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Hospital Plug Load

Today we examine relatively recent transactions in electrotechnologies — power, information and communication technology — that are present (and usually required) in patient care settings.   At a patient’s bedside in a hospital or healthcare setting, various electrical loads or devices may be present to provide medical care, monitoring, and comfort. Some of the common electrical loads found at a patient’s bedside include:

Hospital Bed: Electric hospital beds allow for adjustments in height, head position, and leg position to provide patient comfort and facilitate medical procedures.

Patient Monitor: These monitors display vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate, helping healthcare professionals keep track of the patient’s condition.

Infusion Pumps: These devices administer medications, fluids, and nutrients intravenously at a controlled rate.

Ventilators: Mechanical ventilators provide respiratory support to patients who have difficulty breathing on their own.

Pulse Oximeter: This non-invasive device measures the oxygen saturation level in the patient’s blood.

Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) Machine: It records the electrical activity of the heart and is used to diagnose cardiac conditions.

Enteral Feeding Pump: Used to deliver liquid nutrition to patients who cannot take food by mouth.

Suction Machine: It assists in removing secretions from the patient’s airway.

IV Poles: To hold and support intravenous fluid bags and tubing.

Warming Devices: Devices like warming blankets or warm air blowers are used to maintain the patient’s body temperature during surgery or recovery.

Patient Call Button: A simple push-button that allows patients to call for assistance from the nursing staff.

Overbed Tables: A movable table that allows patients to eat, read, or use personal items comfortably.

Reading Lights: Bedside lights that allow patients to read or perform tasks without disturbing others.

Television and Entertainment Devices: To provide entertainment and alleviate boredom during the patient’s stay.

Charging Outlets: Electrical outlets to charge personal electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

It’s important to note that the specific devices and equipment present at a patient’s bedside may vary depending on the level of care required and the hospital’s equipment standards. Additionally, strict safety measures and electrical grounding are essential to ensure patient safety when using electrical devices in a healthcare setting.  

We have been tracking the back-and-forth on proposals, considerations, adoption and rejections in the 3-year revision cycles of the 2023 National Electrical Code and the2021 Healthcare Facilities Code.  We will use the documents linked below as a starting point for discussion; and possible action:

NFPA 99:

Electrical Systems (HEA-ELS) Public Input

Electrical Systems (HEA-ELS) Public Comment

NFPA 70:

National Electrical Code CMP-15

Fire Protection Research Foundation:

Electric Circuit Data Collection: An Analysis of Health Care Facilities (Mazetti Associates)

iDesign Services

Matt Dozier, Principal CMP-15

IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology

There are many other organizations involved in this very large domain — about 20 percent of the US Gross Domestic Product.

Ahead of the September 7th deadline for new proposals for Article 517 for the 2026 National Electrical Code we will examine their influence in other sessions; specifically in our Health 100,200,300 and 400 colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

Plug Load Management: Department of Energy By the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Illumination 300

IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee

Outdoor Sport Illumination Technical Issues & Representative Calculation

“Starry Night Over the Rhône” 1888 Vincent van Gogh

Today we refresh our understanding of the moment in illumination technologies for outdoor lighting systems— related but different from our exploration of building interior illumination systems in Illumination 200.  Later in 2023 we will roll out Illumination 500 which explores litigation related to public illumination technology.  As cities-within-cities the shared perimeter of a campus with the host municipality has proven rich in legal controversy and action.

Illumination technology was the original inspiration for the electric utility industry; providing night-time security and transforming every sector of every economy on earth.  Lighting load remains the largest component of any building’s electric load — about 35 percent– making it a large target for energy regulations.

Our inquiry begins with selections from the following documents…

International Electrotechnical Commission TC 34 Lighting

IEC 60364 Electrical Installations in Buildings

2023 National Electrical Safety Code

IEEE P3001.9 – Recommended Practice for the Design of Power Systems Supplying Lighting Systems in Commercial and Industrial Facilities

Institution of Engineering and Technology: Recommendations for Energy-efficient Exterior Lighting Systems

2023 National Electrical Code: Article 410  (While the bulk of the NEC concerns indoor wiring fire hazards, there are passages that inform outdoor lighting wiring safety)

2019 ASHRAE 90.1: Chapter 9 Lighting

Illumination Engineering Society: Various titles

ISO/TC 274 Light and lighting

Salt Water River Project: Outdoor Lighting Standards

US DOE-EERE Building Energy Codes Program

…and about 20 other accredited, consortia or ad hoc standards developers and publishers aligned principally with vertical incumbents.  Illumination was the original inspiration (i.e. the first “killer app”) for the electrical power industry in every nation.  Its best practice literature reflects a fast-moving, shape-changing domain.

Click in today with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation School District Yorkshire Dales

McGill University: Before electricity, streets were filled with gas lights

Outdoor lighting systems can be owned and maintained by different entities depending on the context and location. Here are some examples of ownership regimes for outdoor lighting systems:

  1. Public ownership: In this case, outdoor lighting systems are owned and maintained by the local government or municipal authority. The lighting may be installed in public spaces such as parks, streets, and other outdoor areas for the safety and convenience of the public.
  2. Private ownership: Outdoor lighting systems may be owned by private individuals or organizations. For example, a business owner may install outdoor lighting for security or aesthetic reasons, or a homeowner may install outdoor lighting in their garden or yard.
  3. Co-owned: Outdoor lighting systems may be owned jointly by multiple entities. For example, a residential community may jointly own and maintain outdoor lighting in their shared spaces such as parking areas, community parks, or recreational facilities.
  4. Utility ownership: Outdoor lighting systems may be owned and maintained by utility companies such as electric or energy companies. These companies may install and maintain street lights or other lighting systems for the public good.
  5. Third-party ownership: In some cases, a third-party entity may own and maintain outdoor lighting systems on behalf of a public or private entity. For example, a lighting contractor may install and maintain lighting in a public park on behalf of a local government.

The ownership regime of an outdoor lighting system can have implications for issues such as installation, maintenance, and cost-sharing. It is important to consider ownership when designing and implementing outdoor lighting systems to ensure their long-term effectiveness and sustainability.

More

International Commission on Illumination

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

National Electrical Contractors Association

Representative Specifications

Sam Houston State University | Division 26500 Interior and Exterior Lighting

University of Delaware | Division 265100 Interior Lighting

Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo | Division 265100 Interior Lighting

Relevant Research

Enhancing the Sustainability of Outdoor Floodlighting for Cultural Heritage Buildings

The Performance and Impact of LED Floodlights in an Outdoor Electrical Substation During Misty Weather Conditions

Replacement of HPS Luminaires with LED Luminaires for the Lighting Requirements of an Outdoor Electrical Substation

 

Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Sporty weather season in the United States inspires a revisit of best practice for designing, building and maintaining the systems that provide limited electricity when the primary source fails. We have been active in the development of this and related titles for decades and have presented several proposals to the technical committee. Public input for the 2028 Revision will be received until June 4, 2025.

Electrical building, World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago (1892)

FREE ACCESS to the 2022 Edition of NFPA 110 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems

The scope of NFPA 110 and NFPA 111 are close coupled  and summarized below:

NFPA 110 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems. This standard contains requirements covering the performance of emergency and standby power systems providing an alternate source of electrical power to loads in buildings and facilities in the event that the primary power source fails.

NFPA 111 Stored Electrical Energy for Emergency and Standby Power Systems. This standard shall cover performance requirements for stored electrical energy systems providing an alternate source of electrical power in buildings and facilities in the event that the normal electrical power source fails.

FIRST DRAFT AGENDA | August 2022

Public comment on the First Draft of the 2025 Edition will be received until May 31, 2023.  

We have advocated in this standard since 1996 and still use the original University of Michigan Workspace; though those workspaces must be upgraded to the new Google Sites during 2021.  We provide a link to the Standards Michigan Workspace and invite you to join any of our electrical colloquia which are hosted jointly with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee four times per month in European and American time zones.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [96-04]

Category: Electrical, Risk

Contact: Mike Anthony, Robert Arno, Neal Dowling, Jim Harvey, Robert Schuerger, Mike Hiler

More

ITM of Emergency Power Systems

Planning for Higher Education Journal: Revisiting the Campus Power Dilemma: A Case Study

Tom is a long-time colleague and friend so Mike happily posts his content:

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National Electrical Definitions

NFPA Glossary of Terms

International Building Code Chapter 2: Definitions

International Electrotechnical Commission: Electropedia

Because electrotechnology changes continually, definitions (vocabulary) in its best practice literature changes continually; not unlike any language on earth that adapts to the moment and place.

The changes reflect changes in technology or changes in how the technology works in practice; even how the manufacturers create adaptations to field conditions by combining functions.   Any smart electrical component has a digital language embedded in it, for example.

Consider the 2023 National Electrical Code.  Apart from many others the NEC will contain a major change to Article 100 (Definitions); the subject of elevated debate over the past three years.

When we refer “language” we must distinguish between formal language, informal language, colloquial language and dialect which may differ the language spoken, language written at the office and language used on the job site.  “Terms of art”

2026 National Electrical Code | CMP-1 Second Draft Report 

FREE ACCESS: 2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)

2023 NEC Public Input Report CMP-1 (868 pages)

2023 NEC Second Draft Public Comment Report (914 pages)

Are these terms (or, “terms of art”) best understood in context (upstream articles in Chapters 4 through 8) — or should they be adjudicated by the 14 Principals of Code Making Panel 1?   The answer will arrive in the fullness of time.   Many changes to the National Electrical Code require more than one cycle to stabilize.

Code Making Panel 1 has always been the heaviest of all NEC panels.  As explained n our ABOUT, the University of Michigan held a vote in CMP-1 for 20+ years (11 revision cycles) before moving to the healthcare facilities committee for the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.  Standards Michigan continues its involvement on behalf of the US education facility industry — the second largest building construction market.  There is no other pure user-interest voice on any technical committee; although in some cases consulting companies are retained for special purposes.

To serve the purpose of making NFPA 70 more “useable” we respect the Standards Council decision to make this change if it contributes to the viability of the NFPA business model.  We get to say this because no other trade association comes close to having as enduring and as strong a voice:  NFPA stands above all other US-based SDO’s in fairness and consideration of its constituency.  The electrical safety community in the United States is a mighty tough crowd.

If the change does not work, or work well enough, nothing should prohibit reversing the trend toward “re-centralizing” — or “de-centralizing” the definitions.

Public comment on the First Draft of the 2026 Edition will be received until August 28, 2024. 

Technical Committees meet during the last half of October to respond to public comment on the First Draft of the 2026 National Electrical Code. 

Electrical Contractor: Round 1 of the 2023 NEC: A summary of proposed changes (Mark Earley, July 15, 2021)

Electrical Contractor: 2023 Code Article and Definition Revisions: Accepting (NEC) change, part 2 (Mark Earley, March 15, 2022)

Theatre: Lighting Design

Artificial lighting was first introduced to theater dramatic performance stages in the 17th century. The use of candles and oil lamps initially provided a means to illuminate the stage, allowing performances to take place in the evening and enhancing the visibility for both actors and the audience. Before this development, theatrical performances were typically held during daylight hours due to the reliance on natural light.

In the early 17th century, theaters in England began experimenting with various lighting techniques. Thomas Killigrew’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London, is often credited as one of the first theaters to use artificial lighting. The use of candles and later oil lamps evolved over time, leading to more sophisticated lighting setups as technology advanced.

The 18th and 19th centuries saw further innovations in stage lighting, including the use of gas lamps. Eventually, the introduction of electric lighting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries revolutionized stage lighting, providing theaters with a more reliable and controllable source of illumination. This allowed for greater creativity in the design and execution of lighting effects, contributing significantly to the overall theatrical experience.

Oklahoma City University

More

Stage Lighting 101 — Everything You Need to Know

Boston University: Theater, Lighting Design

Wayne State University: Lighting Design

Illumination 100

 

 

August 14, 2003

“The world is changed by examples, not by opinions.”

Marc Andreesen (Founder of Netscape, the first dominant web browser)

 

August 14, 2003 Power Outage at the University of Michigan

2026 National Electrical Code

Current Issues and Recent Research

Today we examine Second Draft transcripts of the Special Equipment Chapter 6 (CMP-12) and product inspection, testing and certification listings that appear Annex A (CMP-1).

 


Once every eighteen months we spend a week drilling into the National Electrical Code by submitting new proposals or comments on proposed revisions.  Today we review the actions taken by the technical committees on the First Draft.   Responses to committee actions will be received until August 26th.

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace


Premise Wiring

Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources “Microgrids”

National Electrical Definitions

Kitchen Wiring

Solarvoltaic PV Systems

Hospital Plug Load

Data Center Wiring

Electrical Inspector Professional Qualifications

Critical Operations Power Systems

Arenas, Lecture Halls & Theaters

Appliances

Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps

Electric Vehicle Power Transfer

Art, Design & Fashion Studios

Wiring for Luminaires in High Ceiling Occupancies

Infotech 200

INCITS: InterNational Committee for Information Technology StandardsExecutive Board

Today we break down the literature for building, maintaining and supporting the computing infrastructure of education communities.  We use the term “infotech” gingerly to explain action for a  broad span of technologies that encompass enterprise servers and software, wireless and wired networks, campus phone networks, and desktop computers that provide administrative services and career tech video production.   The private sector has moved at light speed to respond to the circumstances of the pandemic; so have vertical incumbents evolving their business models to seek conformance revenue in this plasma-hot domain.

In 2023 we began breaking down the topic accordingly:

Infotech 100: Survey of the principal standards developing organizations whose catalogs are incorporated by reference into federal and state legislation.  Revision cycles.

Infotech 200: Campus computing facilities for research and education

Infotech 300: Communication networks, wired and unwired at the demarcation point; crucial for defining the responsibilities and boundaries between the service provider and the customer.

Infotech 400:  System, middleware and software — Python, Fortran 2018, Apache, Julia, C++ and others

Infotech 300

We collaborate closely with the IEEE Education and Healthcare Electrotechnology Committee.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

 

Internet of Small Things

Freely Available ICT Standards

Outdoor Deicing & Snow Melting

Electrical Safety

“Snow at Argenteuil” | Claude Monet (1875)

Today our focus turns to outdoor electric deicing and snow melting wiring systems identified as suitable for the environment and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.  They work silently to keep snow load from caving in roofs and icicles falling from gutters onto pedestrian pathways.

While the voltage and ampere requirement of the product itself is a known characteristic, the characteristic 0f the wiring pathway — voltage, ampere, grounding, short circuit, disconnect and control — is relatively more complicated and worthy of our attention.   Articles 426-427 of the National Electrical Code is the relevant part of the NEC

Free Access 2023 National Electrical Code

Insight into the ideas running through technical committee deliberations is provided by a review of Panel 17 transcripts:

2023 NEC Panel 17 Public Input Report (633 pages)

2023 NEC Panel 17 Public Comment Report (190 pages)

We hold Articles 427 in the middle of our priority ranking for the 2023 NEC.   We find that the more difficult issues for this technology is the determination of which trade specifies these systems — architectural, electrical, or mechanical; covered in previous posts.   Instead, most of our time will be spent getting IEEE consensus products in step with it, specifically ANSI/IEEE 515 and IEEE 844/CSA 293.

Comments on the Second Draft of the 2026 NEC will be received until April 18th.

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We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Committee which meets online 4 times per month in European and American time zones.  Since a great deal of the technical basis for the NEC originates with the IEEE we will also collaborate with IEEE Standards Coordinating Committee 18 whose members are charged by the IEEE Standards Association to coordinate NFPA and IEEE consensus products.

Issue: [19-151]

Category: Electrical, Energy

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Jose Meijer


LEARN MORE:

IEEE Standard for the Testing, Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Resistance Heat Tracing for Commercial Applications

844.2/CSA C293.2-2017 – IEEE/CSA Standard for Skin Effect Trace Heating of Pipelines, Vessels, Equipment, and Structures–Application Guide for Design, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, and Maintenance

 

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