Building Electrical System Design

Lighting, power, special systems (fire alarm, telephone, data, CATV, mass notification, nurse call, etc.) for Healthcare, K-12, Higher Education and Military projects

Solar Photovoltaic Design



The expansion of the Solar Photovoltaic industry has introduced new potential hazards to people's homes. Prior to this, the Solar Photovoltaic world was restricted to off-grid enthusiasts, who were usually self-educated, and as such, more aware of some of the hazards that could exist. They were also dealing with generally smaller DC voltages (12V, 24V, 36V, or 48V.) The Solar PV customer today, will generally have a DC system with DC voltages in the 300V to 600V range. This presents a unique hazard to the homeowner. If a fault occurs, it will continue to arc continuously until the sun goes down, and will resume when the sun comes back out. Being a relatively new industry, many inspectors do not know what to look for, and consequently overlook the most important aspect of the system - GROUNDING. Improper grounding has lead to fires in homes such as these:

House fire in Maryland

House fire in Charleston, SC

and businesses such as these:

IKEA fire south of Chicago

Target fire in Bakersfield, CA

Apple plant fire in Mesa, AZ

Addressing these concerns requires both knowledge and application of the National Electrical Code. Atlas Engineering provides permit set design for residential and commercial grid-tied, off-grid and hybrid solar photovoltaic systems.



Power System Studies



Proper Power System Studies consist of the following:

Site evaluation, electrical distribution study, system metering, load flow analysis, coordination study, arc flash hazard analysis, and single line diagram and electrical location plan updates

The other outcomes of this type of project can be the replacement of existing electrical panels, the addition of new electrical equipment for improved coordination and safety, the installation of Arc Flash mitigation equipment such as Maintenance Switches or Arc Vaults, acquisition of the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), training of electrical staff on revised or new Electrical procedures, as well as a revised or new Electrical Maintenance Plan with accompanying procedures.