NECA-IBEW Team Helps American Woodshop Go Solar, a Feature of "Industry Today" on Industrialinfo.com

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S., with more than 10 gigawatts of active solar power capacity, ranks among the top countries in the world for its use of solar energy. When thinking about solar power, what often springs to mind are the huge utility-scale arrays located in the deserts of Nevada and Southern California. However, Scott Phillips, the host of PBS's popular program American Woodshop, shows how even small solar arrays can help cut bills and contribute to the nation's use of renewable energy--one solar panel at a time.

More than 300 episodes of American Woodshop have been broadcast over the past 20 years. What viewers may not know is that the show is filmed in Scott's own woodshop at his home in rural Ohio. Using NECA contractor Romanoff Electric and IBEW Local 8 craftsmen and women, Scott has installed a small array of solar panels on the roof of his workshop, which he expects to cut his electric costs by as much as 30%, although far away from the deserts and sun of the southwestern U.S.

In this edition of "Industry Today," learn how the NECA-IBEW team helped shave money off of Scott's electricity bills, making him a happy man: "I'm fired up," says Phillips, "because when I'm saving money, that means I get to spend more money on my tools, which gives me more capacity as a woodworker."

ABOUT NECA: The National Electrical Contractors Association, or NECA, has provided more than a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light, and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA's national and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research, and standards development.

ABOUT THE IBEW: The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or IBEW, represents approximately 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. The IBEW has members in both the United States and Canada and stands out among the American unions in the AFL-CIO because it is among the largest and has members in so many skilled occupations.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.