Flashings

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New technologies may lower solar power cost

Solar power currently accounts for less than 1 percent of the world's electricity, but solar companies are working to make solar power a cost-effective alternative to coal and natural gas.

A kilowatt of electricity from solar panels costs 35 to 40 cents to produce compared with 3 to 5 cents for electricity produced from coal, but if the cost of solar power can be reduced, solar power may take the place of inefficient coal plants that emit high levels of greenhouse gases.

The standard design for solar panels has been large blue or black silicon rectangles, which convert 12 to 20 percent of the sun's energy into electricity. Silicon's high price makes these panels too expensive to compete with coal or natural gas.

The $11 billion solar power market is growing more than 25 percent each year. Companies now are developing a new generation of solar cells, which they hope will reduce the cost of solar power. Solar companies are experimenting with thin-film solar cells, which use much less silicon or none at all. Many in the solar power industry think there will be room for varying solar panel prices and efficiencies to meet the needs of different regions of the world.

Diversity and work site safety

There are benefits to having a diverse work force, but these benefits come with the responsibility to create a safe workplace for workers with different language and cultural backgrounds. Injuries and fines can come from failing to properly train non-English-speaking workers. Keep your diverse work force safe with these three tactics:

1. Remember language is only part of culture. Other cultural differences also can affect how workers interpret information. The more you know about your workers, the better you will be able to protect them.
2. Offer language training. Providing workers with opportunities to learn English can prove less costly than paying high fines or recovering from accidents. If a large number of your employees speak a language other than English, you and other supervisors should consider learning that language.
3. Don't assume non-English-speaking workers don't need specialized safety training because they aren't engaged in hazardous tasks. Consider dangerous conditions that could exist in every job and make sure non-English-speaking workers understand safety procedures.

Tennessee enacts regulatory law

Tennessee has passed the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 2007, which will create a better regulatory environment for Tennessee's small businesses.

Senate Bill 0055/House Bill 1276, co-sponsored by Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Raymond Finney (R-Tenn.), requires state agencies to analyze a proposed rule's economic impact on small businesses. The goal of this legislation is to establish regulatory alternatives that allow small-business owners to spend less time on bureaucratic duties. The legislation is intended to encourage entrepreneurial success, enabling small-business owners to create more jobs in Tennessee.

"Tennessee has taken an important step toward creating a regulatory climate in which small businesses can prosper," says Thomas M. Sullivan, chief counsel for advocacy with the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. "The new law will require agencies to take small firms into consideration as regulations are being developed."

For more information about the Office of Advocacy's small-business regulatory flexibility model legislation for states, visit www.sba.gov/advo/laws/law_modeleg.html.

NLRB decides against project labor agreements

In its decision in Glen Falls Building and Construction Trades Council, 350 NLRB No. 42, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has held that labor unions representing construction workers and project owners cannot lawfully require a project owner's construction contractor to sign a project labor agreement.

"The decision will reduce the top-down pressure on open-shop contractors to change their labor policies without regard to either their rights or their employees' preferences," says Stephen E. Sandherr, the Associated General Contractors of America's chief executive officer. "It will also protect the collective-bargaining process and the union contractors committed to that process, making it more difficult for labor unions to bypass the companies employing their members."

This decision is intended to facilitate direct negotiations between construction unions and their members' employers, allowing for the standardization of work rules and other practices.

DETAILS

John Plescia
President of Star Roofing Inc., Phoenix

What is the most unusual roofing project you've performed?
Reroofing CGI Group Inc., Phoenix, a large IT company with many mainframe computers in the rooms below where we were working. The project involved tearing off small sections of roofing materials and included replacement of 2- by 4-foot stringers and plywood decking.

Why did you become a roofing contractor?
Necessity. I graduated college in June of 1965 and was engaged to be married in September. Jobs were scarce, and my future brother-in-law got me a job as an estimator so I could support his sister.

What was your first roofing experience?
My first day on the job, my boss sent me to answer a general contractor's questions about his roof system. Fortunately, at that time we were only installing four-ply gravel-surfaced built-up roof systems.

What are your favorite items on your desk?
A photograph of my seven grandkids and my 10-key calculator. I can still unit price more quickly with it than with a computer.

What do you consider your most rewarding experiences?
My marriage to my wife and friend of 42 years and the births of our three daughters and seven grandkids. On the business side, starting a successful company at 50 and being honored as a lifetime member of the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA).

What is your biggest pet peeve?
Dishonesty!

What was your first job?
I worked on a land-surveying crew in the summer. I was 14, and my pay was $1 per hour.

What is your favorite vacation?
Cooling off in Solana Beach, Calif., for several weeks during peak temperatures in Arizona.

What do you consider a waste of time?
Waiting at airports for delayed flights.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
Keeping all employees motivated and working together as a team.

What is your roofing industry involvement?
I am a three-term past president of ARCA, past director of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association and current NRCA director, and I have served on a number of manufacturers advisory boards.

What are your best and worst habits?
My best habit is respect for people—whatever they do. My worst habit is lunch!

If you could invite any three people to dinner (dead or alive), whom would you invite and why?
My wife, Ginny—she is always so much fun; Mickey Mantle—my favorite baseball player—to get his feelings about the steroid era; and John F. Kennedy—the only Democrat I ever voted for.

What is your favorite stress reliever?
Any kind of fishing, anywhere.

People would be surprised to know …
According to my wife, the word retirement is not in my vocabulary.

BASF raises prices

BASF Corp., Charlotte, N.C., has raised its prices for Acronal Optive® all-acrylic and Acronal® styrene-acrylic latex products used in adhesives, fiber bonding, architectural coatings and construction by 4 cents per wet pound. The price increase took effect July 16 in the U.S. and Canada.

BASF cites high costs of raw materials, feedstock, freight and energy as reasons for the price increase.

Reduce risk when hiring

A vacant spot on your team can lower productivity and morale, but hiring the wrong person can cause even more damage. The next time you decide to hire an employee, remember the interview process is your best tool. Follow these tips to help you choose the best person for the job:

• Discover abilities by asking questions. Ask open-ended questions that allow you to evaluate a candidate's initiative, experience and behavior. These questions can be about the applicant's current job, leadership experience, past responsibilities or future ambitions. Don't let candidates get away with vagueness; ask specific questions, and require specific answers.
• Ask applicants to discuss negative features as well as positive ones. Asking about negative job experiences can reveal a lot about an interviewee's personality and attitude. Also, ask unexpected questions, such as, "If you were an animal, what kind would you be?" This can help you gauge how the candidate will react to unexpected situations.
• Ask questions aimed at revealing how the candidate will perform in your team setting. These questions should focus on the applicant's past group experiences and accomplishments as a team member.
• Trust your instincts. Your gut instinct may tell you which candidate is right for the job. When the interview is over, ask yourself whether you trust the applicant, whether you would enjoy doing business with the applicant and whether the applicant seems to understand what your business does, as well as how and why you do it.