Checklist for Electrical Distribution Architecture Design

I listed and explained the Tasks required for application of Electrical Distribution architecture design process in the following previous topics: 

•  The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part One
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Two
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Three
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Four
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Five
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Six
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Seven
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Eight
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Nine
• The Electrical Distribution Architecture – Part Ten

Today, I will introduce a complete Checklist for application of Electrical Distribution architecture design process a follows.



Checklist for application of Electrical Distribution architecture design process

This Checklist is exclusive for our blog, you will not find it anywhere in the web, when you use it , it will make your design more professional, more applicable and give more Credibility in front of the client.

This checklist is a summary for all the previous tenth topics and By using this Checklist, you will be able to list all the characteristics, factors and conditions that affect the design of the power architecture design (single line diagram) for any project.

What you need to do is putting (√ ) in the check box in front of the right choice , the previous topics listed above will help you for determining the right choice and you can review them for this purpose.

A solved example in the next topic will show how using this Checklist to design and draw an optimal single line diagram for the project under study. Please, review this check list very well and inform me if there is any question.

Here is the check list,

Checklist For Application Of Electrical Distribution Architecture Design Process
(Put Brief Description About The Installation/Building)
First: Assigning Of Electrical Installation Characteristics
#	Characteristic	√	Choice
1	Activity		Industrial Buildings
			Commercial Buildings
			Residential Buildings
			Agricultural Buildings
			Educational Buildings
			Transportation Buildings
			Religious Buildings
			Parking And Storage
			Military Buildings
			Governmental Buildings
			Cultural Buildings
			Other Buildings
2	Site Topology		Single Storey Building,(Low Rise)
			Multi-Storey Building, ,(Low Rise)
			Multi-Building Site,
			High-Rise Building
3	Layout Latitude		Low (≤ 2,000 m2)
			Medium (2,000 m2- 2,500 m2)
			High (> 2,500 m2)
4	Service Reliability		Minimum
			Standard
			Enhanced
5	Maintainability		Minimum
			Standard
			Enhanced
6	Installation Flexibility		No Flexibility
			Flexibility Of Design
			Implementation Flexibility
			Operating Flexibility
7	Power  Demand		< 630 kVA
			630 – 1250 kVA
			1250 -  2500 kVA
			> 2500 kVA
8	Load Distribution		Uniform Distribution
			Intermediate Distribution
			Localized Loads
9	Power Interruption Sensitivity		“Sheddable” Circuit
			Long Interruption Acceptable
			Short Interruption Acceptable
			No Interruption Acceptable.
10	Disturbance  Sensitivity		Low Sensitivity
			Medium Sensitivity
			High Sensitivity
11	Disturbance Capability  Of Circuits		Non Disturbing
			Moderate Or Occasional Disturbance
			Very Disturbing
12	Other Considerations Or Constraints		Environment
			Specific Rules
			Rule Of The Energy Distributor
			Attachment Loads
			Load Power Supply Constraints
Second: Assigning Of Technological Characteristics
1	Environment And Atmosphere		Standard (IP,IK,C°)
			Enhanced (IP,IK,C°)
			Specific (IP,IK,C°)
2	Service Index		111
			211
			223
			232
			233
			332
			333
3	Other Considerations		Designer Experience
			Utilities Requirements
			Specific Technical Criteria
Third: Using Architecture Assessment Criteria
1	On-Site Work Time		Secondary
			Special
			Critical
2	Environmental  Impact		Non significant
			Minimal
			Proactive
3	Preventive Maintenance Level		Standard
			Enhanced
			Specific
4	Availability Of Electrical Power Supply		Availability Level (%) = (1 - MTTR/ MTBF) x 100
Forth: Step (1): Choice Of Distribution Architecture Fundamentals
1	Connection To The Upstream Network		LV Service
			MV Single Line Service
			MV Single Line- One Substation - One Ring Main Unit Service
			MV Double Line - One Substation - Double Ring Main Unit - One Loop Service
			MV Duplicate Supply Service,
			MV Duplicate Supply Service With Double Busbar.
2	MV Circuit Configuration		Single Feeder, One Or Several Transformers
			Open Ring, One MV Incomer
			Open Ring, 2 MV Incomers
3	Number And Distribution Of MV/LV Transformation Substations		1 Substation With N Transformers (If Power < 2500KVA)
			N Substations With N Transformers (Identical Substations) (If Power >2500KVA)
			N Substations With M Transformers (Different Powers) (If Power >2500KVA) (For Several Buildings)
4	Number Of MV/LV Transformers		The Number Of Transformers (> 1) (If Power > 1250 KVA) (Area > 5000m2)
			The Number Of Transformers (= 1) (If Power < 1250 KVA)
5	MV Back-Up Generator		Yes (Site Activity - Total Power Of The Installed Loads - Sensitivity Of Circuits To Power Interruptions -Availability Of The Public Distribution Network)
			No
Fifth: Step (2): Choice Of Architecture Details
1	Layout		Place power sources as close as possible to the barycenter of power consumers,
			Reduce atmospheric constraints: building dedicated premises
			Placing heavy equipment (transformers, generators, etc) close to walls or main exists for ease of maintenance,
2	Centralized Or Distributed Layout		Centralized Layout
			Decentralized Layout
3	Presence Of Back-Up Generators		Yes (Sensitivity of loads to power interruption, Availability of the public distribution network)
			No
4	Presence Of An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)		Yes (Sensitivity of loads to power interruptions, Sensitivity of loads to disturbances)
			No
5	Configuration Of LV Circuits		Radial single feeder configuration
			Two-pole configuration
			Variant: two-pole with two ½ MLVS
			Shedable switchboard (simple disconnectable attachment)
			Interconnected switchboards
			Ring configuration
			Double-ended power supply
			Configuration combinations
Sixth: Step (3): Choice Of MV/LV Equipment (Atmosphere, Environment, IP, IK - Service Index - Offer Availability Per Country - Utilities Requirements )
Seventh: Recommendations For Architecture Optimization
1- Use of proven solutions and equipment that has been validated and tested by manufacturers (“functional” switchboard or “manufacturer” switchboard according to the application criticality)
2- Prefer the implementation of equipment for which there is a reliable distribution network and for which it is possible to have local support (supplier well established)
3- Prefer the use of factory-built equipment (MV/LV substation, busbar trunking) allowing the volume of operations on site to be limited
4- Limit the variety of equipment implemented (e.g. the power of   transformers)
5- Avoid mixing equipment from different manufacturers.
6- Appropriate metering and analysis of loads actual consumption
7- Power factor correction solutions
8- Appropriate organisation and design of site and use of busbar truncking instead of cables wherever accurate
9- Reducing the length of LV circuits in the installation by Placing MV/LV substations as close as possible to the barycenter of all of the LV loads to be supplied
10- Clustering LV circuits wherever possible to take advantage of the factor of simultaneity ks  by:
a- Setting up sub-distribution switchboards as close as possible to the barycenter of the groups of loads if they are localized
b- Setting up busbar trunking systems as close as possible to the barycenter of the groups of loads if they are distributed.
11- Focus maintenance work on critical circuits,
12- Standardize the choice of equipment,
13- Use equipment designed for severe atmospheres (requires less maintenance).
14- Reduce the number of feeders per switchboard, in order to limit the effects of a possible failure of a switchboard
15- Distributing circuits according to availability requirements
16- Using equipment that is in line with requirements (SI index)
17- Follow the selection guides proposed for steps 1 & 2
18- Change from a radial single feeder configuration to a two-pole configuration,
19- Change from a two-pole configuration to a double-ended configuration,
20- Change from a double-ended configuration to a uninterruptible configuration with a UPS unit and a Static Transfer Switch
21- Increase the level of maintenance (reducing the MTTR, increasing the MTBF)

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In the next topic, I will explain an example for using Electrical Distribution Architecture Design Process Checklist. So, please keep following.