Codes and Standards

Changes to Section 12 Wiring Methods

In our continuation with exploring the upcoming changes to the 2015 Edition Canadian Electrical Code (CE Code), Section 12, Wiring Methods, will see some extensive updates to the rules, the tables referenced by those rules and the Appendix B notes to those rules. These changes will require installers to pay more attention to markings and specific equipment being installed. Where one table existed in past edition codes, nine new tables have taken its place. This month we will explore those changes and explain why the numbers of tables have increased.

Rules 12-510, 12-706, 12-1010, 12-1308 and 12-1504 have all been revised to allow for the use of cable ties of a type specifically approved for the purpose as support for ... Read More

Heating

Why Is Canada So Far Behind in Geothermal Power?

There is great potential to deploy the natural energy sources beneath the ground, but economics and lack of will have stalled development.

The steam rising from nearby hot springs is still the only real trace of the liquid treasure that flows deep underneath the Lakelse region south of Terrace, British Columbia. By springtime, however, there are likely to be a lot of manmade clues signifying the springs' growing importance. That's when crews with Calgary-based Borealis GeoPower expect to begin drilling a series of narrow holes up to 3.5 kilometres into the Earth's crust in a bid to find super-heated water.

The project is still in the early exploration phase. But the next few months could mark a major turning point in what's been a long and heavily bureaucratic battle to develop the country's first commercial geothermal power plant.

Depending on what they find underground, it also promises to be a satisfying 'I-told-you-so' moment for those who feel Canada has been too slow to invest in the next generation of renewable energy. Read More

Economy: GDP Performance

Provincial and Territorial GDP for 2013

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in all provinces and territories in 2013, with the exception of New Brunswick and Yukon. Nunavut (+11.2%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+7.2%) had the largest increases in real GDP. Nationally, real GDP rose 2.0%, slightly above the increase in 2012.

Economic growth in Quebec (+1.0%) and Ontario (+1.3%) was below the national average. Saskatchewan (+5.0%) and Alberta (+3.8%), in turn, surpassed the national average for the fourth year in a row. Household final consumption expenditure increased in all provinces and territories except Yukon, where it edged down 0.1%. Alberta recorded the largest increase in household spending (+4.3%). Household spending grew at a faster pace in all jurisdictions except Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon and Nunavut. Nationally, household spending grew 2.5%, compared with a 1.9% gain in 2012. Read More

Renewable Energy

Outlook Varies Dramatically for Yukon, NWT, Nunavut

Electricity — how we generate it and how much it costs — is a perpetual hot-button issue in the North. The same is true for climate change. That has ratepayers and politicians alike calling for Northern governments to produce cheaper power and to shift away from fossil fuel generation towards renewable energy. But depending on where you live in the North, that may be easier said than done.

Yukon
The good news for Yukon is that it's almost at 100% renewable energy already. In 2013, Yukon Energy generated 99.5% of its electricity via hydroelectric dams and wind. Diesel generators are used almost exclusively for backup in the winter when demands rise and hydro generation declines.

Even so, Yukon Energy still wants to reduce the amount of diesel it relies on. That's why it's building a new backup generator, fired by liquified natural gas, to replace two aging diesel gensets in Whitehorse. Read More

Survey Says

Where They Buy: Plant Electrical

Among six categories, three out of four respondents buy through distributors. One out of three also buys directly.

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Product Focus

New Versa-Series from Liteline improves safety in new construction and retrofit IC housings

Liteline Corporation's new 4" Versa-Series pot lights provide maximum safety and versatility without sacrificing performance. By pairing a GU24 socket with a GU24-base LED lamp, the 4" fixtures help protect end users and contractors alike from accidental over-lamping. The fixtures are airtight, and approved for use in insulated ceilings in both new and remodel projects.

Taking advantage of LED technology, the Versa-Series can provide energy savings to homeowners, and make it possible to install more fixtures on a dedicated lighting circuit.

Available at authorized Liteline distributors, the GU24 lamps produce 490 lumens and are dimmable with a wide range of industry standard controls. They are also Energy Star-rated for a 40,000-hour life span, and have a 5-year Liteline warranty. Read More

THE ELECTRICAL STOCK MARKET

Track the stock market performance of 25 publicly traded electrical equipment suppliers and electrical wholesalers. Updated weekly.

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