Getting energized

Commonwealth is proud to have provided engineering, environmental permitting support, and right of way acquisition to help turn PSE&G's vision for this new 500 kV transmission line into reality:  
http://pseg.com/info/media/newsreleases/2014/2014-04-29a.jsp#.U2ERK41OXcs

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Top Design Firms Named

Congratulations to the team for again being listed among the EC&M Magazine Top 40 Electrical Design Firms and the Engineering News-Record  Top 500 Design Firms!  This year, Commonwealth was particularly excited to be profiled among the EC&M  Top 10 firms, coming in at #8. 

It is always an honor to appear alongside such talented and impressive firms!  We certainly are passionate about what we do and proud to serve the electric utility industry, municipalities, industrial clients, and some of the world's most prestigious educational, healthcare, and research institutions.

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An Event to Remember....

Sure, we're a Top 30 Design Firm and we work hard to get there.  That said, we also have a fun side.  As you may have read in last month's post, October was our "Fall Fun Month." It was chock full of activities designed to bring employees together for a time of fun, fellowship, and good food.  Our talented team works hard to bring world-class solutions to our clients' toughest challenges, and a bit of levity helps to maintain the balance that keeps us at our very best.  We are committed to being an Employer of Choice and this is just one way that we work at it every day. 

Here's the story in pictures:



Oktoberfest was a blast with festive music, freshly-grilled brats, homemade potato salad, soft pretzels with
choice of toppings, and a keg of ice-cold root beer.

Data Management's Diane Wilkie, won first place
in the Oktoberfest homemade potato salad contest,
securing the coveted "Golden Potato Award."



Entries arrive in advance of lunchtime voting in
our 2012 Pumpkin Decorating/Carving Contest.

No pumpkin decorating contest would be complete
without yummy pie with which to feed our employee-judges.

 

Employees were invited to participate and vote in a Halloween
Hallway & Office/Cube Decorating Contest.  Team Lower Level
welcomed visitors downstairs with fun pictures of team members.

 

Having previously inhabited the lower level before relocation
to the East Building, the Electrical Systems Department's
presence could still be felt in the Haunted Forest.
 

If visitors survived the other creatures in the Haunted Forest,
this fierce animatronic feline was just waiting to pounce on his next meal.
 

The East Building's Haunted Hallway completely transformed
this Substation cube farm into a spooktacularly fun place for
employees and kids alike with a haunted hay ride and treats.

 

Of course, the whole experience would not be complete without
a good old fashioned scare from Substation's Pat Keene.
 

Visitors to the Haunted Forest for the annual Marketing Department
Halloween Party enjoyed delicious and nutrious treats.
 

Folks lined up waiting for the party to start and the food to flow.

 

Who knows who one might meet in the Haunted Forest?
Substation's Bob Uddin made it out just in the nick of time.

 

Someone wasn't so fortunate.  She apparently flew straight
into Purchasing's wall.  This is a shot of the fresh crime scene.

This week, Linda Gray (VP of Business Development) and Rich Collins (VP of Transmission & Distribution) are in Columbus, Ohio, for the Electrical Transmission and Substation Structures Conference.  Attendees are invited to stop by Booth 3 to register to win a hot new Kindle Fire!

 

 

Tomorrow is Election Day in the United States and lots of important races and proposals will be decided around the country.  No matter how you vote, it is important that you participate in this great facet of our republic democracy. 

 

 

Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day.  This very special day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans.  We owe them a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay. 

 

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Arc Flash Analysis Presentation

Commonwealth's Ian Hutt, P.E., from the Electrical Systems Department, will be presenting at the CAPE users group meeting being held June 26-27 at the Eagle Crest Resort in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  You can find out more about the meeting here: http://www.electrocon.com/news_ugm_am.html.

Commonwealth's Team (clockwise): Hutt, Claire Patti, P.E., Chris Nelson, E.I.T., and Jeanette Dodge.

Hutt will be presenting Utility Scale Arc Flash Analysis using CAPE System Simulator, sample slides of which can be seen below.  

The full presentation will be available online at http://www.cai-engr.com/news/media_library.php after 6/25.
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See you in Atlanta!

Commonwealth Wind Project

Commonwealth will be participating in WINDPOWER 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia, from June 3-6.  If you stop by Booth 5754, you can chat with Vice President of Business Development, Linda Gray, and electrical engineers Bob Putnam and Gerry Callison.    

Speaking of power, Gerry will be demonstrating the power of our newest software release, Transmission Grid AnalyticsTM - Mapping.  You won't want to miss this great new tool and see how its ability to link a wind resources map to electrical data on the nearest substation can make your planning smarter, simpler, and easier.

The Expo starts on Sunday afternoon, continues on Monday and Tuesday (10AM - 6PM) and concludes on Wednesday (9AM - 3PM).  

Look forward to seeing you there!

Week's End Website Trivia

In case you missed it, we've launched a brand new website!  You can check it out here.

For those playing our Commonwealth Trivia game, the answer to our website trivia question follows.

Q:  In what year did the Foote brothers construct the Croton Dam?

A:  In 1908, the Croton Dam was constructed with a new, unbelievably high voltage (110 kV) transmission line, prompting engineers from as far away as Russia, France, England, Japan, and Italy to travel to Michigan to see the new line and meet its designers.

Is your family at risk this Christmas?

You've seen the headlines...

Local family struggling to cope as fire destroys home.... 

It's devastating anytime, and especially at Christmas.  It doesn't have to happen.

We are proud to design ways to deliver power where it's needed most and we do so with safety in mind.  That's why, as we approach year's end with all its festivities and celebration, we want to take a brief minute to share some important reminders about holiday lighting that could save your life or the lives of those you love. 

Outdoor Lighting

• Double check the lights for any frayed wires or cracks and be sure there is a light in each socket; damaged strands should be discarded.
• If you decide to add more lights, don't use a ladder anywhere near overhead wires; be sure the ladder is securely placed on level ground. 
• Lights should be approved by Underwriters Laboratory; "UL" will be clearly displayed on the tag.  And be sure the lights are approved for outdoor use.
• Check to make sure tacks or nails were not hammered into the electrical cord during installation; most lights now have clips that can be used to attach to the house. 
• Be sure heavy-duty, outdoor extension cords are being used.
• If possible, outdoor lights and any inflatable decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.
• Use a timer, or turn off the lights before going to bed.

Indoor Lighting

• Continue to check lights for frayed wires or any other damage, particularly if there is a pet in the household.
• Don't overload extension cords; no more than three sets of standard lights should be used per cord.
• For special ornaments that plug into a bulb receptacle, use no more than two such ornaments per strand, or check the manufacturer's directions.
• Lights should not touch drapes, furniture or carpeting.
• Do not leave lights on overnight.
• If you have children in your home, use safety caps on all electrical outlets

Safety tips courtesy of FirstEnergy via PR Newswire.

We're going back to college...

It's fall and that means it's College Recruitment Time!  We couldn't be more excited.  In a few days, we're going on the road to meet some of the engineering leaders of tomorrow.  We really enjoy meeting engineering students, sharing information about our internships, and listening to them share what they are looking for in a post-college career.  We've met many great people whom we've hired as a result of these events.  Who knows, maybe soon you could be one of them!  Click here to view our current openings. 

Please look for us at these upcoming career fairs -- we're looking forward to meeting you!

9/26     University of Michigan

9/27     Michigan Tech

9/29     Western Michigan University

10/5     Michigan State University

10/12   Ohio State University