NETA Quarterly Activities: September 2023

NETA World StaffNETA News, Winter 2023 NETA News

NETA BOARD AND MEMBER MEETING September 7–8, 2023Las Vegas, Nevada NETA’s fall board and member meetings held in Las Vegas focused on members, PowerTest, industry awareness, certification, and standards development. The board meeting heavily focused on the strategic initiatives for the upcoming fiscal year.  The member meeting included updates on association programs, as well as the first Accredited Representative/Technician Representative …

ELECTRICAL TEST TECH RECOGNIZED AS NETA ACCREDITED COMPANY 

NETA World StaffNETA News, Winter 2023 NETA News

Electrical Test Tech LLC (ETT) works with local utility companies, electrical contractors, and facility maintenance contractors for various federal and commercial facilities in the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. Their work consists of acceptance testing and maintenance testing.  ETT was founded by Dave Haskin of Welcome, Maryland, in 2019. Haskin has been working in the electrical testing industry since …

Megger Joins NETA as Corporate Alliance Partner

NETA World StaffNETA News, Winter 2023 NETA News

Established in the late 1800s, Megger has been designing and making test and measurement instruments that perform electrical measurements for preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and commissioning for decades. Megger products are categorized into seven core application segments: cable test and diagnostics, protection relays and systems, circuit breakers, transformer test and diagnostics, low-voltage installations, general electrical testing, and motor and generator testing. …

ANSI/NETA Standards Update

NETA World StaffSpecifications & Standards, Winter 2023 Specifications & Standards

ANSI/NETA ECS–2020 REVISION IN PROCESS   A standards revision is in process for ANSI/NETA ECS, Standard for Electrical Commissioning of Electrical Power Equipment & Systems, following the American National Standard process, with a scheduled release in 2024. NETA ECS-202X  will supersede the 2020 Edition. A recirculation ballot and additional public comment period are projected for mid-November through mid-December 2023.  ANSI/NETA …

Advancements in Industry: Demagnetization of Power Transformer Cores

Thomas D. Sandri, Protec Equipment ResourcesCorporate Alliance Corner, Winter 2023 Corporate Alliance Corner

After a power or distribution transformer is disconnected from the power grid or when DC current is applied, such as when a routine winding resistance measurement test is performed, the transformer core is likely to have some remnant magnetism. This remnant magnetism will increase the magnitude of the already high inrush over current levels seen when a transformer is energized. …

Neutral and Ground Harmonic-Induced Power Losses and Correction

Howard W. Penrose, MotorDoc LLCIndustry Topics, Winter 2023 Industry Topics

In commercial and industrial power systems, harmonic currents can create a variety of issues, including increased power losses and potential damage to equipment. This article describes the various types of power losses associated with neutral and ground harmonic currents with a focus on resistive losses, transformer losses, and dielectric losses in distribution and power factor correction capacitors, and how these …

Unlocking Reliability: A Guide to Low-Voltage Circuit Breaker Maintenance Testing

Cade Patton, MeggerIndustry Topics, Winter 2023 Industry Topics

Circuit breakers in electrical systems play a critical role in ensuring personnel safety, equipment, and systems reliability. These protective devices are designed to interrupt the flow of electrical current in the event of a fault, preventing potential hazards such as electrical fires and equipment damage.  Low-voltage circuit breakers encompass a range of types, including insulated case circuit breakers (ICCBs)/molded case …

Advances in Ground Testing

Jeffrey R. Jowett, MeggerColumns, Tech Tips, Winter 2023 Columns

The fundamental principles of electrical ground testing were laid down in the early 20th century, with much of the pioneering work done by Frank Wenner of the U.S. Geological Survey. The most basic and widely used method for measuring soil resistivity bears his name. These principles still underlie ground testing into the present century, but many improvements have been made …

Utilize a Great Resource: NFPA 70E Handbook for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Ron Widup, Shermco IndustriesColumns, NFPA 70E and NETA, Winter 2023 Columns

You may have seen my LinkedIn post about this, but we’ll expand further with some examples to highlight this resource for a better understanding of NFPA 70E. There were two points to the message:  Edited by Dean Austin, Chris Coache, and Corey Hannahs, the authors do a great job of providing usable information to us, the electrical workers. It was …

Milestone | Mile·Stone / ˈmī(-e)l-,stōn: A Significant Point in Development

Eric Beckman, National Field Services, NETA PresidentColumns, President's Desk, Winter 2023 Columns

As milestones go, January 16, 2023, might well be considered a significant point in development within our industry. That is when NFPA 70B became effective as a standard recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).   While long accepted as an industry-leading recommended practice, ANSI certification brings changes to NFPA 70B. In this edition of NETA World, our contributors …