2015 Electrical and Power Study: Seven key findings for the electrical, power industries

Respondents to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2015 Electrical and Power Study identified seven high-level findings impacting the electrical and power industries today.

By Amanda Pelliccione, Consulting-Specifying Engineer May 26, 2015

Respondents to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2015 Electrical and Power Study identified seven high-level findings impacting the electrical and power industries today:

  1. Electrical, power revenue: The average engineering firm specifies about $3.1 million annually for electrical and power systems in new and existing building projects, up 2.5% from 2014.
    • Forty-two percent of last year’s design revenue was spent on new construction projects; 35% on retrofit/renovation; 13% on maintenance/operation; and 7% on commissioning/retro-commissioning.
  2. Systems specified: Eighty-two percent of engineers currently specify electrical distribution and/or circuit breakers, fuses, or similar electrical or power systems/equipment.
  3. Selection involvement: Seventy-seven percent of respondents are responsible for determining requirements/writing specifications for electrical or power systems. Another 69% research and evaluate options, while 66% supervise or consult on the project.
  4. Specifications: Twenty-seven percent of respondents always use performance electrical or power specifications issued by their firm, and another 49% frequently use these specifications.
  5. Building structures: The top three building types for which respondents specify, design, or make electrical or power product selections are industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses (64%), office buildings (63%), and educational facilities (47%).
  6. Design factors: Ninety-nine percent of engineers agree that product quality is the most important factor to their specification of electrical and power systems over another, followed by manufacturer’s reputation (93%), technical advantage (92%), and previous experience with manufacturer (92%).
  7. Top challenges: Eight in 10 engineers agree that an inadequate budget and project delivery speed are fairly difficult challenges that they are currently facing in electrical or power systems and design.

Download the full report for additional findings at www.csemag.com/2015ElectricalPower. 


Other interesting research news:

66% of engineers have observed a big change in designing or specifying HVAC systems with regard to energy efficiency. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2014 HVAC and Building Automation Systems Study

7 in 10 engineers expect to specify detection equipment and/or smoke detection, control systems, and dampers within the next 12 months. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2015 Fire & Life Safety Study

$8.5 million: Average annual MEP/FP design revenue earned by firms specifying electrical or power systems, an increase of 3.8% since 2014. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2015 Electrical & Power Study


More research

Consulting-Specifying Engineer surveys its audience on four topics each year: fire and life safety; electrical and power; lighting and lighting controls; and HVAC and building automation systems. All of the reports are available online at www.csemag.com/research.