The Circuit

FALL & WINTER 2014

this issue construction | industrial | automation | energy | national accounts | international

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IS SC READY FOR SOLAR?

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CLEAN ENERGY Q&A

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SHEALY NEWS

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PICTURE

seeing THE

big

AT HIGH VOLTAGE SPECIALISTS

PUTTING THE SUN TO WORK PG 10

HABITAT BUILD HIGHLIGHTS PG 19

OPTIMIZE THE LIFE OF YOUR SWITCHGEAR PG 20

professional distribution for the electrical industry

www.shealyelectrical.com

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THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

contents

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7

featured 07 SC Ready for Solar Energy

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1 4 Profile | Q&A with Jim Woods 2 0 Optimize Life of Switchgear 2 5 Understanding Your Jobsite

10 in every issue The Safety Zone

04

Q&A - With HighVoltage Specialists

10

Shealy News

17

Products We Love

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20

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CHARLESTON

from the president

10009 Highway 78 Ladson, SC 29456 (843) 879-0232

CHARLESTON DOWNTOWN 36 Romney Street Charleston, SC 29413 (843) 853-7044

COLUMBIA & CORPORATE 120 Saxe Gotha Road West Columbia, SC 29172

Staying relevant as we continue to grow ...

(803) 252-5668

FLORENCE

906 West Darlington Street Florence, SC 29501 (843) 656-0088

GREENVILLE

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My guess is you’ve all heard the word

GREENWOOD

DISTRUPTIVE used recently in a business setting - it’s the latest corporate “buzz word.”

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T

he challenge all organizations share in common is to keep our businesses

Executives across the country are insisting

relevant and moving forward; to make us

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their company have a strategy that leads to

immune to disruptive threats from traditional

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growth by disrupting current tried and true

and non-traditional competitors.

SUMTER

business models.

A

I routinely ask our organization - are we

nd because companies are challenged

innovating fast enough? Are we providing

for growth that isn’t supported by the

customers and suppliers solutions that are

1340 South Guignard Drive Sumter, SC 29150 (803) 934-8350

CHARLOTTE

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current economy; they are having to look

meaningful to their business? Are we asking

outside of their normal markets. Many think

the right questions to help identify and

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Distribution (our market) is one that can be

develop these solutions - ideally before they

CLINTON

easily disrupted.

even know they need them?

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The National Association of Wholesalers

We feel a responsibility as a distributor to

(NAW) recently sponsored a book on

add value to your organization - whether

281 Executive Park Drive NE Concord, NC 28025

innovation. 85% of the distributor executives

you are a customer or a supplier. I hope you

(704) 782-7006

who were surveyed responded “they feel

view us as an innovative partner, one who is

the need to reinvent their business before

continually trying to improve our business

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someone else does.” A high percentage

model and the value we offer.

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also believe over 50% of existing wholesale distributors are already out of business - they

We intend to stay relevant and grow. I

just don’t know it yet - and are continuing to

encourage you to challenge us with helping

invest in an out-dated business model when

you solve your problems - while we might

they should be innovating.

not always have an immediate solution; we’re committed to being innovative.

CONCORD

DUNN

GASTONIA

1280 Industrial Avenue Gastonia, NC 28054 (704) 864-8721

KERNERSVILLE

1337 Angel Road Kernersville, NC 27284 (336) 992-2329

MONROE

2317 Stafford Street Monroe, NC 28110 (704) 225-8988

MOORESVILLE

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RALEIGH

4000 Business Park Drive - Ste 115 Raleigh, NC 27610 (866) 679-1662

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THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

SAFETY ZONE

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These hard hats feature a low-profile design for stability and balance, and include accessory slots for 3M’s cap-mounted earmuffs, headgear, faceshields and welding helmets.

IN STOCK

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SAFETY ZONE

FROM HEAD TO TOE SECUREFIT EYEWEAR Features the proprietary self- adjusting 3M Pressure Diffusion Temple Technology - a scientific advancement that helps diffuse pressure over the ear, enhancing frame temple comfort while not compromising the security of fit.

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3M understands how challenging it is to source and securely fit a diverse workforce with protective eyewear.

That’s why we embarked on a comprehensive study, researching the differences in face shapes and sizes throughout the entire world. Through advancements in digital modeling, we identified approximately 600 different touch points on the human face, a finding that was key to designing this innovative safety eyewear. But the progress doesn’t stop there.

The proprietary self-adjusting 3MPressure Diffusion Temple Technology enhances frame comfort and ensures a secure fit across diverse workforces.

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The Lightweight Heavyweight - Nitrile palm coating makes this glove a light, flexible, abrasion-resistant and long lasting alternative to many cotton and latex palm-coated gloves. The nylon stretch liner makes these gloves perfect for light- to mediumduty jobs that require precision handling, especially in hot and sweaty conditions.

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© BURNDY LLC, 2014

www.burndy.com

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SOUTH CAROLINA Sets a Foundation for More Solar Energy article by Jim Pierobon at www.theenergycollective.com Another state in the Southeast U.S. is recognizing the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy as commissioners, utilities and stakeholders in South Carolina are ironing out details of a new solar law that enables third-party leasing and contemplates the state’s two investor owned-utilities utilities, collectively, installing an estimated 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy by 2021, up from about 8 megawatts currently.

South Carolina joins North Carolina and Georgia in showing it can begin to turn a new leaf to toward cleaner energy development. The new law is the South Carolina Distributed Energy Resource Program Act (S.B. 1189), which lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed unanimously and Gov. Nikki Haley (R), signed into law in June.

“When you look at North Carolina and you look at Georgia, they’ve been doing pretty well when it comes to solar energy, and they don’t have any more sun than we do,” Haley said at a press conference, according to The State newspaper in Columbia, SC. The state’s two large investorowned utilities – South Carolina Electric & Gas and Duke Power (including the former Progress Energy) – have the option to

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) found this solar array to stage a ceremonial signing last month of the state’s new commitment to solar energy. CREDIT: Office of Gov. Nikki Haley

opt in, or out, of the program. If they opt in, they’ll get full rate recovery for meeting at least 2% of their five-year average peak power demand from renewable sources, most of which will likely be solar. If they opt out, no rate recovery for whatever path they pursue.

At this writing there appeared to be a significant and growing amount of public and lawmaker pressure to opt in. It was that public pressure that had been building for years which kicked off serious deliberations leading to the new law, according to Kenneth Sercy, Utility Regulation Specialist, and Hamilton Davis, Climate and Energy Director, at the South Carolina Coastal

Conservation League, one of the bill’s biggest backers.

“What you’ve seen here is growing public interest in policies that boost investments in clean energy options,” Davis said. “The tide of public opinion is garnering more media coverage and that’s getting the attention of lawmakers.”

State Sen. Greg Gregory, who has been widely credited for leading the bill writing process, said, “It looks bad for us to just have a sliver of the solar power generating capacity as our neighboring states,” he told the South Carolina Radio Network .

“I think this bill certainly starts us on the road to just catching up.”

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Grant Reeves, who heads the South Carolina Solar Business Alliance, said he expects South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G / SCANA) to throttle up its investments in solar, in part because its rates have been about 40% higher than Duke Energy’s rates. Higher rates mean a shorter time-frame for recovering costs.

Already, South Carolina Electric & Gas is pushing forward with two large projects totaling about 4 MWS. The law is not a renewable energy requirement so South Carolina remains without a Renewable Portfolio Standard which could generate solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs. System owners can sell SRECs to help recoup their investment.

the uncapped federal 30% Investment Tax Credit, which drops to 10% after 2016.

Lawmakers demonstrated an encouraging grasp of the value of small solar projects by requiring a utility that opts in to allocate one-half of the 2% for projects between 1-10 MWs and the other half comprised of solar projects under 1 MW. Of that second half, one-fourth of those must be 20 kW or smaller.

The other major feature of the new law authorizes the state to begin utilizing third-parties to finance in the form of leases provided that qualifying lease agreements pass muster with the state’s Public Service Commission. Stay tuned on that too.

The net metering law could change because it is subject to regulations that the Public Service Commission and interested parties hope to agree on by the March 2015.

Solar advocates shouldn’t expect a quick surge in the amount of in-state solar energy on the state’s grid until the rules are ironed out probably next Spring.

Attempts to increase the cap on an existing, modest, 25% state tax credit did not garner enough support. The credit is capped at $3,500 or 50% of a taxpayer’s liability – whichever is less – for the year the system is activated.

Companies such as SolarCity and Sunrun pushed to authorize direct third-party sales, but fell short.

Duke Energy is expected to hold out unless the net metering deliberations produce a less ratepayer-friendly regime.

Currently, any excess power generated by a customer’s solar system earns a credit at the full per kilowatt-hour ‘retail’ rate. At present, that is the only economic incentive for residents and businesses to go solar in South Carolina besides

A large tax credit wouldn’t necessarily benefit how commercial solar projects are financed, according Colin Murchie, Director of Project Finance at Sol Systems, which tracks state solar markets.

“Attempts to simultaneously implement this program together with a significant tax state tax credit could actually restrict the availability of finance

The law increases the maximum size of a solar system qualifying for what is widely viewed to be one of the better net metering policies in the country. The maximum size would jump from 100 kW to 1 MW.

and increase its costs,” Murchie said.

Murchie said South Carolina faces a handicap that hampers solar development in North Carolina for how it enables Duke Energy there to control solar’s growth and who in the Tar Heel state benefits from it. Such a complication could result in a shortage of tax equity that could otherwise fund third-party ownership of solar systems, Murchie said. “The market could develop more efficiently with a program that includes projects independent of a utility.”

South Carolina had been viewed as among several states in the Southeast with no interest in enabling a competitive market for solar energy. While that’s still the case, at least engineering and procurement contractors could see growth in their business and third-party lessors could gain something of a toehold there, thereby expanding the constituency for clean energy and perhaps support for a more robust solar law.

The sentiment among most clean energy advocates is the new law is a step forward for solar in the Palmetto State.

Whether South Carolina will see in-state growth in solar energy and related jobs remains to be seen.

“What we had was (sic) a lot of barriers, barriers that stood in our way when it came to solar energy,” Governor Haley said at the ceremonial signing. “Then we look at the fact that we want to find as many domestic resources as we can when it comes to energy.”

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THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

seeing The

Picture

big Q A AND

THE FUTURE OF SOLAR IS BRIGHT Q&A SESSION WITH FRANK KNOX & CLIFFORD THOMAS

Frank Knox and Clifford Thomas both worked for Georgia Power (GP) in the substation department. They left GP in 1997 to form their own company; High Voltage Specialists, Inc. HVS provides high voltage related services across the Southeast. In addition to industrial and utility services, HVS now has a division that interconnects solar installations/solar farms with utilities.

Knox and Thomas worked with Jim Woods, Director of Clean Energy at Shealy Electrical Wholesalers, to design the solar installation on the roof of the HVS office in Augusta, Georgia.

Continued on next page ...

Frank Knox High Voltage Specialists

Clifford Thomas High Voltage Specialists

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How did this project come about? Georgia Power began a small, medium, and large-scale solar incentive program within their service area in Georgia to promote renewable energy projects, which was based on a lottery system. GP agreed to invest in a certain capacity of solar installations and divided it up into the three different sized categories. There was an overwhelming response, and the initial application from HVS

What was the scope of this project and the steps involved to complete? This is a 100 kW solar system, which includes 400 solar modules, 6 string inverters and racking to mount the system. The main steps of solar installations include:

did not make the cut on the first round. On the second round of selections, they were picked for the small-scale program (100kW and under installations).

adequate south facing area for module installation.

For the next 20 years, HVS has a buy-back contract with Georgia Power. With such a high return on investment, that includes incentives from the federal government (30% federal tax credit); “We knew it was a great time to invest in a solar project,” said Knox.

Knox and Thomas had installed solar PV Systems at their personal residences as a trial before installing them on the business. “I am pleased with the incentives I have received at home,” said Thomas. “My goal is to retire without an electric utility payment.”

Thomas and Knox were able to level their power bill for the next twenty years. In the case of the commercial building installation, there will be residual income for the next twenty years.

>> Acquire an interconnection agreement to make sure that you meet the Utility’s requirements to install the system. >> Make sure that there’s

>> Design the system where modules and inverters are properly matched for size/ capacity of the installation. >> Procure the material and the wiring to maximize the physical install.

What would be the total cost of the installed system? For commercial solar projects, the cost is approximately $3.00-4.00 per watt installed (material, installation, permits, etc.). The price has come down quite a bit over the last four years. This would typically be a $400K system, but HVS saved about $100K by installing it themselves (even with charging themselves labor). The payback with tax credits, incentives and depreciation is about 5 years.

What is the lifetime of a solar installation? There are some systems out there that are 50 years old, but most installers

design around a 20-25 year life model (primarily due to solar module warranties of 25 years).

What are some of the main benefits of installing a solar roof-mounted system? Quick ROI, tax credits, future stable income, utility pricing offset, sustainable power generation and gaining expertise in installations are a few benefits.

An additional benefit is that there’ now a roof on top of a roof, so the warehouse stays cooler because it is shaded by the solar array. There is also an automated monitoring system that provides dashboard access and updates to computers and phones on the system performance.

The weather station mounted on the corner of the building monitors the temperature, sunlight and wind, which also appear via the online dashboard with the amount of power you are generating. This project includes two solar power generation meters. One that measures power generated at the inverter point and one that provides revenue grade power monitoring, which is reported to Georgia Power for payment of energy produced.

HVS sells the power back to Georgia Power Company for a few cents more than they are paying for it. Knox and Thomas will receive $0.13 per kWh for the solar power they generate on this 20 year contract, while only

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paying $0.07-$0.10 per kWh for energy they consume from the utility.

What type of maintenance is required on a solar installation system? The modules may need to be cleaned - the frequency depends on location, amount of rainfall and season. Without rain, they should be rinsed off every one in a while and would perform best if washed once or twice a year. Electrical connections should be checked annually.

What products did Shealy supply for this project? Shealy supplied everything for this turnkey project - solar modules,

inverters, racking and balance of system material. This has been one of the larger systems where Shealy has supplied all of the products.

What was your experience in working with Shealy and Jim Woods on this project? Jim gave us a lot of information and was very helpful by assisting us in deciding which system design to install, which inverters to use, along with which modules and racking system would fit our needs. Jim conferred with HVS on almost a daily basis during critical portions of the project.

We worked on strategy by asking: What if we did this? Can

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we do it that way? It has been a good learning experience for all involved. Jim keeps us abreast of what is new in the market in terms of technology and new products. We collaborated very well.

From Jim Woods: “HVS has always been a great partner with Shealy Electrical Wholesalers. They place a great deal of trust in us, and that’s something we don’t take for granted. They are a quality group that provides quality work. As they grow their solar efforts, we look forward to working alongside them with the best products and service to ensure their success.”

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SPECIALIST HIGHLIGHTS Jim has been with Shealy since 2000, starting in the utility segment as an Account Manager. His experience with Electric Utilities has proven beneficial to his most recent role as the Director of Clean Energy Solutions.

JIM WOODS

Director of Clean Energy Solutions Jim provides expert assistance with any Clean Energy and Renewable projects. He is well versed on a variety of technologies including solar, wind, electric vehicle charging, exhaust air energy recovery, waste water remediation and more.

“I assist our Account Managers with all of the energy efficient and renewable products that we have to offer - most of which are not available from our competitors. We are much more than the standard electrical distributor. Our sales teams have access to several niche market products. ”

What are the Customer Benefits

Qualify for Services

As our customers become more energy conscious, we

“If you are a customer who has an interest in

have the products and solutions to help them reduce

sustainability, tax credits, utility rebates, accelerated

cost and energy consumption, while greening their businesses. Our clean energy products can also help contractors expand their businesses through new markets they’ve not previously been involved in, thus opening new revenue streams and growth.

COLUMBIA OFFICE | 120 Saxe Gotha Road, West Columbia, SC 29172

depreciation, want new energy cost savings measures and/or would like to grow into the emerging smart grid era, I can be of assistance.

Most customers today qualify for our clean energy products and solutions, as everyone has been touched in some way by this evolving industry.

803.600.2883

jwoods@shealyelectrical.com

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JIM WOODS

QA AND

Q&A SESSION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS How do you keep up with new technologies and products?

I’m very involved with Affiliated Distributors (AD) and the Clean Energy Industry. I serve on the AD Clean Energy Steering Committee, where we see a lot of the new technologies before they are ever released to market.

I’m involved in several organizations throughout the state of South Carolina, including the South Carolina Solar Council, South Carolina Solar Business Alliance, South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance, as well as some regional and national organizations. By staying closely involved with all of these groups, you hear of upcoming changes in companies, products, policies and technologies.

What do you see as the future in the next 5-10 years?

The biggest advances will be made in energy storage, electrical vehicle/charging stations, smart grid/micro grid technology, along with the expansion of solar. The incentives will come and go but the price of solar has dropped dramatically. The price of solar has dropped by over half in

the last 3 years and solar will certainly become more mainstream in the near future.

Grid parity will soon be more realistic, which occurs when the rising cost of electricity meets the falling cost of solar. North Carolina is very close to that now. When grid parity happens, solar is no longer an emotional decision of “I want to be green,” it then becomes financial choice.

We’re seeing big banks and lending institutions investing in solar now. If the banks see it as a solid investment, that’s a good market indicator that solar is solid.

Most of the research today is focused on energy storage.

There are some companies that have already entered the renewable energy storage arena.

Since some utility company distribution lines are far away and could potentially charge $30K - $40K to provide service to a home the homeowner will have the option to go completely off the grid by selfgenerating energy and storing the electrons in some form of storage - such as batteries.

2015 is shaping up to be a huge year for solar, as the SC Solar Law will roll out and industry folks are buzzing about it.

Also, the 35% NC State Tax Credit is set to expire 12/31/15, so there will be an incredible push to complete projects in NC. There’s a slim chance the tax credit could be extended, but that won’t be known until the end of next year.

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IN SHEALY NEWS

Take a look at what is going on within the company. More company and product news can be found on our facebook page and at www.shealyelectrical.com/resources/news

COLUMBIA LOCATION PARTICIPATES IN 2014 Walk for Life/race for life On October 18th, over 20 of our Columbia and Corporate office employees participated in The Palmetto Health Foundation Walk for Life/Race for Life at Finlay Park in Columbia, SC. The Shealy team raised $975.00 for Palmetto Health Breast Center. Thank you to all of the participants, donors, sponsors, volunteers and other supporters for making this day a huge success!

For more information on the Palmetto Health Foundation Walk for Life/Race for life, visit:

http://events.palmettohealthfoundation.org/goto/shealyelectrical

DJ Mcdonald earns certified electriCAL PROFESSIONAL - INSIDE SALES DESIGNATION

DJ McDonald, Inside Account Manager at Shealy Electrical Wholesalers has earned the Certified Electrical Professional - Inside Sales (CEP-IS) credential. He joins a growing group of sales professionals who have demonstrated they are dedicated to higher standards of practice in the electrical distribution industry.

CEP is a certification program for distributors, manufacturers and others in the electrical distribution channel.

CEP certification identifies that the holder has demonstrated expertise and professionalism in areas such as product knowledge, customer service, sales skills, and communication skills, giving them added credibility in the electrical industry.

Currently, tests are offered for both inside and outside sales professionals. To take the CEP exam, applicants must meet certain educational and work experience requirements prior to taking the exam.

CEP Certification, LLC (CEP Certification is a limited liability coproration established by the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) to develop and administer certification and recertification processes for the purpose of designating those individuals who have met CEP Certification professional knowldege standards. The mission of CEP Certification is to enhance the performance of individuals working in the electrical distribution industry by setting standards for the performance of industry job roles and assessing individuals against these standards. Below is alist of all of our current CEP designated employees.

Carson Cribb Ed Bennett Jacob Brown Bubba Bagwell Kraig Brugger Chuck Goff Michael George Jonathan Mathews

Florence Location Florence Location Sumter Location Greenville Location Florence Location Sumter Location Columbia Location Columbia Location

CEP-IS CEP-OS CEP-IS CEP-IS CEP-IS CEP-IS CEP-IS CEP-OS

Will Bradshaw Ladson Location CEP-IS Shane Thurston Greenville Location CEP-IS Johnny Rogers Columbia Location CEP-IS Aaron Black North Augusta Location CEP-IS Tim Gilbert Greenville Location CEP-IS Kerry Hancock Florence Location CEP-IS John Peele Dunn and Clinton Locations CEP-OS DJ McDonald Columbia CEP-IS

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REMEMBER THIS? Shealy SOLAR PROJECT - 1 year later Last year, Shealy Electrical installed solar on one of our own facilities. We did so primarily as a “practice what you preach” project. Now we have a year’s worth of data on the 67kW system performance giving us a pulse on how we did with the actual results versus projections.

Originally, Jim Woods studied our average annual energy consumption across all three buildings on the Columbia campus and compared it to the system design that we could fit atop our project warehouse.

Comparing 12 months worth of SCE&G bills, the projected output of our system would supply about 30% of our total campus energy spend. We are ahead of performance projections, which means our return on investment estimates of year 6 are accurate.

ROI calculations include: 30% Federal Tax Credit, 25% State Tax Credit, Rebates from Palmetto Clean Energy, Reduced Utility Bills through Net Metering, System Depreciation tax benefit, all while greening our energy usage!

For more information on solar opportunities for you or your business, contact: jwoods@shealyelectrical.com

EDI - A SHealy COmpany becomes shealy electrical wholesalers, inc.

On January 1, 2015 EDI - A Shealy Company, will change its name to Shealy Electrical Wholesalers, Inc. Shealy acquired EDI (Electrical Distributors, Inc.) in 2011 and the two became fully integrated early on in the acquisition; operating as one company under one management structure.

“A change to the Shealy name for our Charlotte area and Kernersville locations will provide a clearer understanding to the marketplace that we are truly one company,” said David White. “Although the name is changing, the EDI brand will always hold tremendous value in our company history and its legacy will live on under the Shealy name.

Shealy Electrical Wholesalers was formed in 1945 as in independent electrical wholesale distributor and currently has 17 locations in North and South Carolina.

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SHEALY AND SCHNEIDER WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD A HOME Shealy Electrical, EDI, and Schneider Electric had a Habitat Build Blitz at the Columbia, SC location on September 18th - 21st. With the help of all of our locations, we built a home for Johnnie and Shante’s family.

Johnnie and Shante entered the Habitat for Humanity program in September 2013 and moved very quickly through the program requirements; having already completed more than their required 550 hours of sweat equity!

Special thanks to all of the employees, vendors, and families that helped us with this project! It takes hands to build a house - hearts to build a home.

For more photos and information on our charitable giving efforts, visit: http://shealyelectrical.com/?p=3312

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S P I T N E T TO

E F I L E TH GEAR

H E C T Z I I W S M L I A C T I R P T C O E OF EL

MOST MODERN FACILITIES CANNOT AFFORD DOWNTIME. According to studies published by the Hartford Stem Boiler Insurance Company and FM Global, “Electrical equipment failures account for millions of dollars in damage and lost business every year.” Performing proper maintenance on a facility’s electrical equipment can reduce the risk of an unplanned outage and help extend useful life of the asset. In today’s economy, budget constraints on capital improvement projects will mean more reliance on existing equipment maintenance.

Depending on when your switchgear was installed and how it has been utilized, the equipment may be in a condition somewhere between satisfactory performance and non-functional. A trend towards the latter usually occurs as equipment approaches the end of its expected design life.

If maintenance has not been regularly performed, this less-than-satisfactory condition may be entered prematurely, and a shortened useful life of the components may be the result. Electrical equipment and power distribution systems have never been designed to be or intended to remain perpetually energized without interaction by the owner. By implementing the following tips, you can maximize the life and reliability of your switchgear.

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VICES R E S C I LECTR

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G MA N I T E K AR

CT M

ODU R P , D L EOBA

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BY HAL

1.

PERFORM INFRARED INSPECTIONS Although not a substitute for a maintenance program, thermal imaging (infrared) is a valuable tool that can be done while the equipment is energized. If done safely and properly, an infrared inspection can identify loose bus connections before they result in a full or partial equipment outage. Maintenance can be scheduled to correct the identified issue. Having infrared viewing windows installed allows infrared inspections to be done quickly and safely.

2.

EXERCISE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ANNUALLY A simple but very valuable practice is to manually operate circuit breakers once a year. This keeps the contacts clean and helps operating mechanisms move freely.

3.

DON’T NEGLECT RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE Switchgear should be cleaned, inspected, tightened, lubricated, and exercised on a regular basis. The frequency of maintenance depends on the environment, the condition of the equipment, and its criticality.

Moisture and heat combined with dirt, dust, or other contaminates in the environment will deteriorate the insulation, conductive materials, and protective devices in the equipment at an accelerated rate. These factors should be considered in determining whether maintenance of switchgear can assist in preparing a maintenance plan for each line-up of switchgear.

4.

RECONDITION THE EQUIPMENT A more intensive maintenance option for circuit breakers is in-shop reconditioning. The circuit breaker is initially tested against ANSI standards and then completely disassembled, cleaned, and inspected.

Damaged parts are refurbished or replaced, and pivot points are lubricated before the circuit breaker is reassembled.

The reconditioned circuit breaker, including the new assemblies, is retested against ANSI standards.

Reconditioning should be performed when the on-site maintenance work scope cannot bring the circuit breaker within tolerances defined in current industry standards. The use of new or refurbished parts or subassemblies may be required to return a circuit breaker to a reliable operating condition. As part of this service, the trip unit can be retrofitted with a modern digital device.

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THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

5.

KEEP GOOD RECORDS AND TREND PERFORMANCE Unless maintenance testing has been utilized to track the performance of circuit breakers, degradation of insulation and the moving parts may not be noticed.

Switchgear components can be out of design tolerance, however they may be able to stay in that condition for a long period of time and still be functional. By tracking test data, you can get a better idea of the expected life of the equipment and focus your maintenance efforts on the areas that truly need it the most. Some providers of switchgear maintenance, such as Schneider Electric Services, can provide an engineering analysis of the testing data with a recommended plan.

6.

UPGRADE THE EQUIPMENT Facility managers are often faced with the choice of maintaining aging (or obsolete) equipment or replacing it with a new switchgear line-up to take advantage of current technology. Even with annual maintenance, circuit breakers may need additional upkeep or upgrades. Factors to consider include the operating environment, availability of spare parts, reliability, and the cost of on-going maintenance.

There may also be the need to increase the switchgear’s fault or continuous current rating, or the desire to upgrade technology. Recent advances in technology, both in material sciences and in microprocessor based controls, have facilitated the production of more modern circuit breakers with better performance, reduced maintenance requirements and on-board diagnostics, to name a few features. With the advancements in the circuit breaker designs, those with older technology may no longer be considered sustainable solutions. To take advantage of the more advanced technology, the switchgear lineup could be replaced. A more cost feasible alternative would be to leave the switchgear structure and bussing in place and upgrade the existing equipment with the latest state of the art circuit breakers.

When considering whether to maintain, replace or upgrade the equipment, facility managers must take into account the initial capital cost, along with potential disruption to the facility’s processes and workflow during the course of changing out the equipment. Unless process loads can be rerouted temporarily during the demolition of old equipment and installation of the new equipment, the cost of adapting the latest technology circuit breakers into a switchgear or switchboard cell that was originally designed for a variety of OEM circuit breakers. This allows for an upgrade of the active components, while not disturbing the cables and taking on the risk and challenge that may be uncovered during the middle of an outage replacement.

7.

OUTSOURCE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE VIA A LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE CONTRACT To ensure your switchgear is being maintained properly, consider outsourcing to a professional maintenance provider. Very few electrical maintenance or contracting companies can perform all of the required maintenance activities for an electrical distribution system. A professional electrical engineer can assist facility management with the selection of a qualified electrical maintenance contractor.

The service provider can help create a maintenance program that includes requirements and frequency of maintenance. A multi-year contract, or service agreement, ensures that maintenance will not be overlooked and helps to ensure work scopes are optimized throughout the duration of the contract.

THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

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8.

COMPLY WITH NFPA 70E The industry standard document for electrical workplace safety is NFPA 70E. This document states that switchgear and other equipment shall be field marked with a label containing the available incident energy or required level of PPE. To obtain the incident energy level, a qualified and experienced engineer must perform an arc flash analysis.

NFPA 70E also states that proper maintenance is required for the analysis to be effective and recommends following NFPA 70E and manufacturer’s recommendations.

9.

UTILIZE PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE TOOLS Several types of tools and services are available that can be utilized to predict equipment life and maintenance requirements. Some of the tools are on-line monitoring systems that can provide warnings of impending failures. These on-line systems operate 24/7 and have the advantage of recognizing a condition that may not be apparent during a one-time inspection. The following is a listing of common predictive maintenance technologies and tools: Wireless Temperature Monitoring Systems provide alarms of high bus connection temperatures, indicating that maintenance should be performed before a loose connection results in a thermal runaway situation.

Partial Discharge Monitoring Systems are useful on medium-voltage switchgear and connected cables to provide warning of insulation failures. Left unattended, these situations would ultimately lead to an insulation breakdown and potential arc flash.

Power System Assessments provide means to determine the electrical and mechanical health of the power equipment and power distribution system and how long it will likely continue to function as originally designed and intended.

Infrared Inspections provide one-shot evaluation of electrical equipment to identify poor electrical contacts or connections, unbalanced electrical loads, and defective components. Infrared viewing windows can be installed on the switchgear to allow these inspections to be performed safely.

Circuit Monitors are available that offer a full range of power quality features such as wave form capture, wave shape analysis, disturbance recording, distrubance direction detection, and transient analysis allowing faciity managers and engineering staff to understand where and when dangerous and destructive transients, sags and swells occur. This allows facility managers to diagnose potential problems to minimize downtime.

Intelligent Protective Devices such as electronic trip units or separate monitors can provide intelligent information regarding the health of the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker condition can be analyzed providing advanced planning ability as “conditionbased” activity instead of routine maintenance.

10.

PERFORM A SHORT CIRCUIT ANALYSIS AND A TIME CURRENT COORDINATION STUDY The reliability of switchgear could be compromised if the short circuit rating of the equipment and devices are not equal to or higher than the available fault current. As facilities evolve, changes to the power distribution system occur that could affect the available fault current. Equipment changes by the utility could also have the same effect. Under-rated switchgear components could to unnoticed, at least until a fault occurs.

Engineered FOR THE WORK YOU DO. Smart Tensiometer 10,000 lbs. capacity running line tension meter

Ability to connect to any wireless enabled device Control unit displays pulling tension, distance, speed, and sidewall pressure

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W NE

Rechargeable, and communicates wirelessly to the control unit

Accurate within 200 lbs Save reports in the unit (16 GB), on a flash drive or a mobile device

SAMPLE REPORT Email or print results in an easy to read format from your wireless enabled device

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Š 2014 Southwire Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. TMTrademark of Southwire Company, LLC. Southwire provides a hassle-free warranty program for all tools and equipment.

THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

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ith Southwire's Smart Tensiometer,

rope sizes. Using the display unit's features,

electrical contractors can now obtain

contractors can name each pull, input the

rope tension, pulling speed, pull distance

parameters of the pull, enter rope size and set the

and sidewall pressure data via a wireless

tension limit. In addition, the display unit will flash

connection, which will allow contractors

an alert if the maximum tension is about to be

to save pulling data to onboard memory, create

exceeded.

reports and send information immediately.

"Southwire understands today's jobsite and the Using wireless technology, pulling data can be

art and science of feeder wire installation. That's

streamed directly to computers, smart phones and

why we have packed the Smart Tensiometer

tablets for viewing in graph format, thus enabling

with jobsite-friendly features," said Tim Bardin,

contractors to analyze data in real-time, either

General Manager, contractor equipment,

on the unit display or the contractor's wireless

Southwire. "We're all about understanding the

device. The new Southwire Smart Tensiometer

pain points of the electrical contractor. This

will also enable contractors to use pull data to

understanding helps us deliver products that

generate reports that include automatic date and

aim to improve jobsite safety and productivity,

time stamps. The information can then be emailed

ultimately making the contractors' jobs easier."

as a PDF or Excel速 file. Unlike other running line tension meters, the new Southwire Smart

Introduced in August 2013, Southwire's Tools and

Tensiometer display unit can automatically store

Equipment product line offers a robust selection

up to 16 gigabytes of data. The Southwire Smart

of hand tools, a professional array of meters and

Tensiometer also boasts a USB port on the display

test equipment, larger contractor equipment

unit, which will enable contractors to easily upload

serving areas such as cable pulling , hole making,

data onto a flash drive.

and conduit bending, and accessories used in both

T

commercial and residential installations.

through the use of hitch pins, and the unit is

another example of how we at Southwire are

calibrated up to 10,000 pounds with most pulling

doing that," Bardin said.

he Tensiometer's display unit and load sensing unit pair wirelessly and

"Just like it does in the wire and cable category

automatically. The load sensing unit has

of products, Southwire focuses on bringing

been designed to easily attach to any

innovation and solutions to its offering of tools

MAXIS速 cable puller in less than a minute

and equipment. This new tension meter is

26

THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

A FEW OF OUR FAVO R I T E T H I N G S F ROM

2014 Here are a few of the items that caught our eye throughout the year!

A. Waterguard LED Series by Encapsulite Applications include Product Inspection, Food Plants, Amusement Parks, Car Washes,Parking Garages, Food Processing, Seacoast Areas, Tunnels, Greenhouses, Signage, Water Treatment Plants, Bridges, Decorative Lighting and Corrosive Areas.

B

A

B. IR Thermometer by FLIR Gives you the advantage of thermal imaging to discover temperature issues you can’t see with a typical spot meter.

E

C

C. CRX Series LED High-Bay Luminaire by CREE Delivers highest lumens per dollar among competing LED high-bay luminaires available today.

D. QuickTurn Basket Tray by Thomas and Betts QuickTurn eliminates on-site fabrication and grounding worries, allowing you to install fittings up to 80% faster. And that can make it easier for you to turn a profit.

D

E. USB Charger Devices by Leviton The Leviton line of USB Charger Devices offers powerful charging capabilities to get your electronic devices up and running fast!

F. Hi-Visibility Tools by Klein Don’t let your Klein tools disappear! Grips glow in the dark to help you find your tools!

,

g,

s, .

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THE CIRCUIT FALL & WINTER 2014

G. Industrial Grade Tamper-Resistant Duplex Receptacle by Leviton The NEC has acted in response to a Consumer Product Safety Commission study that documented injuries to children caused by their inserting pins, keys and other foreign objects into electrical receptacles.

F

J. LED REchargeable Roadway Flare

by Lumastrobe The RF-16 LED flare is a highly durable, ultra-bright warning light with (9) selectable flash patterns.

G

H. Voltage Detector & Worklight

by FLIR We engineered the FLIR VP50 to reliably detect voltages on the latest tamperproof outlets and electrical systems installed using modern construction methods.

I. Cable-In-Conduit by Southwire Southwire’s SIMpull CIC increases job safety, productivity, profitability, and can be customized to meet your specific needs.

K

I

Want More Information?

H

J

K. MOSAIC Flexible Light

by Sylvania Fun, flexible and versatile, the MOSAIC Flexible Light is limited only by what you can imagine.

SCAN THE QR CODES WITH YOUR SMART PHONE! Complete product information can also be obtained by contacting your Shealy Salesperson! More specs, videos and photos can be viewed at our website: www.shealyelectrical.com

YOU DIDN’T SETTLE FOR COMPROMISE

NOW IT’S TIME

TO SEE SERVICE

THROUGH YOUR EYES

STAY TUNED

www.shealyelectrical.com