What is meant by an electrical system?
An electrical system is made up of a series of components that combine to distribute electrical power wherever it is needed, from buildings to power stations.
How does an electrical system work?
An electrical system will be controlled by a system that can make active decisions about where the power should come from and when and how it is generated and transferred to the network.
This process has gotten more complicated because of the different types of power available. The control system will need to decide when to use solar power and when to switch to wind power, for example. The control system will make operational decisions and is the automation that makes the electrical system work.
What are the components that make up an electrical system?
An electrical system is made up of components that generate power, and then distribute the power to where it needs to be.
Power Generation includes:
Solar park
If the sun shines then solar panels generate power. Solar parks can sometimes run together with a gas engine generator, which will be controlled by an on / off switch.
Wind farm
The more wind there is, the more power you will generate.
Gas engine
You might run this alongside other more sustainable types of power. You will have to make decisions about When to run it and how much to sell it for.
Battery systems
Battery powered systems can produce power from the battery, or store power from other power sources such as solar or wind energy.
Steam and gas turbines
This is not as common as it used to be, but is still sometimes used.
Power Distribution includes:
- Cables
- Transformers
- Switchboards
What is Electrical Systems Design?
Electrical systems design is the process of planning and designing how the relevant components that make up an electrical system will work together to generate the power required. The design is created using design software to provide a model that sets out the parameters for an electrical site and can be used to create the physical site.
The design will depend on the technical requirements of the site. For example, a transformer will be required to transfer voltages. The study will set out the technical parameters for the transformer, from how it will need to be transported, where it will fit in the design, and how it will be connected. The design will need to adhere to these to ensure that a supplier is able to look at the design and provide the correct physical equipment that will meet the needs of the electrical site.
An electrical systems design will also support with making decisions about the safety and regulations of a site, how much space it will need space, how will it be operated, what will happen if anything on the site goes wrong, how the physical electrical components of the site will be installed, and how much the site will cost over its lifetime. All of this information can be used by the supplier to provide the right equipment and ensure it is connected properly.
How does PSE2 design an electrical system?
Electrical systems design is at the heart of the work we do at PSE2. It overlaps many of the other services we offer, such as Earthing and Power System Analysis.
We offer bespoke designs that focus on the needs of the customer and are owned privately by the customer. Our design will still meet the specifications required for the network operator, but we will be customer-first in our approach.
For example, we will design the site with the most cost-effective and safe equipment to ensure that supply is easy for the customer (using one type of circuit breaker across the site, for example) and that it will be future proof.
We can also design the power system controls - the control system that runs the equipment e.g. runs the generator and switch. We know how the site has been designed to work, so we can design an automated system to run the site and make it operate.