News
There's more to being "green" than just saving energy
According to the The National Electrical Contractor's Association (NECA), there are lots of reasons to “go green” when it comes to electrical construction – it saves money and the environment. Energy conservation and energy efficiency are key factors in green electrical contracting, but they aren't the only things that matter. Electrical blogger Greg Fletcher recently wrote that choosing environmentally friendly parts and materials is another way electrical contractors can have a positive effect on the environment.
"An electrician can recommend and install:
·products and materials manufactured with low environmental impact
·products and materials made with recycled content
·materials made locally to reduce the energy used to transport them
·materials that are more environmentally friendly"
Galvan Electrical's copper-coated, galvanized, solid copper and solid stainless steel ground rods meet all these criteria and help you keep your next project grounded in environmental responsibility.
Recycled Content, Environmentally Friendly
Galvan's grounding electrode products are made from metals that are among the most recycled materials on earth - steel (from iron), copper and zinc. The minimum recycled content for most steel used in the US is about 25% and some products are made from 100% recycled steel. About 50% of the copper used in the US is from recycled stock. More than 1/3 of the zinc consumed in North America is recycled.
All three are natural, environmentally friendly elements. In fact, copper, iron and zinc are all nutrients present in the foods we eat and essential to good health. That's just the beginning.
Innovative Leadership, Reduced Energy Cost
Throughout its 55-year history as an electrical products supplier, Galvan has nurtured a spirit of innovation and a willingness to forge leadership positions within the industry. Today, Galvan is the only major U.S. manufacturer of both UL-listed hot-dip galvanized ground rods and UL-listed copper-plated ground rods, and is among the “greenest” manufacturers of either product.
Consider how Galvan uses smart scheduling to minimize its use and cost for electricity. When possible, production is scheduled only for nights and weekends – off-peak load times when electricity is least expensive. This significantly reduces Galvan’s environmental impact.
Eco-Friendly Copper Plating
Recycling plays an integral role in Galvan’s patented copper-plating process. The Galvan process uses scrap copper as the source for copper metal for plating instead of a special copper plating alloy.
Also, because the copper is more efficiently deposited on to a product, no surplus hazardous waste copper plating solution is generated. In fact, the Galvan plating process produces no wastes at all since all solutions used in the process are recycled or reused.
The environmental benefits of the unique Galvan plating process are many. First, all the costs associated with converting scrap copper into copper plating alloy are avoided. These include the energy required to melt, refine and alloy the scrap into another form and composition as well as the materials such as phosphorus used in the process. Also, all of the wastes produced in the conversion process are eliminated.
“Green” Hot-Dip Galvanizing, Too
Galvan’s environmental sensitivity extends beyond copper plating. The company is producing hot-dip galvanized steel ground rods using an innovative closed loop system that ranks among the most eco-friendly galvanizing operations in the industry. Process highlights include low air emissions, full recyclability of zinc and steel, minimization of needed resources and complete absence of any manufacturing wastes – liquids or solids – requiring disposal off-site.
Many steps in the Galvan process of using molten zinc metal differ from conventional galvanizing approaches. Galvan continually recycles the zinc, steel and iron in its process so no waste materials are produced. In fact, Galvan reuses some production materials that competitors ship off site to be recycled.
Zero Discharge
The company introduced a continuous recycling process that removes metals from the cleaning baths in the form of metal salts. These metal salts are concentrated and precipitated out, then centrifuged to remove liquids. The resulting zinc-iron heptahydrate crystal is sold for use as an animal feed supplement instead of being shipped to a landfill. Water removed during the centrifuging operation is used as make-up water and is continually returned to the process tanks. In fact, Galvan holds a zero discharge permit with the State of North Carolina.
Commitment
Galvan’s commitment to making its manufacturing processes more environmentally sound is the basis for the innovation it brings to the production of ground rod electrodes.
Specifiers in the electrical, electronic and utility industries rely on Galvan for products that meet ASTM, ANSI, UL and RUS standards. Galvan electrical products are used in residential, commercial and industrial applications, including construction, cable TV, lightning protection, power transmission and telecommunications. They are available from leading electrical wholesalers and distributors throughout the United States.
For more information, contact Galvan Industries at 1-800-277-5678 or 704-455-5102.
