Named after Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren (1809-1870) an influential figure in the development of naval ordnance during the United States Civil War. It served as an armory and drill hall for midshipmen. Its open space was ideal for indoor drills and military exercises.
The hall was constructed between 1899 and 1903. Its design was overseen by Ernest Flagg, a prominent architect who designed several buildings at the Naval Academy. Today it houses the Drydock Restaurant, a gathering place for midshipmen, faculty, and visitors.
Today at the usual hour we review the switch assemblies commonly found in educational settings for sustaining power continuity. This technology can be viewed as a system of devices or as an assembly of equipment. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
Electrical transfer equipment refers to devices and systems used to transfer electrical power from one source to another, ensuring a continuous and reliable power supply. This equipment is essential in various applications, including residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
Some common types of electrical transfer equipment include:
Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS):
Automatically transfers the load from the primary power source to a backup power source (such as a generator) during a power outage.
Ensures continuous power supply without manual intervention.
Manual Transfer Switch (MTS):
Requires manual operation to transfer the load from the primary power source to a backup power source.
Used in situations where automatic transfer is not necessary or desired.
Static Transfer Switch (STS):
Uses solid-state components to transfer the load between two power sources without any mechanical movement.
Provides fast and reliable power transfer, often used in data centers and critical applications.
Bypass Isolation Transfer Switch:
Allows maintenance or testing of the transfer switch without interrupting the power supply to the load.
Provides a bypass path for the power during maintenance.
Load Transfer Panels:
Distributes power from multiple sources to various loads, managing the transfer of power to ensure stability and reliability.
Generator Transfer Switch:
Specifically designed for transferring power between the utility grid and a generator.
Ensures that the generator can supply power during outages and isolates it when the main power is restored.
Dual Power Automatic Transfer Switch (DPATS):
Used in systems with dual power sources to automatically transfer the load between them.
Ensures redundancy and reliability in power supply.
These devices are crucial in maintaining the stability and reliability of power systems, especially in environments where power continuity is critical, such as hospitals, data centers, and industrial facilities.
The National Electrical Code covers Uninterruptible Power Supplies primarily in Article 480, titled “Storage Batteries,” and Article 700, titled “Emergency Systems.”
Here are the relevant sections:
Article 480 – Storage Batteries: This article addresses the installation and maintenance of batteries, including those used in UPS systems. It provides guidelines for battery enclosures, ventilation, and connections to ensure safe operation.
Article 700 – Emergency Systems: While this article focuses on emergency power systems, it includes provisions that can apply to UPS systems used as part of these systems. It covers installation, maintenance, and operational requirements to ensure reliable emergency power.
Article 701 – Legally Required Standby Systems: Similar to Article 700, this article covers systems that must provide power during emergencies but may not require the same level of reliability. UPS systems used in these applications must comply with the relevant provisions.
Article 702 – Optional Standby Systems: This article covers standby power systems that are not legally required but are installed for convenience or operational continuity. It includes guidelines for the installation and maintenance of UPS systems used in these applications.
Article 705 – Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources: This article provides guidelines for systems that include UPS as part of interconnected power sources, such as those in renewable energy setups.
Article 708 – Critical Operations Power Systems (COPS): This article addresses power systems required to support critical operations. UPS systems used in these applications must meet stringent reliability and operational requirements.
For specific details, refer to the current edition of the NEC as it contains the exact language and requirements for compliance.
Much economic activity in the global standards system involves products — not interoperability standards. Getting everything to work together — safely, cost effectively and simpler — is our raison d’etre.
Manufacturers, testing laboratories, conformance authorities (whom we call vertical incumbents) are able to finance the cost of their advocacy — salaries, travel, lobbying, administration — into the cost of the product they sell to the end user (in our cases, estate managers in educational settlements). To present products — most of which involve direct contact with a consumer — at a point of sale it must have a product certification label. Not so with systems. System certification requirements, if any, may originate in local public safety requirements; sometimes reaching into the occupational safety domain.
Our readings of the intent of this technical committee is to discover and promulgate best practice for “systems of products” — i.e. ideally interoperability characteristics throughout the full span of the system life cycle.
Standardization in the field of network management in interconnected electric power systems with different time horizons including design, planning, market integration, operation and control. SC 8C covers issues such as resilience, reliability, security, stability in transmission-level networks (generally with voltage 100kV or above) and also the impact of distribution level resources on the interconnected power system, e.g. conventional or aggregated Demand Side Resources (DSR) procured from markets.
SC 8C develops normative deliverables/guidelines/technical reports such as:
– Terms and definitions in area of network management, – Guidelines for network design, planning, operation, control, and market integration – Contingency criteria, classification, countermeasures, and controller response, as a basis of technical requirements for reliability, adequacy, security, stability and resilience analysis, – Functional and technical requirements for network operation management systems, stability control systems, etc. – Technical profiling of reserve products from DSRs for effective market integration. – Technical requirements of wide-area operation, such as balancing reserve sharing, emergency power wheeling.
Individuals who are interested in becoming a participant or the TAG Administrator for SC 8C: Network Management are invited to contact Adelana Gladstein at agladstein@ansi.org as soon as possible.
This opportunity, dealing with the system aspects of electrical energy supply (IEC TC 8), should at least interest electrical engineering research faculty and students involved in power security issues. Participation would not only provide students with a front-row seat in power system integration but faculty can collaborate and compete (for research money) from the platform TC 8 administers. We will refer it to the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in European and American time zones.
Introduction. [Abstract]. The rapid growth of data centers, with their enormous energy and water demands, necessitates targeted policy interventions to mitigate environmental impacts and protect local communities. To address these issues, states with existing data center tax breaks should adopt sustainable growth policies for data centers, mandating energy audits, strict performance standards, and renewable energy integration, while also requiring transparency in energy usage reporting. “Renewable energy additionality” clauses should ensure data centers contribute to new renewable capacity rather than relying on existing resources. If these measures prove insufficient, states should consider repealing tax breaks to slow unsustainable data center growth. States without tax breaks should avoid such incentives altogether while simultaneously implementing mandatory reporting requirements to hold data centers accountable for their environmental impact. Broader measures should include protecting local tax revenues for schools, regulating utility rate hikes to prevent cost-shifting to consumers, and aligning data center energy demands with state climate goals to avoid prolonging reliance on fossil fuels.
100 years ago, the Supreme Court made it clear in Pierce v. Society of Sisters: raising children is the responsibility of parents, not the government.
100 years later, the Trump Administration remains committed to protecting parental rights. pic.twitter.com/yduXdLShty
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) June 1, 2025
“…O chestnut tree;, great rooted blossomer, Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bold? O body swayed to music, O brightening glance, How can we know the dancer from the dance?”
We sweep through the world’s three major time zones; updating our understanding of the literature at the technical foundation of education community safety and sustainability in those time zones 24 times per day. We generally eschew “over-coding” web pages to sustain speed, revision cadence and richness of content as peak priority. We do not provide a search facility because of copyrights of publishers and time sensitivity of almost everything we do.
Our daily colloquia are typically doing sessions; with non-USA titles receiving priority until 16:00 UTC and all other titles thereafter. We assume policy objectives are established (Safer-Simpler-Lower-Cost, Longer-Lasting). Because we necessarily get into the weeds, and because much of the content is time-sensitive and copyright protected, we usually schedule a separate time slot to hammer on technical specifics so that our response to consultations are meaningful and contribute to the goals of the standards developing organization and to the goals of stewards of education community real assets — typically the largest real asset owned by any US state and about 50 percent of its annual budget.
1. Leviathan. We track noteworthy legislative proposals in the United States 118th Congress. Not many deal specifically with education community real assets since the relevant legislation is already under administrative control of various Executive Branch Departments such as the Department of Education.
We do not advocate in legislative activity at any level. We respond to public consultations but there it ends.
We track federal legislative action because it provides a stroboscopic view of the moment — the “national conversation”– in communities that are simultaneously a business and a culture. Even though more than 90 percent of such proposals are at the mercy of the party leadership the process does enlighten the strengths and weakness of a governance system run entirely through the counties on the periphery of Washington D.C. It is impossible to solve technical problems in facilities without sensitivity to the zietgeist that has accelerated in education communities everywhere.
Michigan Great Lake Quilt
Michigan can 100% water and feed itself. Agriculture is its second-largest industry.
The project, located on the Texas A&M University System’s Rellis Campus in Bryan (Brazos County), has faced significant delays. Originally slated to begin construction by November 2021, it was pushed back due to the 2021 Winter Storm Uri. In November 2023, construction was announced to start in 2024, with an expected opening in Q3 2024 (July–September). However, no sources confirm completion or operations.Recent developments include:
February 2025: Bryan approved a reinvestment zone on the 25-acre site to attract the data center, with ongoing negotiations.
October 2025: Officials clarified no formal plans have been submitted for the site, despite zoning approvals for potential development.
The project’s official site (rellisdrc.com) states “Site will be available soon,” indicating it’s still under preparation. It’s designed as a 225,000 sq ft Tier III facility with colocation, cloud services, and educational spaces for workforce training.
The RELLIS Data and Research Center will be a public – private development with Texas A&M University. The data center will be built on the new RELLIS Campus located in College Station, Texas. It will offer cloud storage and outstanding managed services. The RELLIS Academy and Research Lab offers the ability for Texas A&M University to give real world data center experience to both students and faculty.
The University of Michigan has supported the voice of the United States education facility industry since 1993 — the second longest tenure of any voice in the United States. That voice has survived several organizational changes but remains intact and will continue its Safer-Simpler-Lower Cost-Longer Lasting advocacy on Code Panel 3 in the 2029 Edition.
Today, during our customary “Open Door” teleconference we will examine the technical concepts under the purview of Code Panel 3; among them:
Article 206 Signaling Circuits
Article 300 General Requirements for Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 590 Temporary Installations
Chapter 7 Specific Conditions for Information Technology
Chapter 9 Conductor Properties Tables
Public Input on the 2029 Edition will be received until April 9, 2026.
We examine the proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code; including our own. The 2026 National Electrical Code where sit on CMP-15 overseeing health care facility electrical issues should be released any day now. We have one proposal on the agenda of the International Code Council’s Group B Committee Action Hearings in Cleveland in October. Balloting on the next IEEE Gold Book on reliability should begin.
FERC Open Meetings | (Note that these ~60 minute sessions meet Sunshine Act requirements. Our interest lies one or two levels deeper into the technicals underlying the administrivia)
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan
First Draft Proposals contain most of our proposals — and most new (original) content. We will keep the transcripts linked below but will migrate them to a new page starting 2025:
N.B. We are in the process of migrating electric power system research to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers bibliographic format.
Recap of the May meetings of the Industrial & Commercial Power Systems Conference in Las Vegas. The conference ended the day before the beginning of the 3-day Memorial Day weekend in the United States so we’re pressed for time; given all that happened.
We can use our last meeting’s agenda to refresh the status of the issues.
We typically break down our discussion into the topics listed below:
Codes & Standards:
While IAS/I&CPS has directed votes on the NEC; Mike is the only I&CPS member who is actually submitting proposals and responses to codes and standards developers to the more dominant SDO’s — International Code Council, ASHRAE International, UL, ASTM International, IEC & ISO. Mike maintains his offer to train the next generation of “code writers and vote getters”
Performance-based building premises feeder design has been proposed for the better part of ten NEC revision cycles. The objective of these proposals is to reduce material, labor and energy waste owed to the branch and feeder sizing rules that are prescriptive in Articles 210-235. Our work in service and lighting branch circuit design has been largely successful. A great deal of building interior power chain involves feeders — the network upstream from branch circuit panels but down stream from building service panel.
Our history of advocating for developing this approach, inspired by the NFPA 101 Guide to Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, and recounted in recent proposals for installing performance-based electrical feeder design into the International Building Code, appears in the link below:
Access to this draft paper for presentation at any conference that will receive it — NFPA, ICC or IEEE (or even ASHRAE) will be available for review at the link below:
NFPA 110 Definitions of Public Utility v. Merchant Utility
NFPA 72 “Definition of Dormitory Suite” and related proposals
Buildings:
Renovation economics, Smart contracts in electrical construction. UMich leadership in aluminum wiring statements in the NEC should be used to reduce wiring costs.
This paper details primary considerations in estimating the life cycle of a campus medium voltage distribution grid. Some colleges and universities are selling their entire power grid to private companies. Mike has been following these transactions but cannot do it alone.
Variable Architecture Multi-Island Microgrids
District energy:
Generator stator winding failures and implications upon insurance premiums. David Shipp and Sergio Panetta. Mike suggests more coverage of retro-fit and lapsed life cycle technicals for insurance companies setting premiums.
Reliability:
Bob Arno’s leadership in updating the Gold Book.
Mike will expand the sample set in Table 10-35, page 293 from the <75 data points in the 1975 survey to >1000 data points. Bob will set up meeting with Peyton at US Army Corps of Engineers.
Reliability of merchant utility distribution systems remains pretty much a local matter. The 2023 Edition of the NESC shows modest improvement in the vocabulary of reliability concepts. For the 2028 Edition Mike submitted several proposals to at least reference IEEE titles in the distribution reliability domain. It seems odd (at least to Mike) that the NESC committees do not even reference IEEE technical literature such as Bob’s Gold Book which has been active for decades. Mike will continue to propose changes in other standards catalogs — such as ASTM, ASHRAE and ICC — which may be more responsive to best practice assertions. Ultimately, improvements will require state public utility commission regulations — and we support increases in tariffs so that utilities can afford these improvements.
Mike needs help from IEEE Piscataway on standard WordPress theme limitations for the data collection platform.
Mike will update the campus power outage database.
Healthcare:
Giuseppe Parise’s recent work in Italian power grid to its hospitals, given its elevated earthquake risk. Mike’s review of Giuseppe’s paper:
Mike and David Shipp will prepare a position paper for the Harvard Healthcare Management Journal on reliability advantages of impedance grounding for the larger systems.
The Internet of Bodies
Forensics:
Giuseppe’s session was noteworthy for illuminating the similarity and differences between the Italian and US legal system in handling electrotechnology issues.
Mike will restock the committee’s library of lawsuits transactions.
Ports:
Giuseppe updates on the energy and security issues of international ports. Mike limits his time in this committee even though the State of Michigan has the most fresh water international ports in the world.
A PROPOSED GUIDE FOR THE ENERGY PLAN AND ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF A PORT
Other:
Proposals to the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code: Accepted Best Practice, exterior switchgear guarding, scope expansion into ICC and ASHRAE catalog,
Apparently both the Dot Standards and the Color Books will continue parallel development. Only the Gold Book is being updated; led by Bob Arno. Mike admitted confusion but reminded everyone that any references to IEEE best practice literature in the NFPA catalog, was installed Mike himself (who would like some backup help)
Mike assured Christel Hunter (General Cable) that his proposals for reducing the 180 VA per-outlet requirements, and the performance-base design allowance for building interior feeders do not violate the results of the Neher-McGrath calculation used for conductor sizing. All insulation and conducting material thermal limits are unaffected.
Other informal discussions centered on the rising cost of copper wiring and the implications for the global electrotechnical transformation involving the build out of quantum computing and autonomous vehicles. Few expressed optimism that government ambitions for the same could be met in any practical way.
Are students avoiding use of Chat GPT for energy conservation reasons? Mike will be breaking out this topic for a dedicated standards inquiry session:
Choosing between 3-pole and 4-pole transfer switches (Consulting-Specifying Engineer)
UL 1008 Standard for Safety for Transfer Switch Equipment is principally a product standard and has no direct competitor standard that matches its scope and adoption. Other standards or certifications may overlap in specific contexts:
IEC 60947-6-1 is used globally. It covers similar functionality but differs in testing and application, often requiring adaptation for North American compliance.
CSA C22.2 No. 178 is aligned with UL 1008 but specific to Canadian requirements. It is complementary rather than a competitor, as many products seek dual certification.
UL 1008 dominates in the U.S. due to its alignment with the NFPA 70 and NFPA 110; universally applied by commissioning and certificate of occupancy entities. For high-voltage switches, UL 1008A serves a niche role.
UL 1008 Transfer Switch Equipment 2022 is the latest revision. Note the $798 – $1,990 price for a legal copy. The price reflects the following:
UL 1008 is developed and updated by a Standards Technical Panel (STP) involving experts from industry, government, and academia. The process includes rigorous testing, research, and consensus-building, which incur significant expenses. Regular revisions, like the 9th edition in 2022, require ongoing investment to ensure compliance with evolving safety and regulatory requirements.
UL 1008 targets a niche market of engineers, manufacturers, and inspectors in the electrical power industry. Unlike consumer products, the limited demand for technical standards means costs are spread across fewer buyers, driving up the price per copy.
Certification to UL 1008 ensures safety and compliance with codes like NFPA 70, reducing liability risks for manufacturers and users. The high cost reflects the standard’s critical role in ensuring reliable, safe transfer switch equipment for applications like emergency power systems.
UL Standards & Engagement operates as a nonprofit, but it recovers costs through sales and licensing. Unlike open-access standards, UL’s proprietary model prioritizes quality and controlled distribution.
Single-copy purchases are priced high to encourage subscriptions or enterprise licenses, which offer broader access to multiple standards at a lower per-standard cost.
Throughout the Standards Michigan platform, we place product standards well below our coverage of interoperability standards that support our Safer-Simpler-Lower Cost- Longer Lasting priority. (See ABOUT).
Today is an impactful day for Schneider Electric in the U.S. as we break ground on our Columbia, Missouri Facility. Michael Quinn, SVP Power Products U.S. and ASCO, Schneider Electric, is kicking off the ribbon cutting ceremony alongside Missouri Governor, Mike Kehoe.
The MIL-SPEC catalog and its evolution have had a significant impact on various industries beyond the military sector. Many civilian industries have adopted military standards as a benchmark for quality, reliability, and compatibility in their products and processes.
World War II Era:
The MIL-SPEC system traces its roots back to the World War II era when the U.S. military faced challenges in coordinating manufacturing efforts across multiple suppliers. To address these challenges, the military began developing specifications and standards that detailed the requirements for various equipment and materials, including dimensions, materials, performance criteria, and testing procedures.
Post-World War II:
After World War II, the MIL-SPEC catalog expanded significantly to cover a wide range of military equipment, ranging from electronics and aircraft components to clothing and food supplies. The standards were continuously updated and revised based on technological advancements, lessons learned, and evolving military needs.
Evolution into MIL-STD:
In the 1950s and 1960s, the MIL-SPEC system evolved into the Military Standard (MIL-STD) system to provide even more comprehensive and detailed specifications. MIL-STD documents incorporated a broader scope of requirements, including design criteria, quality control processes, and test methodologies. The MIL-STD system aimed to ensure consistent design and manufacturing practices across contractors and suppliers.
MIL-STD Transition to Commercial Standards:
Over time, the reliance on MIL-STDs started to decline, and there was a shift towards adopting commercial standards whenever possible. This transition allowed the military to benefit from the advancements and cost efficiencies of commercial technologies. However, certain critical military-specific standards, such as those related to security and specialized equipment, continued to be maintained within the MIL-STD framework.
DoD’s Transition to Performance-Based Specifications:
In recent years, the DoD has been moving away from prescriptive specifications (MIL-STDs) towards performance-based specifications. Performance-based specifications focus on defining the desired outcomes and performance requirements while allowing contractors greater flexibility in meeting those requirements. This approach encourages innovation, cost-effectiveness, and broader industry participation in military contracts.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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