President Barack Obama and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven
Chu announced on June 29 aggressive actions to promote
energy efficiency and save U.S. consumers billions of dollars
per year.

Back injuries account for hundreds and hundreds of work place accidents, and over the years I have been one of them. The majority of all back injuries are caused by improper lifting and improper carrying. If too serious in nature, back injuries may require physical therapy and even surgery to correct the problem. Learning proper techniques for lifting and carrying materials will help to reduce the risk of back injuries.

Here is a simple hint to help you avoid a back injury, think through each lifting task before wrestling with something too heavy and/or awkward to handle. Think about how the material can best be handled and don’t be shy about asking someone to help, or wait on equipment such as a dolly or forklift to assist you in your task. Use your legs properly to save your back. Back injuries can be prevented with a little planning.

We all have only one back, let’s try to keep it in well condition.

Len
Safety Director

Despite a constant projected growth in electricity use over the
next decade, the peak power demand in the United States
could be held essentially steady, according to a new report
from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Achieving
that feat would involve the widespread use of “smart” meters
and utility rates that go up with increasing demand.

Have you looked at doing a lighting retrofit for your building in the past, and decided not to proceed because the rebates were not large enough? It’s time to take a second look. Because of new legislation there are more incentives available for lighting retrofits. In some cases, the owner of a building can receive a Personal Tax Deduction if the energy savings are enough.

I recently had a customer ask us about taking a second look at doing a retrofit on their building. Originally we just looked at replacing the existing lamps and ballasts (most of which were T-12 magnetic ballasts) with high efficiency T-8 Lamps and Ballasts. Now we are looking at replacing entire fixtures with new technologies that were not as readily available, and more expensive two years ago.

The last time that I looked at the project, I had to “go it alone”, looking for all of the information about what it took to get a rebate, and then where I could get all of the proper parts. It took a lot of time and energy to do this. Now, because there is such a demand for lighting retrofits, there are electrical contracting companies that are willing to help you do this initial work up. We have enlisted the help of a lighting supplier that deals with these types of jobs all the time. They are willing to go out to the jobsite with us, and the owner, and discuss the options. One of the greatest parts about it is that they are willing to provide 2 to 4 new fixtures that can be installed so that the customer can see the difference that these new technologies make.

Now is the time to take action. If you have already looked at lighting retrofits, but were unhappy with the bottom line, it’s time to take a second look with a Phoenix electrical contractor that has enlisted the help of a leader in the lighting retrofit industry.

Jason
Estimator

The importance of bonding and grounding in commercial, industrial, and solar installations cannot be overstated. The grounded circuits of all machines need to have an effective return path from the equipment to the power source in order to function properly. In addition, non-current-carrying metallic components in a facility, such as equipment cabinets, enclosures, and structural steel, need to be electrically interconnected so voltage potential cannot exist between them. Proper grounding is essential for the safety of all who come in contact with any type of energized equipment. It is up to the electrical contractor to insure that their electricians are up to date on the proper installation and code requirements governing the area.

Joe
Vice President of Construction

It is fact that most of all head injuries are caused by FALLING and/or FLYING OBJECTS, and also by BUMPING your head against objects (i.e.; piping, conduit, low head room, ect.).

Head protection (i.e.; helmets and/or hard hats) must meet all specifications contained in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI for short), Z89.1-1969, and for those exposed to high voltage electrical shock, the hard hat must meet the specifications of ANSI, Z89.2-1971.

Here at Harmon Electric Inc. and Harmon Solar, it is required by all our installers, to wear at all times while on the job site, a class ‘E’ hard hat – class ‘E’ hard hats are designated as utility service, high voltage hard hats, and are intended not only to protect from falling and flying objects, but also to protect from high voltage shock and burn. This class of hard hat is also required to be worn by all Harmon Electric Inc. electricians, be it they are working on Solar installations, or on our commercial projects.

Len
Safety Director

DOE is awarding up to $22 million in Recovery Act funds to 24
projects that will aim to cut the costs of solar cells and
modules. The agency will also offer up to $27 million to
develop the nation’s infrastructure for solar installation
training, with $5 million coming from the Recovery Act.

Here at Harmon Electric in the Estimating department we get to see a lot of different projects that are out for bid, from typical T.I. remodels in strip malls to Medical/Dental facilities with Exam rooms & Patient care areas to Linear Accelerators & CT Scan machines. With this wide array of facilities I have noticed that the specs are calling out for more stringent requirements, from 3/4 “ minimum sized conduit specified, to dedicated neutrals required for all circuits. These requirements can add quite a bit of cost to an otherwise standard project.

When the economy is down like it is now, there is more and more competition for the same projects than ever before. The margins for being the competitive bidder are smaller than ever too. So how do we compete in such a market? To start with we need to be aware of all of those “Spec Requirements” that can really bring the cost of a job up. For example, when the specs state that “current carrying conductors cannot share a neutral with any other current carrying conductor” the implication is that instead of being able to share a neutral for three different phased current carrying conductors, which requires 5 wires in the conduit for 3 circuits, now you have to provide 7 wires, for the same circuits, not only is there more wire to be included in the bid, but the labor to install that wire as well. This adds up quickly. When ¾” minimum size conduit is required, that brings the cost up even more.

So how can we minimize the impact that that has on the cost of our bid? One, if we call the engineer, and ask, sometimes we find out that it is OK to run ½” conduit. Sometimes it’s not OK, in this case it’s a good idea to let the general contractor know that you are bidding it this way. It might seem silly to tell them that you are bidding it the way that the spec call out for, but it may make them aware that if our bid is higher, it may be because someone did not cover the spec, and bid it with ½” conduit instead of ¾” as specified. With the economy the way that it is a lot of contractor will cut corners “just to get the job”. When they do get the job, it can really be a mess for the general contractor.

If we do our job right we can make sure that everyone is on the same page, comparing apples to apples. This will help to ensure that the customers get what they are paying for, and the job is getting done properly. This in turn will be seen as a contractor that cares about the integrity of their work, and therefore is a contractor that can be relied upon; as we say here at Harmon Electric… “Uncompromising Quality and Integrity since 1975”!

Jason
Estimator

Safety at work is not something any one should take lightly. In years past, employers have had to deal with not only having employee’s getting hurt from unsafe work conditions – but they also dealt with employee’s losing their lives from unsafe working conditions.

That was years ago, now we have the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a part of the United States Department of Labor. OSHA was developed to force employers to provide a much healthier and safer work environment for all employees. If you are an employer, you must follow the regulation’s found in the 29CFR Part 1910. This is the general industry standards and it covers all employers from manufacturing toothpicks to building the space shuttle. Some employers are under the impression that if they are in the construction industry, they only need to follow the regulations found in the 29CFR Part 1926 book of regulations. This is not true, every employer must follow the regulations found in the 29CFR Part 1910. If you are in the construction industry, you must also follow the regulations found in 29CFR Part 1926 – this covers any type of construction, from building new homes, to remodeling an old tenant improvement, to service work, to installing solar power to both commercial and residential properties.

I know that many people really don’t think that safety is that important, but when it comes down to your health and your life – I think that safety should be priority one.

Len
Safety Director

According to the nightly news, the recession seems to have taken a break for the summer.  Not completely surprising, Arizona is one of the states hit hardest by the recent trends in our economy.  You may think that this is a time where you should be cautious with your money and let the markets calm down.  Let me suggest an alternative.  In this economy, the buyer is in a better position than in many years past.  Any investment dollar you might spend can go much farther than only two years ago. 

Industries are hungry for your business and you will find many more bargains that are available to you.  You do need to remember that even though the industries want your business, you need to take care of your investment.  By investigating companies that offer you special pricing, you may be sure you are getting the best value for your dollar. 

At Harmon Electric, we have provided quality service to individuals and businesses for over 30 years.  We are willing to work with you to get the best for your investment and the quality that you deserve.  We enjoy taking that extra time to be sure not only is our relationship positive, but that the highest standards can be met. 

Remember, your investment is your dream of the future.  Be sure you are completely secure with a company that wants your dollars will make your investment that much more sound and something you can rely on for years to come.

Joe
Vice President of Construction

DOE will hold the 2009 Solar Decathlon from October 9-18 on
the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Solar Decathlon is a
biennial competition where 20 teams
of university students develop fully-functional houses that
draw all their energy from the sun.

Alternative energy sources are growing. In 2008, for the first time, worldwide investment in alternative energy sources drew more investors than fossil fuels, netting $155 billion in net capital inflows against $110 billion of new investment in oil, natural gas and coal. This is helping to drive the price down for alternative energy systems.

Wind power has traditionally been the largest driving force in alternative energy in the United States. Systems can be constructed quickly, but are notoriously expensive. Solar on the other hand is getting cheaper. Some analysts are predicting solar photovoltaic prices could fall as much as 43 percent this year.

As more and more homeowners, commercial property owners, and Power Companies add Solar technologies, prices will continue to fall, and the technology will get even better.

Jason
Estimator

Want to save some money on your monthly electric bill? Change out your standard incandescent light bulbs with more efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (known industry wide as CFL’s). It’s a simple and quick way to reduce your lighting costs, but is it “Greener”?

CFL’s are more efficient, and therefore use less power than a standard incandescent light bulb, and they also last a lot longer. On the surface of the issue you would think that reducing power used is definitely “Greener”, but what do you do with the CFL’s when they do finally burn out? If you just throw them away like a standard incandescent lamp, you are not helping the environment at all.

When fluorescent lamps (not just CFL’s but also linear fluorescent lamps) are manufactured a small drop of mercury is put into the lamp, and is vaporized into a gas when the light is turned on. Most of the gasses in these lamps are inert and do no damage to the environment; however mercury is VERY bad for the environment. It seeps into the ground, and can enter the water table. This can lead to mercury in the water we drink, and the food we eat.

So what are we to do? Fortunately it is becoming easier and easier to dispose of these lamps properly. Building Material Retailers like Home Depot and Lowes sell a box that you can put your old CFL’s in and ship them to a company that will do this for a very reasonable charge the (shipping is covered in the cost of the box).

Commercial business owners, discuss these issues with the contractor who replaces your lamps. Documentation of proper disposal is available, and may actually be in the case of a lighting retrofit project in order to receive rebates and compensation.

The more people learn about “Green Technologies” the better off our environment will be, just make sure that you don’t help in one way (saving energy), and hurt in another (polluting).

Jason
Estimator