ETV’s documentary highlights that implementing green technology innovations requires a dedicated and talented pool of electric workers.
Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 25, 2014
The Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, the newest high rise for the fifth largest bank in the United States, is billed as the "Greenest Skyscraper in the World.". This "living building" can breathe on its own (in practice if not in reality), thanks in part to a highly sophisticated double façade. It automatically opens and shuts based on atmospheric conditions, allowing for air to be pulled in, pushed through and up and out of the top. According to PNC, the building is 800,000 gross square feet and exceeds LEED Platinum® standards.
The PNC Tower also features interior lighting systems that constantly evaluate the amount of sunlight available in all areas of the building and adjust interior artificial lighting accordingly. The "brain," which connects the green features of the building with the controls, is made possible in large part due to NECA Contractor Lighthouse Electric and IBEW Local 5.
"Dean Marraccini, the Project Director for PJ Dick General Contracting, described the union electrical contractor/labor team as a great asset. "You know they’re going to do the right things, and you know their guys are knowledgeable enough to get it done and get it done right."
Management and craftsmen have embraced new approaches to make sure the installation has all of its "T’s" crossed and "I’s" dotted. Tim Conlan, an electrician with IBEW Local 5, noted the practicality of using tablets and iPads in place of physical paper prints throughout the project, stating that tablets "have everything that [a] pile of prints has and more." Tablets also make supervising the many areas of the tower at various stages of completion manageable, according to Jesse Mikec, project superintendent for Lighthouse Electric.
ETV’s documentary highlights that implementing green technology innovations requires a dedicated and talented pool of electric workers. Chad Jones, Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of NECA, emphasized that a building such as the PNC Tower is not possible "without the brightest individuals on the ground doing the install. Local 5 provides the best electricians and technicians the industry has to offer."
About ETV
ElectricTV is an Internet video channel project of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The short documentary presentations help raise public awareness of the contributions these organizations offer and provide the latest news on current and emerging electrical technology and how it is changing society and everyday life for people around the world.