Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007 - (Page 21)

M/E Roundtable PA C K A G E D A N D S T I C K - B U I LT P O W E R E Q U I P M E N T Power equipment considerations BY MELISSA HILLEBRAND, Associate Editor Participants Anil Ahuja, P.E., LEED AP, RCDD Senior VP, CCJM Engineers, Chicago Thomas Flickinger, P.E., CSI Vice President & Director of Electrical Engineering, Durrant, Madison, Wis. William Amann, P.E., LEED AP President, M & E Engineers, Somerville, N.J. Amann Flickinger Ahuja T h i s m o n t h’s p a n e l d i s c u s s e s t h e i d e a l p ro j e c t s a n d f a c i l i t i e s f o r b o t h s t i c k- b u i l t a n d p r e - i n t e g r a te d p o w e r e q u i p m e n t , in addition to industr y and specification issues. CSE : What are the considerations for stic k- built power equipment? What t yp es of p rojec t s a n d fac ilit ies a re ideal for this system? AHUJA: Stick-built power equipment is suitable for customers who want easy shipment, minimum field work, the equipment to be factory assembled and tested for immediate hookup at field, meeting facility space requirements, weather enclosures where required and to meet electrical characteristics of facility, such as short circuit ratings, amps, volts and phases. FLICKINGER: The traditional panelboard and switchboards afford more flexibility for expansion and modification should a facility be expanded. In design-build scenarios where one would expect significant tenant build out, the cost of traditional stick-built power distribution can be directly charged to the tenants to accommodate their special needs. Stickbuilt power distribution has inherently higher installation labor costs due to the individual components and feeder requirements. However, the individual components are less costly than the integrated equipment. Our experience with respect to total installed cost for stick-built systems vs. integrated systems has determined that the stick-built is approximately 5% to 7% less than the integrated systems. This installed cost does not take into consideration the physical building space cost. For institutional applications, specifically hospitals and justice facilities, it is easier to segregate emergency power from normal power via stick-built vs. modular equipment. Additionally with the advent of arc flash considerations, one can only presume that the PPE level will be significantly higher for integrated equipment vs. individual panelboards, which typically are located a distance from the main switchboard. AMANN: By selecting each component individually, a system can incorporate features that may not be available from an integrated system vendor. So for instance, if an owner has lots of experience with a particular line of PLC (programmable logic controls), it may be important for them to use that controller on their power system. Not all manufacturers have the flexibility to work with various Consulting-Specifying Engineer • SEPTEMBER, 2007 21

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007

Contents M/E Roundtable Cover Story: Airborne Superbugs Third-Party Liability Back to School Product Spotlight Codes & Standards Professional Practices How To New Products Jobs/Cliassifieds Specifier’s Notebook Pure Power Supplement New Technologies, Same Old Transmission Problems Wireless Battery Recharging Solar Concentration Renewables Tracking System A Mighty Wind The Importance of Load Bank Testing Quality Power for Security Systems

Consulting-Specifying Engineer - September 2007

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