NEMA Currents Blog

Including the Kitchen Sink

One thing often overlooked by casual market observers is the enormous set of policy options available to the Federal Reserve, and how they can be used to ameliorate the credit crisis. Sure, virtually everyone is familiar with the federal funds rate, which Fed members decided to cut by 50 basis points...

Published Wed, Oct 08 2008 8:22 PM by Lego, Brian

Filed under: Economics

Nanotech Start-ups: Can Other People Build It?

I read an excellent article from the October 3, 2008 edition of the N.Y. Times Magazine about the world of budding renewable energy companies and the role and function of venture capital companies in supporting them in their efforts to commercialize products. The article provided four basic questions...

Published Thu, Oct 09 2008 10:57 AM by leibowitzm

Filed under: Smart Grid, renewable energy, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Safety and Standardization, wind

The Medical Isotope Shortage

Most people are not aware just how important a role nuclear medicine imaging procedures play in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is estimated that approximately one third of all hospital inpatients receive some kind of nuclear medicine scan during their stay in the hospital. Nuclear medicine...

Published Tue, Oct 07 2008 9:52 AM by Eaton, Richard

Filed under: medical imaging

SEMI Gets It!

Recently, the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International ( SEMI ) released an article announcing the publication of a white paper prepared by its SEMI PV Group. This group supports SEMI members "serving the crystalline and thin film photovoltaic (PV) supply chains." In describing the...

Published Wed, Oct 29 2008 10:21 AM by leibowitzm

Filed under: Energy Efficiency, General, Environmental Design, Environment, renewable energy, electricity

Lower Income Households Win with SMART GRID

On October 23, 2008, NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) hosted a U.S. Department of Energy E-Forum on Smart Grid. The title of the E-Forum was Smart Grid – What is the Value Proposition for Consumers? I had the opportunity to attend this excellent web-based seminar. The meeting announcement...

Published Mon, Oct 27 2008 7:19 AM by caskeyj

Filed under: Energy Efficiency, Smart Grid, Electrical Grid, demand response

FERC Boosts Advanced Transmission Technologies

In one of the first cases to explicitly consider the use of advanced transmission technologies, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a 135 basis point rate adder for incorporation of an underground HVDC line, fiber-optic cables, and static var compensators into the proposed New York...

Published Thu, Oct 02 2008 9:36 AM by Hsieh, Eric

Filed under: Smart Grid, transmission

EU Electromechanical Shock Protectors Not Fully Protective

In the recent ElectroIndustry article [September 2008 Issue, "International Standards: A Look Back to the Future"] there is a highlight of an important distinction between GFCIs and RCDs. However the explanation - "...each technology can ultimately comply with the basic requirements in...

Published Wed, Oct 22 2008 3:40 PM by gettmank

If You Want Electricity, You Need Transmission Lines

Even in the worst of economic times, Americans need electricity. We might cut back on our use of it -- and NEMA's members are doing their part to help reduce U.S. consumption (see, for example, Dain Hansen's blog entry of August 20) -- but for the foreseeable future we'll continue relying...

Published Wed, Oct 08 2008 11:48 AM by golds

Filed under: General

Of Clocks and Teakettles...

Last week Cosmologist Stephen Hawkins unveiled the spectacular new Corpus Christi clock at Cambridge University. The clock has no hands but uses rotating rings and flashing blue LED lights to indicate the time. The mechanism is entirely mechanical and the fantastical insect or Chronophage (time eater...

Published Wed, Oct 01 2008 3:03 PM by Winstanley, Gerard

Filed under: Safety and Standardization

Change your clocks, change your batteries

Daylight savings time ends this weekend, so while you change your clocks to enjoy an extra hour of sleep, make sure that you also change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Regular testing of these important life safety devices is recommended by the U.S. Fire Administration...

Published Wed, Oct 29 2008 4:52 PM by Owen, Sarah

Filed under: Fire Safety, Carbon Monoxide, Smoke Alarms

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