[ Report: The Electric Event ] BETTER TOGETHER
Safety Register (ESR) was its first initiative. ‘It is very much a partnership,’ Clancy said. ‘And the measures of success for that partnership are more than financial.’ She stressed the real,
With the newly-established ECA/Electrical Safety Council (ESC) joint venture certification company Certsure joining the ECA family, Certsure CEO Emma Clancy explained to delegates the benefits to ECA members of the new partnership and the Electrical Safety Register. She described the journey to make the unique industry alliance happen and the reasoning behind it. All certification brands and businesses owned by both the ECA and the ESC were put under the new Certsure umbrella and the Electrical
demonstrable value of third- party certification for businesses of all sizes and how it benefits customers. More than 80 per cent of electrical contractors in the UK are registered under one of the Certsure brands, and its customer base is growing. It has a broad range of service, with more than 60 different types of personnel certification services currently offered. She said Certsure is
responsive to customer needs and is taking the best from both parent organisations but recognising what customers needs and the future of the industry requires. ‘Keep talking to us,’ Clancy said, ‘and, I promise you, we will keep adapting and changing in relation to that feedback to build a business that you deserve.’
Smarter stuff
‘The smart agenda is growing fast – and opportunities will arise,’ Terry Rowbury, director of energy and installation sectors at BEAMA, told delegates as he explored the theme of smart opportunities for smart contractors. He looked at some key developments – from smart meters and smart grids to smart homes – and how they will impact on electrical contractors. He outlined the drivers for the smart agenda and described
how BEAMA was worked with the government on the smart meter rollout. ‘There’s no doubt that this programme is the most ambitious and consumer-focused in the world,’ Rowbury said. With a target of installing more than 52 million smart meters by 2020, it will be a ‘huge, huge logistical challenge,’ he added. However, he claimed, the government ‘have been unwavering and very committed – it is going to happen’. Rowbury said the smart meter roll would be a ‘catalyst for change’ – leading to a greater take up of energy efficiency measures and smart homes. There will be a range of different technologies and systems to be installed – and electrical contractors will be best-placed to install them. Customers will become increasingly energy-aware, offering further opportunities for integrated smart energy solutions to be implemented by contractors. The smart home market also promises to bring huge opportunities for electrical contractors. ‘It is a growing market and is set to explode after the smart meter rollout kicks in,’ Rowbury told delegates.
Digital key to boosting energy efficiency solutions
Kicking off the third day’s presentations, Alexis Grenon, EcoStruxure program vice president at Schneider Electric, considered the impact of digitisation on members’ businesses. ‘Digitisation over recent years has
completely transformed many industries,’ Grenon said. ‘And it’s going now at a faster and faster pace.’ He looked at how digitisation will affect the electrical sector and how customers’ demands will extend to energy management and sources of efficiency they can get from the data in their infrastructure. Grenon said: ‘Your devices will have to be connected and smarter, hosting and communicating
data so that this data can be turned into information and this information can be processed into action, so that we can leverage our infrastructure as a source of efficiency.’ He added that Schneider believes the infrastructure and solutions it brings is going to be a value-multiplier rather than a threat. ‘We need to have more devices that
connect automatically, that facilitate the work of the contractors,’ he said. ‘We view digitisation as a major opportunity to provide to our customers and partners, not only reliability and safety but also fantastic tools to take our customers on the path of energy efficiency.’
September 2013 ECA Today 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68