2019 Electrical & Power System Study

Respondents to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Electrical & Power Systems Study identified several high-level findings impacting the electrical and power industries today: 

1. Electrical, power revenue: The average engineering firm specifies about $3.6 million annually for electrical and power systems in new and existing buildings, up 21% over 2018 data. 
2. Systems specified: Eight in 10 engineers currently specify circuit breakers, fuses, etc.; cable, wire, etc.; and cable management, raceways, busways, etc. 
3. Selection involvement: Ninety-two percent of respondents are responsible for determining the requirements/writing specifications for electrical or power systems. Another 69% research and evaluate options, while 68% recommend the brand and 64% supervise or consult on projects. 
4. Design factors: Ninety-nine percent of engineers agree that product quality is the most important factor to their specification of one electrical or power system over another, followed by manufacturer’s reputation (88%), previous experience with a manufacturer (88%), design support offerings (87%) and technical advantage (87%). 
5. Top challenges: Eighty-four percent of engineers agree that an inadequate budget for high-quality design is a difficult challenge affecting the future of electrical and power systems, engineers, and/or the industry; other top challenges include speed of project delivery (77%) and the subjective interpretation of regulations by code authorities (70%). 

Access more electrical and power trends from this report here. Amanda Pelliccione is the research director at CFE Media. 

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