Interstate’s Electrical and Building Management Checklist for Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the perfect opportunity for commercial building owners and managers to be proactive with their electrical and automated systems. As we spring forward an hour on March 8, a comprehensive review of your building’s systems ensures energy efficiency, system reliability, and tenant safety as we transition into the warmer months. Here is an essential checklist to prepare your facility: Adjust and Sync All Time-Sensitive Controls The primary task is updating every timer-driven system to reflect the one-hour jump. This starts with manual adjustments to mechanical time clocks for all...
Ask the Electrician: When is the Best Time for Educational Facilities to Plan for Summer Maintenance?
In the world of institutional management, the calendar is deceptive. We talk about summer maintenance, but from an electrical perspective, the most critical work happens while the snow is still melting. The months of March and April are the best strategic window for your facility to plan for the summer. The difference between a chaotic July and a productive one comes down to the decisions you make now. While summer is still the best time for major electrical work because buildings are less occupied, the complexity of modern campus systems has...
Ask The Electrician: How Can Developers Solve the Power Puzzle of High-Density Data Centers?
While hyperscale developers are building massive, multi-acre campuses in the Midwest, the New England market is focused on a different strategy. Here, the challenge isn’t finding hundreds of acres of land, it’s the surgical task of installing 2026-level AI technology into existing, space-constrained shells. For local developers, the goal is something called Precision Power. Precision Power maximizes power density within a fixed footprint while navigating a constrained regional grid. In this Ask The Electrician column, we will explore how to transform legacy industrial or commercial properties into high-density digital hubs. Reclaiming...
Ask The Electrician: What is Human-Centric Lighting and Is It Right for my Commercial Building?
As we move into 2026, the conversation about lighting in commercial buildings has fundamentally shifted. Building and facility managers are no longer just asking about watts per square foot, they are asking how lighting will impact the people who occupy the building. This shift is the result of a rise in popularity of human-centric lighting (HCL). HCL is a lighting strategy that focuses on physical and mental health, as well as performance, by supporting the body’s natural biological cycles. If you’re planning a major retrofit or new construction, understanding human-centric...
The Electrical Trade: Career Opportunities Beyond The Wires
Today, high school graduates have more career path choices than ever before. Technology, innovation and AI continue to expand and recreate traditional roles in many fields — the electrical trade being one of them. Students and job candidates continue to see how an interest or passion, seemingly unrelated to the industry, can lead them to a rewarding career in the electrical trade. One such individual, Brian Harlow, our Assistant Manager Design-Build Engineering, found that his interest in computers and gaming opened a path to the electrical trade. When Brian graduated from...
Ask The Electrician: How Do I Build Resilience and Prepare My Commercial Property for Winter Power Outages?
New England’s unpredictable weather, from severe winter storms to unexpected accidents, can bring commercial operations to a sudden halt. While preparing for an outage has traditionally been about having a backup generator, today’s focus is on building electrical resilience: the ability for a building’s systems to withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from power disruptions. A resilient facility minimizes disruptions, protects assets, and ensures business continuity during a crisis. To truly safeguard your commercial property, consider adopting a three-step strategy. 1. Conduct a Professional Electrical Audit: A professional electrical audit goes beyond...
Electrical and Building Management Checklist for Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the perfect opportunity for commercial building owners and managers to be proactive with their electrical and automated systems. A comprehensive review of these systems is necessary to maintain energy efficiency, system reliability, and tenant safety throughout the time transition. Here is an essential checklist to help prepare your facility for the time change: 1. Adjust All Time-Sensitive Controls The most critical task is to update every timer-driven system on the property. Manually adjust all mechanical time clocks for interior and exterior lighting (including parking lots and security fixtures),...
Prefabrication Drives Precision and Speed in Life Sciences Facility Construction
Construction projects in the life sciences sector demand a meticulous blend of precision, speed, and safety to meet strict compliance standards and demanding construction timelines. Research labs, cleanrooms, and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities rely on specialized electrical systems that must be installed without error. As the use of UL-certified prefabrication increases, how these facilities are built is fundamentally shifting. The use of prefab advances labor from the jobsite to a controlled manufacturing environment, directly addressing the core challenges of this growing sector by delivering guaranteed installation accuracy and accelerated schedules. Efficiency via...
Interstate Electrical Services President Jim Alibrandi, receives the prestigious Anchor Award from the University of Hartford
Interstate Electrical Services President Jim Alibrandi, recently received the prestigious Anchor Award from the University of Hartford. Presented by President Ward, Vice President Pendergast, and Dean Alnajar of The College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), this is the institution's highest honor, recognizing individuals who have achieved professional success and made significant contributions to their communities. Jim continues to be a strong advocate for the importance of technology in the AEC industry and for providing opportunities, education, and mentoring to advance the architectural, engineering, and construction fields. He is passionate...
Ask The Electrician: What Should I Consider When Planning a Data Center?
Planning a new data center or upgrading an existing one is a massive undertaking. The most critical piece of advice for any business owner is simple: get an electrician, an electrical engineer, and a designer involved from the very beginning. Why? Because the success of your data center hinges on its power infrastructure. The initial planning phase isn’t just about today’s needs; it’s about anticipating future growth. A successful approach designs for both today and tomorrow. Today covers all the equipment, racks, and components needed to get the data center operational....