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Rightsizing Electrical Power Systems

Standards Michigan, spun-off in 2016 from the original University of Michigan Business & Finance Operation, has peppered NFPA 70 technical committees writing the 2016-2026 National Electric Code with proposals to reduce the size of building premise feeder infrastructure; accommodating the improvements made in illumination and rotating machinery energy conservation since the 1980’s (variable frequency drives, LED lighting, controls, etc.)

These proposals are routinely voted down in 12-20 member committees representing manufacturers (primarily) though local inspection authorities are complicit in overbuilding electric services because they “bill by the service panel ampere rating”.  In other words, when a municipality can charge a higher inspection fee for a 1200 ampere panel, what incentive is there to support changes to the NEC that takes that inspection fee down to 400 amperes?

The energy conservation that would result from the acceptance of our proposals into the NEC are related to the following: reduced step down transformer sizes, reduced wire and conduit sizes, reduced panelboard sizes, reduced electric room cooling systems — including the HVAC cooling systems and the ceiling plenum sheet metal carrying the waste heat away.   Up to 20 percent energy savings is in play here and all the experts around the table know it.   So much for the economic footprint of the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States — about $120 billion annually.

The market incumbents are complicit in ignoring energy conservation opportunity.  To paraphrase one of Mike Anthony’s colleagues representing electrical equipment manufacturers:

“You’re right Mike, but I am getting paid to vote against you.”

NFPA Electrical Division knows it, too.

University of Michigan

 

Rightsizing Commercial Electrical Power Systems: Review of a New Exception in NEC Section 220.12

Michael A. AnthonyJames R. Harvey

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Thomas L. Harman

University of Houston, Clear Lake, Texas

For decades, application of National Electrical Code (NEC) rules for sizing services, feeders and branch circuits has resulted in unused capacity in almost all occupancy classes. US Department of Energy data compiled in 1999 indicates average load on building transformers between 10 and 25 percent. More recent data gathered by the educational facilities industry has verified this claim. Recognizing that aggressive energy codes are driving energy consumption lower, and that larger than necessary transformers create larger than necessary flash hazard, the 2014 NEC will provide an exception in Section 220.12 that will permit designers to reduce transformer kVA ratings and all related components of the power delivery system. This is a conservative, incremental step in the direction of reduced load density that is limited to lighting systems. More study of feeder and branch circuit loading is necessary to inform discussion about circuit design methods in future revisions of the NEC.

CLICK HERE for complete paper

University of Houston

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

Global Positioning System: A Generation of Service to the World

Citizens of the Earth depend upon United States leadership in this technology for several reasons:

Development: The GPS was originally developed by the US Department of Defense for military purposes, but it was later made available for civilian use. The US has invested heavily in the development and maintenance of the system, which has contributed to its leadership in this area.

Coverage: The GPS provides global coverage, with 24 satellites orbiting the earth and transmitting signals that can be received by GPS receivers anywhere in the world. This level of coverage is unmatched by any other global navigation system.

Accuracy: The US has worked to continually improve the accuracy of the GPS, with current accuracy levels estimated at around 10 meters for civilian users and even higher accuracy for military users.

Innovation: The US has continued to innovate and expand the capabilities of the GPS over time, with newer versions of the system including features such as higher accuracy, improved anti-jamming capabilities, and the ability to operate in more challenging environments such as indoors or in urban canyons.

Collaboration: The US has collaborated with other countries to expand the reach and capabilities of the GPS, such as through the development of compatible navigation systems like the European Union’s Galileo system and Japan’s QZSS system.

United States leadership in the GPS has been driven by a combination of investment, innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to improving the accuracy and capabilities of the system over time.

Timing Applications: GPS.GOV

Suggested Functional Specifications for a GPS-Synchronized Clock System using Network Time Protocol and Power over Ethernet

Construction Specifications for Exterior Clocks

Seamless positioning system using GPS and beacons for community service robot

Global Positioning System: Monitoring the Fuel Consumption in Transport Distribution

Bangers and Mash

University of New England Financial Report 2022 | ($30.81M)

Classic British comfort food.  The origin of the recipe can be traced back to the United Kingdom in the mid-20th century. The dish’s name, “bangers,” comes from the habit of sausages bursting open (banging) while cooking due to their high water content, particularly during World War II when meat was scarce, and fillers were added to sausages.

The popularity of sausages and mashed potatoes as a meal likely dates back much further in British culinary history. Sausages have been a part of British cuisine for centuries, and mashed potatoes have been consumed in the UK since potatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century.  It has long since become the go-to meal for college students seeking a satisfying, simple, and budget-friendly option during their academic years.

Ingredients:

Pork sausages (traditional British bangers)
Potatoes (such as Russet or Yukon Gold)
Butter
Milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Onion gravy (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

Start by preparing the sausages. You can grill, pan-fry, or oven-bake them until they are cooked through and nicely browned.

While the sausages are cooking, peel and chop the potatoes into chunks. Place them in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a potato ricer.

Add butter and a splash of milk or cream to the mashed potatoes, and continue mashing until you achieve your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the cooked sausages on top of the mashed potatoes, and if desired, pour onion gravy over the dish.

The History of “Bangers and Mash” as a College Meal:

Simplicity: The dish is easy to prepare, requiring basic cooking skills and readily available ingredients, making it ideal for students who may have limited cooking facilities or time.

Affordability: Sausages and potatoes are often budget-friendly ingredients, making “Bangers and Mash” a cost-effective meal for students on tight budgets.

Comfort and Nostalgia: The dish’s hearty and comforting nature brings a sense of nostalgia and home-cooked goodness to college students, especially those living away from home for the first time.

Social Meal: “Bangers and Mash” is a dish that can be shared with friends or hallmates, making it a popular choice for communal meals in college dormitories or shared kitchens.

Overall, “Bangers and Mash” has not only been a staple in British cuisine but also a go-to meal for college students seeking a satisfying, simple, and budget-friendly option during their academic years.

Standards Australia

Date & Time: Representations For Information Interchange

“A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery” | Joseph Wright (1766)

Most nations follow the day/month/year format (07/01/19 for January 7, 2019, for example), but the United States adheres to its own format of month/day/year (1/7/19 or 1/7/2019).   The potential for misinterpreting dates across national boundaries is the logic for ISO 8601:2019 – Data Elements And Interchange Formats – Information Interchange – Representation Of Dates And Times, the ISO format for dates represents year, month, and day from the largest unit to the smallest, most specific unit of time.  The ISO date format is the date format used in SQL and is the default date setting on many computers.

ISO 8601-1:2019 Date And Time – Representations For Information Interchange – Part 1: Basic Rules

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR INTERACTIVE MAP


More

Time and Date

How the ISO Date Format Tells Today

ISO Date Format

Date and time formats used in HTML

Making Greenwich the centre of the world

Museum Collections Security

Several universities host federal enterprises (laboratories, wildlands, Presidential libraries*, etc.) that must conform to Title 40 United States Code, Public Buildings, Property, and Works Paragraph 486(c) provides statutory authority for the head of each executive agency to issue orders and directives necessary to manage the Government’s property. 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 41 Federal Property Management Regulations Part 101, Subpart 20.5 “Physical Protection”, prescribes policies and methods for physically protecting buildings and grounds operated by GSA and other Federal Executive agencies. The Department of the Interior’s property management regulations are in Part 114 of CFR 41.

Museum Management Chapter 14: Museum Collections Security

Museum Lighting & Lighting for Fine Art

Cultural Resource Properties

Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films

* There are only a few education communities that host Presidential Libraries:

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum – West Branch, Iowa (Hoover Institution, Stanford University)

Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum – Austin, Texas (The University of Texas at Austin)

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum – Ann Arbor, Michigan (The University of Michigan)

George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum – College Station, Texas (Texas A&M University)

 

Classroom Acoustics

 

Donegan Acoustics

With acoustic considerations a substantial contributor to the effectiveness of learning spaces — classrooms, lecture hall, performance arts and athletic venues, etc.  — we follow action in the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) suite of ANSI-accredited standards.

ASA Standards Homepage

For example, building codes in the United States identify horizontal and vertical acoustic insulation between floors and between walls, respectively, as design considerations.   Section 1206.2 of the International Building Code deal with  horizontal and vertical wall sealant applications for “airborne sound” mitigation, for example.   Fire protection and mass notification systems identified in NFPA 72 and UL 2572 depend upon alarms actually being heard by the occupants underscore the importance of acoustic design.  When lively art spaces are also instructional spaces we seek to understand the standard of care for acoustic design of classroom spaces.   Of particular interest to us in the ASA bibliography is the title linked below:

ASA S12.60 Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools, Part 2: Relocatable Classroom Factors.

This is a fairly stable standard; though other sound related technologies we cover in other sound related technologies (ISO TC/43 Acoustics and IEC Electroacoustics TC 29).  Last year’s update was required by ANSI and we had no comments to submit; absent queries from students, faculty and staff.  It is wise to keep it on our radar, however, given the step-change in education communities owed to the pandemic.

On your own you may communicate with Caryn Mennigke at ASA: (631) 390-0215, asastds@acousticalsociety.org.  The ASA uses ANSI Standards Action for issuing live public consultation notices.

Since acoustic technologies cut across many disciplines we maintain it on the standing agenda of our Construction, Lively Art and Nota Bene teleconferences.   See our CALENDAR next scheduled meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [19-140]

Category: Academics, Architectural, #SmartCampus

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Kristen Murphy


LEARN MORE:

Room acoustic design, measurement, and simulation techniques to reduce hospital noises within patients’ environment | Mojtaba Navvab,  University of Michigan

Acoustical/Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools   International Code Council

ASTM Standard E90, 2009 (2016). Standard Test Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building Partitions and Elements

 

Study on the Relationship Between Speech Intelligibility and Quality Estimates in University Classrooms

Study on the Relationship Between Speech Intelligibility and Quality Estimates in University Classrooms

 

Study on the Relationship Between Speech Intelligibility and Quality Estimates in University Classrooms

Arkadiy Prodeus, et al

Abstract: In this paper, correlation coefficients between the five objective estimates of speech quality, on the one hand, and the Speech Transmission Index as speech intelligibility measure, on the other hand, were estimated. This comparison was performed using binaural room impulse responses corresponded to different points of the three university auditoriums of different sizes. Speech quality was assessed using intrusive speech quality measures: Segmental Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Logarithmic Spectral Distortion, Frequency-Weighted Segmental Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Bark Spectral Distortion, and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality. The formation of signals distorted by reverberation was performed by convolving of pure signals with binaural room impulse responses of the premises. A high level of correlation (0.6-0.99) of Bark Spectral Distortion estimates with estimates of the Speech Transmission Index for rooms of different sizes was revealed. Correlation of estimates (0.65-0.98) of Frequency-Weighted Segmental Signal-to-Noise ratio with Speech Transmission Index estimates was observed for medium and large rooms. Significant correlation (0.96-0.99) of Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality with Speech Transmission Index estimates was observed only for large audiences. At the same time, estimates of the Segmental Signal-to-Noise Ratio and Logarithmic Spectral Distortion turned out to be practically uncorrelated with Speech Transmission Index estimates for all studied premises.

CLICK HERE to order complete paper

Campus Outdoor Lighting

“The Starry Night” | Vincent van Gogh

The IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee has completed a chapter on recommended practice for designing, building, operating and maintaining campus exterior lighting systems in the forthcoming IEEE 3001.9 Recommended Practice for the Design of Power Systems for Supplying Commercial and Industrial Lighting Systems; a new IEEE Standards Association title inspired by, and derived from, the legacy “IEEE Red Book“.  The entire IEEE Color Book suite is in the process of being replaced by the IEEE 3000 Standards Collection™  which offers faster-moving and more scaleable, guidance to campus power system designers.

Campus exterior lighting systems generally run in the 100 to 10,000 fixture range and are, arguably, the most visible characteristic of public safety infrastructure.   Some major research universities have exterior lighting systems that are larger and more complex than cooperative and municipal power company lighting systems which are regulated by public service commissions.

While there has been considerable expertise in developing illumination concepts by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Illumination Engineering Society, the American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers, the International Electrotechnical Commission and the International Commission on Illumination, none of them contribute to leading practice discovery for the actual power chain for these large scale systems on a college campus.   The standard of care has been borrowed, somewhat anecdotally, from public utility community lighting system practice.  These concepts need to be revisited as the emergent #SmartCampus takes shape.

Electrical power professionals who service the education and university-affiliated healthcare facility industry should communicate directly with Mike Anthony (maanthon@umich.edu) or Jim Harvey (jharvey@umich.edu).  This project is also on the standing agenda of the IEEE E&H committee which meets online 4 times monthly — every other Tuesday — in European and American time zones.  Login credentials are available on its draft agenda page.

Issue: [15-199]

Category: Electrical, Public Safety, Architectural, #SmartCampus, Space Planning, Risk Management

Contact: Mike Anthony, Kane Howard, Jim Harvey, Dev Paul, Steven Townsend, Kane Howard


LEARN MORE:

Sound Transmission

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