Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician: A Practical Guide for Power Distribution in Live Event Production

Now in its third edition, Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician is a comprehensive, practical study guide for aspiring and working professionals in live event production.

The book covers every aspect of power distribution from the fundamentals, like basic circuits, to 3-phase power, power calculations, grounding and bonding, electrical safety, portable power generators, and battery power. With ample photographs and illustrations, practice problems and solutions, and real-world examples from experience and first-hand accounts, it provides readers with the knowledge to safely design, set up, and monitor power distribution systems. The third edition expands on grounding and bonding, portable power generators, balanced and unbalanced 3-phase power calculations, battery power, and more. The last chapter walks readers through the process of prepping for a show, setting up a portable power distribution system, and monitoring every aspect of the system, including voltage, current, and heat using an infrared camera, explaining in detail best practices and the logic behind them.

Covering topics that are listed in the content outline for the ETCP Entertainment Electrician Certification exam as well as the ETCP Portable Power Distribution Technician Certification exam, this reference supports practicing technicians and provides new technicians the assistance they need for a successful career in the entertainment industry.

Additional resources, including conversion tables, voltage spreadsheets, articles from Lighting & Sound International, Lighting & Sound America, and Protocol, and animations and illustrations depicting electricity and electric power distribution developed for the author's workshops, can be found on the companion website www.electrics.tech.

Richard Cadena is a freelance lighting designer, lighting consultant, and the author of Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light, Lighting Design for Modern Houses of Worship, and Focus on Lighting Technology. He has worked on concert tours, television, and theatre, and he has designed dozens of lighting systems for permanent installations. He is the technical editor for PLASA Media and a columnist for Lighting & Sound America, Lighting & Sound International, and Protocol, as well as a member in good standing of IATSE Local 205.