup_EB_March07.indd 1 2/22/07 8:29:50 AM 

Magic Lites LED products use the latest Chip On Board LED 

technology and are cUL approved for indoor / outdoor applications. 

Falvo_EB.indd 1 1/11/07 12:14:25 PM 

INFO NO. 60 

The Constructor / Res Wire Pro (RWP) 

– Constructor Ladder Logic, Electrical Circuit & Control 

– RWP: A New Standard for Residential Wiring 

– PocketCAD: Take CAD With You 

– Tutorial Software – Motor Control – CLX Trainer 

– PLC w/ Logix Trainer and Logix Pro Simulator 

2526 Speers Road, Units 4 - 9 

Oakville, ON L6L 5M2 

Tel: 905-825-9592 

www.magiclite.com• lights@magiclite.com 

LED REFLECTIVE LIGHT 

INFO NO. 62 

RAYLEW 

POWER SYSTEMS INC. 

Always buying and selling used Generator sets 

and power equipment 

Contact: Neil O. Lewis 

Ph: 1-800-385-4421 

Edmonton, Alberta 

Email: neil@raylewpower.com 

www.raylewpower.com 

• Ideal for stairways, aisles, patios, hallways, entrance ways, indoors or outdoors! 

• Die cast aluminum construction 

• 2.5 watts power consumption 

• 120 volt input / output with quick connects for easy installation 

• 4 LED colours – white, blue, amber and green 

• Brushed aluminum or white nish 

• Indoor or outdoor use 

Ask for details on all Magic Lite LED and Xenon products 

MagicLite_EB_April07.indd 1 3/21/07 8:55:05 AM 

INFO NO. 63 


CODE FILE 

BY LES STOCH, P.ENG. 

Rule 10-700 Grounding Electrodes 

CEC defines a grounding electrode 

as: “a buried metal water-piping system 

or metal object or device buried 

in, or driven into, the ground to which a 

grounding conductor is electrically and 

mechanically connected”. In other words, 

it’s whatever metal objects the code allows 

you to drive into, or bury in, the earth and 

use for grounding electrical systems. 

The requirements for grounding electrodes 

up to 750V are found in Rule 10- 

700, which has been substantially rewritten. 

The rule opens by listing three different 

types of grounding electrodes—manufactured, 

field-assembled and in-situ—that 

form a part of an existing infrastructure, 

like a building. The rule provides several 

new definitions and expands on the number 

of permissible options for establishing 

a grounding electrode. 

Unfortunately, the new rule may also 

cause confusion, because parts of it are 

now less prescriptive. 

Manufactured grounding 

electrodes, Rule 10-700(2) 

Subrule 2(a): A manufactured grounding 

electrode may consist of two ground 

rods, spaced no closer than 3 m apart, 

bonded together and driven full length 

into the earth. Except for some new verbiage, 

nothing much has changed here. 

Subrule 2(b): As before, it may also 

consist of an approved plate electrode 

buried in the earth, at least 600 mm below 

finished grade or encased in the bottom 

50 mm of a concrete slab that is in direct 

contact with the earth, and not less than 

600 mm below finished grade. A plate 

electrode must provide at least 0.2 sq. 

m surface area in contact with the earth. 

Once again, nothing has changed. 

Field-assembled grounding 

electrode Rule 10-700(3) 

Subrule 2(a): A field-assembled grounding 

electrode may consist of a bare copper 

conductor at least 6 m long, sized in 

accordance with Table 43 and installed in 

the bottom 50 mm of a concrete footing 

or foundation and not less than 600 mm 

below finished grade. This has sometimes 

been referred to as a ‘Ufer Ground’, named 

for the person who dreamed up the idea. 

Again, nothing has changed. 

Subrule 2(b): A bare copper conductor 

at least 6 m long, sized in accordance with 

Table 43 and buried in the earth at least 

600 mm below finished grade is a brand 

new alternative now permissible in CEC 

2006. (The American electrical code provides 

a similar option, but in the form of a 

‘ground ring’ surrounding a building and 

installed underground.) 

In-situ grounding electrode 

Rule 10-700(4) 

Rule 10-700(4) just specifies that an insitu 

grounding electrode is not considered 

electrical equipment, must be located at 

least 600 mm below finished grade and 

have a surface exposure to earth equivalent 

to a manufactured grounding electrode. 

The rule doesn’t say it must be metallic 

(but of course we knew this from the original 

definition in Section 0). This selection is 

new and not specifically spelled out. 

When we turn to Appendix B, we find 

that an in-situ grounding electrode must 

have a surface area in contact with the 

earth at least as great as that of a manufactured 

grounding electrode. (A helpful hint 

in Appendix B tells us that the necessary 

specifications for manufactured grounding 

electrodes may be found in the CSA C22.2 

No. 41, which is okay if we all have access 

to this document.) 

Appendix B also provides a number of 

examples for in-situ grounding electrodes 

including: 

• an underground metal water system 

at least 600 mm below finished grade 

and extending at least 3 m beyond the 

building foundation, which has traditionally 

been recognized as a suitable 

grounding electrode; or 

• something brand new: the reinforcing 

steel of concrete slabs, foundations and 

pilings, or metal pilings in contact with 

the earth and at least 600 mm below 

finished grade. (Of course, building 

reinforcing steel and steel pilings treated 

against corrosion would be unsuitable 

for use as grounding electrodes.) 

How does one determine that the requirements 

of the rule are met for the examples 

provided in Appendix B No doubt the 

CSA standard provides some data in the 

form of minimum metal surfaces required 

to be in contact with the earth. But how 

easily can we relate this data to the surface 

areas of different diameters and lengths of 

piping and building reinforcing steel 

My suggestion Electrical inspection 

authorities should work out the equivalencies 

and provide some guidelines to 

help reduce the inevitable number of 

uncertainties. 

Les Stoch, P.Eng., is president of L. Stoch & 

Associates, specialists in quality management/ 

engineering services. He is a member of PEO, OEL 

and IAEI, and develops and delivers electrical code 

and technical workshops for Dalhousie University. 

He also developed the Master Electrician training 

program and Exam (Ontario) for the Electrical 

Contractor Registration Agency. 

Always consult 

the electrical inspection 

authority in your province/ 

territory for more specific 

interpretations. 

Great Rates! 

Targeted Audience! 

Questions and 

answers compiled 

by Ted Olechna 

Tackle the 

Code Conundrum... 

if you dare 

So, you think you know the electrical code, eh 

Well, we’ll soon find out if you’re an electrical code 

junkie or downright code-clueless. Take a look at the 

following questions and check your answers in May’s 

Electrical Business. 

How did you do 

3 of 3 – Not only are you smart, you love to show off. 

1 of 3 – Your understanding of these questions is 

not up to code. 

2 of 3 – You’re pretty smart, but you still missed one. 

0 of 3 – Did you come up with your answers by 

playing Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe 

Question 1 

The maximum spacing between posts in a 

fence guarding outdoor electrical equipment 

is ___ m. 

a) 1.5 b) 3 c) 4.5 d) 6 

Question 2 

Incandescent lighting stringers installed outdoors 

at a used car lot shall be permitted to 

be connected to branch circuits protected by 

overcurrent devices rated or set at not more 

than 30A. 

a) True b) False 

Question 3 

Receptacles of configuration 5-15R— 

intended to supply shore power to boats and 

installed outdoors, or on fixed or floating 

piers, docks or wharves—shall be protected 

by Class A type GFCIs. 

a) True b) False 

EB Code Conundrum brought to you by... 

▼▼▼ 

Answers 

▼▼▼ 

to Code Conundrum 

Electrical Business March 2007 

Q-1: The length of high-voltage cable from the 

high-voltage terminal of a neon supply to the first 

neon tube shall be not more than ___ m when the 

cable is installed in metal raceway. 

c) 6 m. 34-404 Length of high-voltage cable from 

neon supplies. 1) The length of high-voltage cable 

from the high-voltage terminal of a neon supply to 

the first neon tube shall be, a) not more than 6 m 

when the cable is installed in metal raceway... 

Q-2: The maximum allowable ampacity of 3/0 AWG 

aluminum Type NS75 neutral supported cable having 

two insulated conductors is ___ amps. 

c) 245 amps. 4-004(5) Ampacity of wires and 

cables. The maximum allowable ampacity of neutral 

supported cable shall be as specified in Tables 

36A and 36B. 

Q-3: Where a multi-winding motor is used with 

windings connected in a permanent configuration, it 

shall be treated as a single winding motor with ratings 

corresponding to the winding configuration used. 

a) True. 28-802 Permanent connection. Where a 

multi-winding motor is used with windings connected 

in a permanent configuration, it shall be 

treated as a single winding motor with ratings corresponding 

to the winding configuration used... 

INFO NO. 64 

CSA_banner_EB_Feb07.indd 1 1/24/07 4:06:21 PM 


Call 905-713-4335 

ADVERTISER INDEX 

Advertiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 

3M Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

ABB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Accubid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Arlington Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Brady Canada Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

Broan NuTone Canada Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Canadian Standards Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Cambrian College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 & 39 

Delta Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Eaton Cutler-Hammer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Enstar Air-Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

Falva Electrical Supply Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Flir Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Fulham Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

General Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24,30 & 44 

General Motors of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Hammond Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 

Ideal Industries (Canada) Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 & 16 

IPLC Vantera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Magic Lite Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Nexans Canada Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 & 39 

Philips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Power Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

Raylew Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

RUUD Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Rittal Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Schneider Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 & 33 

Standard Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

Techspan Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 

Thomas & Betts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 5, 11 & 18 

Turolight Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22-23 

Ultrasave Lighting Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Underground Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

WAGO Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

Waltech Associates Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

CUSTOMERS NEED IT EASY 

Same Day Shipment Easy 

Live Inside Sales Easy 

Stock Availability Easy 

Distributors Coast to Coast Easy 

Competitive Easy 

NOW OPEN LATER! 

MON-THURS 

8 A.M.-7 P.M. EST 

FRI - 5 P.M. EST 

For product info or the name 

of a distributor near you 

CALL 1-800-363-1588 

www.techspan.biz 

3131 Pepper Mill Court 

Mississauga, Ontario 

L5L 4X6 

E-mail: sales@techspan.biz 

Huge Selection of CSA Approved Lugs 

www.techspan.biz/te/lugs 

www.techspan.biz/te/splitbolts 

Split Bolts and Grounding Too! 

INFO NO. 65 

Direct-On-Line Motor Starters 

Modular Design Makes Modication a SNAP! 

Choose Type and Overload 

1 - Remove Cover 

Wires pre-positioned for overload 

2 - Insert & Wire Overload 

Only 5 screws to tighten 

3 - Close cover 

Select from 4 different Amperage sizes (9A, 12A, 18A, 25A) 

3 styles of buttons 

(Start/Stop-Reset “N”, Stop-Reset “E” or Jog “J”) 

INFO NO. 66 

www.techspan.biz/te/controls 

All enclosed contactors 

come with 120V coils 

Overloads are sold separately 

CSA and UL certied 

INFO NO. 67 

All Nylon 

Colours in Stock 

Stainless Steel 

Cord Band 

UV Black 

Low Prole 

Metal Tooth 

Mounting Head 

Chrome Plated 

Bead Grip 

Fluorescent Colours 

Marker Ties 

TECHSPAN - THE KING OF CABLE TIES! 

Always in stock! Guaranteed Quality! 

www.techspan.biz/te/ties

INFO NO. 68

April 2007.pdf - Electrical Business Magazine

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