Electrical Contracting News (ECN) September 2016 | Page 41
SPECIAL FEATURE
WIRING ACCESSORIES
MOVING WITH THE TIMES
There is much more to an electrician’s job than rewiring and Marie Parry of Scolmore Group looks at how in
these times of economic uncertainty electricians are using the skills they already possess to broaden the work
they undertake, to meet changing demands and secure a healthy future for their businesses.
T
he days when an
electrical installer would
spend most of his time on
simple rewiring projects
seems to be a thing of
the past. With advances
in technology continuing
to drive the electrical
contracting sector, and homeowners
and business operators looking to add
energy saving and security features to
their premises, electrical installers are
having to up their game to keep up with
this demand, with home automation and
security requirements high on the agenda.
Modularity
The whole area of wiring installations
continues to evolve, with the key word
today being modularity. It is no longer
about new and exciting finishes, it’s
about flexibility and functionality and
incorporating multiple modules into one
plate – media modules, USB ports,
HDMI outlets – and ultimately being able
to create bespoke installations to suit
individual requirements.
The concept of modular wiring
accessories isn’t a new one –
interchangeable cover plates and
interchangeable switch modules have
been available for years. What has
changed is the development of technology
and the desire by homeowners to have
more ability to control the lighting and
other electrical accessories.
The huge growth in ownership of
portable electronic devices – smartphones,
tablets and e-readers – and the plethora
of leads and adaptors required to keep
these devices charged means that today’s
technology is reliant on USB charging.
This led initially to the development of USB
charging modules and has now resulted in
USB ports being integrated into one and
two-gang electrical sockets – eliminating
the need for bulky chargers, whilst freeing
up plug sockets.
With more complex charge management
software and circuitry being built into tablet
computers, smart phones and e-readers,
for example, the amount of current that
the device will accept is limited. A device
will go into protection mode when it
recognises fluctuations within the power
supply, resulting in reduced charge or no
charge at all.
Supply fluctuations can occur for a
number of reasons, including the plugging
in of another device into a neighbouring
port. Utilising a single USB option
eliminates the potential for this problem
to occur. Scolmore’s single USB outlet
provides a constant charge rate and
guarantees charge no matter what the
device and has proven to reduce the
recharge time of devices. These are ideal
retrofit products, which have enormous
application potential for homes, offices,
schools, hotels, education, leisure outlets
and transport interchanges. Of course
housebuilders and developers are now
fitting these as standard in all new builds.
Modular wiring’s flexibility means that
there is no minimum project size and it is
easier for contractors to take on bigger
projects than they might otherwise do.
From single room solutions to the largest
multi-million pound new build hospitals,
systems can be either retrofitted or
newly installed to provide users with
safe, reliable and convenient power and
lighting services.
predict that home automation is set
to become one of the fastest growing
markets in the UK, predicted to be
worth £210m by 2019, according to
AMA Research. As such it presents a
huge area for diversification and an extra
income stream for those installers who
are embracing the challenge.
The largest sector for home automation
is now retrofit, where homeowners are
keen to add wireless security and energy
“
saving features without having to alter
the wiring or disrupt the decor. A system
like the Click iNels Radio Frequency
Wireless Control System is ideal for both
refurbishment and new build projects and
can be used by electricians to update an
existing wiring system.
Simple and flexible installation,
significant energy savings and easy
programming are the key attributes, and
a one-touch centralised control panel
IT IS VITAL FOR ELECTRICAL INSTALLERS
TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST
LEGISLATION, TECHNOLOGIES AND
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS.
Energy efficiency
The demand for environmentally friendly
products continues to be a major issue,
with both homeowners and business
operators keen to use whatever means
they can to improve the environmental
credentials of their properties. For the
installer, this can be as basic as replacing
lamps with energy efficient LEDs, right
through to the use of individual and
central controls for lighting and other
electrical products.
Smart homes
The huge growth in home automation
is being driven by the rapid advance in
technology which is bringing intelligent
automation systems to a growing number
of homes and work places, allowing
control of everything from lighting,
communications and entertainment.
Although home automation technology
has been available for many years, it
is only recently that it has moved away
from an upper market niche into a more
mainstream market. With declining costs
and complexity, plus greater awareness
of system benefits, industry experts
The largest sector for home automation is now retrofit.
41
40-42 Wiring Accessories – Scolmore.indd 41
10/08/2016 16:29