Electrical, power systems in industrial projects
Fifty-seven percent of engineers specify, design or make product selections for industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses, according to the Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2018 Electrical & Power Study — and 89% of these engineers are responsible for determining the requirements/writing the electrical and power system specifications for these projects. Below are five electrical and power system findings as they relate to industrial/manufacturing facility/warehouse projects:
- Design value: Engineering firms are specifying $3 million annually, on average, in electrical and power systems for new and existing industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses, with 37% specifying more than $3 million.
- Recent changes: When specifying electrical and power systems for industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses, engineers have recently observed changes to budget/cost of projects or products specified (50%), energy efficiency (48%), codes and standards (47%) and the “internet of things” (47%).
- Specifications: For industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses, performance electrical or power systems specifications are written 74% of the time, followed by prescriptive and open: proprietary.
- Design coordination: When specifying electrical and power systems for industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses, the facility owner has the most input or impact on design, followed by contractors (electrical, HVAC, etc.) and the facility manager.
- Challenges: Inadequate budgets (82%), the speed of project delivery (79%) and designing for energy efficiency (66%) are the top challenges engineers face when specifying electrical and power systems for industrial/manufacturing facilities/warehouses.
7 in 10 engineers are responsible for researching and evaluating lights, lighting equipment and/or lighting controls on projects. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Lighting & Lighting Controls Study
⅔ of engineering firms obtained design revenue in the past year for projects involving water-based, sprinkler suppression systems. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2019 Fire & Life Safety Study
58% of engineers expect an increased demand for renewable energy technologies in upcoming projects. Source: Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2018 Electrical & Power Study
More research
Consulting-Specifying Engineer covers several research topics each year. All reports are available at www.csemag.com/research.
View more information at www.csemag.com/articles/2018-electrical-power-study. Amanda Pelliccione is the research director at CFE Media.
