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The Perfect Cup of Coffee
Experts at the Center for Coffee Research & Education walk you through the steps to brewing the "perfect" cup of coffee according to "international standards"
Rain & Lightning
"The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfilment of its own nature." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby"
Electrical Switch Station #8
The University will re-purpose the Old Art Gallery as a central switching facility for the campus power distribution grid. The project is estimated to be complete in summer 2024.
Lightning Protection Systems
Seasonal weather patterns inspire a revisit of lightning protection standards in the United States. While the wiring "technicals" in NFPA 780 are fairly well stabilized it is time well spent updating our understanding of best practice and how recent lightning damage informs the direction of research with special attention to campus chapels and outdoor athletic events. Public comment of the First Draft of the 2026 revision will be received until May 30, 2024
Quadrivium: Spring
Educational settlements are the closest many people come to feel at home in beautiful surroundings. The catalog that informs the safety and sustainability of these "cities-within-cities" changes 100 to 1000 times per day. By design titles are unstable, time-sensitive and copyright protected. We explore the action continuously; assign priorities, then schedule a separate teleconference to formulate responses to public consultations. Daily colloquia topics appear on our CALENDAR.
Readings: The “30-30” Rule for Outdoor Athletic Events Lightning Hazard
Rule of Thumb for lightning safety: Go indoors if, after seeing lightning, you cannot count to 30 before hearing thunder. Stay indoors 30 minutes after hearing the last clap of thunder.
2028 National Electrical Safety Code
This title sets the standard of care for construction, operation and maintenance of power and telecommunication infrastructure on the supply side of the point of common coupling. It is the first title to reach for when disasters happen; with most public utilities bound to its best practice assertions by statute. Proposals for changes to appear in 2028 Edition will be received until 15 May 2024.
Electrical Resource Adequacy
Link to the March 21st Open Meeting and follow up Press Conference. Previous discussions linked here are largely centered on electric supply, transmission and distribution system reliability. Our interest lies in closing a technical gap that exists upstream from the building service point and downstream from the utility supply point. Some, not all of it, can be accomplished with updates to IEEE codes, standards and recommended practices.
Group A Model Building Codes
The Group A Code Development Committee Action Hearings are taking place now in Orlando -- even over the weekend -- through April 16th. Click here to launch livecast.