Electric System Basics in Buildings

We're in the electrical room of one of Duke's buildings. Outside of this building, a distribution line for one of the
university's substations enters a transformer which steps the voltage of electricity down from 12 and a half kilovolts
to 480 volts. This lower, more usable voltage is rooted into this room, where it enters a switchboard with a busbar
that splits the electricity among a number of circuits that run to electrical outlets and fixtures throughout the
building. These electrical circuits are controlled by the circuit breakers that you see here on my right. These can be
used to shut a circuit down manually or to automatically break the circuit if it experiences an inadvertent electrical
surge caused, for example, by a short circuit. >> Once electricity has been stepped down to a usable level outside a
building by the building's external transformer, the electricity enters the building either through 3-phase current, 2-
phase current, or 1-phase current. 3-phase current is used almost exclusively to power large electric induction
motors and so is primarily drawn by industrial customers. The induction motors are connected directly to three
power lines carrying AC current, with three different phases, to provide a nearly continuous level of current needed
to drive the motors. At the other end of the spectrum is the electricity from single-phase current, which is what all
residential and most commercial customers receive. Again, the external transformer delivers the electricity to the
residents or commercial building through three lines. However, in this case only two of the lines are hot. Meaning
that the current in them has a significant voltage difference with respect to ground. The third line is the neutral line,
which taps into the midpoint of the transformer and connects directly to ground and so has essentially zero voltage.
Using this design, the external transformer creates a difference of 120 V between each hot line and the neutral line.
And a difference of 240 V between the two hot lines. This then is how a single phase current can be used to drive
both lower power 120 V appliances like lamps, toasters, and TVs. And higher power, 240 V, appliances such as
washing machines and electric furnaces. We'll focus on the more common 120 V appliances. In a properly wired
building, current will flow into a building when an appliance that is plugged into a building outlet is turned on and
thus creates a complete circuit between the hot line and the neutral line. As the voltage of electricity is essentially
fixed that 120 V, Ohm's law dictates that the appliance will only draw as much current as is needed to over come the
appliances internal resistance and allow the current to move to hot line to the neutral line and thus power the
appliance. This current is the same in both the hot and neutral lines, but whereas the hot line is 120 V with respect
to ground, the neutral line is essentially 0 V for it runs the ground. In actuality, the voltage in the neutral line is
greater than 0 because the current in the neutral line is not 0. Remember, it's current is the same as the current in
the hot line. However, the resistance of the neutral line is very low, so the voltage in the neutral line driving the
current into the ground will also be very small. This voltage is typically on the order of several volts or less which, if
you touch the neutral line, will give you no more than a slight tangle. However, never, ever touch the neutral line.
This is because if the neutral line is not properly grounded or has a break in it, then the current passing through the
neutral line may have a voltage difference with respect to ground of up to 120 V. If you touch the neutral line under
these circumstances, electricity will be redirected from the neutral line to and through you because you now
become the shortest path to ground. And given the human body's low electrical resistance, the electricity may move
through you with so much current as to seriously hurt if not kill you. This type of misdirection of current is known as
an electrical fault. Which is any inadvertant electrical connection between an energized part of the electric system
and something at a different electric potential, like you, that creates a voltage difference. To protect against faults,
appliances and building electric systems have a number of safeguards and redundancies built into them. For
example, in addition to having openings for one hot line and the neutral line, a standard 120 V electrical outlet also
has a third opening for a ground line. This ground line connects directly to the ground and so provides a shorter
alternative path for electricity to flow in the event there is something wrong with the neutral line and an electrical
fault occurs. Standard 120 V electrical outlets also have different size openings for the hot and neutral parts of an
appliance plug. This is to ensure that the hot wire coming into the appliance is always the same. And, thus, the
switch for the appliance works properly. If an appliance plug is put in backwards, it may result in a situation where
the switch, when it is in the off position, only stops electricity after electricity has passed through the whole
appliance. This could result in the appliance having an excess voltage with respect to ground when it is off and thus
make the appliance dangerous to touch. Electrical outlets can also have a fourth type of protection in the form of a
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter or GFCI. The benefit of a GFCI is that it will almost instantly break the circuit in an
outlet if it detects a fault in which electricity is going to ground outside the outlet and near the plugged in appliance.
For example, if someone is using an electric saw and cuts through the cord. The GFCI will trigger the shutdown when
the current being drawn from the outlet hot wire by the appliance does not equal the current in the outlet neutral
wire on the other side of the circuit. Indicating that current has broken out of the circuit. A whole additional set of
protections occur in the electric box where the external power lines connect to wires in the building that lead to
each outlet. The two external hotlines that come into the building attach to metal strips, or buses, that run down
either side of the electrical box. Switches are also attached to these strips. And when on or closed direct current
from one or both hot wires into different circuits throughout the building each of which leads to one or more
outlets. These switches are designed to remain on, or closed, and will only open, and thus switch off, when the
current passing through their circuit exceeds its designed capacity. The switches are of two general types, one being
fuses. Fuses shut down a circuit when the current passing across a filament in the fuse exceeds the fuse's capacity
and causes the filament to melt, break and thus break the circuit. The other more modern type of switch is a circuit
breaker. These, too, will open and thus break the circuit when the current in the circuit exceeds a designed
threshold. In this case, however, the circuit is broken by the automatic opening of a switch in the breaker. Thus
unlike a fuse, the breaker does not have to be replaced to get current flowing back through the circuit once the
electrical fault has been extinguished. All that needs to be done is to flip the breaker on so that it once again closes
and the circuit is re-established. One last thing. Before connecting to the electrical box, the external power lines
coming into the building pass through an electric meter, which is typically mounted on the outside of the building.
This meter measures current drawn by appliance use within the building and converts the current into electric power
usage over time. Which it typically records in units of kilowatt hours. Hence, the electric meter measures the
building's electric energy consumption, which the electric utility then charges the building owner for.
Electrical Safety Precautions and Basic Equipment

the electricity that powers machines tools and other experimental apparatus must be handled with care and
attention bodily contact with high voltage and current can cause muscular spasms, burns, cardiac arrest, and even
death. even small amounts of current passed through the body can cause electrocution.

10 milliamps can induce muscle contractions loss of muscular control and the inability to let go.

10 micro amps through the heart can cause ventricular fibrillation.

laboratory experiments typically use equipment that complies with international safety standards.

The underwriter’s laboratory UI label for example certifies that equipment meets these standards which prevents
certain types of hazardous exposure.

However electrical inputs and outputs or customized equipment still pose a hazard. this video will present electrical
safety precautions and introduce common electrical equipment used in many types of laboratory experiments.

Safety Principles

When using electrical equipment, wear long pants, closed toe shoes, and appropriate personal protective
equipment, avoid loose clothing and remove any dangling or metal accessories that can accidentally contact
electricity.

In the United States, single-phase AC power from a wall outlet is 120 volts.

outlets for three-phase AC power can provide up to 480 volts and over 10 amps so power sources must be handled
with respect.

A clean lab environment is important for mitigating hazards.

avoid loose or frayed wires cables and connections.

know how to turn off all equipment power supplies and circuit breakers

make sure that at least two people work on an experiment that has accessible DC power greater than 50 volts.

use the same precautions with single-phase or three-phase AC mains power. assume any

exposed metal carries live electricity unless verified. before changing a set up turn off or unplug power sources used
in the experiment. proper grounding of equipment ensures the chassis is at earth ground potential which prevents
electrical shock. always plug equipment into AC outlets with the power cord intended for it. equipment that is hotter
than expected as both a hazard and a symptom of a problem that should be addressed. finally turn off all equipment
after an experiment is finished and turnoff unused equipment before leaving the Lab. now that basic safety
precautions have been presented, the operation of some common electrical equipment will be demonstrated in the
laboratory.

Basic Electrical Equipment

A function generator produces signals for other equipment needing an excitation or drive voltage. the most
common periodic outputs are sinusoidal, triangular,

Sawtooth, and square waves which may be adjusted in amplitude, frequency, and DC offset. the output of the
function generator is connected to the circuit or equipment using cables. typically a BNC connector is used at one
end and alligator clips at the other end for easy connection to a circuit. a DC power supply provides voltage or
current to operate other electrical equipment. The adjustable output of a typical low voltage laboratory supply
ranges between 0 and 36 volts. most single output DC power supplies have three terminals plus/minus and
Ground. the plus terminal is connected to the higher voltage input of downstream equipment. the minus terminal is
connected to the lower voltage input. The output is the voltage or current between the plus and minus terminals
which are electrically isolated from the ground. the ground terminal is a fixed earth ground reference that is zero
volts. other common power sources include single-phase AC power from a standard wall outlet or three-phase AC
power. single-phase power has one hot line and one neutral line for carrying current and delivers 120 volts. 3 phase
power delivers higher voltages via three hot lines with AC voltage on each line equal in frequency and magnitude
and 120 degrees out of phase from one another. the results can supply 208, 230, and 480 volts with correspondingly
greater power. handling three-phase power requires special training and safety precautions.

next a variable auto transformer: Variac

is used to either step up or down AC voltage. this is useful in applications requiring non-standard voltages or where
the voltage must be varied. a knob varies the output voltage between 0 and 100 percent of its maximum value. note
that the very act does not provide electrical isolation so avoid touching the output at any setting.

an oscilloscope, it displays the voltages of time varying signals and is used to study the behaviour of circuits.

oscilloscopes may have multiple channels each displaying a single waveform. The two main types of probes used
with this instrument are the conventional grounded Probe, and the differential probe.

here a regular grounded probe is connected to channel 1. the grounded probe is usually rated to tolerate several
hundred volts and measures voltage between the probe tip and its ground lead. the ground lead is tied to earth
ground at the chassis of the oscilloscope. it is important to connect the ground lead only to a point in the circuit that
is also grounded. touching the ground lead to any other point will cause a short circuit to ground. now connect
channel one of the oscilloscopes to the output of the function generator then turn it on, adjust the time scale of the
oscilloscope with the seconds per division knob and adjust the voltage scale with the volts per division knob.

the trigger level is the voltage that a signal crosses to cause synchronization of the oscilloscope. proper triggering
minimizes noise in the display adjust the trigger knob to set the trigger level manually or press set level to 50% to set
it automatically. finally, the multimeter is a versatile handheld or benchtop instrument for measuring Voltage,
current, resistance, and other electrical quantities. to measure voltage, insert the red probe into the contact labelled
V ohms and the black probe in the contacts labelled com for common.

turn on the DC power supply and set it to output 20 volts. measure across the two output terminals by touching the
red probe to the plus terminal and the black probe to the minus terminal. The multimeter reads 20 volts.

Many experiments require the measurement of electrical quantities and use basic instruments to provide this data.
The study of polar dielectric liquid bridges requires a high intensity electric field between two beakers of fluid. the
beakers are initially in contact and then are slowly pulled apart to form the bridge.

in this application a high-voltage DC power supply generates 15,000 volts. which requires great care for safe
handling. to develop ways to control neural stem cell migration for therapeutic treatments, researchers study their
movement under the influence of an electric field.an experimental chamber used a DC power supply to generate the
required controlled electric field. an ammeter measured the current and a multimeter measured the voltage across
the test chamber which was used to calculate electric field strength.
Electrical Systems – building systems for interior designers

how do electrical systems work - you need a circuit.

a circuit is a path for the electricity.

when electricity flows from one point to another along a path such as a wire.

Amps or current are the actual process of the electricity flowing along that circuit. it's measured with it with the
letter A

volts or voltage is the force, and 1 volt is a unit of force. It drives the current along the circuit

a watt is basically 1 amp flowing under the force of 1 volt. and it's used to measure how much electricity is being

used.

now all metals conduct electricity, but the best ones are silver, gold, and platinum. copper and aluminum are the

least expensive.

insulators are materials that virtually stop the flow of electricity. Glass, mica, and rubber are good insulators.

now there are two types of currents: alternating current and direct current.

alternating current is when the electrical current will change direction in a regular manner so it will go kind

of back-and-forth.

direct current has a constant flow rate from one source such as a battery where one pole is always positive, and one
is always negative.

When electricity reaches a building, the voltage must be reduced by a transformer. each building or small group of

buildings will have a transformer for this purpose. the voltage is reduced to about 230 to 240 volts for small
buildings, and then reduced again to 120 volts for household use.

Photovoltaic cells are basically panels that converts sunlight directly into electricity- solar electricity.

now they do not use the sun's heat for the electricity, but it uses the sunlight. he can affect the efficiency of

a solar panel.

they were developed initially in the 1950s by the space program and small versions of these can

be found on calculators and watches, they're used for traffic signals and buildings with good access to the Sun

and flat roofs or a roof that faces the east or west are good candidates for photovoltaic systems.

now when designing the electrical system, first the engineer will estimate the entire building's electrical load. as a
designer you need to provide the electrical radians of all the equipment that you specify to the electrical engineer.

there are various people that may design the lighting for a building: the architect, a lighting designer may

have some impact on that, and the electrical engineer.

interior designers are responsible for showing Electrical system information on their drawings as well.

the electrical designer will use this plan to help design the system.

here are some various items that are typically shown on your plan: the lighting, switching, the receptacles, the data,
telephone, cable outlets, smoke detectors, fire safety equipment including fire

alarms and fire exit signs (so the electricity can be accessed) and specific appliances that need higher voltage like
range ovens or dryers.
Now there are likely two electrical systems in every building.

there's the electrical power system which distributes the electrical energy through the building and the electrical
communication system which sends information via the telephone data and cable lines. now the electrical
communication system is sort of becoming obsolete because we've gone wireless. there aren't a lot of people that
are using telephone lines, but you still need to provide them in every room.

electrical meters will measure and record the watt hours of electricity used by the building. each residence is

required by federal law to have a meter, so that there isn't a waste of energy. It kind of helps you keep track of how
much you're using, and these are usually placed ahead of the building’s shutoff switch they cannot be turned off. so,
if your power goes out, your meter will still have access to the city electricity.

the layout of this system will begin with the electrical panel. in residences these are typically combined with the
meters. the main panel of a large building is called a switchboard and it provides power to several other areas. finally
electrical closets are found in large buildings, and they house the electrical equipment, panel boards, and controls
and those are usually located on each floor is stacked vertically like in the building core.

Energy conservation

one thing that certain municipalities do is something called demand control where they offer higher rates or lower
rates depending on peak time. so, during the hours where everybody wants to be doing their laundry or everybody
wants to be doing their dishes, Electric electricity will be more expensive. then during the off hours, electricity will be
cheaper so it kind of encourages people to use appliances later at night or earlier in the morning.

another thing that you can do as a designer is specify energy efficient equipment. the average home in the United
States leaks about 50 watts of electricity continuously through appliances that are plugged In, even if you keep your
cell phone plugged in, and it's fully charged, there's a little bit of power leaking through there. That totals to more
than three billion dollars in the US per year of waste of electricity. Look for Energy Star equipment and encourage
your clients to unplug equipment when it's not in use.
ENGINEERING UTILITIES 1
LECTURE 1

Prepared by:
ENGR. JUDE DAVID T. BADAL
TOPICS
• Basic Electrical Terms, Theories, and Units
• Basic Electrical Devices/Equipment
• Energy Calculation
• Cost of Operation of Electrical Equipment
• Types of Building System Voltage
• Distribution Equipment
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Be able to familiarize basic electrical terminologies, theories, and
devices/equipment
• Be able to calculate energy and cost of operation of electrical
equipment
• Be able to distinguish types of building system voltage and
distribution equipment
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Charge – is carried by the electrons and proton within an atom.
Electrons carry negative charge, while protons carry positive charge.

The SI unit of electric charge is coulomb. One electron of proton has a

charge of 1.6 x 10-19 coulomb.

Note: Copper is used as a universal reference conductor. 1 cubic

centimeters of copper has 8.5 x 1022 free electrons.

V=1cm3
1cm
1cm
1cm
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Free Electrons – are electrons which are not attached to a specific atom
and its free to move. It is sometime called as conduction electrons.

Example: Solve the number of free electrons in a copper conductor

having a diameter of 1.6 mm and a length of 10 m.

Note: 1.6 mm = 0.16 cm; 10 m = 1000 cm

2 3

3
3
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
TRY TO SOLVE THIS!
The number of free electron in a given copper bus bar is known to be
4.18 x 1024 electrons. If the bus bar has a cross section of 0.5 inch by
0.6 inch, how long is the bus bar?

ANSWER: 10 inches
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Current – rate of electron movement or electron flow in a given
material. The SI unit of current is coulomb per second or commonly
called ampere.

I = current flow, in amperes (A)

Q = total charge moving, in coulombs (C)
t = time occurrence, in seconds (s)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: If a current of 2 A flows through a point in a wire for 30
seconds, how many coulombs pass through the point in the wire?

TRY TO SOLVE THIS!

A current of 4 A is flowing in a wire. How many electrons are flowing per
second through the wire?

ANSWER: 2.5 x 1019 electrons/second

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electromotive Force (emf or voltage) – the energy provided by a cell
or battery or a generator per coulomb of charge passing through it. The
SI unit of emf is joule per coulomb or commonly called volt.

E = emf or voltage, in volts (V)

W = energy, in joules (J)
Q = charge, in coulombs (C)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: What quantity of charge must be delivered by a battery with a
potential difference of 100 V to do 500 J of work?

TRY TO SOLVE THIS!

An energy equal to 136 J is expended in moving 8.5 x 1018 electrons from one
point to another in an electric circuit. What potential difference does this
create between the two points?

ANSWER: 100 volts

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Energy and Power
Electric energy is a form of energy used to run or operate various electrical devices. Standard unit of
electrical energy is joule or kilojoule. The other common units are kilowatt-hour and megawatt-hour.

Electric power is the rate of consuming the electric energy. Standard unit of electrical power is watt
(bigger units are kilowatt and megawatt).

W = electric energy, in joules (J)

P = electric power, in watts (W)
I = current, in amperes (A)
E = emf or voltage, in volts (V)
t = time, in seconds (s)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: A radio receiver draws 0.9 A at 110 V. If the set is used 3 hours per
day, how much energy does it consume in 10 days?

TRY TO SOLVE THIS!

An electric heater takes 1.2 kWh in 30 min at 120 volts. What is the current
input to the heater?

ANSWER: 20 amperes
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Resistance – property of a material to oppose or resist the electron
flow. The SI unit is ohm.

Current Resistance

Note: The resistance of a conductor varies directly as the length and inversely
to the cross-sectional area.

R = resistance of the given conductor, in ohms (Ω)

ρ = resistivity of the given conductor, (Ω-m)
L = length of the given conductor, in meter (m)
A = cross-sectional area of the conductor, (m2)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS

Resistance Resistivity Length Area

ohm ohm-m m m2
ohm ohm-CM/ft ft CM
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Specific resistance or resistivity of a material is the resistance offered by
1 m length of the material having a cross-sectional area of 1 m2.

At 20˚C, the resistivity of annealed copper wire is,

−8

Note: If not specified, a copper wire is assumed an annealed copper

wire and at 20˚C conditions.
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Circular Mil (CM) – is an old unit in specifying the cross-section area of
a wire. It is equal to the area of a circle having a diameter of 1 mil.

1mil A = d2

A = cross-section area of the wire, in cmils (CM)

d = diameter of the wire, in mils

Note: 1 inch = 1000 mils; 1 MCM = 1000 CM

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Relation between a Circular Mil and a Square Mil

1mil 1mil

A = 1 circular mil 1mil A = 1 sq. mil

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: A 400,000-cir-mil cable is composed of 37 strands. What is
the diameter, in mils, of each strand?

   
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
TRY TO SOLVE THIS!
A bus bar has cross-section of 0.5 inch by 0.6 inch. Determine its cross-
sectional area in circular mils?

ANSWER: 381,972 circular mils

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: What length of wire of diameter 0.315 mm will be required to
construct a coil of resistance 10 ohms, if the specific resistance of the
wire is 49 μΩ-cm?

2
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: A standard copper wire is 0.064 inch in diameter. What is the
resistance of 1000 ft of this wire at 20˚C?
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
TRY TO SOLVE THIS!
Solve the resistance of a 564 m long aluminum conductor of cross
section 40 mm by 20 mm. Resistivity of aluminum is 2.826 x 10-8 Ω-m.

ANSWER: 0.02 ohm

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Circuit – is a continuous and closed path of an electric current.
An electric circuit consists of electric devices, a source of electricity and
wires that are connected with the help of a switch.
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Ohm’s Law – it states that the current drawn by an electric load is
directly proportional to the voltage across the load and inversely
proportional to the electrical resistance of the load.

I = current, in amperes (A)

V = emf or voltage, in volts (V)
R = resistance, in ohms (Ω)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: An electric iron draws 2.5 A at 230 V. Determine its
resistance?

TRY TO SOLVE THIS!

A nichrome heating coil takes 30 A when a voltage of 120 V is applied.
Determine the resistance of the coil.

ANSWER: 4 ohms
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
TRY TO SOLVE THIS!
Solve the resistance of a 564 m long aluminum conductor of cross
section 40 mm by 20 mm. Resistivity of aluminum is 2.826 x 10-8 Ω-m.

ANSWER: 0.02 ohm

BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Electric Power Efficiency - is defined as the ratio of the output power
divided by the input power.

% Efficiency = efficiency, in percent (%)

Pout = useful power output, in watts (W)
Pin = total electrical power consumed or input, in watts (W)
BASIC TERMS, THEORIES, AND UNITS
Example: What is the efficiency when 5 J is supplied to a buzzer and 2
J is transferred into sound energy?

TRY TO SOLVE THIS!

What is the efficiency when 120 J is supplied to a toaster and 50 J of
energy is transferred into heat?

ANSWER: 41.67%
BASIC ELECTRICAL DEVICES/EQUIPMENT
BASIC ELECTRICAL DEVICES/EQUIPMENT
BASIC ELECTRICAL DEVICES/EQUIPMENT

Reading Assignment:
https://www.electricaltechnology.org/2014/01/basic-electrical-engineering-tools.html
ENERGY CALCULATION
Electric Energy
Electric energy is a form of energy used to run or operate various
electrical devices. Standard unit of electrical energy is joule or kilojoule.
The other common units are kilowatt-hour and megawatt-hour.

W = electric energy, in joules (J)

P = electric power, in watts (W)
t = time, in seconds (s)
ENERGY CALCULATION
Example: A television set draws 0.5 A at 120 V. If the set is used 3
hours per day, how much energy does it consume in 10 days?
COST OF OPERATION IN ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT/DEVICES
Using the Previous Example: The total energy that a television set
consumed in 10 days is 1.8 kWh. If the cost per kWh is Php 9.72, how
much would it cost?

Php 9.72 – rate/cost per kWh, in Pesos (Php)

COST OF OPERATION IN ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT/DEVICES
For a detailed or step-by-step example, please watch the YouTube
Video in the link provided below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnsl-lIihdM
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
Overview: The Structure of Electric Power Systems in the Philippines

Generation
Transmission
Distribution
End-users
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
Overview: The Structure of Electric Power Systems in the Philippines
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
ANSI C84.1-2011 Electric Power Systems and
Equipment — Voltage Ratings (60 Hertz)

System Voltage Classes

3.1 Low Voltage (LV): A class of nominal system
voltages 1000 volts or less.
3.2 Medium Voltage (MV): A class of nominal system
voltages greater than 1000 volts and less than 100 kV.
3.3 High Voltage (HV): A class of nominal system
voltages equal to or greater than 100 kV and equal to or
less than 230 kV.
3.4 Extra-High Voltage (EHV): A class of nominal
system voltages greater than 230 kV but less than 1000
kV.
3.5 Ultra-High Voltage (UHV): A class of nominal
system voltages equal to or greater than 1000 kV.
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
In Section 1.10.3.5(c) of the
Philippine Electrical Code (PEC), it
is mentioned that:

Where the voltage exceeds 600

volts, nominal, permanent and
conspicuous warning signs shall
be provided, reading as follows:
DANGER — HIGH VOLTAGE —
KEEP OUT
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
Power Distribution in Small Buildings
Small commercial or residential buildings have a very simple power
distribution system. The utility will own the transformer, which will sit on
a pad outside the building or will be attached to a utility pole. The
transformer reduces the voltage from 13.8kV down to 120/240 or
120/208 volts and then passes the electricity to a meter, which is owned
by the utility and keeps a record of power consumption.
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
After leaving the meter, the power is transmitted into the building at
which point all wiring, panels, and devices are the property of the
building owner. Wires transfer the electricity from the meter to a panel
board, which is generally located in the basement or garage of a house.
In small commercial buildings, the panel may be located in a utility
closet. The panel board will have a main service breaker and a series of
circuit breakers, which control the flow of power to various circuits in the
building. Each branch circuit will serve a device (some appliances
require heavy loads) or a number of devices like convenience outlets or
lights.
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
Power Distribution in Large Buildings
Large buildings have a much higher electrical load than small buildings; therefore,
the electrical equipment must be larger and more robust. Large building owners will
also purchase electricity at high voltages (in the US, 13.8kV) because it comes at a
cheaper rate. In this case, the owner will provide and maintain their own step-down
transformer, which lowers the voltage to a more usable level (in the US, 480/277
volts). This transformer can be mounted on a pad outside the building or in a
transformer room inside the building.

The electricity is then transmitted to switchgear. The role of the switchgear is to

distribute electricity safely and efficiently to the various electrical closets throughout
the building. The equipment has numerous safety features including circuit breakers,
which allow power to be disrupted downstream - this may occur due to a fault or
problem, but it can also be done intentionally to allow technicians to work on specific
branches of the power system.
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
BUILDING SYSTEM VOLTAGE
It should be noted that very large buildings or buildings with complex electrical systems may
have multiple transformers, which may feed multiple pieces of switchgear.

The electricity will leave the switchgear and travel along a primary feeder or bus. The bus or
feeder is a heavy gauge conductor that is capable of carrying high amperage current
throughout a building safely and efficiently. The bus or feeder is tapped as needed and a
conductor is run to an electric closet, which serves a zone or floor of a building.

Each electrical closet will have another step-down transformer - in the US, this will drop the
power from 480/277 volts to 120 volts for convenience outlets. That transformer will feed a
branch panel, which controls a series of branch circuits that cover a portion of the building.
Each branch circuit covers a subset of the electrical needs of the area - for instance: lighting,
convenience outlets to a series of rooms, or electricity to a piece of equipment.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
Distribution Equipment

1. Distribution Transformer
A distribution transformer or service
transformer is a transformer that
provides the final voltage
transformation in the electric power
distribution system, stepping down the
voltage used in the distribution lines to
the level used by the customer.

The distribution transformer is a main

and largest equipment of distribution
substation.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
2. Circuit Breaker
The circuit breaker is an equipment which
automatically cut off power supply of the
system when any fault or short circuit
occurs in the system. It detect and isolate
faults within a fraction of a second thereby
minimizing the damage at the point where
the fault has occurred.

The circuit breakers are specially designed

to interrupt the very high fault currents,
which may be ten or more times the normal
operating currents.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
3. Lightning Arrester
Lightning arrester is a most important
protective device of distribution
substation to protect valuable
equipment as well as working
personnel. It arrests and discharges
over voltage to earth during lightning
strokes. These are installed between
line and earth near equipment.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
4. Air Break Switch / Isolator
Air break switches are used to isolate
equipment for maintenance and also for
transfer of load from one bus to another.
Lay-out of substation depends upon type
of Air break switches.

These switches are of two types viz.

vertical break type or horizontal break type.
Horizontal break type normally occupies
more space than the vertical break type.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
5. Insulator
The main function of an insulator is to
insulate live conductor or equipment at
different voltages with reference to the
ground structures as well as provide
mechanical support.

Provision of adequate insulation in a

substation is of primary importance
from the point of view of reliability of
supply and safety of personnel.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
6. Busbar
The busbar is a conductor used to connect two and
more equipment located side-by-side when the
currents are very high. These are usually
rectangular, sometimes tubular, bare copper bars
supported on insulators. The outdoor busbars are
either of the rigid type or of the strain type.

In the rigid type, pipes are used for making

connections among the various equipment. The
strain type busbars are an overhead system of
wires strung between two supporting structures and
supported strain type insulators. Since the busbars
are rigid, the clearances remain constant.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
7. Capacitor Bank
It is a series parallel combination of
capacitors required to improve power
factor of the system. They act as
reactive power generators, and provide
the needed reactive power to
accomplish active power in the circuit.
This reduces the amount of reactive
power, and thus total power (kVA) or
the demand.
DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT
8. Distribution Panel Board
Distribution panel board consists of
MCCBs, control equipment, meters and
relays are housed in the control room.
The panel frame shall be connected to
the earth grid by an earthing conductor.
A rubber mat of prescribed size and
quality shall lay in front of panel.
END OF LECTURE 1