The 2008 Victorian NECA Excellence Awards were held on 8 August to recognise the high quality of work carried out by Victorian electrotechnology contractors. Read more »

According to environment lobbyist group Total Environment Centre (TEC), Australia’s carbon-intensive electricity industry is proposing to rip off consumers despite government support for free pollution permits and other compensation to coal-fired generators. Read more »

Over 400,000 tonnes of the ACT’s greenhouse gas emissions were abated in 2007, according to the Minister for the Environment, Water and Climate Change, Jon Stanhope. Read more »

A two-day WorkSafe Victoria campaign targeting construction sites in South Yarra has identified a large number of safety breaches. Read more »

The 2008 Excellence Awards for the electrical and communications industry in Queensland were held on 1 August, with four companies recognised for significant achievement in the last 12 months. Read more »

The NECA Queensland Apprentice Awards were held 1 August to recognise hard-working apprentices for their achievements in the electrical and communications industry. Read more »

Street lights around Canberra are being replaced with more energy-efficient globes, with more than 1700 lights replaced to date and a further 5100 lights to be replaced this year. Read more »

The number of ACT households opting for GreenPower has increased by almost 150% over the past two years, with over 10,200 customers (8% of all energy customers) using it. Read more »

According to a recent report in The Boston Globe, the combination of increased copper prices and record housing foreclosures in the US state of Massachusetts has resulted in an ‘epidemic’ of house thefts. Read more »

The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), a US-based trade association for the electrical distribution industry, reported in its 2008 Performance Analysis Report that the US electrical distribution industry’s financial performance remained solid despite current US economic conditions. Read more »

The Legrand Slide Connect G2 emergency exit sign has won the Award for Excellence in Sustainable Design at the 2008 Australian International Design Awards. Read more »

Australand has appointed HPM Legrand as its preferred national supplier, with the partnership commencing 1 July 2008. Read more »

Tyco Electronics’ networking division AMP Netconnect has launched a new website — www.ampnetconnect.com.au — configured as an information-driven portal where businesses can find useful technical details. Read more »

Energy-efficient lighting provider Ilum-a-Lite has been announced as a finalist in the 2008 Telstra Business Awards in both the Social Responsibility and Micro-Business categories. Read more »

A recent report from Ovum Research analysing the current status, as well as the future, of optical fibre stated that, at the end of 2007, nearly 29 million subscribers worldwide were connected with fibre infrastructure, mostly via FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) or FTTB (fibre-to-the-building). Read more »

SAI Global has released the latest intruder alarm and CCTV Australian Standards — AS/NZS 2201.5:2008 'Intruder alarm systems — Alarm transmission systems’ and AS 4806.4 — 2008 ‘Closed circuit television (CCTV) — Remote video’. Read more »

Belden recently announced plans to acquire Trapeze Networks, a provider of wireless local area networking (WLAN) equipment, for US$133 million in cash. The acquisition is intended to build on Belden's position as a complete signal transmission solutions provider. Read more »

Israeli energy company SDE has signed an agreement to sell sea-wave power plants throughout China, with construction being financed by investors from Hong Kong and China. Read more »

At the 25th NECA Victoria Apprentice Awards, held on 9 July 2008, a talented group of electrical apprentices were recognised for their outstanding academic and technical skills working in industrial, commercial and domestic markets. Read more »

Major projects have begun to meet the growing need for power in south-east Queensland, according to Mines and Energy Minister, Geoff Wilson. Read more »