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Electric Power Availability: Cold Weather Preparedness

PUBLIC LAW 109–58—AUG. 8, 2005 | ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005

Reliability v. Availability

January 25th Joint Meeting of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and FERC: Docket No. AD06-6-000.  Given the close coupling of electric and natural gas supply with respect to power reliability, the mind boggles at the hostility of the Biden Administration to natural gas anywhere on earth.  Natural gas is critical to generation plant black start capabilities and hospitals, among others.

A selection of the presentations:

“Long Term Reliability Assessment” – Presented by Mark Lauby, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, NERC

“Grid Reliability Overview & Updates” – Presented by David Ortiz, Director of the Office of Electric Reliability

“Status of Standards and Implementation for Cold Weather Preparedness and Applicability to Nuclear Plants” – Presented by David Huff, Electrical Engineer, Office of Electric Reliability

“Gas-Electric Coordination Since Winter Storm Uri” – Presented by Heather Polzin, Reliability Enforcement Counsel, Office of Enforcement

“Overview of Power Reactor Activities” – Presented by Andrea Kock, Deputy Office Director for Engineering, NRR

“Grid Reliability Updates” – Presented by Jason Paige, Chief, Long-Term Operations and Modernization Branch, Division of Engineering and External Hazards, NRR

Electrical Resource Adequacy

Related:

Utah State University: History of Probability

Sample Probability and Statistics Problem from Professional Electrical Engineer’s Examination

Loss-of-load-based reliability indices

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

 

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

C. Sandberg

Tyco Thermal Controls

N.R. Rafferty – M. Kleinehanding – J.J. Hernandez

E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Inc 

 

Abstract:  In the past, electrical heat tracing has been thought of as a minor addition to plant utilities. Today, it is recognized as a critical subsystem to be monitored and controlled. A marriage between process, mechanical, and electrical engineers must take place to ensure that optimum economic results are produced. The Internet, expert systems, and falling costs of instrumentation will all contribute to more reliable control systems and improved monitoring systems. There is a harmonization between Europe and North America that should facilitate design and installation using common components. The future holds many opportunities to optimize the design.

CLICK HERE to order complete paper

 


Heat Tracing Installation

Industrial electroheating and electromagnetic processing

Pipe Heating

Heat Tracing

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

 

Tax-Free Bonds

Current Referenda

Perspective:

In the November 2022 elections, a significant number of school bond referenda were presented to voters across the United States. For example, in Wisconsin alone, there were 57 successful capital referenda amounting to nearly $2.1 billion in authorized debt​ (Wisconsin Policy Forum)

In Texas, Central Texas schools had a total of $4.24 billion in bonds on the ballot, covering various propositions for school facilities, technology improvements, and athletic facilities​ (Fox 7 Austin)

In California and Arkansas, bond measures totaling $74 million — including school choice — were aimed at addressing school facility improvements​ (The74Million)

Voters in 16 North Carolina counties approved bond issues totaling $4.27 billion, with $3.08 billion dedicated to K-12 public school construction and improvements​ (EducationNC)

 

“The cure for high prices, is high prices” — They say.

Today we explore fiscal runaway in the US education “industry” with particular interest in the financing instruments for building the real assets that are the beating heart of culture in neighborhoods, cities, counties and states.  We steer clear of social and political issues.  The marketing of these projects — and how the loans are paid off — provides insight into the costs and benefits of this $100+ billion industry; the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States.

Educational Settlement Finance

We cannot do much to stop the hyperbolically rising cost of administrative functionaries but we can force the incumbents we describe in our ABOUT to work a little harder to reduce un-used (or un-useable) space and reduce maintenance cost.  Sometimes simple questions result in obvious answers that result in significant savings.

More recently hybrid teaching and learning space, owing the the circumstances of the pandemic, opens new possibilities for placing downward pressure on cost.

What the University of Michigan has done to reduce the life cycle cost of the real assets of educational settlements


Gallery: School Bond Referenda (August & November Ballots)


Regulation or Money-Laundering?

After Architect-Engineers and Building Construction Contractors (many of whom finance election advocacy enterprises) the following organizations are involved in placing a bond on the open market:

  1. School Districts: Individual school districts issue bonds to fund construction or renovation of school facilities, purchase equipment, or cover other educational expenses. Each school district is responsible for managing its own bond issuances.
  2. Colleges and Universities: Higher education institutions, such as universities and colleges, issue bonds to finance campus expansions, construction of new academic buildings, dormitories, research facilities, and other capital projects.
  3. State-Level Agencies: Many states have agencies responsible for overseeing and coordinating bond issuances for schools and universities. These agencies may facilitate bond sales, help ensure compliance with state regulations, and provide financial assistance to educational institutions.
  4. Municipal Finance Authorities: Municipal finance authorities at the state or local level often play a role in facilitating bond transactions for educational entities. They may act as intermediaries in the bond issuance process.
  5. Investment Banks and Underwriters: Investment banks and underwriters assist educational institutions in structuring and selling their bonds to investors. They help determine bond terms, market the bonds, and manage the offering.
  6. Bond Counsel: Bond counsel, typically law firms, provide legal advice to educational institutions on bond issuances. They help ensure that the bond issuance complies with all legal requirements and regulations.
  7. Rating Agencies: Rating agencies, such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings, assess the creditworthiness of the bonds and assign credit ratings. These ratings influence the interest rates at which the bonds can be issued.
  8. Investors: Various institutional and individual investors, including mutual funds, pension funds, and individual bond buyers, purchase school and university bonds as part of their investment portfolios.
  9. Financial Advisors: Financial advisory firms provide guidance to educational institutions on bond issuances, helping them make informed financial decisions related to borrowing and debt management.
  10. Regulatory Authorities: Federal and state regulatory authorities, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state-specific agencies, oversee and regulate the issuance of bonds to ensure compliance with securities laws and financial regulations.

These organizations collectively contribute to the process of issuing, selling, and managing school and university bonds in the United States, allowing educational institutions to raise the necessary funds for their capital projects and operations. The specific entities involved may vary depending on the size and location of the educational institution and the nature of the bond issuance.

Bond issuances affect local property values.

 

Winter Sport

 

“Indians Playing Lacrosse on the Ice” 1934 Yale University Art Gallery

The literature for designing, building and maintaining sport and recreation related spaces in education settlements cuts across so many safety and sustainability risk aggregations that, starting 2024, we begin breaking up the topic according to four seasons; mindful that not all seasons are present in all settlements at all times of the year.

Join us today when we sort through live public consultations on proposed changes to the most frequently referenced titles.


Hockey

Ice Hockey Arena Lighting


Figure Skating


Rifle


Recreation

Darts

Ice Fishing

Curling

Billiards


Swimming

Coetzenburg Swimming Pool


Related:

Readings / Sport, Culture & Society

Maths and Sport

National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security

Virtual reality technology in evacuation simulation of sport stadiums

 

Ice Hockey Arena Lighting

National Collegiate Athletic Association: August 2022 IRS Form 900 Tax Filing

After athletic arena life safety obligations are met (governed legally by NFPA 70, NFPA 101, NFPA 110,  the International Building Code and possibly other state adaptations of those consensus documents incorporated by reference into public safety law) business objective standards may come into play.For almost all athletic facilities,  the consensus documents of the Illumination Engineering Society[1], the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers[2][3] provide the first principles for life safety.  For business purposes, the documents distributed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association inform the standard of care for individual athletic arenas so that swiftly moving media production companies have some consistency in power sources and illumination as they move from site to site.  Sometimes concepts to meet both life safety and business objectives merge.

 

During hockey season the document linked below provides information to illumination designers and facility managers:

NCAA Best Lighting Practices

Athletic programs are a significant source of revenue and form a large part of the foundation of the brand identity of most educational institutions in the United States.   We focus primarily upon the technology standards that govern the safety, performance and sustainability of these enterprises.  We collaborate very closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee where subject matter experts in electrical power systems meet 4 times each month in the Americas and Europe.

See our CALENDAR for our next colloquium on Sport facility codes and standards  We typically walk through the safety and sustainability concepts in play; identify commenting opportunities; and find user-interest “champions” on the technical committees who have a similar goal in lowering #TotalCostofOwnership.

Issue: [15-138]*

Category: Electrical, Architectural, Arts & Entertainment Facilities, Athletics

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Jack Janveja, Jose Meijer, Scott Gibbs


LEARN MORE:

[1] Illumination Engineering Handbook

[2] IEEE 3001.9 Recommended Practice for Design of Power Systems for Supplying Lighting Systems for Commercial & Industrial Facilities

[3] IEEE 3006.1 Power System Reliability

 

* Issue numbering before 2016 dates back to the original University of Michigan codes and standards advocacy enterprise 

Heat Tracing Installation

“Vue de toits (effet de neige)” 1878 Gustave Caillebotte

One of the core documents for heat tracing is entering a new 5-year revision cycle; a consensus standard that is especially relevant this time of year because of the personal danger and property damage that is possible in the winter months.  Education communities depend upon heat tracing for several reasons; just a few of them listed below:

  • Ice damming in roof gutters that can cause failure of roof and gutter structural support
  • Piping systems for sprinkler systems and emergency power generation equipment
  • Sidewalk, ramp and stairway protection

IEEE 515 Standard for the Testing, Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Resistance Trace Heating for Industrial Applications is one of several consensus documents for trace heating technology.   Its inspiration originates in the petrochemical industry but its principles apply to all education facilities exposed to cold temperature and snow.   From its prospectus:

This standard provides requirements for the testing, design,installation, and maintenance of electrical resistance trace heating in general industries as applied to pipelines, vessels, pre-traced and thermally insulated instrument tubing and piping, and mechanical equipment. The electrical resistance trace heating is in the form of series trace heaters, parallel trace heaters, and surface heating devices. The requirements also include test criteria to determine the suitability of these heating devices utilized in unclassified (ordinary) locations.

Its principles can, and should be applied with respect to other related documents:

National Electrical Code Article 427

NECA 202 Standard for Installing and Maintaining Industrial Heat Tracing Systems

IEC 62395 Electrical resistance trace heating systems for industrial and commercial applications

 ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings

Lowell House / Harvard University

We are happy to explain the use of this document in design guidelines and/or construction specifications during any of our daily colloquia.   We generally find more authoritative voices in collaborations with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times per month in Europe and in the Americas.  We maintain this title on the standing agenda of our Snow & Ice colloquia.  See our CALENDER for the next online meeting.

Issue: [18-331]

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard

Category: Electrical, #SmartCampus


LEARN MORE:

Good Building Practice for Northern Facilities

Electrical Heat Tracing:International Harmonization Now and in the Future, IEEE Industry Standards Magazine, May/June 2002 pages 50-56

 

Ice Swimming

January 1st is Polar Bear Plunge Day in the Great Lakes.  It is also popular among the young in other “watery” universities around the world.

2023 St. Clair College Polar Bear Plunge

Polar Plunge at the University of Michigan

Pleasures and Hazards

Pleasures:

  1. Increased adrenaline rush: Cold water swimming can produce a surge of adrenaline in the body, which can make you feel more energized and alert.
  2. Improved mood: Cold water swimming has been associated with an increased release of endorphins, which can elevate your mood and reduce stress levels.
  3. Improved immune function: Cold water swimming has been shown to improve immune function, possibly due to the stress response induced by the cold water.
  4. Sense of accomplishment: Many people find ice swimming to be a challenging and rewarding experience, providing a sense of accomplishment and pride.
  5. Social bonding: Ice swimming can be a social activity, with groups of people coming together to share the experience and support each other.

Hazards:

  1. Hypothermia: Prolonged exposure to cold water can cause hypothermia, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
  2. Cold shock response: Entering cold water can cause an involuntary gasp reflex, which can lead to drowning if it occurs while the head is underwater.
  3. Heart problems: Cold water swimming can put a strain on the heart and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with underlying cardiovascular disease.
  4. Frostbite: Exposed skin can become frostbitten in cold water, particularly in extremities such as the fingers and toes.
  5. Injury from slipping or falling: Ice swimming can be hazardous if proper safety precautions are not taken, such as wearing appropriate footwear and using a rope or ladder to enter and exit the water.

 

College Polar Bear Plunges

2023 St. Clair College Polar Bear Plunge

Polar Plunge at the University of Michigan

Wild Swimming

 

INTERVIEW: Student Ellie Ford on founding the University’s first cold water swimming group

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Port Meadow is absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to swim. We often swim in a different spot from other open water swimming groups in order to create a more relaxed environment – especially for our beginners. We do special beginners swims on Saturdays, to ease new members into the practise slowly and very carefully.

Safety is paramount, so I’ll walk them in to the water and they can immerse themselves as much as they want. We never allow anyone to jump or dive into cold water – the shock can cause a swimmer to gulp for air and subsequently ingest water; it’s always a gentle process.” — Ellie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sex Difference in Female and Male Ice Swimmers

Ice Swimming

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