January 2012 Features COVER STORY
20 NEW YEAR: NEW FUTURE? Despite the proposed Feed-In Tariff changes, the low carbon agenda still offers plenty of opportunities for electrical contractors
26 HOME IS WHERE THE SMART IS The convergence of home automation and home entertainment is opening up new areas for contractors
30 CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE How ECA members have helped deliver solutions for the International Broadcast Centre, the broadcasting hub for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
36 POWER PLAY We talk to Stewart Gregory, director of power LV distribution at Schneider Electric, about energy efficiency, power management solutions and other green agenda issues
42 TURNING UP THE HEAT With the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive and the proposed reduction in FITs, it could be time to broaden your renewables offering to include heat as well as power
46 IN THE CLOUD: FLOATING A NEW IDEA We look at ‘cloud computing’ and explain how online services and software can offer big benefits to electrical contractors’ businesses
52 GENERATING OPPORTUNITY
SECURING THE FUTURE Spotlight on some of the key speakers and presentations scheduled for the ECA Electrical Industry Conference 2012 in Paphos, Cyprus
54 SECURE IN THE KNOWLEDGE Education options in fire and security: how to get the right training to benefit from increasing opportunities in this growing sector
57 EVERY SECOND COUNTS Fire safety alert from the Electrical Safety Council’s SwitchedOn magazine
60 FOCUS ON THE CUSTOMER In the second of our series on marketing, we look at how an increased focus on customer needs can reap significant rewards
66 FLEETING LOOK With more changes in rules on taxation and allowances coming, is it time to switch to vehicle leasing?
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New smart technologies and advancements in control systems are creating the need for businesses that can advise on how to bring all of this together for the client Page 17
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