New electrical design standard bolsters safety and reliability

The electrical design standard sets the principles for all new construction, renovation, renewal, and maintenance projects on campus. It was recently updated to integrate current systems and build upon operability.

Senior Electrical Systems Engineer Paul Savel worked alongside Senior Manager of Electrical Systems Keith Foster to develop the University of Toronto’s new electrical design standard, creating a modernized standard that enhances safety and resilience for campus buildings and equipment.

The new standards made significant steps toward heightened safety regulations, clarity, and sustainability.

“There’s a much higher safety threshold, especially regarding the amount of energy stored in the system,” said Foster. “We’ve installed a maintenance mode that restricts available energy at a lower level to allow operators and contractors to safely work around equipment.”

Guidelines have been set to minimize the possibility of an arc flash, a dangerous electrical explosion where electrical currents travel through the air instead of between conductors, potentially leading to serious injuries.

“High power equipment can be made to be operable remotely or from a safe distance outside of the arc flash boundary to ensure the safety of operators,” said Savel.

“The new standard limits the maximum amount of incident energy available at the equipment,” said Savel. “This in turn reduces the possibility of an arc flash as there is not enough energy to create one.”

Flavio Bertolo, senior manager of infrastructure project delivery, appreciates the standard’s readability.

“The added verbiage and specifications for systems, equipment, and quality checks add clarity to the standards,” said Bertolo. “Clarity is integral for operability and overall resilience of the campus.”

Meticulously labelled diagrams are consistent throughout the standards, as well as clearly articulated tables. Every operation is thoroughly elaborated on in its description, minimizing miscommunication.

“We’ve also written guidelines to incorporate sustainability-oriented equipment,” said Savel. “This includes natural gas generators, solar energy, and using energy-efficient LEDs.”

These approaches are consistent with U of T’s low-carbon action plan, which aims to have a 37% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and make the campus climate positive by 2050.