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Posts Tagged ‘KY’

Did Kentucky lawmakers do away with unnecessary regulations, or did it compromise public safety?

During the current Kentucky General Assembly, lawmakers passed HB 100, which included an amendment allowing Kentucky to issue its own amendments to the National Electrical Code.

Senator Jared Carpenter (R-Richmond) spoke in favor of the amendment, citing the practices he endorses as the owner of KJC Properties, LLC Real Estate and Rental Properties.

If a tenant calls and says they plugged in a curling iron and now their lights won’t come on, the solution is typically to change the GFCI outlets, said Carpenter. Ground fault control breaker outlets just don’t work well, says Carpenter, and cause needless service issues that drive up costs. Federal regulations reduce efficiency and increase costs for businesses, he said, while not necessarily keeping people safe.

“There’s no electrician that wants to come to your house that wants to do faulty, unsafe work,” said Carpenter. They don’t want to risk the liability if something goes wrong, he said.

The National Fire Prevention Association takes a different view. Keeping current with the latest nation standards is critical for safety, NFPA maintains, and neglecting or opposing national standards could lead to property damage and loss of life.

The political and regulatory environment has shifted significantly in the last few years, however, and now national standards like the NEC face greater scrutiny. Adoption of updates is taking longer.

What does that mean for facilities managers? Facilities managers might have to work a little harder to keep up with the latest regulations, particularly in states like Kentucky which may amend the NEC or other federal standards. State code changes might not always be less strict, sometimes they may be more stringent depending on local context. It’s important to take nothing for granted. Keeping an eye on local codes is key, too.

Organizations like NFPA can be helpful in keeping up with the latest, but developing a good relationship with your local code enforcement office is key. They are the experts when it comes to knowing what is permissible, what is not, and why. Look to your local code enforcement office as an educational resource.

ECT Awarded for Innovation and Creativity!

ECT Services snagged the Innovation & Creativity Award at the 16th annual Inc.credible Awards sponsored by Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce.

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“The Inc.credible Awards are a chance for Greater Louisville to really celebrate all the small businesses that make our region unique and vibrant,” said Kent Oyler, president and CEO of GLI, according to the Courier-Journal. “We are always excited to see the innovative business solutions that are being pioneered by the smaller players in our community.”

The award recognizes a small business that executes business initiatives which demonstrate innovative solutions for new and existing business needs.

“I’m so proud to be part of this team who takes every project we work on to the next level. They consistently listen to the real pain points of our customers, so we can be sure our services hit the mark and eliminate those pain points. Of course, we have fun while we’re doing it and are very honored to be recognized by GLI,” says Jeff Murphy, CEO.

Among our most innovative recent offerings is the Guardian gunshot detection system developed by Shooter Detection Systems, which works by using acoustic and infrared sensors to instantly identify gunshots. The precise location of the gunshots is noted, and authorities are alerted immediately. Warnings are also instantly sent out to people in the facility and vicinity advising them to evacuate or take cover. Guardian can also be integrated with other building systems like door locks and video surveillance. This video demonstrates the basics of the system.

ECT Services is also proud to provide integrated temperature control systems for the newly-renovated Speed Art Museum. The interior of the entire museum must be maintained at a constant temperature of 72 degrees to protect the collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, textiles and other objects, some of which are thousands of years old. Glass walls, integrated old and new construction and other factors are also challenges.

According to a report by the Courier-Journal, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and regional business leaders were among the more than 300 people who attended the event, which was held at the Galt House on Aug. 19.

Thanks to all who voted!

ECT Services has been providing innovative solutions to make Louisville-area buildings sustainable, maintainable, energy efficient and safe since 1981.

The Speed of Light: Renovation yields brighter, more energy efficient museum

After a three-year, $60 million renovation and expansion project, the Speed Art Museum reopened last week.

Check out time-lapse video of the project posted by the Courier-Journal:

The 30-hour opening celebration included music, dance and more, with partner organizations from across the community joining in.

The museum’s new glass façade buildings, which wrap around the original structure, are designed to maximize natural light and showcase the museum’s collection. Too much, light, however, could be damaging to the collection, so the glass walls are embedded with metallic rectangles that filter the light and deflect the harsher rays of the sun. The metallic rectangles are more dense at the top of the building, and graduate as they cascade down the wall.

Most of the interior lighting has also been switched to more energy-efficient, less harsh LED lighting, too.

The interior of the entire museum must be maintained at a constant temperature of 72 degrees to protect the collection, which includes paintings, sculpture, furniture, textiles and other objects, some of which are thousands of years old.

Glass walls, integrated old and new construction and other factors could make temperature control a challenge in such a facility. The Speed is overcoming that challenge with an integrated control system designed by ECTServices.

The Speed is also pursuing LEED building certification.

For more information about the Speed, visit their website.