Industrial Electricians Archives - Everon Electrical Contractors

Electrical Permit Requirements

19 September 2017 Posted by covetech

Do I Need a Permit?

The Pennsylvania Code (§403.42) requires that owners and/or agents apply for a permit whenever they intend to convert or replace any electrical system regulated by the Uniform Construction Code. According to the PA Code, this includes all electrical installation and upgrades, with the following exceptions:

Minor repair and maintenance work that includes the replacement of lamps or the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles.
Electrical equipment used for radio and television transmissions. The provisions of the Uniform Construction Code apply to equipment and wiring for power supply and the installation of towers and antennas.
The installation of a temporary system for the testing or servicing of electrical equipment or apparatus.

Outside of these exceptions, permits are required by law.

Obtaining a Permit

In Pennsylvania, permits for electrical installation and upgrades are typically handled by the municipality in which the building is located. In Scranton, contact the Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits on weekdays, between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm, at (570) 348-4193. (Permit applications may be submitted on weekdays up to 4:30 pm, but those submitted after 3:30 pm will not be processed until the next business day.) The Department issues decisions on commercial permits within 30 days, and residential permits within 15 days, so it’s important to apply for your permit well in advance of the date on which you plan to commence work. Failure to obtain a permit when required results in the fee for the job being doubled.

According to Scranton Code §215-3, upon filing of the written application and payment of the required fee, a permit will be issued in duplicate to the electrical contractor (or person making the application). One copy of this permit must be conspicuously displayed on the premises where the work is being done, and it must remain in place until the work has been inspected and approved by either the electrical underwriters agency or the Electrical Inspector of the City of Scranton.

Requirements

In submitting drawings as part of the permit application process in the City of Scranton, the following are required:

Location of electrical devices: lighting, receptacles, switches, equipment, appliances, transformers, panels, and subpanels
Size and type conductors
Panel and subpanel schedule

LIGHTING MAINTENANCE

19 September 2017 Posted by covetech

Home and business lighting systems are not something you want to have to think about; that’s our job! From designing just the right lighting system for your home or business to keeping it properly maintained for optimal performance and efficiency, we worry about lighting maintenance so you don’t have to.

Equipment

As with any part of your home or business life, when it comes to lighting you want more bang for your buck. In lighting terms, that means delivering more lumens per watt (LPW). Achieving that goal is, in part, a matter of having the right equipment. Our experienced team can perform a lighting audit to determine which parts of your current system are operating efficiently and which parts are costing you more money than they should. Where appropriate, we’ll help you to upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting—from selecting the right fixtures, to engineering services, and on to installation. We handle initial lighting design, custom retrofits, and ongoing servicing to make sure you have the most efficient equipment and that it’s working to its full potential.

Operations and Management

Having the right equipment is only the first part of an efficient, cost-effective lighting system. Just like car maintenance, lighting maintenance causes you fewer headaches and costs you less money when you’re being proactive and not just responding to things that go wrong. Take light bulbs, for instance. An effective lighting maintenance program will get maintenance costs under control by staying ahead of burned-out bulbs. And our experienced team will see to proper disposal of old bulbs to ensure safety.

Did you know that some bulbs lose a significant amount of their brightness over time? When that happens, you’re paying for more watts just to get the same amount of light. And then there’s cleaning. Just keeping your lighting fixtures properly cleaned and maintained helps ensure your lighting dollars aren’t being wasted.

With a proper lighting maintenance program in place, you’ll keep your lighting systems at peak performance for the life of your building. Call us for a lighting system audit to determine where we can save you money on your energy bill.

HOME ENERGY SAVING DEVICES

22 August 2017 Posted by covetech

Saving energy in your home is easier than you may think. And saving energy means saving money!

While there are plenty of habits you can develop to cut down on the amount of energy your home consumes, there are also some great energy saving devices to help make it easier. For the purposes of this brief post, we’ll concentrate on four categories of devices.

1. Energy Efficient Products

Let’s face it, when it comes to energy efficiency, some products are just built better than others. If you buy LED or fluorescent lightbulbs, you’re going to use less energy than if you buy incandescent bulbs—and over time, that can mean considerable savings. And if that’s true of something as small as light bulbs, think of how much more true it is of larger consumers of energy in your home, like dishwashers, air conditioners, washers, dryers, and refrigerators. Technology is moving quickly to create radically more energy-efficient appliances (like magnetic refrigerators), but even with more conventional appliances, you can be sure you’re saving the most you can on energy by looking for the Energy Star certification label.

2. Monitors and Meters

It’s hard to know how much energy you can save if you don’t know how much energy you’re using. Chances are, you already have some monitoring devices available to you; it’s just a matter of learning to pay attention to them—like your electrical and gas meters. In addition, there are some simple devices you can buy to help you determine your energy use, as well as the places where you’re wasting energy (and money). From a simple thermometer to an infrared heat gun to a full-house electricity monitor, devices that help you measure your energy consumption will put you in a better position to make smart choices about where you can save.

3. Direct Energy Saving Devices

There are plenty of devices that are intended specifically to help you save energy by helping you not to waste energy when you don’t need it. Investing in a few of them will pay off in the long run. Most of us have seen programmable thermostats; these help us to consume heating and cooling energy only when we need it, and not waste it when we’re asleep or away. But there are even more sophisticated smart thermostats that take this feature to the next level; these devices actually learn your habits and control your heating and cooling accordingly. The other big waste of energy in most of our homes is from phantom energy. Phantom energy is the energy being drawn by devices when they’re off but still using power—like your plugged-in toaster, your remote controls, and the peripheral devices connected to the computer you may not be using at the moment. Of course, we can just learn to be more disciplined about unplugging these devices when they’re not in use, but that’s pretty inconvenient—which means we won’t do it all the time. A standby saver or smart power strip can take the inconvenience out of powering down. The standby saver detects when your device isn’t being used and shuts off power to that device until you need it, while a smart power strip cuts power to peripherals (like those on your computer) while the main device (the computer itself) isn’t being used. With all of these devices, the goal is the same: Use energy when you need it, and don’t waste energy when you don’t.

4. Indirect Energy Saving Devices

Not all of the devices that can help you save energy are specifically marketed for that purpose. Just like your programmable or smart thermostat keeps you from wasting heating and cooling energy when you don’t need it, timers and motion-activated switches keep you from wasting energy on lighting and other electrical devices when they don’t need to be on. Dimmer switches allow you to use your lighting without full power. And something as simple as a power bar can make turning off multiple devices a little more convenient—helping to ensure we do it more often. Of course, you can go full automation (domotics) and invest in smart home technology that allows your devices to communicate with one another, and with you—via your smartphone. And while, on the one hand, creating a smart home can cost you up front, in the long run it can help you to save money on your energy consumption if you choose to use it for that purpose.

Start small and work upward—you don’t have to invest in a full home automation system to start saving money. With a simple thermometer and more energy efficient lightbulbs, you’ll be on your way. And then, one device at a time, you can steadily increase the amount of energy—and money—you save!

Replacing a Double Breaker (Twin Pole)

23 June 2017 Posted by covetech

Inside your breaker box, you may find some twin-pole electrical breakers, also known as double breakers. If your double breaker has tripped and you find you can’t reset it, it’s likely that your breaker has burned out and it’s time to replace it. Keep in mind: A great deal of electricity is passing through your breaker box, so a mistake can be deadly! You should consider hiring a licensed electrician to replace the breaker for you. But it’s always a good idea to know what your contractors are doing in your home, so here’s a brief overview of what’s involved in replacing an electrical double breaker.

STEP 1: MAKE SURE THE POWER IS TURNED OFF.

This is the single most important step in the process, because skipping it can KILL you!
Locate the main breaker for the box and shut it off. When working with electricity, it’s also always a good idea to wear rubber-soled shoes and rubber lineman’s gloves, and to use rubber-insulated lineman’s tools. Be sure that the floor you’re standing on is dry; for added safety, stand on a rubber mat. And as a rule, even when the power is off, only touch what you absolutely must touch to complete your task.

STEP 2: REMOVE THE FRONT PANEL OF THE BREAKER BOX

The face plate of the breaker box is held on by just a few screws. Removing it will give you access to the wires and the individual breakers.

STEP 3: REMOVE THE DEFECTIVE DOUBLE BREAKER

The double breaker is not actually screwed into the box; it’s held in place by clips, so it just needs to be snapped out. To remove the double breaker, grasp it firmly by the edges and snap it toward the outside of the box. This should dislodge the breaker from the box, though it will still be connected by the wires.

STEP 4: DISCONNECT THE WIRES

Because this is a double breaker, it is connected by not one but two power lines. Both will need to be disconnected. Once the breaker is free from the box, use an insulated lineman’s flat-head screwdriver to loosen the two screws holding the wires in place. Freed from the wires, the defective double breaker can be discarded.

STEP 5: ATTACH THE WIRES TO THE NEW DOUBLE BREAKER

Be sure that the new double breaker you’re installing has the same specs as the one you’re replacing. Taking your new double breaker, insert the power wires into the two slots on the breaker, and tighten them in place with your flat-head screwdriver. In attaching the wires, be sure that only the copper wires get tightened into the slots; you don’t want to pinch any of the black insulation from the wires, as this will impede the connection. Tighten the screws firmly in place to ensure that the wires don’t loosen over time.

STEP 6: INSTALL THE NEW DOUBLE BREAKER

With the new double breaker already connected to the wires, place the breaker into its slots in the box and snap it into place. Of course, because it is a double breaker, it will take up two slots in the box.

STEP 7: REPLACE THE COVER

While the power is still off, replace the face plate of the breaker box and screw it into place.

STEP 8: RESTORE THE POWER

It’s a good idea to turn all of the breakers in your box to the “off” position. Now you’re ready to turn on the main power to your box. You can then turn each of the individual breakers on, and power should be restored to your house.

Commercial Electrical Contractors

25 April 2016 Posted by covetech commercial electrician

Although our primary mission is industrial and commercial electrical contracting, we handle a wide range of residential projects as well. Before you start your next Pinterest electrical project be warned, it’s much harder than it looks and without a fully certified residential electrician you can hurt yourself, cause a house fire or worse.

Don’t be tempted to save money and do your own electrical work. Our even spend half-the-day going back and forth to Home Depot. Contact us and we will send out a local electrician to immediately complete the project.

Our licensed and highly trained electricians perform repairs quickly, correctly, and safely, the first time, so you can get back to living life. Give us a call today at: (570)451-1046 , and let us complete your next Pinterest project without all of the frustration.

If you need electrical work for breaker boxes, ceiling fans, security cameras, light switches, entertainment centers, high-speed cable, outlets, new construction, smart appliances, indoor and outdoor lighting, and any other electrical project you can imagine, then think of Everon Industrial Electrical Contractors.

Solar Market Insight Report 2014 Q4

14 May 2015 Posted by james.riggi Green Energy, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy

The U.S. Solar Market Insight™ report shows major trends in for the U.S. solar industry. Every quarter this report is produced.

Important Key Points

The U.S. installed 6,201 MWdc of solar PV in 2014, up 30 percent over 2013, making 2014 the largest year ever in terms of PV installations.
More than one-third of all cumulative operating PV capacity in the U.S. came on-line in 2014.
By the end of 2014, 20 states eclipsed the 100 MWdc mark for cumulative operating solar PV installations, and California’s market alone is home to 8.7 GWdc.
For the first time ever, more than half a gigawatt of residential solar installations came on-line without any state incentive in 2014.
32 percent of all new electric generating capacity in the U.S. came from solar in 2014.
Growth remains driven primarily by the utility solar PV market, which installed 1.5 GWdc in Q4 2014, the largest quarterly total ever for any market segment.
We forecast that PV installations will reach 8.1 GWdc in 2015, up 31 percent over 2014. Growth will occur in all segments, but will be most rapid in the residential market.
2014 was the largest year ever for concentrating solar power, with 767 MWac brought on-line. Notable project completions include the 392 MWac Ivanpah project. Genesis Solar project’s second phase of 125 MWac, and Abengoa’s Mojave Solar (250 MWac), which achieved commercial operation in December 2014.

Industrial Electricians