Electrical System

in Buildings

Sources:
Mechanical and Electrical Equipment For Buildings by W. Grondzik, A. Kwok, B. Stein, J. Reynolds
Architectural Graphic Standards, John Ray Hoke, Jr. (ed)
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture 2nd Ed. by Francis D.K. Ching

Videos:
Anatomy of an Electric System pts. 1 & 2 by AEP (Youtube),
The Electrical Distribution System by TEGG Services (Youtube)
 Electrical Terms

• Electric current is when electric charge flows. When 1 coulomb of electricity

moves past somewhere in 1 second, the current is 1 ampere.

• Electric voltage is the "push" behind the current. It is the amount of work per
electric charge that an electric source can do. When 1 coulomb of electricity has 1 joule of
energy, it will have 1 volt of electric potential.

• Electrical resistance is the ability of a substance to resist the flowing of the

current, i.e. to reduce the amount of current that flows through the substance. If an electric
voltage of 1 volt maintains a current of 1 ampere through a wire, the resistance of the wire is 1
ohm. When the flow of current is opposed (resisted) energy gets used or gets converted to
other forms (e.g. heat, etc.).
Ohm’s Law
 Electrical Terms

• Electric energy is the ability to do work by means of electric devices. Electric energy
is a "conserved" property, meaning that it behaves like a substance and can be moved from
place to place. Electric energy is measured in joules or kilowatt-hours (kW h).

• KWH meters AC electric meters are basically small motors whose speed is
proportional to the power being used, the number of rotations is calibrated into
kilowatt-hours.

• Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is being used, stored, or transferred.
Flows of electrical energy along power lines are measured in watts.
• DC Circuits W=VI
• AC Circuits W=VI x pf (power factor)
• Open Circuit
Broken or incomplete
• Closed Circuit
• Short Circuit
bridging occurs
 Series Circuits
• Elements are connected to one another in a series
• The resistances and voltages add together

𝑹= 𝑹 𝟏+ 𝑹 𝟐
 Parallel Circuits
• the loads are connected across the power line to form branches.
• The loads operate independently of each other
• break in any one branch does not prevent the line voltage from
being applied to the remaining branches.
𝑹=
𝟏
𝟏
𝑹
Power Distribution
Systems
 Power Distribution Systems

• Power distribution systems are used in every residential,

commercial, and industrial building to safely control the
distribution of electrical power throughout the facility.
Source:
Basics of Panelboards – SIEMENS
 Source:
Basics of Panelboards – SIEMENS
Commercial and Industrial
Power distribution systems
• used in multi-family,
commercial, power distribution
and industrial facilities are
more complex. A power
distribution system consists of
metering devices to measure
power consumption, main and
branch disconnects, protective
devices, switching devices to
start and stop power flow,
conductors, and transformers.
Power may be distributed
through various switchboards,
transformers, and panelboards
Components of a Building
Electrical System
Components of an Electrical Building System

* illustration from Mechanical and Electrical Equipment For Buildings by Grondzik, W., et al
 Transformers
converts the voltage
• Transformer Ratings
• Step up transformer – lower to higher
• Step down transformer – higher to lower

• Consists of an iron core on which are wound at least 2 coils: a primary winding
and a secondary winding.

illustration from http://www.electricityforum.com/electrical-transformers/

 Transformers

• Outdoor Transformers
Advantages:
• No enclosed building space required
• Reduce probability of noise inside the building
• Lower initial cost
• Ease of maintenance and replacement
• No interior heat production
• Low cost, long life, oil filled units
 Transformers

• Outdoor Transformers
H frame transformer bank
• Capacity as high as
1000 KVa
 Transformers

• Outdoor Transformers
Pole Mounted
Transformers
• 225 Kva
• clusters
 Transformers

• Outdoor Transformers
Pad Mounted
• Neat, compact, and if
sited properly,
unobtrusive
 Transformers

• Indoor Transformers
• Special consideration must be given to the transformer’s heat and noise
generating properties
• May be easier to find a location for than outdoor.

• Transformer Vault – fire rated room housing a transformer and auxiliary

equipment in large buildings
 Transformers

• Indoor Transformers
Oil Insulated
Transformers
• Fire hazard
• Must be installed in
fire-resistant vault
• Small size, low cost,
long life, excellent
electrical
characteristics
Transformers
• Indoor Transformers
“Less-Flammable” Liquid-Insulated
Transformers
• Rated 35KV or less
• Liquid insulator’s fire point is not less than
300°C
• May be installed without a vault
• Costs depends on the fluid type:
• Silicones
• Hydrocarbons
• Askarel (commonly used)
Transformers
• Indoor Transformers
Dry Type
• Higher losses, higher noise
level, greater weight and size
than liquid filled units
• Environmentally safe
• Advantages include simplicity
of installation and unrestricted
choice of location
 Transformers
• Transformer Vaults
• Fire-rated enclosure, in case of faults and leakages especially for oil-filled
transformers
• should be located, to the extent possible, where they can be ventilated using
outside air without flues or ducts
 Electric Service

• Public utility
franchises are
required only that
service be made
available at the
property line.
 Electric Service

• Overhead Service drop

• A service drop is connected from the nearest utility pole to the building service
entrance point and enter the building through the weather head or entrance cap
down to the power meter.

• Underground service lateral

• Consists of a buried concrete enveloped raceway extending to the property line
where it is tapped to the main by a service lateral.
 Overhead Service

• Low cost compared to underground

• For long service runs with large voltages
• Easily maintained and repaired
• Faults can be easily seen
 Overhead Service Entrance
 The point of delivery to a building by a public
utility company.
 Service Conductors
 Extend from the street distribution main or distribution
transformer to the service equipment of the building
 Service Equipment
 Service Entrance Switch
 Means of connecting or disconnecting the entire
electrical service

 Kilowatt-Hour Meter
 Device used by the utility company to determine power
consumption.
 Underground Service

• Consists of a buried
concrete enveloped
raceway extending to
the property line where
it is tapped to the main
by a service lateral.

• Image:
http://emadrlc.blogspot.com/2009_01_01
_archive.html
 Watt-Hour Meter

• Measures and records the quantity of

electric power consumed with respect to
time
• Supplied by public utility
• Banks of meters for multi-occupancy
buildings
 Service Switch

• Main disconnect for the entire electrical

system of a building, except for emergency
power systems
 Main Switchboard

• For buildings with high power requirements

• Serves for the control, protection and metering of the main feeders
• A switchboard/switchgear is a large, free standing assembly of switches and
fuses (and/or circuit breakers), which normally provides switching and
overcurrent protection to a number of circuits connected to a single source.

• Metering and other instrumentation are often included

• service entrance conductors in the form of bus bars terminates in the main
switchboard
• connects to the distribution panel boards by means of feeder circuits
protected by circuit breakers
 Main Switchboard

• Main, metal clad switchgear for commercial, industrial and public

buildings is almost invariably located in a basement and housed in a
separate, well-ventilated switchgear room.
Typical nominal space requirements for switchgear
Source: Mechanical and Electrical Equipment For Buildings by W. Grondzik, et al
 Feeder Circuits
• Set of conductors which extends from the main switchboard to a distributing
center (panel board)
• No other circuits between source and panel boards.
• Panel boards are lower capacity switchboards.
 Sub Feeder Circuits

• Line extensions of a feeder, from one distributing center to another

• No circuit in between the two distributing centers
• Serves to distribute power from the main feeders to smaller local panel
boards called sub-panel boards
 Panelboards/Sub Panel Boards

• Serve to control and protect the sub

feeders and branch circuits
• Essentially the same function as a
switchboard but smaller in scale.
• Comprises main buses to which are
connected circuit protective devices that
feed smaller circuits
 Panelboards
• A panelboard is a type of enclosure for
overcurrent protection devices and the
busses and connections that provide
power to these devices and their
associated circuits. According to the
National Electrical Code® (NEC® in US),
a panelboard is:
• • Used to control light, heat, or power
circuits
• • Placed in a cabinet or cutout box
• • Mounted in or against a wall
• • Accessible only from the front
Source:
Basics of Panelboards – SIEMENS
Source:
Basics of Panelboards – SIEMENS
 Branch Circuits

• Portion of an electrical system extending from the final overcurrent device

protecting a circuit to the outlets served by the circuit.
• General purpose Circuit
• Supplies current to a number of outlets for lighting and appliances
• Generally 15, 20A
• Appliance circuit
• Supplies current to one or more outlets specifically intended for appliances
• 15, 20, 30 or 50A
• Individual Circuit
• Supplies current to a single piece of electrical equipment
• Amperage as required by equipment
Source:
A Visual Dictionary of Architecture 2nd
Ed. by Francis D.K. Ching
 Utilization Equipment

• These are the lighting, power, and motor loads and wiring devices
which are directly handled by users.