Does it ever feel like, if it weren’t for bills, you’d get no mail at all? With so much of our lives online these days, it can certainly seem that way. If you’re like a lot of people, the one bill you dread more than any other is the monthly electricity bill.
Across the country, utility bills have been steadily rising for years, and there doesn’t seem to be any relief in sight. Now, with every technology company out there trying to build multiple data centers, it’s clear that the modern electrical grid is going to be put to the test and, unfortunately, regular consumers are likely to bear the brunt of these growing pains.
While no one wants to pay more for electricity because of data center demand for power, the larger worry may actually be the potential for increased power outages as grids are stretched to their breaking point and beyond. Power outages can be dangerous, especially during a heat wave, and no one wants rolling blackouts to become the norm.
Fortunately, there are companies out there who are thinking about and preparing for the future. According to a Power Technology article by Anwesha Pattanaik, Hitachi Energy will soon begin building a new manufacturing facility in Virginia.
Pattanaik notes that “[t]he new facility will manufacture large power transformers, equipment considered crucial for the country’s electric grid infrastructure. According to Hitachi, these transformers will help support transmission, generation, data centers and industrial clients across the US.”
This expansion of its Virginia operations will “nearly double its local workforce.” In fact, “[t]he project includes a focus on the workforce, with plans for amenities such as on-site fitness and recreational facilities, a cafeteria, a health clinic and shared spaces.”
Of course, finding the highly skilled workers they need to work at this new facility may be the most difficult problem the project faces. Across the country, manufacturers of all types are struggling to find the skilled workers they need to work in new manufacturing facilities that feature advanced automation technologies.
How do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the electrical skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? A thorough review of training systems is a great place to start.
Do employees and students have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce.
Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on electrical training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field. For example, companies in the power generation space could benefit from DAC Worldwide trainers focused on the skills their employees need, such as:
- Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000): a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that an electrical worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field and industry. This self-contained, tabletop training system provides a safe, inexpensive, yet realistic alternative to paper-based learning without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
- Transformer Connections Training System (491-000): replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common transformer connections in the field. Using this trainer, learners will explore the skills that an operator must master to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid.
- Electrical Generation Fundamentals Training System (490-000): represents a true simulator depicting multiple power plants on a grid. The unit basically acts as the control center for a generating station and simulates four separate generating units. The system demonstrates the principles of generator operation and represents the relationships that an operator must master to confidently operate generators.
Be sure to check out the links above and contact DAC Worldwide to consult with an expert today!
