Volume 3, Issue 3 - November 2010
The Supplier
Happy Holidays
It is with pleasure that we pause from the usual routine of business to say Thank You for your friendship, goodwill and loyalty. May the happiness and good cheer of the holiday season be yours throughout the new year.
WESTERN UNITED UPDATE
Dixie Escalante Electric Association in Beryl, UT has joined Western United as our 50th member cooperative
Patronage Checks and Certificates totaling over $2.1 million from member purchases for July 1, 2009 through June 31, 2010 have been mailed to all members. The staff at WUE thanks you for you support. Where else can you buy overhead, underground construction material or required tools at competitive prices, out of stock and shipped weekly to your warehouse PLUS receive a year end refund on your purchases. ONLY AT WUE!
Cooper Power Systems has appointed WUE as a distributor for their non-engineered products at all inventory management accounts. We currently have a wide array of Cooper products in stock and WUE sales reps can assist you with specific part number selections.
Steffes (a manufacturer of thermal storage units) has appointed WUE as a distributor for their products. We currently have in stock for immediate shipment a broad line of storage units, bricks and accessories.
WUE has implemented a new windows based software system (SAP) that should improve a number of internal processes while enabling WUE to provide better customer service. Future software projects with the new software include barcoding and computer hookups with member NISC software systems.
WUE personnel changes include:
Russ Nelson has been promoted to Director of Transmission, Substation and Renewable Sales. He will be managing the WEST group.
Jon Holliday is the new Director of Warehouse Operations. He will be managing the warehouse and all trucking activities.
Charlie Whiting is a new Transmission and Substation sales specialist. He joins the WEST department consisting of Mike Littlefield, Jerry Christensen, Greg Peake and Dave Melvin.
Beverly Ackley is WUE’s new Office Coordinator.
Eric Weinberg has joined WUE as an Accounting and IT Systems Specialist.
Ermco has again extended capital credits to WUE for purchases of their transformers in 2009.
Industry News
ERMCO Three-Phase Padmount Design Offers
Greater Arc Flash Protection
When an arc flash occurs, the severity (known as incident energy) depends on many factors including whether it happens in an enclosed area or in the open air. If the arc flash occurs in an enclosure or box environment, the energy is concentrated by the walls of the enclosure and is focused out the door opening leading to potentially greater hazard and injury for workers in the area. However, if the arc flash occurs in the open air, the energy is dispersed in all directions reducing the amount of energy that can reach a person in close proximity.
ERMCO’s three-phase padmount transformer design addresses these conditions by offering an open air solution to arc flash dispersion. Unlike a standard three-phase padmount transformer enclosure, the ERMCO design not only allows for the opening of the doors, but it also allows for opening the sides and top. With the more open design, energy generated from an arc flash event can radiate away from the enclosure in multiple directions leading to a reduction in overall incident energy exposure. To verify the effect that the open ERMCO enclosure has on incident energy, arc flash testing was conducted on both open and closed enclosure designs. The results of the arc flash testing indicates that there is a 55 percent reduction in incident energy when the enclosure’s sides and top are open compared to the same enclosure with only the door open.
In addition to the reduced arc flash exposure benefits, ERMCO’s design offers increased working space that allows for enhanced air flow which results in a cooler operating environment for workers in heavy clothing. The ERMCO design also allows for improved visibility. Tests have shown that the working conditions on a completely open ERMCO unit are 35 times brighter than those in a standard three-phase padmount enclosure.
Please contact your WUE representative to discuss the benefits of installing an ERMCO three-phase padmount design.
Evluma has introduced a new LED replacement bulb, “Beacon Lamp” that can replace a 50—175W MV or a 70—150 W HPS lamp while producing the same footprint that the conventional bulbs offer. Earlier versions of the EVLUMA bulb did not offer a very large light dispersion pattern. The new bulb offers .01 footcandles (full moonlight) at over 4 mounting heights in a type V circular light pattern while retaining the Dark Sky Seal of Approval. It uses 50% less energy than an HPS bulb, warranteed for 5 years and rated at 70,000 hours of operation. See your WUE inside sales person to order a trial unit.
EYE LIGHTING has introduced a fixture analyzer kit that can quickly identify fixtures that are nearing end-of-life which causes premature lamp failures. Safe operation, two minute testing, hard shell case. See your WUE outside sales rep for more info.