Toronto Electricians and Electrical Contractors

We all know how potentially devastating electrical fires can be in any kind of building. Not only is human life put at risk, but also the resulting property damage and business disruption can be extremely costly. Take, for example, the fire caused by a switchgear failure at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport in 2017, which caused US$50 million in losses and 1,400 cancelled flights for Delta Airlines. Electrical fires account for 22 percent of workplace fires and are one of the top causes of fires in hospitals (after cooking-related incidents). While the electrical fires are often due to defects in medium or low voltage system wiring, switches, and motors, one major insurance carrier estimates approximately 25 percent of all major electrical failures are due to loose or faulty connections. This is why many regulatory bodies require annual thermal surveys to reduce the risks of fire due to faulty connections. Up to now, infrared (IR) thermography has been the method used for these surveys. ...

Electric utilities’ number one objective is to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for its millions of customers – even during extreme weather events or other emergencies. Recent developments in  microgrids  are empowering utilities to reshape the grid for maximum efficiency and reliability. Microgrid solutions allow for the diversification of energy generation assets and can operate independently, or in conjunction with the main grid, thus eliminating any single points of failure. To further maximize grid reliability, it is now conceivable to create a system that interconnects not only one, but several microgrids that leverage a variety of distributed energy resources (DER): photovoltaic arrays, microturbines, energy storage systems, generators, etc. The challenge rests on the ability to set up a distribution automation architecture to leverage...