August 09 ElectroIndustry - 22

International Roundup › NEMA Organizes Smart Grid Seminar at EP Shanghai Following a successful two-day seminar on Smart Grid organized by NEMA as part of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency Standards and Conformity Assessment Cooperation Program, NEMA was invited by the China Electricity Council to organize a session on the U.S. perspective on Smart Grid development as part of the Electric Power Industry Technology and Power Grid Construction and Development Conference (EP Shanghai). It is part of an annual trade show and conference that highlights products and developments by manufacturers of medium- and high-voltage electrical equipment and features exhibitions by more than 400 international manufacturers. According to NEMA Beijing Chief Representative Wen Shanlin, more than 200 interested utility and industry representatives attended the session. In a welcoming address, U.S. Commercial Service Senior Commercial Officer Gregory Harris noted that the Representatives from Eaton Electrical, S&C Electric, General Electric, and Emerson Power Systems highlighted products that meet the needs of the emerging Smart Grids of both countries. Chinese companies are open to purchasing U.S. technology. “Smart Grid is a mega-trend now,” said Victor K. Lee, chief technology officer, Emerson Network Power Systems, who saw EP Shanghai as establishing Smart Grid momentum. “I am glad that China is taking an active role in this development.” According to Shirley-Zhengrong Xiao, GE China T&D Marketing, the number and enthusiasm of participants underscored interest in Smart Grid topics. “This is the right time to take this opportunity,” she said. ei Gene Eckhart | Gene.Eckhart@nema.org Wen Shanlin | wen@nema-beijing.org Shirley-Zhengrong Xiao, GE China T&D Marketing, noted that EP Shanghai was the “right time” to showcase Smart Grid. development of Smart Grid in the U.S. is a high priority objective of the Obama administration and Congress. › Honduras Nearing Adoption of NEC® As part of an outreach program promoting NEMA members’ products and standards in Central America, NEMA Mexico Director Gustavo Domínguez visited this key U.S. ally to follow up on previous visits, including the seminars held in 2008 as part of the same program. In a meeting with the Honduran Council of Science and Technology (COHCIT), the government agency responsible for standards development and adoption, Domínguez learned that the council is prepared to act upon a proposal from local professional engineering society Colegio de Ingenieros Mecánicos, Electricistas y Químicos de Honduras (CIMEQH) to adopt the National Electrical Code® (NEC). The established adoption process has been influenced by the practice used in the U.S. This is a direct outgrowth of NEMA efforts in the region. The meeting with COHCIT revealed that the government has already issued motor efficiency regulations referencing NEMA MG 1 and Mexican NOM regulations, and is in the process of preparing efficiency regulations for compact fluorescent lamps, commercial and domestic refrigerators, and split-type air conditioners. According to federal fire officials, most of the country’s fires are a result of lowquality products and poor installation practices. That said, it was noted that the number of fires has declined as NEC has been implemented. There is need for widespread education across the electrotechnical community, an excellent opportunity for NEMA members to showcase their products as well as provide more perspective into the NEC process. In a later meeting with CIMEQH President Gilberto Espinoza, Domínguez learned that efforts are underway to establish a formal inspection program for electrical installations, modeled after the program used in Mexico, where the inspectors are accredited on a national level. Since CIMEQH is using NEC 1999, Domínguez noted that the 2008 version will soon be available in Spanish, and that it would be more suitable for adoption. ei Gustavo Dominguez | guguez@prodigy.net.mx 22 NEMA electroindustry • August 09

August 09 ElectroIndustry

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