Distribution Planning Standards Eng
Distribution Planning Standards Eng
Distribution Planning Standards Eng
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 14
2. General Standard Principles of Network Planning ....................................................................... 16
3. Definitions..................................................................................................................................... 17
4. Operating Conditions .................................................................................................................... 26
5. Customer Load Estimation Methodology ..................................................................................... 32
5.1. Classification of customer facilities ...................................................................................... 32
Connected loads estimation for normal residential dwelling (Facility category C1) .... 35
Connected loads estimation for normal commercial shops (Facility category C2) ...... 36
Connected loads estimation for combined type customer (C1 and C2) ........................ 36
Connected loads estimation for C1 and C2 with both window/split AC and central
AC 37
Connected loads estimation for customer categories C1 and C2 with built-up area
exceeding table limits.................................................................................................................... 38
Connected loads estimation for customer categories C1 and C2 with ceiling height above
3.5m 38
Connected loads estimation for area-based types with additional special loads ........... 38
Connected loads estimation for other area-based customer facility types (C3 – C17) . 39
Connected loads estimation for non-area based customer facility types (C18 to C29) 40
Connected loads estimation for facilities in winter peak area (without AC & with
heating) 41
5.7. Service meter for normal residential dwelling and normal commercial shops types............ 45
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5.8. Demand factors for all facility types ..................................................................................... 46
Procedure for coincident demand load calculation (for 20A to 800A) ......................... 49
Procedure for coincident demand load calculation for connection through Private
Substation (more than 800A) ........................................................................................................ 51
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Calculation of Voltage Drop ......................................................................................... 95
4
MRMU ........................................................................................................................ 208
8.2. Development Project Or Plot Plan Load Estimation Methodology .................................... 209
8.7. Connecting of Plot Plan MV Network to SEC Supply Source ........................................... 228
8.8. Method for Determining Need for Dedicated Grid Station for Private Plan....................... 232
8.9. Future Treatment of Connection of Plot Plan to MV Supply (in case of temporary
supply) ............................................................................................................................................ 236
8.10. Arithmetic Examples to Illustrate Calculations for Private Plan Connection ................. 237
5
Detailed Step-by-step procedure ................................................................................. 262
Peak load assessment of grid stations, main distribution substations, and feeders ..... 273
6
Flicker ......................................................................................................................... 339
Connected loads estimation for normal residential dwelling (Facility category C1) .. 345
Connected loads estimation for normal commercial shops (Facility category C2) .... 346
Additional Inputs for LV Network Planning (Modules & Tables) ............................. 364
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10.12. References ....................................................................................................................... 431
8
List of Figures
Figure 1: Representation of Harmonic Frequency ................................................................................ 19
Figure 2: Customer Remarks Process ................................................................................................... 56
Figure 3: Standard cost estimating procedure ....................................................................................... 58
Figure 4: Total project cost estimate ..................................................................................................... 60
Figure 5: Customer cost estimate .......................................................................................................... 61
Figure 6: Technical connection through distribution pillar................................................................... 84
Figure 7: Scheme connection through distribution pillar ...................................................................... 84
Figure 8: Technical direct connection................................................................................................... 85
Figure 9: Scheme direct connection ...................................................................................................... 85
Figure 10: Technical connection through two distribution pillars ........................................................ 86
Figure 11: Scheme connection through two distribution pillars ........................................................... 86
Figure 12: OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 50 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor .............................. 124
Figure 13: OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 120 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor ............................ 125
Figure 14: OH Main Feeder with Service Connection UG Cable....................................................... 126
Figure 15: Single Loop ....................................................................................................................... 169
Figure 16: Radial System .................................................................................................................... 169
Figure 17: Tee Loop (Option 1) .......................................................................................................... 169
Figure 18: Tee Loop (Option 2) .......................................................................................................... 170
Figure 19: Load from 1 MVA up to 4 MVA, 13,8 kV........................................................................ 174
Figure 20: Loads of 4 MVA to 8 MVA, 13.8 kV ............................................................................... 175
Figure 21: Loads of 8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV ............................................................................. 176
Figure 22: Loads of 16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV ........................................................................... 177
Figure 23: Loads of 8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV ............................................................................. 178
Figure 24: Loads of 16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV ........................................................................... 179
Figure 25: Loads from 1 MVA up to 10 MVA, 33 kV ....................................................................... 180
Figure 26: Loads from 10 MVA to 18 MVA, 33 kV .......................................................................... 181
Figure 27: Loads from 18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV .......................................................................... 182
Figure 28: Loads from 18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV .......................................................................... 183
Figure 29: Standard Design of MV Network for Plot Plan ................................................................. 227
Figure 30: MV Network Design when Number of Single Loops is 2 or more ................................... 230
Figure 31: SEC Distribution Network Planning Strategy ................................................................... 240
Figure 32: Integrated Network Planning............................................................................................. 241
Figure 33: Timeline for Network Planning Processes ........................................................................ 242
Figure 34: Integration of Network Planning with other SEC Distribution Planning Processes.......... 243
Figure 35: Coordination Related to Network Planning....................................................................... 244
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Figure 36: Criteria for Network Planning ........................................................................................... 245
Figure 37: Long-term Network Planning ............................................................................................ 260
Figure 38: SEC Load Forecasting Process .......................................................................................... 267
Figure 39: Trending Method of Forecasting ....................................................................................... 275
Figure 40: Load Forecasting Review Process ..................................................................................... 280
Figure 41: Reinforcement from existing Distribution Substation ....................................................... 285
Figure 42: Reinforcement from existing Distribution Substation ....................................................... 285
Figure 43: Reinforcement from existing Distribution PMT ............................................................... 286
Figure 44: Technical Losses in SEC Distribution ............................................................................... 287
Figure 45: Representation of Voltage Regulator ................................................................................ 300
Figure 46: Regulating a three-phase, three-wire circuit with two regulators ...................................... 301
Figure 47: Regulating a three-phase, three-wire circuit with three regulators .................................... 301
Figure 48: Schematic of a single-phase, 32-step voltage regulator..................................................... 302
Figure 49: Typical Single Line Diagram of 33KV Voltage Regulator Type (A) ............................. 302
Figure 50: Cut-away example of Cooper Power Capacitor Unit ........................................................ 307
Figure 51: Electrical Circuit Diagram for Auto-recloser .................................................................... 314
Figure 52: Location Diagram of Sectionalizer in Overhead Networks ............................................... 315
Figure 53: Identification of Feeders for Installation of Auto-reclosers and Sectionalizers ................ 316
Figure 54: Typical Vertical Break Load Break Switch – Saudi LUCY – Type “RX-M” LBS ......... 319
Figure 55: Sample Power Quality Disturbance Recording Form ....................................................... 322
Figure 56: Fourier Series Representation of Distorted Waveform ..................................................... 327
Figure 57: Voltage and Current Waveforms Without Use of Filters .................................................. 330
Figure 58: 1st and 2nd Order Filters ................................................................................................... 331
Figure 59: Voltage Fluctuations.......................................................................................................... 338
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List of Tables
Table 1: Standard Service Voltages ...................................................................................................... 26
Table 2: Planning Levels for Individual Harmonic Voltages in MV .................................................... 26
Table 3: Voltage Drop Allocation for LV Customers ........................................................................... 29
Table 4: Overview of customer facility categories ............................................................................... 32
Table 5: Load Estimation for other area-based facilities, facilities without AC and facilities in Winter
Peak Area .............................................................................................................................................. 39
Table 6: Demand factors for all facility types....................................................................................... 46
Table 7: Coincident factors ................................................................................................................... 47
Table 8: Considerations for Load Estimation of Special Cases ............................................................ 54
Table 9: Approval Levels (for both Customer funded and SEC funded projects) ................................ 65
Table 10: Conversion factors UG ......................................................................................................... 91
Table 11: Coincident Demand Load (CDL) UG ................................................................................... 91
Table 12: K Values ............................................................................................................................... 95
Table 13: Supply Method for 400A Meter LV Customer (Underground) .......................................... 106
Table 14: Supply Method for 500A Meter LV Customer ................................................................... 106
Table 15: Supply Method for 600A Meter LV Customer ................................................................... 107
Table 16: Supply Method for 800A Meter LV Customer ................................................................... 107
Table 17: LV Panel Characteristics for LV Customers >800A Load ................................................. 109
Table 18: LV Distribution panel overview ......................................................................................... 114
Table 19: LV Cable current ratings..................................................................................................... 116
Table 20: LV Cable characteristics (AC resistance and reactance) .................................................... 116
Table 21: Standard conditions overview ............................................................................................. 117
Table 22: Burial Depth Correction Factors ......................................................................................... 118
Table 23: Soil Resistivity Correction Factors ..................................................................................... 118
Table 24: Ground Temperature Correction Factors ............................................................................ 118
Table 25: MCCB ratings and maximum size of conductors ............................................................... 119
Table 26: Meter CB ratings by meter type .......................................................................................... 119
Table 27: Overview of meter boxes .................................................................................................... 120
Table 28: Overview of maximum size of LV cables suitable for the incoming terminals.................. 120
Table 29: Conversion factor OH ......................................................................................................... 131
Table 30: Coincident Demand Load (CDL) OH ................................................................................. 131
Table 31: K Constant Values .............................................................................................................. 136
Table 32: Supply Method for 300A Meter LV Customer (Overhead) ................................................ 145
Table 33: Supply Method for 400A Meter LV Customer (Overhead) ................................................ 146
Table 34: Overview of pole mounted transformer sizes and voltage ratios ........................................ 148
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Table 35: Overview of PMT transformers and numbers of connected cables .................................... 148
Table 36: No. & Size of Incomer Cables for Different Voltages (V) ................................................. 149
Table 37: Fuse link ratings .................................................................................................................. 149
Table 38: PMT cabinets main features ............................................................................................... 149
Table 39: Ratings and Firm Capacities of PMT LV Cabinets (Firm capacities mentioned in
brackets) .............................................................................................................................................. 150
Table 40: Conductor current ratings and firm capacities (mentioned within brackets) ...................... 151
Table 41: Conductor characteristics .................................................................................................... 151
Table 42: Standard conditions overview ............................................................................................. 152
Table 43: MCCB ratings and maximum size of conductors ............................................................... 154
Table 44: Meter CB ratings by meter type .......................................................................................... 155
Table 45: Overview of meter boxes .................................................................................................... 155
Table 46: Overview of maximum size of LV cables suitable for the incoming terminals.................. 155
Table 47: Maximum loading of different types of feeders ................................................................. 162
Table 48: Contingency planning for grid station with single transformer .......................................... 163
Table 49: Contingency planning for grid station with two transformers ............................................ 163
Table 50: Contingency planning for grid station with three transformers .......................................... 163
Table 51: Contingency planning for grid station with single bus station............................................ 163
Table 52: Contingency planning for grid station with two bus stations.............................................. 164
Table 53: Contingency planning for grid station with three bus stations............................................ 164
Table 54: Contingency planning for radial feeder .............................................................................. 164
Table 55: Contingency planning for single open loop ........................................................................ 164
Table 56: Contingency planning for tee loop...................................................................................... 165
Table 57: Voltage Drop Calculations for MV Cables and Conductors............................................... 185
Table 58: Frequently used cables and conductors............................................................................... 200
Table 59: Standard cable rating conditions (MV) ............................................................................... 201
Table 60: Cable ratings for buried cables (MV) ................................................................................. 201
Table 61: Burial depth correction factors ........................................................................................... 202
Table 62: Soil thermal resistivity correction factors ........................................................................... 202
Table 63: Ground temperature correction factors ............................................................................... 203
Table 64: Cable characteristics ........................................................................................................... 203
Table 65: Standard line rating conditions for overhead lines ............................................................. 205
Table 66: Normal load ratings for overhead lines ............................................................................... 205
Table 67: Ambient temperature correction factors ............................................................................. 205
Table 68: Altitude correction factors .................................................................................................. 206
Table 69: Wind velocity correction factors......................................................................................... 206
Table 70: Conductor temperature correction factors .......................................................................... 206
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Table 71: Conductor characteristics .................................................................................................... 206
Table 72: Conversion factor overview ................................................................................................ 210
Table 73: Check list for Revision of Technical Study for Plot Plan ................................................... 235
Table 74: Areas with Winter Peaks..................................................................................................... 269
Table 75: Distribution Security of Supply Standards by ECRA ......................................................... 297
Table 76: Planning Levels for Individual Harmonic Voltages in MV ................................................ 329
Table 77: Voltage Drop Allocation for LV Customers ....................................................................... 341
Table 78: Facility Category C1: Loads Of Residential Buildings -220 V Phase To Phase ................ 345
Table 79: Facility Category C1: Loads Of Residential Buildings - 400/230 V .................................. 346
Table 80: Facility Category C2: Loads Of Commercial Buildings - 220 V Phase To Phase ............. 346
Table 81: Facility Category C2: Loads Of Commercial Buildings - 400/230 V ................................ 347
Table 82: Individual equipment demand factors ................................................................................. 349
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1. INTRODUCTION
The objective of Power Distribution System is to deliver the Electrical power to customers in
safe, reliable and most economical way such that the customer receives a supply of Electrical
power required by him at the time and place at which he can use it.
Several parameters of an Electricity supply such as frequency, continuity of supply, voltage
level, etc. should be within allowable limits to ensure that the Customer obtains satisfactory
performance for his electrical equipment while ensuring that the demands of the Customers
continue to be met, the capital and operating costs of doing so should be reduced minimum as
possible.
This consolidated “Distribution Planning Standard (DPS)” serve as a guideline to the Planning
Engineers in the Saudi Electricity Company for the Planning of Distribution Network. It unifies
the earlier Distribution Planning Standards into a single document. The following DPS have
been consolidated in this document:
DPS – Original Distribution Planning Standard
DPS 01 – Load Estimation
DPS 02 – Underground LV Networks
DPS 03 – Overhead LV Networks
DPS 04 (draft) – MV Network Planning
DPS 05 (draft) – MV Network Optimization
DPS 08 – Exemption for Substation Location
DPS 09 – Private Plot Plans Planning Guidelines
DPS 10 – Private Plot Plans Network Design Guide
DPS 11 – Conversion of Voltage to 400/230V
DPS 12 (draft) – Power Quality Improvement
DPS 13 – New Connections Pre-layout Standards
DPS 16 – New Connection Manual
Load Forecasting Guidelines
LFG 01 – Load Forecasting Review
LFG 02 – Zone Guidelines
UDS Guidelines
Security of Supply Guidelines issued by ECRA in 2017
Draft DPS on Industrial City Connections
Report from Committee for Bulk Customer Connection Design
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Separate guidelines and standards deal with the topic of integration of small-scale solar PV
systems.
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has developed this guideline through an internal consensus
development process, after bringing together varied viewpoints and interests. However, it is a
live working document and viewpoint expressed will be from time to time, subject to change
and/or revision, for stabilization, to reflect stages of development and changes to comply with
legislation and good industry practice. Comments are welcome.
Any user utilizing this document, should also rely upon its independent judgment in the
exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances or, as appropriate, seek the advice in
determining the appropriateness.
While reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content is accurate, SEC cannot
be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any misinterpretation. SEC
disclaims liability for any personal injury, property or other damage, of any nature whatsoever,
whether special, indirect, consequential, or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from
the publication, use of, or reliance upon this document.
This document is for exclusive use of employees of SEC. Users of this guideline should consult
all applicable laws and regulations. Users are responsible for observing or referring to the
applicable regulatory requirements. SEC does not, by the publication of its standards, intend to
urge action that is not in compliance with applicable laws, and these documents may not be
construed as doing so.
Users should be aware that this document may be superseded at any time by the issuance of
new editions or may be amended from time to time through the issuance of amendments,
corrigenda, or errata. This guideline at any point in time consists of the current edition of the
document together with any amendments, corrigenda, or errata then in effect. All users should
ensure that they have the latest edition of this document, uploaded on SEC web.
Version History
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2. GENERAL STANDARD PRINCIPLES OF NETWORK PLANNING
The general principles of network planning are derived from The Saudi Arabian Distribution
Code published by Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA)1.
The general principles of design are outlined as follows:
All equipment will operate within normal ratings and within the operating conditions
set by the Saudi Arabian Distribution Code2 when the system is operating anywhere
from the minimum load to the forecasted maximum peak load
Planning is based on normal and emergency equipment ratings. Emergency ratings are
those, which can safely exist for a specified number of hours
All standard materials and equipment shall be designed and constructed for
satisfactory operation under the appropriate set of Service Conditions. Where local
conditions differ from these standard conditions standard material ratings shall be
modified. Where it is not possible to use standard materials, other materials of higher
rating may be used. These standard Service Conditions, while representative of the
major load regions, will be exceeded at some locations within the Kingdom. It is
therefore necessary for the user to confirm whether local conditions exceed standard
conditions and to take appropriate action. Special surveys to define environmental and
soil conditions should be carried out prior to major engineering works
1
ECRA published The Saudi Arabian Distribution Code in 2008. In case of any updates to the aforementioned
code, this document will need to be reviewed so that relevant changes are reflected
2
For detailed operating conditions, please refer to ‘APPENDIX 2: OPERATING CONDITIONS’
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3. DEFINITIONS
Ambient Temperature: The surrounding temperature (in the absence of the equipment) of
the immediate environment in which equipment is installed. This temperature normally varies.
A derived constant value is taken for the purposes of designing or rating equipment.
Ampacity: The maximum amount of electric current a conductor or cable can carry before
sustaining immediate or progressive deterioration.
The RMS electric current which a conductor or cable can continuously carry while remaining
within its temperature rating.
Bulk Supply Point: An in-feed point from higher to a lower voltage level on the transmission
system.
Continuity: A measure of the availability of Power Supply, to a Customer over a period of
time. This is generally measured, as the length of time supply is unavailable in a year.
Coincidence Factor: It is the ratio of the Coincident Demand Load of a customer's building
with group of units (KWH Meters) to the Total Demand Load of that customer's building both
taken at the same point of supply.
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Demand Load: It is the maximum load drawn from the power system by a customer at the
customer’s interface (either estimated or measured). Demand load = Connected load x Demand
factor
Demand Factor (DF): It is the ratio of the Demand Load of a customer's building's unit to the
Connected Load of that customer's building's unit.
Detuned filter: A filter with a tuning frequency more than 10% below the lowest harmonic
frequency with considerable current/voltage amplitude
Distribution System: The aggregate of electrical equipment and facilities used to transfer
electrical power to the Customer. Distribution Systems typically operate at voltages in the
medium and low voltage ranges.
Disturbance: Any electromagnetic phenomenon which, by being present in the
electromagnetic environment, can cause electrical equipment to depart from its intended
performance
Diversity Factor: It is the inverse of the Coincidence Factor.
Effectively Earthed System: A Power System in which the Neutral is connected to Earth
either directly or through a Neutral Resistor.
Even Harmonics: Harmonic quantities, at even multiples of the fundamental Frequency.
Extra-high Voltage: A voltage level exceeding 230kV.
Fault Outage: A loss of supply to a Customer due to some un-planned event in the Power
System.
Filter: An equipment generally constituted of reactors, capacitors and resistors if required,
tuned to present a known impedance over a given frequency range
Flicker: Periodic fluctuations in voltage, at fluctuation frequencies below the fundamental
frequency. These are generally expressed as percentage variations, relative to the fundamental
voltage.
Frequency: The rate of oscillation of the AC supply. This is generally expressed as a frequency
range, in terms of a nominal frequency in Hz (cycles per second), with plus and minus
percentage limits.
Fundamental Frequency: The operating or system frequency of the Power System.
Parameters whose frequency is the same as the fundamental frequency are referred to as
fundamental parameters.
Harmonic Distortion: The measure of a harmonic impressed on some fundamental quantity,
which usually refers to voltage. This is generally expressed as the ratio of the magnitude of
the relevant harmonic, to the fundamental value.
Harmonic Frequency: Frequency which is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency.
The ratio of the harmonic frequency to the fundamental frequency is the harmonic order
(recommended notation: h)
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Figure 1: Representation of Harmonic Frequency
Harmonics: Parameters which vary at integer multiples of the nominal frequency of the Power
System. The magnitudes of these quantities are generally expressed as percentage values of the
fundamental parameter.
Highest Voltage: The highest effective value of voltage, which occurs under normal operating
conditions at any time and at any point on the System. The term does not include transient
voltages due to fault or switching.
High Voltage (HV): A voltage, used for the supply of electricity, the lower limit of nominal
RMS value of which is greater than 100kV.
Individual Equipment Demand Factor (IEDF): It is the demand factor used to calculate the
demand of a specific piece of equipment. Value of IEDF generally varies between 0.1 and 1.0
Inductive Load: An inductive load resists changes in current and hence, for an inductive load
the current waveform lags behind the voltage waveform, therefore, the voltage and current
peaks are not in phase. Inductive loads are associated with generation of an electromagnetic
field.
The amount of phase delay is given by the cosine of the angle (Cos), between the vectors
representing voltage and current, and the power factor is less then unity.
1. Air Conditioner Loads (AC). (Window, Split Or Central Type)
A complete system of heating, ventilation and air conditioning is referred as "HVAC". Its
purpose, in a building is to stabilize the air temperature and humidity within an area for
comfort.
2. Other Motor Driven Loads
Refrigerators, freezers, dish washers, vacuum cleaners, laundry appliance fan, lifts,
escalators, garage doors and water pumps.
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Interharmonic Frequency: Any frequency which is not an integer multiple of the
fundamental frequency. By extension from harmonic order, the interharmonic order is the ratio
of an interharmonic frequency to the fundamental frequency. This ratio is not an integer.
(Recommended notation: m)
Lateral Feeder: A branch circuit of a primary feeder used to distribute Power from the primary
feeder.
Load (Customer): The aggregate of all electrical equipment by which a Customer draws
electrical power from the power system.
Load factor (LF): It is the ratio of the average load over a specified period of time to the peak
load occurring in that period. Both the average load and the peak load must be in the same
units. It is in the range of zero to one.
Loss Factor (LsF): Loss factor does not necessarily indicate the thermal loading of a piece of
apparatus. It merely indicates the degree to which the load loss within the apparatus during
peak load is maintained throughout the period in which the loss is being considered.
Loss factor cannot be generally expressed in terms of load factor (LF) without calculating the
losses for each level of system demand. However, the following empirical formula can be used
to describe the relationship between the load factor and the loss factor:
LsF = k LF + (1 - k) LF2
where k is a constant, typically between 0.1 and 0.3
If k = 0.2;
LsF = 0.2LF + 0.8LF2
Low Voltage (LV): A voltage used for the supply of electricity, the upper limit of nominal
RMS value of which does not exceed 1kV.
Medium Voltage (MV): A voltage used for the supply of electricity, the nominal value of
which is between 11kV and 36kV.
Negative Sequence Voltage: A set of symmetrical phase voltages (of equal magnitude and
120º phase angle) having the opposite phase sequence to that of the source. The term negative
sequence may also be applied, in the same sense, to AC currents, impedances, etc.
Network: The aggregate of Cable and or overhead line and associated equipment, used to
transport electrical power between Substations or between Substations and Customer loads.
Nominal Voltage: The voltage value, by which a system is designated and to which certain
operating characteristics of the system are related.
Non-linear Load: Any load or equipment that draws a non-sinusoidal current when energized
by a sinusoidal voltage
Odd Harmonics: Harmonic quantities, at odd multiples of the fundamental frequency.
Outage: Any loss of supply to a Customer.
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Parallel Resonance: The parallel connection of an inductance and a capacitance will result in
a very high impedance in a certain frequency range, close to the resonance frequency. This
effect is called parallel resonance
Parameter: A quantity of value describing some aspect of the electrical system or the process
of power supply. Typical parameters are voltage, frequency, short circuit levels, continuity,
etc.
Phase Un-Balance: A measure of asymmetry between phase parameters in terms of
magnitude, phase angle or both. This is generally expressed as a ratio of negative and or zero
sequence values to the positive sequence value.
Planning Level (Disturbance): A level of a particular disturbance in a particular environment,
adopted as a reference value for the limits to be set for the emissions from large loads and
installations, in order to coordinate those limits with all the limits adopted for equipment
intended to be connected to the power supply system. Only indicative values may be given
because planning levels will differ from case to case, depending on system structure and
circumstances
Point of Common Coupling (PCC): The point on a public power supply network, electrically
nearest to a particular load, at which other loads are, or could be, connected. The PCC is a point
located upstream of the considered installation
Positive Sequence Voltage: A set of symmetrical phase voltages (of equal magnitude and 120º
phase angle) having the same phase sequence as the source. The term positive sequence may
also be applied, in the same sense, to AC currents, impedances, etc.
Power: The rate (in kilowatts) of generating, transferring or using energy.
Power (Active): The product of R.M.S value of the voltage and R.M.S value of the in-phase
component of the current. It is usually given in (K.W).
Power (Apparent): The product of R.M.S value of the voltage and R.M.S value of the current.
It is usually given in (K.V.A).
Power Factor: The ratio of active power to apparent power.
P P
Power factor = cos θ = =
S P Q
Power System: The aggregate of all electrical equipment used to supply electrical power to a
Customer, up to the Customer interface.
Power Utility: Any entity that generates and supplies electrical power for sale to Customers.
Primary Feeder: A medium voltage circuit used to distribute Power from a Substation.
Rapid Voltage Changes: Quick transition (that may last more than several cycles) in r.m.s.
voltage between two steady state conditions while the voltage stays in-between the thresholds
defined for voltage swells and dips (otherwise, it would be considered as a swell or a dip).
Rapid voltage changes are often caused by start-ups, inrush currents or switching operation of
equipment
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Resistive Load: These loads resist flow of electricity in a linear manner leading to electrical
energy being converted to heat / light. With a resistive load, the voltage and current peaks
coincide and are therefore in phase and the power factor is unity.
1. Lighting Loads.
Lighting meant for illumination, bulbs, lamps, tube lights, fluorescent lights, halogen bulbs,
spotlights, searchlights, fence lights, outdoor lights, emergency lights.
2. Other Loads -Receptacles Loads.
Heating meant for accomplishing housekeeping tasks like water heaters, electric ovens, hot
plates, microwaves are major domestic appliance.
Resonance: Natural frequency is the frequency at which a system tends to oscillate in the
absence of any driving or damping force. If forced frequency is equal to the natural frequency,
the amplitude of vibration increases. This phenomenon is known as resonance.
All circuits containing both capacitances and inductances have one or more natural frequencies.
When one of those frequencies lines up with a frequency that is being produced on the power
system, a resonance may develop in which the voltage and current at that frequency continue
to persist at very high values. This is the root of most problems with harmonic distortion on
power systems.
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Supply Request: It is the request applied by the customer to get electric power supply from
SEC's power system. It can contain a single building or multiple buildings and subsequently it
can contain a single unit or multiple units and subsequently it can contain a single KWH Meter
or multiple KWH Meters.
System Voltage: A value of voltage used within the Utilities Power System. It is generally
expressed as a nominal voltage with an upper limit only. This upper limit defines the rated
voltage for equipment.
Total Demand Load (TDL): It is the total (non-coincident) demand load of a customer's
building with multiple units. It is the non-coincident summation of all individuals demand loads
of all units belongs to that customer's building. It is expressed in Volt-Amperes (VA).
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): It is the ratio of equivalent root mean square voltage /
current of all harmonic components over the RMS voltage / current of the fundamental
component. It is correlated to the power factor such that lower THD implies higher power
factor, lower peak currents and higher efficiency. This is denoted by the following formula:
Q
THD =
Q
where
Q represents either current or voltage
Q1 is the r.m.s. value of the fundamental component
H is the harmonic order
Qh is the r.m.s. value of the harmonic component of order h
H is generally equal to 50
THD takes account of harmonics only.
Total Distortion Content (TDC): Quantity remaining when the fundamental component is
subtracted from an alternating quantity, all being treated as functions of time
TDC = Q Q
where
Q is the total r.m.s. value, representing either current or voltage
Q1 is the r.m.s. value of the fundamental component;.
TDC includes both harmonic and interharmonic components
Transient Overvoltage: Oscillatory or non-oscillatory overvoltage, highly damped and up to
a few ms in duration. The origin of transient overvoltages is generally atmospheric or in
operations in the network. Its rise time may be from less than 1 μs to a few ms
Transmission System: The aggregate of electrical equipment and facilities used to transfer
electrical power, in bulk, between sources (generation) and the Distribution System.
Transmission Systems typically operate at voltages in the high voltage range.
Tuning Frequency: The frequency for which the filter impedance, calculated from the rated
values, has a minimum or maximum value
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Tuned Filter: A filter with a tuning frequency which differs by no more than 10% from the
frequency which is to be filtered
Unit: It is intended for the building's unit. Each unit should be used by one customer. Each
building can contain a single unit or multiple units. Each unit should be supplied by one KWH
Meter according to SEC regulations.
Urban: For Power supply purposes an urban area shall be interpreted as any town or city.
Utilization Voltage: The voltage value at the terminals of utilization equipment, for example,
domestic appliances. It is generally expressed as a voltage range, in terms of a nominal voltage
with plus and minus percentage variations.
Voltage: The root mean square (rms) value of power frequency voltage, on a three phase
alternating current electrical system. This is measured between phases, unless otherwise
indicated.
Voltage Dip: Sudden reduction of the voltage at a particular point on an electricity supply
system below a specified dip threshold followed by its recovery after a brief interval. A dip is
associated with the occurrence and termination of a short circuit or other extreme current
increase on the system or installations connected to it. A voltage dip is a two-dimensional
electromagnetic disturbance, the level of which is determined by both voltage and time
duration. Duration of voltage dip is the time between the instant at which the voltage at a
particular point on an electricity supply system falls below the start threshold and the instant at
which it rises to the end threshold. The thresholds adopted are 90% of reference voltage for the
start and end of the voltage dip, with durations extending to 01 min
Voltage Drop: The difference in voltage between one point in a power system and another,
typically between the supply substation bus and the extremities of a network. This is generally
expressed as a percentage of the nominal voltage.
Voltage Imbalance: In a poly phase system, a condition in which the magnitudes of the phase
voltages or the phase angles between consecutive phases are not all equal (fundamental
component). The degree of inequality is usually expressed as the ratio of the negative and zero
sequence components to the positive sequence component
Voltage Fluctuation: Series of voltage changes or a cyclic variation of the voltage envelope.
Voltage fluctuations are produced by fluctuating loads, operation of transformer tap changers
and other operational adjustments of the supply system or equipment connected to it. Voltage
fluctuations can cause flicker.
Voltage fluctuations are normally within 10% magnitude
Voltage Limits: The voltage values, which define the extremities of a voltage range. These are
generally expressed as plus and minus percentage variations from the nominal value.
Voltage Range: The span of voltage values, within which a voltage may vary, under normal
operating conditions. Transient voltages due to fault or switching conditions are excluded.
Voltage Swell: Sudden increase of the voltage at a point in an electrical system followed by
voltage recovery after a short period of time, usually from a few cycles to a few seconds.
24
The swell threshold is greater than 110% of reference voltage.
Zero Sequence Voltage: A set of phase voltages of equal magnitude and zero phase angle,
relative to each other. The 3-phase values are thus in phase with each other. The term zero
sequence may also be applied, in the same sense, to AC currents, impedances, etc.
25
4. OPERATING CONDITIONS
Frequency
Standard Frequency: The standard system frequency shall have a nominal value of 60 Hz.
Operating Range: The maximum permissible frequency operating range shall be between 59.8
Hz and 60.2Hz .The preferred operating range should be between 59.9 Hz and 60.1 Hz.
Standard Distribution Voltages
The voltages listed in Table 1 shall be used as standard service voltages at the interface with
power customers. The service voltage shall be maintained within the range defined by the
indicated lowest and highest values, under steady state and normal system conditions and over
the full loading range of the system.
Where two voltages are listed e.g., 400/230 V the lower value refers to the phase to neutral
voltage. All other values are phase-to-phase voltages.
Table 1: Standard Service Voltages
3
The harmonics levels have been updated in November 2016 as per draft DPS-12 which needs to be reviewed.
Kindly refer to the latest version of KSA Distribution Code
26
Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic
order voltage order voltage order voltage
h % h % h %
5 5 3 4 2 1.8
7 4 9 1.2 4 1
11 3 15 0.3 6 0.5
13 2.5 21 0.2 8 0.5
17 ≤ h ≤ 1.9 x 17/h – 10 ≤ h ≤ 0.25 x 10/h +
21 < h ≤ 45 0.2
49 0.2 50 0.22
Total harmonic distortion (THD) = 6.5%
Voltage Imbalance
The voltage unbalance is represented by equation:
V
% unbalance = × 100
V
The planning level for voltage unbalance in LV systems is a negative sequence component of
2% of the positive sequence component.
Solutions
To decrease the degree of unbalance, several actions can be taken:
To deploy or distribute the loads in such a way that the three phase loads become more
balanced.
For large unbalanced loads, the SVC technology has the result.
Transposition of transmission lines may also be a solution to attenuate the negative
sequence unbalance voltage.
Voltage Dips
Voltage dips are unpredictable, largely random events arising mainly from electrical faults on
the power supply system or large installations.
Solutions
There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
Ferroresonant transformer (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
Magnetic synthesizer
Active series compensator
27
Motor-generator set with flywheel
Superconductor magnetic energy storage device
Static transfer switch
Voltage Swells
Voltage swell phenomenon may occur to be unpredictable and random and may affect different
types of load differently for the same voltage swell event.
Voltage swells are much less common than voltage dips.
Solutions
There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
Ferroresonant transformers (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
Voltage Fluctuations
For non-repetitive voltage variation, or voltage dips, such as those associated with motor-
starting, welding equipment or power system switching, the voltage variation shall not exceed
7% of the fundamental nominal voltage under normal circumstances. Such variations shall not
occur more frequently than 3 times per day.
No Customer shall connect equipment to the power system, which causes voltage fluctuation
at the Customer interface in excess of these requirements.
28
n < 4 per day 5%
n < 2 per hour and > 4 per day 4%
2 < n < 10 per hour 3%
Flicker
Voltage fluctuation cause changes of the luminance of lamps which can create the visual
phenomenon called flicker.
Intensity of flicker annoyance, flicker severity is calculated with respect to both short and long
term effects.
The short term severity level, denoted by Pst, is determined for a 10-minute period. The long-
term severity level, denoted by Plt , is calculated for a two-hour period.
The severity of flicker can be measured with a flicker meter. Although flicker does not have
high financial impact, it is still a source of considerable inconvenience to customers.
Limits for LV:
Short-term: Pst = 1.0
Long-term: Plt = 0.8
Limits for MV:
short-term: Pst = 0.9
long-term: Plt = 0.7
Voltage Drops
LV Customers:
The Utility voltage drop allocations listed in Table 3 shall be used as guideline voltage drops
over the power system components supplying a low voltage customer. The additional voltage
drop in the customer's wiring shall not exceed the value indicated.
Phase Unbalance
Under normal system conditions the three phase voltages shall be balanced at MV, and higher
voltages in the system, such that the negative phase sequence voltage does not exceed 2% of
the positive phase sequence voltage.
Customers with a dedicated transformer or those supplied at 13.8 kV or a higher voltage shall
balance their loads, such that the load phase unbalance at the customer interface meets the
above criterion. All other customers shall balance their loads over the three phases to the
29
greatest degree possible. The SEC shall then balance these loads, within the power system, to
meet the above criterion
Power Factor
Each customer shall maintain a power factor of 0.85 lagging4 or higher at the interface.
For industrial / government / commercial customers, having contracted load greater than 1.0
MVA, the minimum allowable power factor is 0.9 lagging. In case of deviation, a penalty will
be imposed, as per Customer Services manual.
Low power factor at customers end ultimately contributes to overall poor factor in SEC’
distribution network, resulting in negative impacts of:
excessive voltage drops
technical losses
decrease in capacity of system
Voltage Regulation
Substation: Automatic voltage regulation shall be applied in main substations (grid stations),
such that the voltage is regulated on all distribution feeders leaving the substation. The
bandwidth of the regulator must be considered when assigning voltage drops
Network: Additional voltage regulation/control may be applied to networks downstream from
the substations, to compensate for voltage drop in excess of the levels indicated in section 1.10.
This will in fact be necessary, in many instances, especially for rural networks. Advantage may
be taken of the following means of voltage regulation
Automatic Regulation: Voltage regulators, or switched capacitor banks, may be installed along
the primary feeders, to automatically regulate the voltage. The full 10% or 15% voltage spread,
less the percentage bandwidth of the regulator, may then be the applied down-steam of the
point of regulation
Standard Loading Conditions
SEC has standardized equipment that are used in the distribution system and their ratings have
been established according to the prevailing conditions. Two different operating conditions are
considered for equipment rating namely normal and emergency.
Short Interruptions
Short interruptions are unpredictable, largely random events arising mainly from electrical
faults on the power supply system or large installations.
4
Power factor may be leading for small scale solar rooftop installations
30
Solutions
There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
Ferroresonant transformers (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
Reliability Standards
SEC has set a number of supply standards for the customers. SEC makes all possible efforts to
achieve these standards, evaluated in terms of following indices:
• System average interruption frequency index (SAIFI)
• System average interruption duration index (SAIDI)
• Customer average interruption duration index (CAIDI)
• Average system availability index (ASAI)
• Momentary average interruption frequency index (MAIFI)
• Customers minutes lost (CML)
For details, refer to Distribution Operation Manuals (DOM) with latest updates.
Standardization of recording of fault incidents, resulting outages and their duration must be
established in order to achieve proper calculations of reliability indices.
Reclosers and sectionalizers can improve the reliability significantly, under the prerequisite
that they will be properly integrated into the existing protection scheme.
31
5. CUSTOMER LOAD ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY
5.1. CLASSIFICATION OF CUSTOMER FACILITIES5
In this chapter, Customers are classified according to the nature of use of their Facilities in
reality and according to their connected and demand load estimation methodology. This shall
not cause any conflict to any other customer classification used for financial and tariff purposes.
Customers' Facilities type should be determined according to the nature of the use of their
Facilities in reality and according to an approved license or official document from the
authority related to the nature of their use. In case there is a difference between the reality and
the license, Customers' Facilities type should be determined according to the nature of the use
of their Facilities in reality.
Table 4: Overview of customer facility categories
Category Definition
C1 : Normal Description Any facility used as dwelling meant for private use.
Residential
Includes Houses, duplexes, apartments, villas, palaces, istrahat, etc.
Dwelling
Description Any facility designed for use as commercial shops.
C2 : Normal
Commercial shops and stores, gold shops, pharmacies,
Commercial Shops Includes
boutiques, etc.
Any facility designed for use as furnished flats (including
C3 : Furnished Description
labor housing)
Flats
Includes Furnished flats.
Description Any facility designed for use as hotels.
C4 : Hotels
Includes Hotels, motels.
Description Any facility designed for use as malls or shopping centers.
C5 : Malls
Includes Shopping centers, malls, supermarkets, hypermarkets.
Description Any facility designed for use as restaurants.
C6 : Restaurants
Includes Restaurants, coffee shops, cafeteria.
Description Any facility designed for use as work offices.
C7 : Offices Commercial offices, government offices, office complexes,
Includes
offices, banks
Description Any facility designed for use as schools.
C8 : Schools
Includes Schools, nursery, private training institute
C9 : Mosques Description Any facility designed for use as mosques.
5
Communications towers (i.e. mobile towers) may be included in any of the existing categories as additional
demand. Typically, the load for a single mobile tower ranges between 25KVA to 40KVA per site, depending on
configuration of the tower and is continuously used. Furthermore, there is trend of using solar panels for
powering them which needs to be taken into account. It is recommended that SEC should obtain information on
the expected load either from the plot owner or from the mobile company itself to add it to load estimates
32
Category Definition
Includes Mosques
C10 : Mezzanine Description Any facility designed for use as mezzanine floor.
in Hotel Includes Mezzanine in hotel
C11 : Common Any facility designed for use as common area/services in
Description
Area/Services in buildings.
Buildings Includes Roof, corridors, stairs, piazza
C12 : Public Description Any facility designed for use as public services facilities.
Services Facilities Includes Outdoor bath rooms, washing rooms
C13 : Indoor Description Any facility designed for use as indoor parking.
Parking Includes Indoor parking
C14 : Outdoor Description Any facility designed for use as outdoor parking
Parking Includes Outdoor parking
C15 : Streets Description Any facility designed for use as streets lighting.
Lighting Includes Streets lights, roads lights
C16 : Parks & Description Any facility designed for use as parks & gardens.
Gardens Includes Parks & gardens
Description Any facility designed for use as open spaces.
C17 : Open Spaces
Includes Open spaces
C18 : Description Any facility designed for use as hospitals\medical facilities.
Hospitals\Medical
Includes Hospitals, medical centers
Facilities
Any facility designed for use as medical clinics (which is of
C19 : Medical Description smaller area and has limited medical facilities compared to a
Clinics hospital)
Includes Medical clinics
C20 : Any facility designed for use as universities\high educational
Description
Universities\High facilities.
Educational
Includes Universities, colleges, high educational institutes
Facilities
This includes all industries with load up to (4 MVA) inside
C21 : Light Description
designated industrial area or having industrial license.
Industries
Includes Small factories, livestock, poultry, dairy farms
Description Any facility designed for use as workshops.
C22 : Workshops
Includes Workshops
C23 : Cooling Description Any facility designed for use as cooling stores.
Stores Includes Cooling stores
Description Any facility designed for use as warehouses.
C24 : Warehouses
Includes Warehouses
C25 : Community Description Any facility designed for use as community halls.
Halls Includes Community halls, wedding party halls, auditorium
Description Any facility designed for use as recreational facilities.
33
Category Definition
C26 : Recreational
Includes Clubs, theaters, cinemas, gymnasium
Facilities
C27 : This includes farms used for producing agricultural products
Description
Farms\Agricultural (big one or small)
Facilities6 Includes Farms, green houses, production farms
Description Any facility designed for use as fuel stations.
C28 : Fuel Stations
Includes Petrol pumps, fuel stations
This includes all industries with load more than (4 MVA)
C29 : Bulk Description
inside designated industrial area or having industrial license.
Factories
Includes Big factories, manufacturing plants
5.2. METHODOLOGY
1. Area load density method
This method is required to be implemented as per instructions of Ministry of Energy, Industry
and Minerals (formerly Ministry of Water & Electricity), covered area of the customer
premises is used as basic parameter for the assessment of the size of power supply to the
customer.
Its application is limited to the Residential/ Commercial customers whose areas are defined the
covered area tables. Such customers are normally expected to have uniform behavior in terms
of electrical requirements.
2. Conventional declared load method
This method is used to estimate the load of those customers who have a variety of load
requirements. It is essentially based on customer load declaration. Information regarding the
ratings of equipment to be installed and their usage is mainly required. Customer shall provide
load information/details.
Note: Large residential/Commercial customers, where the covered area
is beyond the limits given in the relevant tables OR all other type of
customers who have a variety of load requirement irrespective of Floor
Area or Lot Size, the power supply requirement of all such customers
shall be estimated by using Declared Load Method
According to the Connected Load Estimation Methodologies, the Facilities Types are classified
into two groups as following :
6
There is a proposal to differentiate between large agricultural facilities and smaller farms such that the demand
factor for small farms would be 0.6 instead of 0.8. This proposal needs to be evaluated based on observed demand
load across all regions
34
1. Area-Based Facility Type
All Facilities Types which their Connected Load can be estimated
according to Area Load Density Method (Customer categories C1 to
C18)
2. Non Area-Based Facility Type
All Facilities Types which their Connected Load cannot be estimated
according to Area Load Density Method and should be estimated
according to Declared Load Method (Customer categories C19 to C29)
Calculate the total connected load (KVA) according to the Unit covered/built-up area (square
meter) from the Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority “ECRA”) guidelines. Use
the tables in Appendix 10.2.1
35
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR NORMAL COMMERCIAL
SHOPS (FACILITY CATEGORY C2)
Calculate the total connected load (KVA) according to the Unit covered/built-up area (square
meter) from Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority “ECRA”) guidelines. Use the
tables in Appendix 10.2.2
INTERMEDIATE VALUES OF COVERED/BUILT-UP AREA FOR
CUSTOMER CATEGORIES C1 AND C2
The values of intermediate areas shall be interpolated to the nearest value. If the exact covered
area is found in the table all values pertaining to the customer power supply can be directly
read from the table.
In the tables above, floor area with slabs provides border line values for each block. Any area
in between the slabs shall be assessed in proportion to the nearest slab and the corresponding
values determined accordingly.
= × ( )
Where:
= Customer Connected Load for an intermediate area value
= Covered area of the customer which is an intermediate value
A1 = Covered area step in the table immediate lower than area A
A2 = Covered area step in the table immediate higher than area A
CL1 = Connected load for area A1
CL2 = Connected load for area A2
The above formula can be used to calculate demand load also by replacing connected load
figures with demand load. Adjacent steps from the table shall be taken for calculating
intermediate values.
Borderline cases between floor area slabs involving decimals shall be rounded off to nearest
integers. Accordingly "0.5 and above" shall be treated as '1' and included in the higher slab and
decimal values < 0.5 shall be ignored.
The range of customer sizes in each slab has been given in terms of KVA in the tables.
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR COMBINED TYPE
CUSTOMER (C1 AND C2)
In case the customer building consists of both residential and commercial load e.g. shops on
ground floors and residential apartments on above floors the connected load shall be assessed
separately corresponding to the areas associated with each using the respective tables.
The total connected load shall be the sum total of the two values.
36
4. Determine floor area of the customer buildings separately for each category.
5. Read out from the appropriate tables the connected and demand load in each category.
6. Determine the total contracted load by simple addition of circuit breakers ratings in
each category.
7. Determine the total Coincident Demand Load as follows:
Total Coincident Demand Load = Single Largest Demand + (Sum of Remaining
Demands/Diversity Factor (of Remaining Demands))
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR C1 AND C2 WITH
CENTRAL AC
Since AC load is already included in the values provided in the tables as customer minimum
load, the same shall be subtracted from the connected load figure before adding central AC
load at the following rate:
Residential Customers = 100 VA/m2
Commercial Customers = 150 VA/m2
If the customer declared load for central AC happens to be less than the unit AC load as
computed above, central AC load shall be ignored.
1. Determine covered area of the customer building.
2. Determine the total connected load from the appropriate tables.
3. Determine the unit AC connected load as per procedure given above.
4. Subtract the estimated unit AC load from the total connected load and add customer
declared central AC load to obtain total connected load of the customer provided it is
more than the estimated unit AC load, otherwise it shall be ignored.
5. Calculate the customer demand load as follows :
Demand Load = (Non-AC Connected Load x DF) + Central AC Load
Read out all other parameters of power supply from the tables against the computed total
connected load, as obtained by above calculations.
If the demand load of the customer exceeds the circuit breaker rating provided for the slab,
select the next higher size breaker which is adequate to provide for the demand load of the
customer.
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR C1 AND C2 WITH BOTH
WINDOW/SPLIT AC AND CENTRAL AC
37
3. Determine connected and demand load for the portion of the building equipped with
central AC .
Obtain total connected load of the customer as follows :
Total Connected Load = Connected Load for Central AC Area + Connected Load for Unit AC
Area
Obtain total Demand Load of the customer as follows:
Total Demand Load = Demand Load for Central AC Area + [Connected load for Unit AC Area
x D.F]
Read out all other parameters of Power supply from the tables against the computed total
Connected load (as obtained by calculations)
If the Total Demand Load (as calculated above) exceeds the circuit breaker rating provided
for the slab, select the next higher size breaker which is adequate to meet the demand load of
the customer.
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR CUSTOMER CATEGORIES
C1 AND C2 WITH BUILT-UP AREA EXCEEDING TABLE LIMITS
For such customers (type C1 and type C2) an average load requirement VA/m² is considered
as appropriate method for the load calculation as follows :
( )= ( 2) × ( / 2) / 1000
By using the following load density :
Residential Customers = 145 VA/m2
Commercial Customers = 215 VA/m2
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR CUSTOMER CATEGORIES
C1 AND C2 WITH CEILING HEIGHT ABOVE 3.5M
Assessment of AC Load for Mezzanine cases or for buildings with ceilings higher than the
standard height of 3.5 meters shall be as follows:
Additional volume (m³) = [Total Height (m) - Standard Height (3.5 m)] X Covered Area (m2)
Additional AC Load (VA) =(30 VA/m³) × Additional volume (m3)
The calculated extra AC load by above formula shall be added as an additional load as follows:
Total Connected Load = Standard Connected Load from tables 84, 85, 86 + Additional AC
Load
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR AREA-BASED TYPES
WITH ADDITIONAL SPECIAL LOADS
Connected loads according to Area Load Density Method are only covering normal loads , any
additional loads should be considered & added as additional special loads. Examples include
swimming pool loads, additional elevators, Central AC, etc.
38
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR OTHER AREA-BASED
CUSTOMER FACILITY TYPES (C3 – C17)
For all such customers (from type C3 up to type C17) an average load requirement VA/m² is
considered as appropriate method for the load calculation. This is illustrated in Table 5.
( )= ( 2) × ( / 2) / 1000
Table 5: Load Estimation for other area-based facilities, facilities without AC and facilities in Winter Peak
Area
Load Estimation for Load Estimation for
Load Estimation for
other area-based Facilities in Winter
Facilities without AC
Customer Facilities (Types C3 to Peak Area (Without AC
Code (District Cooling)
Category C17) and with Heating)
Loads Loads Loads
VA/m2 VA/m2 VA/m2
included* included* included*
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C3 Furnished Flats Conditioning + 175
Sockets)
80 Heating + 145
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C4 Hotels Conditioning + 240
Sockets)
95 Heating + 195
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C5 Malls Conditioning + 255
Sockets)
75 Heating + 200
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C6 Restaurants Conditioning + 235 95 Heating + 195
Sockets)
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C7 Offices Conditioning + 220 90 Heating + 180
Sockets)
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C8 Schools Conditioning + 180
Sockets)
80 Heating + 150
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C9 Mosques Conditioning + 185
Sockets)
65 Heating + 150
Power Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air (Lights + Air
Mezzanine in (Lights + Power
C10 Conditioning + 100 40 Heating + 80
Hotel Power Sockets)
Sockets)
Power Sockets)
Common
(Lights + Power (Lights + Power (Lights +
C11 Area/Services in Sockets)
60
Sockets)
60
Power Sockets)
60
Buildings
Public Services (Lights + Power (Lights + Power (Lights +
C12 Sockets)
50
Sockets)
50
Power Sockets)
50
Facilities
(Lights + Vans
(Lights + Vans + (Lights + Vans
+ Gates +
C13 Indoor Parking Gates + Safety 30 + Gates + 30
Safety
30
Systems) Safety Systems)
Systems)
C14 Outdoor Parking (Lights) 5 (Lights) 5 (Lights) 5
C15 Streets Lighting (Lights) 5 (Lights) 5 (Lights) 5
(Lights + Water (Lights + Water (Lights + Water
C16 Parks & Garden Distributor)
4
Distributor)
4
Distributor)
4
39
Load Estimation for Load Estimation for
Load Estimation for
other area-based Facilities in Winter
Facilities without AC
Customer Facilities (Types C3 to Peak Area (Without AC
Code (District Cooling)
Category C17) and with Heating)
Loads Loads Loads
VA/m2 VA/m2 VA/m2
included* included* included*
(Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C19 Medical Clinics Sockets)
100 Heating + 190
Power Sockets)
Universities/High (Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C20 Educational Sockets)
125 Heating + 210
Facilities Power Sockets)
(Lights +
(Lights +
Motors +
C21 Light Industries Motors + Power 240
Power Sockets
265
Sockets)
+ Heating)
(Lights + Power (Lights +
C22 Workshops Sockets)
80
Power Sockets)
80
(Lights
(Lights + Power
C23 Cooling Stores Sockets)
25 +Chillers + 260
Power Sockets)
(Lights + Vans (Lights + Vans
C24 Warehouses + Power 70 + Power 70
Sockets) Sockets)
(Lights + Air
(Lights + Power
C25 Community Halls Sockets)
115 Heating + 195
Power Sockets)
(Lights + Air
Recreational (Lights + Power
C26 90 Heating + 165
Facilities Sockets)
Power Sockets)
Farms\Agricultural (Lights + Power (Lights +
C27 115 125
Facilities Sockets) Power Sockets)
(Lights + Power (Lights +
C28 Fuel Stations Sockets)
70
Power Sockets)
85
(Lights +
(Lights +
Motors +
C29 Bulk Factories Motors + Power 250
Power Sockets
280
Sockets)
+ Heating)
* Table covers only normal loads. Any additional loads will be considered & added as special
loads.
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR NON-AREA BASED
CUSTOMER FACILITY TYPES (C18 TO C29)
For all such customers (from type C18 up to type C29), SEC is to ask customer for declared
list (use Conventional Declared Load method) and use individual equipment demand loads.
SEC – Load Declaration Form (SEC-LD)
Where the covered area is beyond table limits and for all types of customers who have
a variety of load requirement irrespective of floor area or plot size cannot be assessed
for their power supply requirement by Table 5: Load Estimation for other area-based
facilities, facilities without AC and facilities in Winter Peak Area
Use the load declaration form in Appendix 10.4 which covers various industrial
(motors) equipment, to assess the connected load of industrial, light industries
(including hangers and warehouses) and agricultural customers as in the past.
40
These customers will be requested to fill this form at the time of filing request of supply
application. This will be the basic information for the study of power supply
requirement of the customer.
Ascertain the customer declared load is not less than the minimum load indicated in
Appendix – Load declarations by customers – SEC enquiry form.
Review of the connected load of large customers SEC – Enquiry Form (SEC-EF)
Large customers whose load exceeds the standard level will continue to declare their
load on the consolidated SEC Enquiry Form (SEC-EF) attached in the Appendix – Load
declarations by customers – SEC enquiry form. These customers will be requested to
fill this form at the time of filing request of supply application. This will be the basic
information for the study of power supply requirement of the customer
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR FACILITIES WITHOUT AC
(DISTRICT COOLING)
For all such customers, an average load requirement VA/m² is considered as appropriate
method for the load calculation. This is illustrated in Table 5.
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR FACILITIES IN WINTER
PEAK AREA (WITHOUT AC & WITH HEATING)
For all customers, belonging to areas where Air Conditioners are not used and instead heating
appliances are used due to specific climatic conditions. Specifically for these customers an
average load requirement VA/m² is considered the appropriate method for the load calculation
as given in Table 5
SPECIALS PROCEDURES FOR FACILITY WITHOUT AC (DISTRICT
COOLING)
When a customer facility with a District Cooling system (Load without AC) apply to get power
from SEC network , SEC should ask this customer to make an agreement with Cooling System
Provider.
The customer should submit a copy from the signed agreement between customer and Cooling
System Provider to SEC.
The customer should ask the Cooling System Provider to coordinate with SEC to study the
demand required for the Cooling System Provider.
After finalizing the study regards to supply of the Cooling System Provider , SEC will study
the load of the customer without AC by using Table 5.
5.5. EXAMPLES
Example (1):
41
Calculate building area of a residential plot of raw area 600 m2 and building percentage 60%,
consists of three floors and an attachment of area (40% of the floor area).
Building area for the individual floor (m2) = area of the individual plot × floors building
percentage = 600 × 60% = 360 m2
Attachment building area (m2) = surface area × attachment building percentage = 360 × 40%
= 144 m2
Plot building area (m2) = Building area for the individual floor × number of floors +
Attachment building area = 360 × 3 + 144 = 1224 m2
Example (2):
Calculate building area of a plot allocated for a mosque of raw area 2000 m2 and there is
information provided from the secretariat/ municipality about the number of floors and building
percentage.
If there is no information available about the building percentage and number of floors, factors
will be taken according to table in Chapter 5 as a minimum for the building system of this
facility.
Building area (m2) = Area of the individual plot × building percentage × number of floors =
2000 × 50% × 2 = 2000 m2
Example (3):
Calculate building area of the individual unit in a residential plot of raw area 500 m2 and
building percentage 60%, consists of three floors, and there is no information available from
the secretariat/ municipality about the number of units.
Building of the individual floor (m2) = Area of the individual plot × floors building percentage
= 500 × 60% = 300 m2
Floors building area (m2) = Building of the individual floor × number of floors = 300 × 3 =
900m2
Individual unit building area (m2) = Floors building area ÷ number of units
In case of unavailability of the number of units, (2) units will be taken for each floor according
to Chapter 5
42
Example (4):
CL for the individual unit (KVA) = building area of the individual unit (m2) × load density
factor (VA/m2) ÷ 1000
From the tables in Chapter 5, load density factor for the mosque (C9) = 185 ((VA/m2)
Example (6):
Calculate connected load of normal residential building type C1 with covered area of 200m2
and height of 5 meters connected at 400V
For a normal residential building (type C1), the connected load is 32 KVA (as per Table 79)
However, the height of the building is more than standard height (which is 3.5m). Hence, there
will be additional cost of AC cooling, which is mentioned in Section 5.4.8
Additional volume (m³) = [Total Height (m) - Standard Height (3.5 m)] X Covered Area (m2)
= (5m-3.5m) x 200m2 = 300 m3
Additional AC Load (VA) =(30 VA/m³) × Additional volume (m3)
= 30 x 300 = 9000 VA = 9 KVA
So, total connected load of the building is 41 KVA (32 + 9)
Example (7):
Calculate CL (KVA) for streets lighting request with a circuit breaker rating 400 A on 400/230
V.
Example (8):
Calculate connected load of commercial building type C1 with covered area of 5000m2
This is a normal commercial building (type C2) whose area exceeds the limits given in Table
81. Hence, the formula is section 5.4.7 will be applied.
( )= ( 2) × ( / 2) / 1000
By using the following load density :
43
Residential Customers = 145 VA/m2
Commercial Customers = 215 VA/m2
Total Connected Load = 5000 x 215 = 1075 KVA
Example (9)
Calculate connected load of normal residential building type C1 with covered area of 200m2
with central AC. The declared AC load by customer is 24 KVA
From Table 79, it can be ascertained that the connected load for a residential building is 32KVA
AC load is estimated using the formula and values from section 5.4.5 as: 200m2 x 100 VA/m2
= 20KVA
This gives the non-AC load to be 12KVA
In this case, the declared AC load by customer is higher than the calculated AC load and
therefore, will be used for calculations. However, if the declared load is missing or less than
20KVA, the figure of 20KVA will be used
Demand load is calculated using the following formula:
This corresponds to connected load of 52KVA (31.2/0.6) and as per Table 80, this gives the
circuit breaker rating as 70A
Example (9)
Calculate connected load of normal residential building type C1 with covered area of 300m2
with combined central AC and unit AC. The area catered by unit AC is 125m2 and declared
AC demand load is 10KVA
For area covered by unit AC, demand load (as per Table 80) = 20KVA with circuit breaker size
of 30A
For area covered by central AC, demand load is calculated using formula in section 5.4.5
44
AC load = 175m2 x 100 VA/m2 = 17.5KVA and non-AC load = 28KVA – 17.5KVA =
8.5KVA
In this case, AC load declared by customer is less than calculated AC load and hence, the
calculated AC load will be used.
So, demand load for area served by central AC = 8.5x0.6 + 17.5 = 22.6KVA
Total demand load for the unit = 20 + 22.6 = 42.6KVA which corresponds to connected load
of 71KVA and hence, a circuit breaker size of 100A
45
5.8. DEMAND FACTORS FOR ALL FACILITY TYPES
Table 6: Demand factors for all facility types
7
There is a proposal to reduce the demand factor of category C2 from 0.7 to 0.6. This needs to be studied based
on observed demand load in all regions for this load category before a decision is made
46
Table 7: Coincident factors
47
6. LOW-VOLTAGE (LV) CONNECTIONS PLANNING
The SEC Board of Directors annually approves a total expenditure level for distribution capital
projects and related work for the following budget year. This forms a SEC funded Budget Item
(BI), which is included as part of the company's approved capital program. A second BI covers
expenditures on distribution capital work which are totally customer funded.
All distribution capital Projects are approved within these budget items except for specified
system improvement projects associated with grid station reinforcement.
Distribution projects must be designed by network planning functions in Electricity
Departments according to SEC standards so that they can be executed by the respective
construction units. They must also be costed and approved individually according to SEC
corporate approval authority.
Several types of requests are considered when handling connection matters such as:
Request for new connection
Request for increasing number of meters
Request for increasing capacity
Request for decreasing capacity (including removal of meters)
Request for splitting capacity
Request for combining loads
Request for direct connections of small loads without meters
Request for new connection of bill boards, communication towers and other loads
Request for new connection of SEC facilities
Request for changing voltages
Request for changing meters having the same capacity
Request for removal of meter
Request for temporary power supply
Other types of new connection requests will include:
New connection request for less than 4 MVA
New connection request outside the network coverage area (where distance from
existing SEC network is more than 1000m)
Linking of connection schemes approved by government
Customer funded new connection requests
This section focuses on handling requests for new connections from a network planning
perspective.
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6.1. UNIFIED PROCEDURES FOR LV CONNECTIONS PLANNING
PROCEDURE FOR COINCIDENT DEMAND LOAD CALCULATION
(FOR 20A TO 800A)
General principles
If any type of customer provide his study in Area-based method. Review it by using
(VA/m2 All Categories Min. Loads : Area-based types & Non Area- based type - one
value) and should be not less than it
If any type of customer provide his study in declared List (conventional method).
Review it by using (declared list form) and should be not less than the estimation using
(VA/m2 All Categories Min. Loads : Area-based types & Non Area-based type - one
value).
In all Cases when the loads estimation is done by company Customer shall confirm that
it satisfies his requirements and no more loads required.
In all Cases loads estimation provided by customer can be more than loads estimation
using (VA/m2 All Categories Min. Loads : Area-based types & Non Area-based type -
one value) and in this case customer should provide technical justifications for that.
In all Cases loads estimation provided by customer is not accepted to be less than loads
estimation using (VA/m2 All Categories Min. Loads : Area-based types & Non Area-
based type - one value).
49
6. Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) for the group of all KWH
Meters of the customer's building as follows :
= ( × ) × ( )
Where :
= Number of Individual KWH Meters required for the customer's building.
= Circuit Breaker Rating in (Amp) for the Individual KWH Meter no. ( ).
= Demand Factor for the Individual KWH Meter no. ( ) which should be determined
according to the utilization nature of the concerned Individual unit no. ( ) in customer's building
and referring to this Guideline.
( ) = Coincident Factor for the group of all KWH Meters of the customer's building which
should be determined according to Number of these KWH Meters ( ) and referring to this
Guideline. Use the following equation to calculate the Coincident Factor ( ) :
0.33
(0.67 )
( )= √
1.25
N =1 ⇒ ( )= 1
1
( )=
( )
Note: For a group of ( ) KWH Meters in the customer's building where all of them have same
Circuit Breaker Rating (CBR) in (Amp) and same Demand Factor (DF), the equation to
calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) for this group of KWH Meters could
be simplified as follows :
= × × × ( )
Note: For a group of ( ) KWH Meters in the customer's building where any one of them has
different Circuit Breaker Rating (CBR) in (Amp), the equation to calculate the Coincident
Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) for this group of KWH Meters will be as follows:
= × × × ( 1)
50
PROCEDURE FOR COINCIDENT DEMAND LOAD CALCULATION
FOR CONNECTION THROUGH PRIVATE SUBSTATION (MORE THAN
800A)
Connected Load (CL) in (KVA) for each Individual unit in customer's building should
be estimated, unit by unit, referring to this Guideline. Load Estimation should be
according to unit wise (for each unit individually unit by unit).
Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (KVA) for the group of all Units of
the customer's building as follows :
= (∑ ( × )) × ( )
Where :
= Number of Individual Units required for the customer's building.
= Connected Load in (KVA) for the Individual Unit no. ( ).
= Demand Factor for the Individual Unit no. ( ) which should be determined according
to the utilization nature of the concerned Individual unit no. ( ) in customer's building and
referring to this Guideline.
( ) = Coincident Factor for the group of all Units of the customer's building which should
be determined according to Number of these Units ( ) and referring to this Guideline. Use the
equations from previous chapter
Note: For a group of ( ) KWH Meters in the customer's building where all of them have same
Connected Load in (KVA) and same Demand Factor (DF), the equation to calculate the
Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (KVA) for this group of KWH Meters could be simplified
as follows:
= × × × ( )
Note: For a group of ( ) KWH Meters in the customer's building where any one of them has
different Connected Load (CL) in (KVA), the equation to calculate the Coincident Demand
Load (CDL) in (KVA) for this group of KWH Meters will be as follows:
= × ∑ × × ( 1)
According to the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of the unit, the Connected
Load (CL) in (KVA) for the KWH Meter for the unit should be determined to be the
nearest up SEC standard Circuit Breaker Rating (Private Substation’s Circuit Breaker
Circuit Breaker) to that (CDL).
51
EXAMPLES OF LOAD ESTIMATION
Example (1):
Calculate CDL for residential plot of raw area 600 m2 and building percentage 60% consists
of three floors, each floor contains two units and plot has one attachment unit (40% of the floor
area).
Building area for the individual floor (m2) = area of the individual plot × floors building
percentage = 600 × 60% = 360 m2
Attachment building area (m2) = surface area × attachment building percentage = 360 × 40%
= 144 m2
Plot building area (m2) = Individual floor building area × number of floors + attachment
building area = 360 × 3 + 144 = 1224 m2
Individual unit building area in the floors (m2) = Floors building area ÷ number of units = 360
× 3/6 = 180 m2
Attachment unit building area (m2) = Attachment floor building area ÷ number of units = 144
÷ 1 = 144 m2
From relevant tables related to load estimation circuit breaker rating is determined for the area
of each unit
= ( × ) × ( )
CDL = [(240 × 0.6) + (30 × 0.8)] × 0.636 = 118 A (assuming attachment is treated like building
common area and has demand factor of 0.8)
Example (2):
Calculate CDL for a plot allocated for a school of raw area 4000 m2 and building percentage
60%, consists of two floors.
Individual floor building area (m2) = individual plot area × floors building percentage
52
Plot building area (m2) = Individual floor building area × (number of floors)
= 2400 × 2 = 4800 m2
= Individual unit building area (m2) × load density factor (VA/m2) ÷ 1000
From the relevant table, load density factor for the school C8 = 180 VA/m2
= ( × ) × ( )
Example (3):
Calculate CDL for a plot consists of 16 residential units with CB rating 40 A for each unit.
= ( × ) × ( )
53
LOAD ESTIMATION FOR SPECIAL CASES
Table 8: Considerations for Load Estimation of Special Cases8
Special Coincidence
Definition Demand Factor
Case Factor
Area which has permits from
1 Hajj area municipality to build buildings 0.9 1.0
using for pilgrims lodging
Un-planned area according to the
Random municipality and which has many
2 1.0 0.8
area buildings without construction
permits from the municipality
Group of commercial shops which
Commercial apply common working time so
3 0.7 1.0
center that all its shops are to be opened
and closed at the same time
Buildings with commercial offices
Commercial
4 that are open and closed at the 0.7 1.0
offices
same time
Heavy load due to industrial /
Workshop
5 semi-industrial workshops that are 0.9 1.0
complex
open and closed at the same time
8
Hijras are another type of special case. The demand factor and coincidence factor needs to be studied based on
observed loads across all regions in SEC before a decision can be taken
54
Geographic base map if GIS is not available (from Google Earth)
Existing network drawing(s) from maps or GIS
Development drawing(s) (if available)
Plot Plan indicating master design and agreed equipment locations
Obtain load information if not available in GIS from
Feeder load records
Substation load records
Customer files
Determine potential source(s) of supply from GIS/ maps if possible.
On The Site Visit
The main tasks for the site surveyor include but are not limited to:
Determine existing cable, line routes and equipment positions
Determine potential source(s) of supply.
Note the position of proposed cables in relation to geographic features including
property lines, footpaths, etc.
Determine proposed equipment locations precisely to facilitate obtaining necessary
permissions to site the equipment. In addition, this is necessary for later mapping of
facilities and network information. The locations are to be noted on the layout plan.
o Guidelines on the degree of accuracy of as-built network recording are specified
in the relevant SEC standard for Distribution Mapping and Recording9.
Measure the proposed cable and/or line route lengths. Measurement is to be done using
any available method such as measuring tape, measuring wheel, laser devices, GPS
devices or optical devices. Note the measured lengths on the layout sketch.
Check the site carefully for potential ROW problems.
Note the positions and configuration of existing network and details of equipment
which is to be retired or replaced.
It is essential that final levels and road lines be established with the relevant
authority/developer to avoid future problems concerning the placing of plant and/or
cable laying depths.
The site visit check list which can be found in the subsequent section gives a more
detailed outline of information to be captured during the site visit.
9
Currently, the relevant standard is SDS-11. With the introduction of GIS, this may be changed
55
CUSTOMER REMARKS
In case the site surveyor finds obstacles that would not allow for a permanent supply connection
on the customer premises, he would leave remarks. Such remarks would for example be that
the construction of the house it not advanced enough or that there is construction material that
would block the connection construction.
In such cases, the site surveyor has to take note of these remarks on site and needs to collect
the required material to document (pictures, sketches etc.) these remarks properly. Once back
in the office or onsite via FFMS handheld, the site surveyor needs to enter the remarks in the
UDS system. He then also needs to decide whether those remarks can be solved via picture,
i.e. the customer receives a message to upload a picture of the solved remark or if a second site
visit needs to be performed.
This process is to be executed post implementation of all recommendations from new
connection process streamlining initiative.
The upcoming figure outlines the customer remark process for both processes.
56
Substation Check List
The substation check list provides an indication of all relevant information that needs to be
captured in addition to the standard site visit check list (Appendix 10.5) when a substation
component is involved in the visit/ the design of the connection.
Appendix 10.5 also provides the most recent version of the substation check list to be used
while inspections.
DESIGN PROPOSAL REVIEW
In the case of large or complex projects10, a number of possible design alternatives may exist
and the design proposal is to be reviewed by the network planning section head, before
selecting the most appropriate and economic design.
Generally, for large or complex projects, the preferred outline design will have already been
decided by project sections within the relevant D.E.D.
In the majority of cases, it is not expected that the network planning section head or any other
senior engineer will need to review the design until the design review stage. (Section 6.1.11)
The metering room at customer premises should be adjoining the substation area or as mutually
agreed to be the most appropriate as per design.
10
At the minimum, the following will be classified as large or complex project: MV projects, plot plan
connections, projects with more than 800A load requirements or projects with connection budget >= SAR 10,000
. Additional projects may be classified as large or complex projects depending on high complexity of existing
network, if existing network in the area is overloaded or presence of VIP customers
11
The cost calculation process is currently pending approval. Once this has been completed, this section will be
updated as required. However, till approval is obtained, the current method of estimation (using UDS system)
will still apply
57
The system is based on the concept of design assemblies for which the material components,
total material cost and the installation cost are generated and available to the network planner.
The system uses the standard cost and design assembly manuals as database for its source of
information for generating the following reports:
Cost Estimate Reports
Bill of Materials Report
Financial Approval Form
The standard cost estimating procedure flow chart as shown in Figure 3, depicts the detailed
steps of the procedure as follows:
The manuals which should be used as reference for UDS are described below:
Design Assembly Manual
58
o The design assembly manual contains the detailed material breakdown of each
assembly. Associated unit rate contract item reference numbers are also
included. This manual is indexed according to the hierarchical numbering
system. This provides a cross reference between the design assembly manual
and the standard cost manual.
Standard Cost Manual
o The standard cost manual contains assembly descriptions, unit rate contract item
reference numbers and material and labor costs. The manual is indexed using
the same numbering system as in the design assembly manual resulting in
listings of related assemblies as in the design assembly manual.
The material price file in the database of the system is updated quarterly by the D.E.D. The
system also includes function whereby E.D.s can monitor and update major material items
periodically.
Overheads
Overheads or indirect costs are defined as costs which are not directly attributable to an
individual project.
Generally, there are two types of overhead costs currently in use in SEC:
Engineering and construction overhead (ECO)
Material overhead (MO)
SEC controlling department in consultation with the all operating areas and D.E.D.s is
responsible for deciding on applicable overhead charges at a continuous basis.
As per the current guideline issued, the material overhead (MO) stands at 26% for materials
issued from the warehouses, while the engineering and construction overhead is variable for
each area.
Cost Estimates
There are currently two different a cost estimates which are separate and which should not be
confused.
Total project cost estimate
Total cost estimate chargeable to customers
Total Project Cost Estimate
The total project cost estimate is derived as per Figure 4.
59
Figure 4: Total project cost estimate
60
Figure 5: Customer cost estimate
DESIGN REVIEW
Review of design is conducted after completion of design proposal and cost estimation. The
following guidelines need to be followed:
1. Review should be conducted by an engineer from technical and cost perspectives
2. The engineer who has drafted the design cannot approve it and a different engineer
should approve the design drafted by any engineer
3. Large projects (typically of cost more than SAR 10,000) must be reviewed by Network
Planning Section Head
4. Projects involving non-standard equipment must be reviewed by Network Planning
Section Head
5. All jobs involving additions/alterations to the MV network, must be reviewed by the
planning unit in the D.E.D.
6. The approver will indicate their approval by signing off the project layout sketch
7. If proposed load of new connection is greater than 3MVA of connected load (or 2MVA
estimated demand) and network expansion is not part of 5-year network plan, review
should be done by both Network Planning Section Head and planning unit in the D.E.D.
The review process must consider the following key points:
Establish that the most economical solution is provided. In cases of doubt, an alternative
design proposal and cost estimate may be requested. The number of these cases should
be small since cases requiring alternative proposals to be developed will normally be
identified at an earlier stage (i.e. during design proposal stage) and discussed as part of
regular reviews of job progress.
Establish that the design proposal conforms to SEC standards and design practices.
61
Confirm that the cost estimate has been provided correctly and that the design is
prepared.to the appropriate level of detail to forward for approval.
Confirm the project is correctly categorized to ensure costs are correctly allocated
during the construction phase.
Confirm the proposed funding of the project in accordance with the guidelines in the
customer services manual.
After Design Review, the Design Engineer must:
Assign equipment numbers and enter the details in the substation register. The identification
numbers of substations, distribution pillars and poles are to be shown on the Project scheme(s).
Initiate a request for the drafting of the proposed project scheme, if schemes are not covered as
part of standard design schemes for underground and overhead networks in Sections 6.2 & 6.3.
62
In customer funded cases, payment must be received. Evidence of payment (receipt or
commitment) must be present UDS
Substation rooms must be 100% completed and certified
Scope of work (for overhead network only) must be completed
Check that concurrence has been obtained for the design from planning division,
Distribution Engineering Department (DED), where required
Any remaining problems must be resolved at this stage including the following:
Ensure site leveling is completed where relevant and that site problems in general are
cleared
Confirm materials availability for slow moving or nonstandard items
In case of non-availability of materials:
o Assess potential to use substitutes
o Assess potential to use alternative material (e.g. material with similar operating
characteristics but higher capacity)
Appropriate action is to be initiated by the Design Engineer to clear outstanding problems as
soon as possible.
The Design Engineer must then:
Prepare the technical & financial approval form or include the already approved
technical and financial form in customer funded cases
Ensure that all documentation is available in UDS
Ensure that any special instructions for the construction phase of the job are noted in
UDS
Ensure that all the components of the construction package/ assemblies are present
Grouping of associated projects together in UDS via number link
63
directly in UDS. UDS is also able to produce a hard copy which is also acceptable for approval
use.
The respective approval authority is obliged to at least check the below main points of the
scheme:
Project number
Project name, location, district, budget category
Short description of scope of project (if applicable)
Purpose of project
Design & assemblies/ selected materials
Associated project numbers
Date supply/energization required
Total cost of project
Amount(s) chargeable to customer(s)
Technical Approval Authority Levels
The approval authority levels for appropriations relating to distribution capital projects are
detailed as per the below table12 and in the corporate approval authority document. The basis
of the determined authority is always by the total gross project costs.
12
The approval levels are subject to approval by SEC Distribution Senior Management and may be updated
based on approval
64
Table 9: Approval Levels (for both Customer funded and SEC funded projects)
Financial Approval
As per the updated new connection process blueprint, the financial approval of the customer
charges, which has previously been done by the finance/ customer relation departments of the
respective E.D.s, is now integrated with the technical approval for all new connection requests
with a total cost of ≤ 10,000 SAR.
For all new connection requests with a value of above 10,000 SAR the standard approval
process stays in place, which requires the finance/ customer relation departments of the
respective E.D. to approve.
CUSTOMER CHARGES
Once the connection design has been approved it is forwarded to customer service unit. It then
determines the connection charges in accordance with the customer service manual and the
contracted load.
For new connection requests ≤ 10,000 SAR the calculation of connection charges is done
within the technical approval phase.
The customer service unit also checks that the customer has completed all outstanding works.
If so, it advises the customer of connection charges, which will be due, and of the Baladiyah
cleaning certificate, which will be required after the meter installation has been completed to
be energized.
DISTRIBUTION OF DOCUMENTS
As soon as the connection design and cost calculations are approved by the respective
authorities, all relevant design documents need to be shared with related departments. All
documents should be stored within UDS and therefore should be able to be transferred
electronically only. The main recipients of the design documents are the construction unit, the
O&M section as well as the accounting department.
65
Construction Unit
The below sections outline the standard set of documents which must be produced in within
the connection design phase for onward transmission to construction unit following final
scheme approval.
Project Layout/ Scheme
This is a geographic drawing or sketch/ in GIS if available which is to contain details of the
actual locations of existing and proposed cables, overhead lines and equipment relative to local
geographic/building features.
Single Line Diagram (where necessary)
This is a schematic drawing giving details of the electrical configuration of the relevant
portions of the existing network and the proposed new network, in single line format. This
drawing will only be required where the electrical configuration is not clear on the project
layout.
Feeder Schematic (where necessary)
This is a section of the Operations Drawing which shows the relevant portions of the network
and proposed alterations. This drawing is only required for complex/large jobs involving
multiple changes to the feeder network.
Scope of Work (overhead)
A scope of work Form is required for overhead network sections of projects. It lists poles, pole
numbers, span data and indicates pole construction information etc. Pole numbers are also
included on the scheme.
ROW Drawing/Sketch
The sketch/ drawing which indicates the equipment and cables for which ROW is required.
The same sketches/drawing or the project layout drawing may be used later for requesting
digging permit.
Cost Estimates Forms
The output from UDS will include detailed cost estimate sheets, cost summary sheet, bill of
materials and Technical & Financial Approval form.
Design Checklist/ Transmittal Form (optional)
May be used as a checklist to ensure essential tasks are completed by planning section before
transmitting the construction package to construction unit.
Substation Acceptance (where necessary)
Substation rooms are to be inspected at critical points during construction to ensure that SEC
requirements and standards are met. This also includes substation buildings provided by
customers at SEC request. The Substation Acceptance Form will be used to certify that the
substation room meets requirements.
66
Letter for substation Room Rent (where necessary)
When other customers are being proposed to be supplied from a customer provided transformer
room, Network Planning unit should initiate a letter to customer relations for paying the
customer the appropriate room rent.
The metering room at customer premises should be adjoining the substation area or as mutually
agreed to be the most appropriate as per design.
O&M Section
Project Layout Drawing/ Scheme
Single Line Diagram (where necessary)
Feeder Schematic (where necessary)
It is neither practical nor desirable to refer all projects which require design changes back to
network planning section. Some Projects will require only minor changes and these should be
dealt with by construction without reference to network planning. These cases include:
Minor cable diversions from the design route to bypass hidden obstructions.
Change in the position of distribution pillars (within 3 meters of the design positions)
Change in position of poles (within 3 meters of the design positions)
Changes in soil type (sandy to rocky) along a cable route except where construction
consider that an alternative route will be less expensive and/or reduce the installation
time. The scheme may then be referred back to network planning for possible redesign.
67
In all other cases the scheme is to be referred back to network planning. This includes customer
funded projects where a design revision, due to change in site conditions etc., will increase the
estimated cost above SR 5,000. If customer funded project design revision does not lead to
increase in estimated cost of more than SR 5,000, it need not be referred back to network
planning.
To record receipt and subsequent progress of projects which are referred back to network
planning a separate section is to be reserved in the UDS. The receipt of the scheme is to be
noted in UDS and it is to be allocated to the relevant network planner by the senior network
planner.
The original design number and project number should be retained for the scheme. In general,
schemes returned from construction must be given a high priority in network planning.
68
1.1.4.2. If there is a space allocated for the company which can be used
according to the controls of exemption, then the new transformer will be
installed in the space and the feed will be thereof at 400/230 volt.
1.1.4.3. If it is impossible to supply from the existing transformers or the
locations allocated for the company, then the customer shall provide a space
for a distribution substation and a new substation will be installed therein and
his buildings will be supplied thereof at the new voltage of 400/230 volt.
1.1.5. Private plot plans developed at 220/127 volt:
1.1.5.1. The transformers installed in the special plans at 220/127 volt and no
customers connected thereof, then they will be replaced by transformers at
400/230 volt when executing the connection to the first customer thereof,
and coordination will be made with the customers planned to connect the
service to them at 400/230 volt.
1.1.5.2. Installation of a new substation installed at premises of an existing
customer served at old voltage of 220/127 volt:
1.1.5.2.1. If the new substation is for the service of new customers in the
area and not for increasing the capacity of the network, then a new
substation will be installed at the new voltage of 400/230 volt, and the
customer, for whom the substation will be installed in his location, is
encouraged to change the voltage of his building and supplied with the
new voltage, and in case that he does not wish to change the voltage,
then he will be remained at the old voltage fed from the old source of
supply outside his building until changing the old transformer in the
executive period and transfer his source of supply to the substation
located in his building.
1.1.6. Instructions of feeding from a 220/127 volt transformer:
1.1.6.1. A four-core cable will be laid from the (distribution board/ distribution
cabinet) to the main circuit breaker inside the meter box with the insulation
of the neutral line and not to connect it at the side of the (distribution board/
distribution cabinet) and the side of the circuit breaker inside the meter box.
1.1.6.2. The customer has to sign an acknowledgment that he is responsible for
laying inside his building at 220 volt between two phases and the installation
of two-pole circuit breakers in the distribution boards inside the building.
1.1.6.3. The supply voltage will be indicated on the geographical plans and on
the used distribution system.
1.1.7. Instructions of supplying from a new 400/230 volt transformer:
1.1.7.1. Applications that will be supplied from a new 400/230 volt transformer
will be connected to three phases and one neural line provided that the
voltage between one phase and the neural line is 230 volt.
69
1.1.7.2. Feeders of the new 400/230 volt transformer will not be used to reinforce
the existing 220/127 volt network.
1.1.7.3. The customer has to sign a written acknowledgment (a form prepared
by the company) that he will not lay any electrical circuit of voltage
difference between two or three phases (400 volt) inside his building, except
the circuits that serve devices designed to operate at this voltage only, such
as the central air condition, elevators, central heaters and large water pumps.
1.2. Areas of voltage 380/220 volt:
1.2.1. Applications will be connected in these areas according to the current applicable
procedures to three phases and one neutral line, provided that the voltage between
one phase and the neutral line is 220 or 230 volt according to the voltage of the
transformer from which it will be connected, where the transformers in these areas
are supplied at 400/230 volt since 2005 at the time of unifying the specifications
of the transformers.
Request for increasing number of meters
If the voltage of feeding the old units is 220/127 volt and the added meters are for the
expansion of the existing building (new units/ extensions in the same building), the added
meters will be fed at 220 volt between two phases (neutral line will not be connected), even
if the additional loads need to install a new transformer.
While, if the added meters are separated from the old buildings of voltage 220/127 volt,
they will be dealt as follows:
1. The source of supplying the old meters is a transformer outside the location of the customer:
1.1. Total current and added loads is less than 166 K.V.A.: Added meters will be connected
at 220 volt between two phases, even if this requires reinforcing the existing
transformer.
1.2. Total current and added loads is more than 166 K.V.A.:
1.2.1. If it is possible technically to supply from the existing transformers according
to the controls of exemption, the added meters will be connected at 220 volt
between two phases.
1.2.2. If it is impossible technically to supply the added units from the installed
substations, the customer is encouraged to change the voltage of the old meters,
and the added and old meters will be supplied at 400/230 volt after the customer
provides a space for the required substation.
1.2.3. If the customer does not wish to change the voltage of the old meters, they will
remain at their previous voltage, and the added meters will be supplied at 400/230
volt, with the condition that the new meters with the new voltage are disconnected
and the customer does not claim the costs of laying cables to the second point
2. The source of supplying the old meters is a transformer inside the location of the customer:
70
2.1. The customer is the only beneficiary and the added meters do not require the
installation of another transformer:
2.1.1. If the additional supply does not need reinforcement of the existing transformer,
the added meters will be fed at 220 volt between two phases.
2.1.2. If the additional supply needs reinforcement of the existing transformer, the
customer is encouraged to change the voltage of the old meters, and the added and
old meters will be fed at 400/230 volt. If the customer does not wish to change the
voltage of the old meters, the substation will be reinforced according to the
existing voltage, and the added meters will be fed at 220 volt between two phases.
2.2. The customer is the only beneficiary and the added meters requires the installation of
another transformer: The added units will be supplied at 400/230 volt after the
customer provides a space for the required substation and disconnects the location of
the added meters as a condition for feeding, and the customer does not claim of the
costs of laying to the second point.
2.3. There are other customers at the same transformer, and the old and added transformers
can be fed by only one transformer:
2.3.1. If the additional supply does not require reinforcement of the existing
transformer, the added units will be fed at 220 volt between two phases.
2.3.2. If the additional supply requires reinforcement of the existing transformer,
preference will be made between the cost of transferring other customers to the
neighboring transformers in comparison to the cost of reinforcement of the
transformer and to select the lesser cost, and in both cases, the added meters will
be connected at 220 volt between two phases.
2.4. There are other customers at the same transformer, and the old and added transformers
cannot be fed by only one transformer:
2.4.1. Total old and added loads of the customer cannot be fed alone by only one
transformer: The added units will be fed at 400/230 volt after the customer
provides a space for the required substation and disconnects the location of the
meters of the added units as a condition for feeding, and the customer will not be
claimed of the costs of laying to the second point.
2.4.2. Old and added loads cannot be fed by only one transformer because of the loads
of other customers: Loads of other customers will be shifted to the existing
substations and the customer will be remained at his transformer, and provisions
of Item 2-1 will be applied to him.
Request for increasing / decreasing / splitting capacity
If the existing feeding voltage is 220/127 volt, applications of increasing and splitting capacity
will be dealt as follows:
1. The current source of feeding is a transformer outside the location of the customer:
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1.1. Total loads after increasing or splitting is less than 166 K.V.A: supply will be made at
the same existing voltage of 220/127 volt, even if this requires reinforcement of the
transformer.
1.2. Total loads after increasing or splitting is more than 166 K.V.A.:
1.2.1. If it is possible technically to feed from the existing transformers according to
the controls of exemption, connection will be made at the same existing voltage
of 220/127 volt.
1.2.2. If it is impossible technically to feed the application from the existing
substations, the customer will be required to provide a space for a distribution
substation, and is encouraged to change the voltage to 400/230 volt and the
substation will be installed to him at this voltage. If the customer does not wish to
change the voltage, the substation will be installed to him at 220/127 volt and his
building will be fed thereof.
2. The current source of supplying is a transformer inside the location of the customer:
2.1. The customer is the only beneficiary and the application does not need boosting the
transformer: The application will be approved and the customer supplied at the same
existing voltage of 220/127 volt.
2.2. The customer is the only beneficiary and the application needs reinforcing the
transformer: The customer is encouraged to be supplied totally at the new voltage of
400/230 volt, and if he does not wish to change the voltage, increasing or splitting
loads will be fed at the existing voltage of 220/127 volt after reinforcing the substation.
2.3. There are other customers at the same transformer, and the loads after boosting or
dividing can be fed by only one transformer:
2.3.1. If increasing or splitting does not need reinforcing the existing transformer, the
application will be met at the existing voltage of 220/127 volt.
2.3.2. If supplying needs boosting the existing transformer, preference will be made
between the cost of transferring other customers to the neighboring transformers
in comparison to the cost of reinforcing the transformer and to select the lesser
cost, and in both cases, the application will be connected at the existing voltage of
220/127 volt.
2.4. There are other customers at the same transformer, and the loads after increasing or
splitting cannot be fed by only one transformer: The customer shall provide another
space for a distribution substation, and a new transformer will be installed and the
application will be fed thereof at the existing voltage of 220/127 volt.
2.5. All loads (customer and other customers loads) cannot be fed by only one transformer:
Loads of other customers shall be shifted to the existing substations and the customer
will be remained at his transformer and earlier provisions will be applied.
72
Replacement of transformers
If there is a need to replace the transformers for maintenance, emergency and reinforcement
purposes, this will be done as follows:
Replacement of 220/127V transformers:
The replacement will be done for dual-voltage transformers (220/127V and 400/230V)
according to specifications as per Cabinet Decision during the preliminary period until
the roadmap for changing the existing network to the new voltage level is implemented
If there is an urgent need to relieve a loaded area and all possible options were exhausted
(loads transfer, reinforcement of transformers), a new transformer can be installed to
boost the network at 220/127 volt after approval of Sector Head and electricity
department manager.
Replacement of 380/220 volt transformers:
Replacement will be done according to the new specifications of 400/230 volt and to
adjust the voltage changer to fit the old voltage (380/220 volt) if needed for some
customers who have devices sensitive to voltage fluctuation.
Process of applying for voltage change
If a customer applies to change the feeding voltage from 220/127 volt to the new voltage
during or after the first ten years from the Decision of the Cabinet No. 324 (dated
20/9/1431H), and the customer is the only customer connected to the transformer,
feeding voltage and necessary connections will be changed at the cost of the company
according to the approved budgets.
When changing voltage of customers at their request, old circuit breakers will be
changed to the nearest corresponding capacity according to the new voltage, and
customers will need to pay any cost arising from this
The exception to the above is for circuit breakers of capacity 20A, for which customers
will not be required to pay any cost difference
If the customer requests to maintain the old circuit breaker rating, they will be required
to bear the consequences of reduced demand rating. This will be approved only when
technical standards allow for this given loading of distribution transformer
When changing voltage of customers at company request, old circuit breakers will be
changed to the nearest corresponding capacity according to the new voltage without
requesting customers to bear costs for any differences.
If a customer applies to connect his building at the new voltage of 400/230 volt and the
available source of feeding and planned to connect thereof is 220/127 volt, it will be dealt as
follow:
If the demand loads are less than 166 K.V.A., his application will not be met and he
will be connected from the available source at 220 volt between two phases.
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If the demand loads are more than 166 K.V.A., customer will be requested to provide a
space for a distribution substation and a new substation to be installed for to cater to his
demand requirements and his building will be fed at the new voltage of 400/230 volt.
Facilities that have building permit and all other relevant certificates such as No-
Objection Certificate (N.O.C)
2. Pre-layout will be applied to facilities of connected loads not exceeding 1MVA, and
electrical service will be supplied to them on the low distribution voltage.
4. Pre-layout will start after the completion of 30% of the building according to the table
below
Building Completion
Description
Percentage
Foundations 10%
Columns 20%
Ground Floor 30%
Entire Structure 70%
Completion of internal
80%
plastering works
Certificate of Completion 100%
13
Pre-cabling is approved only for Business Sector customers (i.e. only for commercial and industrial
customers). This is as per latest instructions from SEC senior management which is outlined in Appendix 0.
74
5. Pre-layout estimation will be prepared according to the approved master plan, and in
case of inexistence of the master plan, all nearby plots will be studied, which may be
supplied in the future from the same substation.
75
Examples of Pre-layout
Layout of service cable from an existing LV cabinet
76
Construction of a new LV cabinet on the same path of another LV cabinet from an existing
distribution substation
Layout of a direct LV cable Aluminum 4x 300 mm2 from an existing distribution substation
77
Construction of a new distribution substation (in a booked general location) and construction
of a new LV distribution cabinet
Construction of a new distribution substation (in a location between two plots) and layout of
a direct LV cable aluminum 4 × 300 mm2
78
Construction of a new substation in the building of the customer
79
Once the site visit has been performed and all customer remarks have been resolved, the
network planning section can start to produce the new connection design scheme.
LV NEW CONNECTIONS NETWORK PLANNING DESIGN
CRITERIA
In other words, the first priority for serving any customer should be through existing
equipment (unless the load requirements are high enough to require dedicated
equipment, e.g. dedicated substations for customer loads of more than 800A). Only
when this is not possible, options involving new equipment (either through
reinforcement of existing elements or addition of new elements) should be considered.
6. The following connection configurations are available while designing LV
underground networks and may be used depending on availability of existing
infrastructure and customer coincident demand load requirements:
Main LV feeder with 1 distribution pillar – common configuration
Direct connection from LV panel to customer meter – heavy load lots
1 main LV feeder with 2 distribution pillars – only suitable for areas with light
load density
7. Geographical proximity principles should be used as much as possible:
Location of substations and distribution pillars should be as close to center of
load area as possible
LV feeder / main feeder from SS to customer meter should follow shortest
route
Street crossings for LV cables should be avoided
80
8. Outgoing circuit breaker ratings for any outgoing supply source (substation,
distribution pillar) should be greater than circuit breaker ratings of all KWH meters
connected to it and to the coincident customer demand load
9. Size of the new substation should take into account:
Demand load of existing customers (for this year and for the upcoming 5 year
time horizon)
Existing nearby customers
Existing empty lots
Buildings under construction nearby
81
LOCATION OF LV DISTRIBUTION PILLARS
Detailed materials specifications for LV Distribution Pillars are referred to SEC Distribution
Materials Specification No. (31-SDMS-02, Rev.01) with its latest updates.
The following factors should be taken into consideration for installation of distribution pillars:
Shall be installed at the load center as far as geographically possible to minimize service
cable length.
Shall be installed between two plots to avoid future relocation.
May be placed at the inside of a sidewalk closer to customer premises.
Should be easily accessible from the front of customer’s boundary without any
obstruction.
Shall not be located on the top of sewerage system.
Detailed Construction Specifications for Locations of LV Distribution Pillars are referred to
SEC Distribution Construction Standard No. (SDCS-02, PART 4 , Rev.00) with its latest
updates.
LOCATION OF DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATION SITES
Distribution substations can be installed at any of the following locations:
Insets of customer lots
Municipality land (such as open spaces, schools, mosques, car parking, gardens, public
places)
For area electrification SEC will negotiate with the developer or the local Municipality for the
land and locations required for substations. When preliminary design of a residential area has
been completed and optimum substation sites required have been determined it is essential to
indicate the same to the area developer which may be private owner, Municipality, or Ministry
of Housing for the provision of the easements for SEC facilities including substations and ring
main units.
The preferred substation type will be the unit substation and will be installed in all cases
except where extensible switch gear is required.
The preferred locations are on the services area and Municipality land, e.g., open
spaces, schools, mosques, car parks, etc.
The substation should be located on asphalted or leveled roads so that the medium
voltage cables can be laid without any hindrance or difficulty.
The substation shall be installed at the load center as far as geographically possible to
minimize LV cables length.
Size of Inset for Distribution Substation depends on the different rating of this Distribution
Substation as shown below
82
In order to accommodate all the different ratings of Distribution Substations i.e. 300, 500, 1000
and 1500 KVA of package substation or unit substation, the space requirement is as follows:
If gate is present, the size of space required is 4.5m x 2m
If gate is not present, a total space of 4m x 2m is adequate.
This is to ensure that it can handle the size of 1500 KVA substation if required in future.
83
UNDERGROUND LOW VOLTAGE NETWORK CONFIGURATION
There are three standard connection configuration types for customer connections in Low
Voltage Underground Network depends on customers demand loads as following.
Connection through Distribution Pillar
This type of connection is shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7. For this condition, cable 300 mm2
AL/XLPE is used from substation to distribution Pillar, and cables 185mm2 AL/XLPE, 70
mm2 AL/XLPE are used from distribution Pillar to the customer meter/meters box. (Common
configuration).
84
Direct Connection
This type of connection is shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 . For this condition, cable 4x300
mm2 AL/XLPE or 4x185mm2 AL/XLPE is used directly from substation to the customer
meter/meters box. (Heavy load lots only).
85
Connection through Two Distribution Pillars
In the areas where load of customers is low, the outgoing of the distribution pillar can be used
to feed the second distribution pillar to provide connection to more customers. This type of
connection is shown in Figure 10 and Figure 11. For this condition, cable 300 mm2 AL/XLPE
is used from substation to the first distribution Pillar, and cables 300 mm2 AL/XLPE or 185
mm2 AL/XLPE are used from the first distribution Pillar to the second distribution Pillar and
cables 185mm2 AL/XLPE or 70 mm2 AL/XLPE are used from distribution Pillar to the
customer meter/meters box. (Light load lots only).
86
ADDITIONAL PLANNING DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The general criteria from earlier can be translated into detailed design principles as outlined
below:
1. Design of any LV network element (Substation , Main LV Feeder , Distribution Pillar
, Service Connection Cable) should be based on the Coincident Demand Load (CDL)
of all customers KWH Meters supplied from this element LV network element.
2. To maintain the Loading percentage on any LV network element (Substation, Main LV
Feeder , Distribution Pillar , Service Connection Cable) within the Firm Capacity (80
% of Rating) of that LV network element.
3. To maintain the Total Voltage Drop percentage on the whole LV network (Main LV
Feeder + Service Connection Cable) from the Substation to the customer's location
within the Voltage Drop limits (5 % of Nominal Voltage).
4. The LV network design should be the most economical (Lowest Cost) as possible to
supply the projected customer's load.
5. The suitable size of the cable to supply the customer should be selected according to
the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of that customer and should be suitable to satisfy
that customer's CDL is not greater than the Firm Capacity (80 % of Rating) of that
Cable.
6. The suitable connection configuration type to supply the customer should be selected
according to the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of that customer.
7. Connection configuration type with Two Distribution Pillars in one main LV feeder can
be used only in light load density area.
8. CDL on the SS should be not greater than SS's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceeding 80 %
of SS's rating) and is calculated using the following formula
( ) =
( )
% = × 100
9. CDL on the DP should be not greater than DP's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceeding 80 %
of DP's rating)
=
% = × 100
10. CDL on the LV Main Feeder should be not greater than LV Main Feeder's Firm
Capacity (i.e. not exceeding 80 % of LV Main Feeder's rating)
=
% = × 100
87
11. CDL on the Service Cable should be not greater Service Cable's Firm Capacity (i.e. not
exceeding 80 % of Service Cable's rating).
=
% = × 100
12. CDL on the Direct Feeder should be not greater than Direct Feeder's Firm Capacity (i.e.
not exceeding 80 % of Direct Feeder's rating).
=
% = × 100
13. Total VD% from SS to customer's location should be not greater than voltage drop limit
(i.e. not exceeding 5 %).
( ) ×
% = × 100
( ) ×
% =
( ) ×
% =
% = % %
% = %
88
19. Install a new DP near to customers' lots in the center of loads (i.e. in the middle between
customers' lots) as possible.
20. Select the shortest geographic route for the LV Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable) from SS
to the new DP (as possible).
21. Select the shortest geographic route for the service cable from the new DP to customer's
location (as possible).
22. Select the shortest geographic route for the Direct Feeder from SS to the customer's
location (as possible).
23. Always try to avoid crossing the streets when you design the route of any LV cable as
possible as you can.
24. It is not allowed to cross any street with width more than 36 meters for any LV cable
route.
25. CB/Fuse rating of the outgoing from any supply source (Substation , Distribution Pillar)
should be not lesser than the largest CB rating of all KWH Meters supplied from this
outgoing CB/Fuse. Same is valid for any two CBs/Fuses outgoings supply customers.
26. CB/Fuse rating of the outgoing from any supply source (Substation , Distribution Pillar)
should be not lesser than the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of all customers KWH
Meters supplied from this outgoing CB/Fuse. Same is valid for any two CBs/Fuses
outgoings supply customers.
27. Size (KVA rating) of the new SS should be selected based on the need of the neighbor
area (including : concerned new customer , existing others nearby supply requests ,
nearby under constructions buildings , existing empty lots) and it should be as minimum
as sufficient to meet their total Coincident Demand Load (CDL).
28. If multi substations are required to supply a customer , select the no. of the required
substations and their ratings from the available SEC standard (300, 500, 1000, 1500
KVA) where the summation of substations ratings should provide minimum sufficient
total capacity to meet the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of the customer
with minimum no. of substations.
29. For supplying new customers, it is preferred to use the substation with (500 KVA or
1000 KVA) rating. This is to maintain a possibility for reinforcement of these
substations (1000 KVA & 500 KVA) by replacing them with 1500 KVA substation
without the need to install a new substation.
30. The substation with 300 KVA rating can be used in light load density area and also for
remote dedicated customers with light loads.
31. No. of Meter Boxes and their sizes required to handle the KWH Meters required to
supply a customer should be as minimum as sufficient with minimum no. of Meter
Boxes. i.e. always use larger size of Meter Box to handle more possible KWH Meters
in one box instead to use multi smaller size of Meter Boxes for same no. of KWH
Meters.
89
32. To supply a new customer's CDL from an existing DP , evaluation for the criteria
(Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on the Coincident Demand Load (CDL)
of all customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied
from this DP. Only in case that the measured Maximum Demand (MD) on that DP is
greater than CDL of existing customers , so the CDL of the concerned new customer
should be corrected by the scaling of MD on DP as shown in the following equation :
= ×
33. Then evaluating for the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on
summation of MD on DP and the corrected CDL of concerned new customer
34. To supply a new customer's CDL from an existing SS , evaluation for the criteria
(Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on the Coincident Demand Load (CDL)
of all customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied
from this SS. Only in case that the measured Maximum Demand (MD) on that SS is
greater than CDL of existing customers , so the CDL of the concerned new customer
should be corrected by the scaling of MD on SS as shown in the following equation :
= ×
35. Then evaluation for the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on
summation of MD on SS and the corrected CDL of concerned new customer. For
examples on voltage drop and loading, please refer to examples in Sections 6.2.6 and
6.2.7
STEP BY STEP DESIGN PROCEDURE
A. Connected Load (CL) in (KVA) for each Individual unit in customer's building should
be estimated, unit by unit, as per Section referring to Chapter 5 (Estimation Of
Customer Load Guideline) with its latest updates.
B. Individual Circuit Breaker Rating (CBR) in (Amp) for the Individual KWH Meter for
each Individual unit in customer's building should be determined according to the
estimated connected load (CL) of that Individual unit and referring to Chapter 5
C. Number of Individual KWH Meters (N) required for the customer's building should be
determined according to number of Individual units in customer's building and referring
to SEC Customer Services Manual with its latest updates.
D. Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) for the group of all KWH
Meters of the customer's building based on Section 6.1.1
E. Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (KVA) of the customer's building
from the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) as follows :
× × √3
=
1000
Where:
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VLL = Nominal Voltage (line to line) of the LV Network (in volts).
F. This equation can be simplified as follows:
Where:
FConversion = Conversion Factor to convert (CDL) from (Amp) to (KVA). Its values for
different nominal voltages are shown in Table 10 below.
Table 10: Conversion factors UG
However, wherever possible, it is preferred to use the full equation to calculate CDL in
KVA
G. Based on the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) of the customer's
building, select the suitable connection configuration type to supply this Coincident
Demand Load (CDL) as shown in Table 11 below. the suitable connection
configuration type includes :
o Size of cable to customer.
o No. of cables to customer required.
o Suitable supply source: Direct Feeder from Substation (SS) or Service
Connection through Distribution Pillar (DP).
o No. of outgoing required.
Table 11: Coincident Demand Load (CDL) UG
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H. If the suitable connection configuration type is Service Connection through
Distribution Pillar (DP), go to the next step.
I. First try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby DP by using the following
steps:
o Select the nearest existing DP to the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate CDL on the DP including of all customers KWH Meters (concerned
new customer + existing customers) supplied from this DP.
o CDL on the DP should be not greater than DP's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceed
80 % of DP's rating).
o Calculate CDL on the Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable) from SS to DP including
of all customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers)
supplied from this Main Feeder.
o CDL on the Main Feeder should be not greater than Main Feeder's Firm
Capacity (i.e. not exceed 80 % of Main Feeder's rating).
o Calculate CDL on the SS including of all customers KWH Meters (concerned
new customer + existing customers) supplied from this SS.
o CDL on the SS should be not greater than SS's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceed
80 % of SS's rating).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the service cable from DP to
customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable) from SS to DP.
o Calculate VD% on the service cable from DP to customer's location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from SS to customer's location.
o Total VD% from SS to customer's location should be not greater than voltage
drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected DP because one of the
criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all others nearby
existing DP (one by one) with priority for the nearest and by using same steps
in above (from "a" to "l").
J. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing DP because one of the
criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
K. Try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby SS through a new DP by using
the following steps :
o Select the nearest existing SS to the customer's location (as possible).
92
o Calculate CDL on the SS including of all customers KWH Meters (concerned
new customer + existing customers) supplied from this SS.
o CDL on the SS should be not greater than SS's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceed
80 % of SS's rating).
o Design to install a new DP near to customers' lots in the center of loads (i.e. in
the middle between customers' lots) as possible.
o Select the shortest geographic route for the new Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable)
from SS to the new DP (as possible).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the service cable from the new DP to
customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the new Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable) from SS to the new
DP.
o Calculate VD% on the service cable from the new DP to customer's location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from SS to customer's location.
o Total VD% from SS to customer's location should be not greater than voltage
drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected SS because one of the
criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all others nearby
existing SS (one by one) with priority for the nearest and by using same steps
in above (from "a" to "j").
L. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing SS because one of the
criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
M. Design to supply customer's CDL from a new SS through a new DP by using the
following steps :
o Design to install a new SS near to customers lots in the center of loads area
(including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby supply requests,
nearby under constructions buildings, empty lots) as possible.
o Size (KVA rating) of the new SS should be selected based on the need of the
neighbor area (including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby
supply requests, nearby under constructions buildings, existing empty lots).
o Design to install a new DP near to customers' lots in the center of loads (i.e. in
the middle between customers' lots) as possible.
o Select the shortest geographic route for the new Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable)
from the new SS to the new DP (as possible).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the service cable from the new DP to
customer's location (as possible).
93
o Calculate VD% on the new Main Feeder (300 mm2 cable) from the new SS to
the new DP.
o Calculate VD% on the service cable from the new DP to customer's location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from the new SS to customer's location.
o Total VD% from the new SS to customer's location should be not greater than
voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
N. If the suitable connection configuration type is Direct Feeder from Substation (SS), go
to the next step.
O. First try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby SS by using the following
steps:
o Select the nearest existing SS to the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate CDL on the SS including of all customers KWH Meters (concerned
new customer + existing customers) supplied from this SS.
o CDL on the SS should be not greater than SS's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceed
80 % of SS's rating).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Direct Feeder from SS to the
customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Direct Feeder from SS to the customer's location.
o Total VD% from SS to customer's location should be not greater than voltage
drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected SS because one of the
criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all others nearby
existing SS (one by one) with priority for the nearest and by using same steps
in above (from "a" to "f").
P. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing SS because one of the
criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
Q. Design to supply customer's CDL from a new SS by using the following steps:
o Design to install a new SS near to customers lots in the center of loads area
(including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby supply requests,
nearby under constructions buildings, empty lots) as possible.
o Size (KVA rating) of the new SS should be selected based on the need of the
neighbor area (including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby
supply requests, nearby under constructions buildings, existing empty lots).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Direct Feeder from the new SS to
the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Direct Feeder from the new SS to the customer's
location.
94
o Total VD% from the new SS to customer's location should be not greater than
voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
For special considerations related to customers with load requirements from 300A to 800A,
please refer to Section 6.2.8. For special considerations related to customers with load
requirements greater than 800A, please refer to Section 6.2.9.
For commercial & industrial customers, network cable pre-layout is applicable, which is
detailed in Section 6.1.19
CALCULATION OF VOLTAGE DROP
For a particular supply voltage the voltage drop from the supply point to the customer
interface depends on various factors such as customer demand, length and size of cable, and
power factor. Formula for voltage drop is provided below:
100 × × ( × cos × sin ) ×
% =
Where:
% = Voltage drop percentage on the cable in (%)
= Three phase power in (KVA)
= Coincident Demand Load (CDL) on the cable.
= Resistance of conductor in ohm per kilometer in (Ω/km)
= Inductive reactance of conductor in ohm per kilometer in (Ω /km)
= Power factor angle of the supply
= Three phase supply nominal voltage in (volts)
= Length of the cable in (meters)
The formula has reduced to a simple constant K equivalent to the product of KVA and length
of cable in meter at power factor of 0.85 lagging. For various values of KVA-meter the voltage
drop can be calculated by dividing it with this constant K.
=
100 × ( × cos × sin )
The value of the K constant changes with the supply voltage, power factor and size and type
of cable, due to the change of resistance and inductance. The calculations of K values are shown
in the table below
Table 12: K Values
Cable
V R X cos ϕ sin ϕ K
Size
mm2 Volts Ω/km Ω/km V2.km/Ω
300 400 0.169 0.09 0.85 0.527 8373
95
300 380 0.169 0.09 0.85 0.527 7557
300 220 0.169 0.09 0.85 0.527 2533
185 400 0.274 0.091 0.85 0.527 5697
185 380 0.274 0.091 0.85 0.527 5141
185 220 0.274 0.091 0.85 0.527 1723
70 400 0.739 0.095 0.85 0.527 2359
70 380 0.739 0.095 0.85 0.527 2129
70 220 0.739 0.095 0.85 0.527 714
RAC90o C and X1(60Hz) is used in above table
The values of K constant to be used for various standard LV cables are provided below
Constant K
LV Cable Size Standard Nominal Voltages
400V 380V 220V
4x300 mm2 (AL) 8373 7557 2533
4x185 mm2 (AL) 5697 5141 1723
4x70 mm2 (AL) 2359 2129 714
Where:
% = Voltage drop percentage on the cable in (%)
= Three phase power in (KVA)
= Coincident Demand Load (CDL) on the cable
= Length of the cable in (meters)
= The constant in (V2.km/Ω) according to Table 12 above
Max Lengths (m) can be achieved within (5%) Voltage Drop with Loading up to Firm Capacity
(KVA) for Different Nominal Voltages (V) for Different Sizes of LV Cables are calculated
using the above formula, as shown below.
Max. Length (m) within 5% VD
with loading upto firm capacity for
LV Cable Size different voltages (V)
400V 380V 220V
4x300 mm2 (AL) 243 232 134
4x185 mm2 (AL) 224 213 122
4x70 mm2 (AL) 157 150 88
96
The Utility voltage drop allocations listed below shall be used as guideline voltage drops over
the power system components supplying a low voltage customer to minimize lengths of Service
Cables as possible.
LV Network Component Voltage Drop %
LV Main Feeder 3.5
Service Cable 1.5
Total Voltage Drop 5.0
Max Lengths (m) can be achieved within (5%) Voltage Drop with Loading up to Firm Capacity
(KVA) on Main LV Feeder (300 mm2) & with (30 A) LV Meter (0.6 DF) on Service Cable (70
mm2) for Different Nominal Voltages (V) are calculated by using the Voltage Drop
calculations formula and by applying the voltage drop allocations values listed above, as shown
in the table below
Max. length (m) within 5% Voltage Drop 400V 170 284 454
with Loading upto Firm Capacity KVA on
LV Main Feeder (300 mm2) & with 30A 380V 162 270 432
Meter (0.6 DF) on Service Cable (70mm2)
for different voltages 220V 94 156 250
VD for cable = 300 x 75 / 8373 = 2.69% (which is below the allowed limit)
Example (2)
The customer load is 310KVA at 400V. The connection is directly from Distribution
Substation through 300mm2 cable of length 190m. What is the voltage drop?
97
The K-value for 300mm2 cable is 8373
The simplified formula for voltage drop calculation is:
% =
VD for cable = 310 x 190 / 8373 = 7.05% (which is above the allowed limit)
Example (3)
The customer load is 240KVA at 400V. The connection is from Distribution Substation to
DP (through 300mm2 cable) of length 80m and from DP to customer service cable of 70
mm2 of length 20m. What is the voltage drop?
The K-value for 300mm2 cable is 8373
The K-value for 70mm2 cable is 2359
The simplified formula for voltage drop calculation is:
×
% =
Example (4)
The customer load is 240KVA at 400V. The connection is from Distribution Substation to
DP (through 300mm2 cable) of length 80m and from DP to customer service cable of 70
mm2 of length 60m. What is the voltage drop?
The K-value for 300mm2 cable is 8373
The K-value for 70mm2 cable is 2359
The simplified formula for voltage drop calculation is:
×
% =
98
Total VD = 8.39%
In this example, the VD to customer is higher than limit of 5%. Hence, this connection design
has to be changed
Example (1):
Calculate CDL and suitable supply method for a plot consists of 16 residential units with CB
rating 40 A for each unit through underground network
= ( × ) × ( )
From the above table, this can be supplied either from DP or directly from distribution
substation.
If supplied from DP, main LV feeder will be 300mm2 with 2 cables of 185mm2 LV cable to
customer
If supplied from SS, direct feeder of 300mm2
Example (2):
Calculate the loading percentage on an aluminum feeder of size 4 × 300 m2 to supply CDL 160
KVA
% = × 100
Example (3):
What is the rating of the distribution substation required to supply one commercial unit on
400/230 V of building area 3200 m2.
99
CL for the individual unit (KVA) = Individual unit building area (m2) × load density factor
(VA/m2) ÷ 1000
Commercial unit area 3200 m2 is out of the area tables, therefore, calculation will depend on
the load density factor from the Chapter 5 for commercial facilities (C2) = 215 (VA/m2)
CDL:
= ( × ) × ( )
Example (4):
What is the rating of the MV Switchgear required to supply a commercial mall with CL 12
KVA on 13.8 KV
CDL:
= ( × ) × ( )
Example (5):
What is the suitable rating of the distribution substation to supply three residential plots, each
plot will be supplied by 6 CBs, rating of each CB is 100 A.
100
= ( × ) × ( )
Suitable rating of the public distribution substation to supply them is 1000 KVA and the loading
percentage 45%.
Example (6)
The connected load for customer is 459KVA which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of
1000A connected at 400V. The customer is a residential customer with a single meter.
Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.2.9
The coincident demand load for this customer will depend on demand factor and coincidence
factor. In this example, let’s assume Demand Factor = 0.6 (corresponding to residential
building) and coincidence factor = 1 (which corresponds to a single meter. Depending on the
number of meters, the coincidence factor will change). These numbers are derived from the
relevant tables in Chapter 5 Customer Load Estimation.
Coincident Demand Load = 1000A x 0.6 x 1 = 600A
Since the connected load is greater than 300KVA, the preferred mode of connection is through
a dedicated LV distribution substation.
Supply using dedicated unit distribution substation
Under this scenario, a new distribution substation will be planned to serve the customer.
Required size of substation = 500KVA (Firm capacity of substation of 300KVA is
240KVA which exceeds the CDL of the customer, which corresponds to 275.4KVA)
Outgoing connection to customer will comprise of 2 cables of 4x300mm2 Al cable
Example (7)
The connected load for customer is 918KVA which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of
2000A and is connected at 400V. Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.2.9
Coincident Demand Load = 2000A x 0.6 x 1 = 1200A (corresponding to 551KVA) – with the
assumption of 1 meter
Since the connected load is greater than 300KVA, the preferred mode of connection is through
a dedicated LV distribution substation.
101
Both connection configurations (as mentioned in the section above) are valid for the customer
and the choice will depend on
Case A: Supply using dedicated unit distribution substation
Under this scenario, a new distribution substation will be planned to serve the customer.
Required size of substation = 1000KVA
Outgoing connection to customer will comprise of 1x630mm2 Cu cable
Case B: Supply using existing distribution substation
Firstly, available firm capacity with an existing distribution substation needs to be
determined
From the table, it can be established that 4 single core 630 mm2 cables per phase will
be required
Example (8)
The demand load for customer is 320A which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of 400A at
400V (underground). Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.2.8
The above refers to a demand factor of 0.8
Depending on the existing network in the area, the customer can be served either using
underground or overhead
Underground:
o As per Table 13, the connection scheme is 2 outgoings from substation and 2
cables
o The size of the cable is 185 mm2
Overhead:
o As per Table 33, connection scheme is 2 outgoings from PMT and 2 OH service
drops or 2 underground cables
o Size of OH service drop: 120 mm2
o Size of underground cable: 185 mm2
Example (9)
The demand load for customer is 720A which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of 800A at
400V. Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.2.8
The above refers to a demand factor of 0.9
102
As per Table 16, the connection scheme is 2 outgoings from substation and 2 cables to
800A service cabinet
The size of the cable is 300 mm2
While connecting large LV customers, ratings for LV equipment need to be updated to take
into account the additional load requirements
LV Cables Ratings
LV Cable size Rating (A) 1 Cable (Max. 2 Cables (Max.
(mm2) Amp Rating) Amp Rating)
300 mm2 Al 310 310 620
2
185 mm Al 230 230 460
70 mm2 Al 135 135 270
Distribution Pillar Out-going Fuse Ratings
Substation Distribution Pillar Distribution Pillar
Outgoing MCCB Outgoing Fuse Firm Capacity (A)
Rating (A) Rating (A)
400 200 320
103
Two Outgoings from Distribution Pillar to Meter Box
104
Two Outgoings from Substation to Meter Box
105
The following tables outline the supply configuration requirements for various load options
through usage of either 1 or 2 outgoing cables
Table 13: Supply Method for 400A Meter LV Customer (Underground)
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 1 Outgoing & Cable Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & Cables
CB Rating Demand Demand Supply No of No. of Cable Size Supply No of No. of Cable Size
(A) Factor Load (A) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2)
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 1 Outgoing & Cable Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & Cables
CB Rating Demand Demand Supply No of No. of Cable Size Supply No of No. of Cable Size
(A) Factor Load (A) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2)
106
Table 15: Supply Method for 600A Meter LV Customer
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 1 Outgoing & Cable Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & Cables
CB Rating Demand Demand Supply No of No. of Cable Size Supply No of No. of Cable Size
(A) Factor Load (A) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2)
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 1 Outgoing & Cable Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & Cables
CB Rating Demand Demand Supply No of No. of Cable Size Supply No of No. of Cable Size
(A) Factor Load (A) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2)
Network configurations for LV customers with large load requirements (for both underground
and overhead) are detailed in the appendix.
Note: Meters of more than 500A (500A, 600A and 800A) cannot be supplied through overhead
PMT cabinet configuration since maximum capacity of supply from 2 outgoing MCCBs of
PMT LV cabinet is 400A. Hence, for loads of more than 500A, underground configuration
needs to be used
107
2. Connected load of customer unit is more than 300 KVA with no additional customers
being served from the substation and the building is considered 1 unit according the
SEC Customer Services Manual and municipality permits
3. There is request from the customer for dedicated substation
Under these cases, SEC needs to ensure connection scheme to customer with dedicated
substation(s) as required by the customer load. It is the responsibility of the customer to provide
location for the substation(s) as per SEC guidelines.
The process for estimating connected load of customer is mentioned in Section 6.1.2
There are two potential supply methods for such customers that can be employed which should
be decided by the network planning engineer based on technical and economic considerations:
1. Unit Substation with LV panel with Main Circuit Breaker and KWH Meter and without
Outgoing MCCBs
2. RMU with Transformer with KWH Meter and without LV Panel
Unit Substation with LV panel with Main Circuit Breaker and KWH Meter and without
Outgoing MCCBs
Low Voltage Distribution Panel without Outgoing MCCBs is to be used in the distribution
substations for this configuration type. The panel shall be supplied with Main Circuit Breaker.
SEC approved main Circuit breaker (MCCB/ACB) shall be as per specification no. 37-SDMS-
04. Outgoing connection to customer shall be made by means of connecting 300 mm2 Al cables
to the main bus bars by using cable lugs. General characteristics of this Panel are shown below
along with the connection configuration.
Substation with LV Panel &
Circuit Breaker
108
Table 17: LV Panel Characteristics for LV Customers >800A Load
Breaker Rated Current (A) 1000A 1250A 1600A 2000A 2500A 3200A 4000A
109
EXEMPTION OF CUSTOMERS TO PROVIDE LOCATION FOR
DISTRIBUTION SUBSTATION
Exemption from providing a location for a distribution substation will be studied if
the total contracted load of the entire building of the customer (new, additional,
booster) is greater than 166 KVA, and the building has not been exempted due to
prior decision.
Exemption will be studied taking into consideration distribution substations located
within the area surrounding the customer in a circle of radius 250 meter and its center
is the location of the building of the customer, provided that such substations can be
used to supply the customer as follows:
o If the existing network is underground, the applicant will not be exempted if
the location of the applicant can be used to improve the existing network
o Percentage of loading of the distribution substation (source of supply) shall
not exceed 80% of its capacity after adding the Coincident Demand Load
(CDL) to each of the following:
a) Customer
b) Existing new connection applications, buildings under construction,
and empty lands for (private/ public) plans for which locations of the
substations have been approved, for the buildings geographically
closer to the source of supply and located within the area of study
c) Newly installed loads after recording the peak loads of the distribution
substation (source of supply).
110
d) If the capacity of the substation is 1500 KVA., then the percentage of
loading of the substation shall not exceed 70% of its capacity (in KVA)
after adding the demand loads according to paragraphs (a, b and c) in
this item.
o Number of main feeders necessary to feed the total loads of the customer
building:
a) For buildings with a single unit, number of feeders shall not exceed
two; each feeder is an aluminum cable of size 4 x 300 mm2.
b) For buildings with a multiple unit, number of feeders shall not exceed
three; each feeder is an aluminum cable of size 4 x 300 mm2.
o Percentage of cables loading shall not exceed 80% of the rated capacity of the
cables.
o Percentage of voltage drop shall not exceed 5% in cables starting from the
distribution substation (source of supply) to the location of customer meters.
o Keeping at least one vacant circuit breaker in the distribution substation
proposed to be fed thereof.
o Loads of other customers shall not be shifted to the existing distribution
substations for the purpose of reducing their loads to feed the customer thereof
and exempt him from providing a location for a distribution substation.
o Costs of the total estimation of feeding from the existing distribution
substation shall not exceed 50% of the costs of the total estimation in case of
feeding by the installation of a new distribution substation in the building of
the customer.
o If the exemption needed to reinforce the distribution substation in the area
surrounding the customer, the possibility of supplying shall be studied
according to the above mentioned items in addition to the following
requirements:
a) Distribution substation shall be at low distribution voltage of 400/230
volt.
b) Costs of the total estimation (reinforcement of the existing distribution
substation + LV network) shall not exceed 50% of the costs of the total
estimation (installation of a new distribution substation + LV network)
in the building of the customer.
c) Cost of reinforcement of the distribution substation shall be calculated
according to the method of calculation of the price of reinforcement of
a distribution substation/ overhead transformer (outlined in the
subsequent section)
111
o If there is a space allocated for the company that can be used according to the
study, a new distribution substation shall be installed in this space and the
customer will be fed thereof.
o A new distribution substation shall not be installed in the public locations for
the purpose of exempting the customer unless there is a previously approved
space allocated for the company.
The possibility of exempting the customer from providing a location for the
distribution substation in the overhead network within the residential areas will be
studied as follows:
o Contracted load for the building of the customer shall not exceed the capacity
of the highest overhead transformer of 300 KVA.
o The predominated network is an overhead network and the installation of a
ground network has not been started yet in the area surrounding the customer.
o Overhead transformers, which are at (400/230 volt), can be reinforced to feed
the customer thereof provided that costs of the total estimation of (reinforcing
the existing overhead transformer + LV network) shall not exceed 50% of
costs of the total estimation of (installing a new overhead transformer + LV
network), and cost of reinforcing the overhead transformer will be calculated
according to the method of calculation of the price of reinforcing a distribution
substation/ overhead transformer is outlined in subsequent section.
o If there is a need to install a new overhead transformer to feed the customer, it
will be installed in the front of his building.
The determination of the supply voltage for the exemption applications for the
(adding/ boosting) cases must be considered according to the method of connection to
the customers under the decision of changing the distribution voltage.
The form of the exemption from providing a location for a substation is provided
below
Approval of the exemption form from the authority owner should be according to the
new connections manual.
Add the number of exemption and its date in the UDS system and invoicing system
(SAP) with the attachment of the approved exemption form on the UDS system.
After approval of the exemption, the customer undertakes to provide a location for a
distribution substation if the customer applies to add/increase loads for his/her
building.
112
Method of calculation of the price of reinforcing a distribution substation/ overhead
transformer
Prices of the distribution substation / overhead transformer (which will be reinforced)
will be determined according to the current prices of distribution materials in the
system.
Annual depreciation percentage will be calculated according to table below starting
from the year of manufacture registered on the data panel of the distribution substation
/ overhead transformer until the year of boosting.
Annual Depreciation
Item Life Span
Percentage
(Underground) Distribution
30 years 3.33%
Substation
Unit substation
A unit substation is commonly used substation in SEC. It combines distribution transformer
and LV distribution panel in a single transportable unit. The unit substation is fed from a
separate ring main unit. The ring main unit is not an integral part of the unit substation. General
113
characteristics of the unit substation are shown in Table 18. Detailed materials specifications
for Unit Substations are referred to SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. (56-SDMS-
01, Rev.01) and No. (56-SDMS-03, Rev.00) with its latest updates.
Use of any substation other than unit substation should be approved by department manager of
concerned electricity department.
Package substation (non-standard)
The package substation is convenience to install and occupies lesser space. It consists of Ring
Main Unit, Distribution Transformer and Low Voltage Distribution Panel combined in a single
unit. General characteristics of the package substation are shown in Table below. Detailed
materials specifications for package substations are referred to SEC Distribution Materials
Specification No. (56-SDMS-02, Rev.01) and No. (56-SDMS-04, Rev.00) with its latest
updates.
Room substations
Separate Transformers and Low Voltage Distribution Boards also are available as well as 13.8
KV Ring Main Unit. These are to be used in indoor substations. As indoor substations usually
serves large spot loads, the combinations of transformers and Low Voltage. Distribution Board
may differ from those of package unit substations, but the ratings are similar.
LV DISTRIBUTION PANELS
Low voltage distribution panels to be used in the distribution substations. The panel contains
400A molded case circuit breakers (MCCB) for out-going circuits. 400A MCCB according to
SEC specification No. 37-SDMS-02 latest revision shall be already installed for each outgoing
feeder. MCCB outgoing terminals shall be suitable for direct connection of 300mm² Al. cable.
Table 18: LV Distribution panel overview
114
LV DISTRIBUTION PILLARS
Distribution Pillars provide above-ground access for service connections from LV main feeder.
Its Bus bars has a rated normal continuous current of 400 Amps. The Distribution Pillar is
equipped for seven (7), 3-Phase, 4-Wire, Aluminum Cable circuits. Two (2) circuits for the in-
coming and five (5) circuits for the out-going. The two (2) in-coming circuits is located on each
side of the Pillar. The five (5) outgoing circuits in the middle are equipped with NH Fuse Ways
with rated current of 200 Amps. LV fuse links knife type NH of current rating 200 amps shall
be installed.
The incoming circuit terminals are suitable for fixing Aluminum Cable of size 300 mm2 or 185
mm2 with the use of cable lugs. The outgoing circuit terminals are suitable for fixing Aluminum
Cable of size 185 mm2 or 70 mm2 with the use of cable lugs. The incoming circuit terminals
are used for LV main feeder. The outgoing circuit terminals of distribution pillar are used for
service connection to the customers.
The following tables outline the firm capacity of distribution pillars used within SEC
Rating (kVA) for different
Rating
Distribution voltages (V)
(A)
Pillar 400 380 220
400 (320) 277 (222) 263 (211) 152 (122)
Firm capacities are indicated within brackets above
Unified material codes: 8312001, 8312003 (specific equipment to be used as per usage
conditions)
LV CABLES
The 4 x 300 mm2 AL/XLPE cable is the standard for LV main Feeder. Two sizes of cable 4 x
185 mm2 & 4 x 70 mm2 AL/XLPE shall be used for service connections. Three-phase four
wires cable are provided as standard. Detailed materials specifications for LV Cables are
referred to SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. (11-SDMS-01, Rev. 02) with its latest
updates. From protection perspective, the following factors need to be considered while
selecting cable14:
Zero sequence resistance
Reactance
Short-time withstand current ratings for 1 second
Capacitive current per km
The LV cables current ratings in (A) and equivalent capacities in (KVA) at different low
voltages are given in the table below:
14
These values are to be obtained from manufacturers
115
Table 19: LV Cable current ratings
Unified Rating (kVA) for different
LV Cable size Rating
Material Code voltages (V)
(mm2) - New (A)
400 380 220
4 x 300 mm2 Al 8111007 310 215 204 118
4 x 185 mm2 Al 8111006 230 159 151 88
4 x 70 mm2 Al 8111005 135 94 89 51
Note: These ratings are based on calculations derived from IEC 287 (1982) : “ Calculation of
the Continuous Current Rating of Cables”. They are based on the cable characteristics indicated
in Table (4) and on the standard rating conditions indicated in Table (5) below. These results
are based on data for typical cable types. For more precise data, refer to the specific cable
supplier. Correction factors for deviation from these conditions are indicated in Table (23) &
Table (24) & Table (25). Where two or more circuits are installed in proximity, the load rating
of all affected cables is reduced.
The LV Cables Characteristics (AC resistance and reactance) values are given in the table
below:
Table 20: LV Cable characteristics (AC resistance and reactance)
LV Cable size RAC 20 °C RAC 90 °C X1 (60HZ)
(mm2) Ohms / km Ohms / km Ohms / km
4 x 300 mm2 Al 0.130 0.169 0.090
4 x 185 mm2 Al 0.211 0.274 0.091
4 x 70 mm2 Al 0.568 0.739 0.095
Note: Impedance values are ohms per km per phase for each cable type. Multiply by square
root of 3 to derive equivalent line values. Indicated values are positive / negative sequence
116
impedance values. The DC resistance values are based on IEC 228: Conductors of Insulated
Cables. The AC resistance values take account of skin effect and are based on data for typical
cable types. For more precise data refer to the specific cable supplier. The reactance values are
based on a trefoil conductor configuration for single core cables. They are based on data for
typical cable types. For more precise data refer to the specific cable supplier.
RAC 90 °C is calculated using the formula below:
= × ( )
Where:
= AC resistance values at 90 degrees Celsius
20 = AC resistance values at 20 degrees Celsius
= Temperature coefficient of resistance whose value is 0.004308 for Aluminum and
0.004041 for Copper
, = = Temperature values at 90 degrees and 20 degrees Celsius
Example:
Calculate RAC 90 °C for 300 mm2 Al cable
RAC 20 °C for 300 mm2 Al is 0.13 Ohms / km
RAC 90 °C = 0.13 x (1 + (0.004308 x (90-20))) = 0.169
Cable ratings given in the table mentioned above are based on the following standard
conditions:
Table 21: Standard conditions overview
Condition Value
Ambient Temperature Direct Buried/ Underground Ducted, at
40 °C
depths of one (1) meter and more
Soil Thermal Resistivity, at depths of one (1) meter and more 2.0 °C.m/w
Maximum Continuous Conductor Operating Temperature (XLPE) 90 °C
Maximum Short Circuit Conductor Temperature – 5 second
250 °C
Maximum Duration (XLPE)
Loss Load Factor – Daily (Equivalent Load Factor = 0.88) 0.8
Burial Depth (to the center of the cable) 0.54 m
Circuit Spacing (center to center) 0.30 m
However, depending on the conditions of usage, ratings of LV cables will need to be adjusted
by applying de-rating factors:
= ×
×
×
117
Table 22: Burial Depth Correction Factors
118
= ×
×
×
As per the relevant tables 22, 23 and 24, the following values are to be used:
Burial depth correction factor = 0.96
Soil thermal resistivity correction factor = 1.14
Ground temperature correction factor = 0.94
In standard conditions, the cable rating is 310A
The corrected rating is: 310 x 0.96 x 1.14 x 0.94 = 319A
LV CIRCUIT CONNECTIONS CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Molded Case Circuit Breakers (MCCB) for indoor or outdoor installation in an enclosure ,
intended to be used for Service Connections in the Low Voltage System. The Standard Ratings
for the Circuit Breakers are 20, 30, 40, 50, 70, 100, 125, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, and
800 Amps.
The incoming terminals shall be suitable for both copper and aluminum conductors of sizes
given for the following different ratings as shown in the following table:
Table 25: MCCB ratings and maximum size of conductors
Max size of conductors suitable for the
MCCB rating (Amps)
incoming terminals
20, 30, 40, 50, 70, 100, 125, 150 4x70mm² Al
200, 250 2 cables of 4x185mm² Al
300,400 2 cables of 4x300mm² Al
500, 600, 800 2 cables of 4x300mm² Al
Unified material codes: 8371001, 8371002, 8371003, 8371004, 8371005, 8371006, 8371007,
8371008, 8371009, 8371010, 8371011, 8371012, 8371013, 8371014, 8371015, 8371016,
8371017, 8371018, 8371019, 8372001, 8373001 (specific equipment to be used as per usage
conditions)
Detailed materials specifications for LV Service Connections Circuit Breakers are mentioned
in the latest version of SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. 37-SDMS-01.
KWH METERS
Electro-mechanical and Electronic Kilo-Watt-Hour (kWh) meters, intended to be used for
revenue metering in the system.
The kWh meters used by SEC are classified as given in the below table:
Table 26: Meter CB ratings by meter type
119
CT Operated Meter 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800
Unified material codes: 8401006, 8401007, 8401008 (specific equipment to be used as per
usage conditions)
Detailed materials specifications for Kilo-Watt-Hour Meters are referred to SEC Distribution
Materials Specification No. 40-SDMS-01 Rev. 02, No. 40-SDMS-02A Rev. 07, and No. 40-
SDMS-02B Rev. 06 with its latest updates.
METER BOXES
Fiberglass reinforced polyester boxes to be used for Kilo Watt Hour (KWH) meters in the
distribution system. The meter boxes used by SEC are classified as given below:
Table 27: Overview of meter boxes
120
121
6.3. LV OVERHEAD NETWORK PLANNING PROCESS
NETWORK PLANNING & NEW CONNECTION DESIGN
Once the site visit has been performed and all customer remarks have been resolved, the
network planning section can start to produce the new connection design scheme.
LV OVERHEAD NEW CONNECTIONS NETWORK PLANNING DESIGN CRITERIA
The following design criteria need to be followed:
1. Customer coincident demand load should be satisfied in line with the projected load,
for the upcoming 5 year time period (including current year). The customer coincident
demand load should cover all kWh meters as applicable for the customer
2. Equipment (conductors, cabinets and PMT) shall not be overloaded. In case loading of
any equipment exceeds 80%, relevant reinforcement action should be initiated
3. Voltage drop at customer supply interface points shall not exceed 5% of nominal
voltage, i.e. from substation to customer location
4. Proposed LV network design should be the most economical for the projected load (for
the 5-year time period) and layout
5. Optimization first principle – for any network design, existing network elements
(PMTs, feeders, etc.) should be used as much as possible
6. The following connection configurations are available while designing LV overhead
networks and may be used depending on availability of existing infrastructure and
customer coincident demand load requirements:
OH main LV feeder with 50 mm2 quadruplex conductor as service drop
connection – common configuration
OH main LV feeder with 120 mm2 quadruplex conductor as service drop
connection – for heavy load lots
OH main LV feeder with service connection UG cable – exceptional
configuration to be used where applicable
7. Geographical proximity principles should be used as much as possible:
Location of pole mounted transformers should be as close to center of load
area as possible
LV feeder / main feeder from PMT to customer meter should follow shortest
route
Street crossings for LV conductors should be avoided
8. Outgoing circuit breaker ratings for any outgoing supply source (PMT, LV cabinet)
should be greater than circuit breaker ratings of all KWH meters connected to it and to
the coincident customer demand load
9. Size of the new PMT should take into account:
122
Demand load of existing customers (for this year and for the upcoming 5 year
time horizon)
Existing nearby customers
Existing empty lots
Buildings under construction nearby
NETWORK PLANNING & NEW CONNECTION DESIGN PROCEDURE
After the site visit, a design proposal is to be prepared for the project.
The drafting of the design consists of, but is not limited to, the following steps:
Decide on the most appropriate equipment and network configurations and sizes in
accordance with SEC network planning standards. A project layout sketch is to be
prepared. The design must specify the outlet number to which LV conductors are to be
connected at the LV cabinet. Pole and equipment numbers are to be added at a later
stage. Major steps include
o Examination of contracted load, demand load, and circuit breaker (CB) size
based on Chapter 5 and with reference to the NOC application.
o In case of essential information for engineering design not available in the file,
it should be returned with objections to customer service department, e.g. load
clarification required from customer. Otherwise, engineering design is
commenced.
o Preparation of the connection design based on demand load and on information
collected per site visit check list (Appendix 10.6). KWH meter and size of
circuit breaker shall be as per customer’s contracted load.
Carry out design calculations in accordance with design guidelines issued by the
network planning division and the Distribution Engineering Department (D.E.D.). If
necessary, modify the design proposal until the required design guidelines are met.
Prepare Rights of Way (ROW) application for overhead sections of the project, if
applicable.
o Any special instructions which are required for construction (e.g. Special
requirements for access to property, obstructions to be avoided, etc.) Are to be
included on the design checklist/transmittal form.
Checks that associated project work is completed or scheduled.
Prepare a cost estimate for the project.
OVERHEAD LOW VOLTAGE NETWORK CONFIGURATION
There are three standard configurations for customer low voltage overhead connections
depending on customers demand loads as following.
123
OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 50 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor
This type of configuration is shown in Figure 12. For this condition, Quadruplex Conductor
120 mm2 shall be used as main OH LV feeder from PMT LV cabinet to customer location, and
Quadruplex Conductor 50 mm2 shall be used as service drop connection from that location to
the customer meter/meters box. (Common configuration).
Figure 12: OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 50 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor
124
OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 120 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor
This type of configuration can be used only when Quadruplex Conductor 50 mm2 is not
sufficient to supply the customer demand load. It is shown in Figure 13. For this condition,
Quadruplex Conductor 120 mm2 shall be used as main OH LV feeder from PMT LV cabinet
to customer location, and Quadruplex Conductor 120 mm2 can also be used as service drop
connection from that location to the customer meter/meters box. (Heavy load lots only).
Figure 13: OH Main Feeder with Service Drop 120 mm2 Quadruplex Conductor
125
OH Main Feeder with Service Connection UG Cable
This type of configuration can be used only when there is a physical hindrance to use
Quadruplex Conductor as service drop connection to the customer. It is shown in Figure 14.
For this condition, Quadruplex Conductor 120 mm2 shall be used as main OH LV feeder from
PMT LV cabinet to the nearest pole to customer location, and UG Cable 70 mm2 or 185 mm2
(depending on customer load) can be used as service connection from the nearest pole to the
customer meter/meters box. (Exceptional configuration).
126
4. The LV network design should be the most economical (Lowest Cost) as possible to
supply the projected customer's load.
5. The suitable size of the conductor to supply the customer should be selected according
to the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of that customer and should be suitable to
satisfy that customer's CDL is not greater than the Firm Capacity (80 % of Rating) of
that conductor.
6. The suitable connection configuration type to supply the customer should be selected
according to the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of that customer.
7. CDL on the PMT should be not greater than PMT's Firm Capacity (i.e. not exceeding
80 % of PMT's rating).
( ) =
( )
% = × 100
8. CDL on the LV Main Feeder should be not greater than LV Main Feeder's Firm
Capacity i.e. not exceeding 80 % of LV Main Feeder's rating).
=
% = × 100
9. CDL on the Service Drop should be not greater than Service Drop's Firm Capacity (i.e.
not exceeding 80 % of Service Drop's rating).
=
% = × 100
10. CDL on the Direct Feeder should be not greater than Direct Feeder's Firm Capacity (i.e.
not exceeding 80 % of Direct Feeder's rating).
=
% = × 100
11. Total VD% from PMT to customer's location should be not greater than voltage drop
limit (i.e. not exceeding 5 %).
( ) ×
% = × 100
( ) ×
% =
127
( ) ×
% =
% = % %
% = %
128
nearby under constructions buildings , existing empty lots) and it should be as minimum
as sufficient to meet their total Coincident Demand Load (CDL).
25. If multi PMTs are required to supply a customer , select the no. of the required PMTs
and their ratings from the available SEC standard (50, 100, 200, 300 KVA) where the
summation of PMTs ratings should provide minimum sufficient total capacity to meet
the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) of the customer with minimum no. of
PMTs.
26. For supplying new customers , It is preferred to avoid using the PMT with 300 KVA
rating as possible and it is preferred to use the PMT with (100 KVA or 200 KVA) rating
instead of that. This is to maintain a possibility for reinforcement of these PMTs (100
KVA & 200 KVA) by replacing them with 300 KVA PMTs without the need to install
a new PMT.
27. The PMT with 50 KVA rating can be used in light load density area and also for remote
dedicated customers with light loads.
28. No. of Meter Boxes and their sizes required to handle the KWH Meters required to
supply a customer should be as minimum as sufficient with minimum no. of Meter
Boxes. i.e. always use larger size of Meter Box to handle more possible KWH Meters
in one box instead to use multi smaller size of Meter Boxes for same no. of KWH
Meters.
29. To supply a new customer's CDL from an existing LV Main Feeder , evaluation for the
criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on the Coincident Demand Load
(CDL) of all customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers)
supplied from this LV Main Feeder. Only in case that the measured Maximum Demand
(MD) on that LV Main Feeder is greater than CDL of existing customers , so the CDL
of the concerned new customer should be corrected by the scaling of MD on LV Main
Feeder as shown in the following equation:
= ×
Then evaluating for the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on
summation of MD on LV Main Feeder and the corrected CDL of concerned new
customer.
30. To supply a new customer's CDL from an existing PMT , evaluation for the criteria
(Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on the Coincident Demand Load (CDL)
of all customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied
from this PMT. Only in case that the measured Maximum Demand (MD) on that PMT
is greater than CDL of existing customers , so the CDL of the concerned new customer
should be corrected by the scaling of MD on PMT as shown in the following equation:
= ×
129
Then evaluation for the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) should be based on
summation of MD on PMT and the corrected CDL of concerned new customer.
STEP BY STEP DESIGN PROCEDURE
A. Connected Load (CL) in (KVA) for each Individual unit in customer's building should
be estimated, unit by unit, referring to Chapter 5 of this manual.
B. Individual Circuit Breaker Rating (CBR) in (Amp) for the Individual KWH Meter for
each Individual unit in customer's building should be determined according to the
estimated connected load (CL) of that Individual unit and referring to Chapter 5 of this
manual.
C. Number of Individual KWH Meters (N) required for the customer's building should be
determined according to number of Individual units in customer's building and referring
to SEC Customer Services Manual with its latest updates.
D. Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) for the group of all KWH
Meters of the customer's building as follows:
= ( × ) × ( )
Where:
N = Number of Individual KWH Meters required for the customer's building.
CBRi = Circuit Breaker Rating in (Amp) for the Individual KWH Meter no. (i).
DFi = Demand Factor for the Individual KWH Meter no. which should be determined
according to the utilization nature of the concerned Individual unit no. in customer's
building and referring to Chapter 5
CF (N) = Coincident Factor for the group of all KWH Meters of the customer's building
which should be determined according to Number of these KWH Meters ( ) and
referring to Chapter 5.
0.33
(0.67 )
( )= √
1.25
=1⇒ ( )=1
E. Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (KVA) of the customer's building
from the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) as follows :
× × √3
=
1000
Where:
VLL = Nominal Voltage (line to line) of the LV Network (in volts).
130
This equation can be simplified as follows:
Where:
FConversion = Conversion Factor to convert (CDL) from (Amp) to (KVA). Its values for
different nominal voltages are shown in Table 29 below.
F. Based on the calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) of the customer's
building, select the suitable connection configuration type to supply this Coincident
Demand Load (CDL) as shown in Table 30 hereunder. the suitable connection
configuration type includes :
o Size of conductor to customer.
o No. of conductors to customer required.
o Suitable supply source: Direct Feeder from PMT or Service Drop through LV
Main Feeder.
o No. of outgoing required.
177 320 123 222 116 211 68 122 PMT 2 2 120mm2 2 120mm2
131
109 160 76 111 72 105 42 61 PMT 1 1 185 mm2 1 120mm2
217 320 150 222 143 211 83 122 PMT 2 2 185 mm2 2 120mm2
185 216 128 150 122 142 71 82 PMT 2 2 70mm2 Direct UG Feeder
217 368 150 255 143 242 83 140 PMT 2 2 185 mm2 Direct UG Feeder
G. If the suitable connection configuration type is Service Drop through Main Feeder, go
to the next step.
H. First try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby Main Feeder by using the
following steps:
o Select the nearest existing Main Feeder to the customer's location (as
possible).
o Calculate CDL on the Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable) including of all
customers KWH Meters (concerned new customer + existing customers)
supplied from this Main Feeder.
o CDL on the Main Feeder should be not greater than Main Feeder's Firm
Capacity (i.e. not exceed 80 % of Main Feeder's rating).
o Calculate CDL on the PMT including of all customers KWH Meters
(concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied from this PMT.
o CDL on the PMT should be not greater than PMT's Firm Capacity (i.e. not
exceed 80 % of PMT's rating).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Service Drop from Main Feeder to
customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable) from PMT to customer's
location.
o Calculate VD% on the Service Drop from Main Feeder to customer's location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from PMT to customer's location.
o Total VD% from PMT to customer's location should be not greater than
voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected Main Feeder because
one of the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all
others nearby existing Main Feeders (one by one) with priority for the nearest
and by using same steps in above (from "a" to "j").
132
I. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing Main Feeders because
one of the criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
J. Try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby PMT through a new Main Feeder
by using the following steps:
o Select the nearest existing PMT to the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate CDL on the PMT including of all customers KWH Meters
(concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied from this PMT.
o CDL on the PMT should be not greater than PMT's Firm Capacity (i.e. not
exceed 80 % of PMT's rating).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the new Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable)
from PMT to the customer's location (as possible).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Service Drop from the new Main
Feeder to customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the new Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable) from PMT to
customer's location.
o Calculate VD% on the Service Drop from the new Main Feeder to customer's
location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from PMT to customer's location.
o Total VD% from PMT to customer's location should be not greater than
voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected PMT because one of
the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all others
nearby existing PMT (one by one) with priority for the nearest and by using
same steps in above (from "a" to "i").
K. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing PMT because one of
the criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
L. Design to supply customer's CDL from a new PMT through a new Main Feeder by
using the following steps:
o Design to install a new PMT near to customers lots in the center of loads area
(including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby supply requests,
nearby under constructions buildings, empty lots) as possible.
o Size (KVA rating) of the new PMT should be selected based on the need of
the neighbor area (including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby
supply requests, nearby under constructions buildings, existing empty lots).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the new Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable)
from the new PMT to the customer's location (as possible).
133
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Service Drop from the new Main
Feeder to customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the new Main Feeder (120 mm2 cable) from the new PMT
to customer's location.
o Calculate VD% on the Service Drop from the new Main Feeder to customer's
location.
o Calculate the Total VD% from the new PMT to customer's location.
o Total VD% from the new PMT to customer's location should be not greater
than voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
M. If the suitable connection configuration type is Direct Feeder from PMT, go to the
next step.
N. First try to supply customer's CDL from existing nearby PMT by using the following
steps:
o Select the nearest existing PMT to the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate CDL on the PMT including of all customers KWH Meters
(concerned new customer + existing customers) supplied from this PMT.
o CDL on the PMT should be not greater than PMT's Firm Capacity (i.e. not
exceed 80 % of PMT's rating).
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Direct Feeder from PMT to the
customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Direct Feeder from PMT to the customer's location.
o Total VD% from PMT to customer's location should be not greater than
voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
o If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from the selected PMT because one of
the criteria (Loading % , Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied , Try all others
nearby existing PMTs (one by one) with priority for the nearest and by using
same steps in above (from "a" to "f").
O. If customer's CDL cannot be supplied from all nearby existing PMTs because one of
the criteria (Loading %, Voltage Drop %) is not satisfied, go to the next step.
P. Design to supply customer's CDL from a new PMT by using the following steps:
o Design to install a new PMT near to customers lots in the center of loads area
(including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby supply requests,
nearby under constructions buildings, empty lots) as possible.
o Size (KVA rating) of the new PMT should be selected based on the need of
the neighbor area (including: concerned new customer, existing others nearby
supply requests, nearby under constructions buildings, existing empty lots).
134
o Select the shortest geographic route for the Direct Feeder from the new PMT
to the customer's location (as possible).
o Calculate VD% on the Direct Feeder from the new PMT to the customer's
location.
o Total VD% from the new PMT to customer's location should be not greater
than voltage drop limit (i.e. not exceed 5 %).
135
CALCULATION OF VOLTAGE DROP
For a particular supply voltage the voltage drop from the supply point to the customer interface
depends on various factors such as customer demand, length and size of conductor, power
factor. Formula for voltage drop is provided below:
100 × ×( × cos × sin ) ×
% =
Where:
% = Voltage drop percentage on the conductor in (%)
= Three phase power in (KVA)
= Coincident Demand Load (CDL) on the conductor.
= Resistance of conductor in ohm per kilometer in (Ω/km)
= Inductive reactance of conductor in ohm per kilometer in (Ω/km)
= Power factor angle of the supply
= Three phase supply nominal voltage in (volts)
= Length of the conductor in (meters)
The formula has reduced to a simple constant K equivalent to the product of KVA and
conductor's length in meter at power factor of 0.85 lagging. For various values of KVA-meter
the voltage drop can be calculated by dividing it with this constant K.
=
100 × ( × cos × sin )
The value of the K constant changes with the supply voltage, power factor and size and type
of conductor, due to the change of resistance and inductance. Calculations of K values are
below.
Table 31: K Constant Values
Conductor Size V R X cos ϕ sin ϕ K
mm2 Volts Ω/km Ω/km V2.km/Ω
136
Constant K
LV Cable Size Standard Nominal Voltages
400V 380V 220V
4x120 mm2 (AL) 4165 3759 1260
4x50 mm2 (AL) 1811 1635 548
Where:
% = Voltage drop percentage on the conductor in (%)
= Three phase power in (KVA)
= Coincident Demand Load (CDL) on the conductor
= Length of the conductor in (meters)
= The constant in (V2.km/Ω) according to Table (20) above
Note: Above Voltage Drop calculations formula are based on balanced 3-Phase system.
Max Lengths (m) can be achieved within (5%) Voltage Drop with Loading up to Firm Capacity
(KVA) for Different Nominal Voltages (V) for Different Sizes of LV Conductors are calculated
using the above formula, as shown in the table below.
Max. Length (m) within 5% VD with loading upto firm capacity for
different voltages
LV Cable Size Standard Nominal Voltages
400V 380V 220V
4x120 mm2 (AL) 188 179 103
4x50 mm2 (AL) 148 141 81
The Utility voltage drop allocations listed in the table below shall be used as guideline voltage
drops over the power system components supplying a low voltage customer to minimize
lengths of Service Conductors as possible.
LV Network Component Voltage Drop %
LV Main Feeder 3.5
Service Drop Connection 1.5
Total Voltage Drop 5.0
Max Lengths (m) can be achieved within (5%) Voltage Drop with Loading up to Firm Capacity
(KVA) on Main LV Feeder (120 mm2) & with (30 A) LV Meter (0.6 DF) on Service Drop (50
mm2) for Different Nominal Voltages (V) are calculated by using the Voltage Drop
137
calculations formula and by applying the voltage drop allocations values listed in the earlier
table. These are mentioned in the table below
Voltage Drop % = 3.5 1.5 5
Total Length
LV Cable Size 120mm2 50mm2
(m)
400V 131 218 349
Max. length (m) within 5% Voltage Drop with
Loading upto Firm Capacity KVA on LV Main
380V 125 207 332
Feeder (120 mm2) & with 30A Meter (0.6 DF)
on Service Drop (50mm2) for different voltages
220V 72 120 192
Example (1)
Customer of load 230KVA, connected at 400V and is connected using 120mm2 main feeder
(of 100m).What is the voltage drop for each element?
Example (2)
Customer of load 110KVA, connected at 400V and is connected using 120mm2 main feeder
(of 80m) and 120mm2 service drop (of 45m). What is the voltage drop for each element?
138
Example (3)
Customer of load 110KVA, connected at 400V and is connected using 120mm2 main feeder
(of 90m) and 50mm2 service drop (of 45m). What is the voltage drop for each element?
The K –value for 120mm2 conductor is 4045 and for 50mm2 conductor is 1734
The formula for Voltage Drop Calculation is
×
% =
Example (1):
Calculate CDL and suitable supply method for a plot consists of 16 residential units with CB
rating 40 A for each unit through overhead network of 400V
= ( × ) × ( )
From the above table, this can be supplied from PMT of 200KVA with 2 conductors of
120mm2 or 185mm2 or using direct underground feeder of 185mm2.
Example (2):
Calculate the loading percentage on an aluminum conductor of size 120 m2 to supply CDL 110
KVA at 400V
% = × 100
139
Rating of an aluminum cable of size 120 m2 = 139 KVA
Example (3)
The demand load for customer is 320A which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of 400A at
400V (overhead). Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.3.6
The above refers to a demand factor of 0.8
Overhead:
o As per Table 33, connection scheme is 2 outgoings from PMT and 2 OH service
drops or 2 underground cables
o Size of OH service drop: 120 mm2
o Size of underground cable: 185 mm2
Example (4)
The demand load for customer is 720A which corresponds to a circuit breaker size of 800A at
400V with existing network being overhead. Determine the connection design
Please refer to Section 6.2.8
The above refers to a demand factor of 0.9
This demand cannot be served through overhead and has to be served through
underground
As per Table 16, the connection scheme is 2 outgoings from substation and 2 cables to
800A service cabinet
The size of the cable is 300 mm2
Example (5)
140
A customer applied for electricity conduction for residential building consisting of six units.
The space of each unit is 250 square meters. The nearest electricity transformer is at a
distance of 200M with voltage of (400V/230V) and the type of the conductor is
(QUADRUPLEX4-120mm2).
The transformer capacity is 200 KVA and the total load of phases (according to operational
technician measurement) as follows:
R 70
Y 100
B 80
Firstly, the load is calculated for the customers using the following steps:
1. Load calculation of the customer is made according to the built-up area of the building:
Built-up area m2 Total connected loads KVA Circuit breaker capacity
(amp)
250 40 60
2. Contractual load calculation of the customer shall be made as follows:
contractual load (KVA) = Breaker capacity * meters number * voltage * √3
i.e., 60 * 6 * 400 * √3 =249.4 KVA
3. Actual load is calculated as follows:
actual load = Contractual load (KVA) * demand factor * diversity factor
i.e., 249.4 * 0.5 * 0.644 = 80.309 (KVA)
Secondly, study of electricity supply needs to be conducted:
1. Calculation of supply possibility from the transformer using the following program
Applicant Name:
This date is
Application Number:
automatically
1/3/2016 10:30 Loads calculation date
created.
Total Loads of Phases
70 R
100 Y
80 B
Transformer Capacity 200 K.V.A
A drop-down list has Voltage rating 400 V
been included for
selection. Building Loads as per Schedule 360 amp
141
Kind of Load 1
Residential 1 Coincidence Factor 0.644
Commercial 2
Public 3 Transformer Loads 69.02 %
Percentage
This meter withstands extra loads
If the voltage drop % exceeds 5%, alternate supply options should be considered
The process for connecting bulk customers at LV side is the same as the process for LV new
connections (which is detailed in Section 6.1.2). However, while connecting large customers,
ratings for LV equipment need to be updated to take into account the additional load
requirements
Meters of more than 400A (500A, 600A, 800A and more than 800A) cannot be supplied
through overhead PMT cabinet configuration since maximum capacity of supply from 2
outgoing MCCBs of PMT LV cabinet is 400A. Hence, for loads of more than 400A,
142
underground configuration needs to be used. However, the maximum load that can be served
through overhead will increase to 800A for 220V systems.
LV Conductor Ratings
LV Conductor size Rating (A) 1 Cable (Max. 2 Cables (Max.
(mm2) Amp Rating) Amp Rating)
120 mm2 200 200 400
Quadruplex
50 mm2 110 110 220
Quadruplex
185 mm2 cable 230 230 460
70 mm2 cable 135 135 270
PMT Cabinet Out-going MCCB Ratings
PMT Cabinet 1 PMT Cabinet 2
PMT Cabinet PMT Cabinet Firm
Outgoing MCCB Outgoing MCCB
Rating (A) Capacity (A)
Rating (A) Rating (A)
800 640 200 400
143
Two Outgoings from PMT Cabinet through two OH LV Feeders with two Service Drop
Connections to Meter Box
Two Outgoings from PMT Cabinet through two OH LV Feeders with two LV UG Service
Cable to Meter Box
144
Two Outgoings from PMT Cabinet through two LV UG Direct Cables to Meter Box
The following tables outline the supply configuration requirements for various load options
through usage of either 1 or 2 outgoing cables
Table 32: Supply Method for 300A Meter LV Customer (Overhead)
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 2 Outgoings & OH Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & 2 UG
Service Drop Service Cables
145
Table 33: Supply Method for 400A Meter LV Customer (Overhead)
Demand Conditions Option 1: Using 2 Outgoings & OH Option 2: Using 2 Outgoings & 2 UG
Service Drop Service Cables
CB Rating Demand Demand Supply No of No. of Cable Size Supply No of No. of Cable Size
(A) Factor Load (A) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2) Source Outgoing Cables (mm2)
2 OH 2 OH
400 0.6 240 Main LV 2 2 120 Main LV 2 2 70
120mm2 120mm2
2 OH 2 OH
400 0.7 280 Main LV 2 2 120 Main LV 2 2 185
120mm2 120mm2
2 OH 2 OH
400 0.8 320 Main LV 2 2 120 Main LV 2 2 185
120mm2 120mm2
2 OH 2 OH
400 0.9 360 Main LV 2 2 120 Main LV 2 2 185
120mm2 120mm2
Note: Meters of more than 400A (500A, 600A, 800A and more than 800A) cannot be supplied
through overhead PMT cabinet configuration since maximum capacity of supply from 2
outgoing MCCBs of PMT LV cabinet is 400A. Hence, for loads of more than 500A,
underground configuration needs to be used
146
total estimation of (installing a new overhead PMT + LV network), and cost of
reinforcing the overhead transformer will be calculated according to the
method of calculation of the price of reinforcing a distribution substation/
overhead transformer is outlined in subsequent section.
o If there is a need to install a new overhead transformer to feed the customer, it
will be installed in the front of his building.
The determination of the supply voltage for the exemption applications for the
(adding/ boosting) cases must be considered according to the method of connection to
the customers under the decision of changing the distribution voltage.
The form of the exemption from providing a location for a substation is provided
below
Approval of the exemption form from the authority owner should be according to the
new connections manual.
Add the number of exemption and its date in the UDS system and invoicing system
(SAP) with the attachment of the approved exemption form on the UDS system.
After approval of the exemption, the customer undertakes to provide a location for a
PMT if he applies to add/increase loads for its building.
Method of calculation of the price of reinforcing a distribution substation/ PMT
Prices of the distribution substation / overhead PMT (which will be reinforced) will be
determined according to the current prices of distribution materials in the system.
Annual depreciation percentage will be calculated according to table below starting
from the year of manufacture registered on the data panel of the distribution substation
/ overhead PMT until the year of boosting.
Annual Depreciation
Item Life Span
Percentage
PMT 25 years 4%
Example 1:
An overhead transformer of capacity 200 K.V.A. at 13.8/0.4 K.V. made in 2012 AD will be
boosted by an overhead transformer of capacity 300 K.V.A. in 2016 AD.
Depreciation percentage = (2016 – 2012) * 4% = 16%; Validity percentage = 84%
147
Cost of boosting the overhead transformer = Price of the transformer that will be
installed for boosting – price of the old transformer that will be removed x validity
percentage.
Current price of the overhead transformer of capacity 300 K.V.A. – current price of the
overhead transformer of capacity 200 K.V.A. x 0.84
Transformer
Voltage ratio
Rated & Firm Capacity LV Feeder
100 kVA (80 kVA) 2
33/0.23, 33/0.4 KV or
200 kVA (160 kVA) 4
13.8/0.23,13.8/0.4 KV
300 kVA (240 kVA) 4
Detailed materials specifications for Pole Mounted Transformers are referred to SEC
Distribution Materials Specification No. 51-SDMS-01, Rev. 02, No. 51-SDMS-02, Rev. 00,
No. 51-SDMS-03, Rev. 00 and No. 51-SDMS-04, Rev. 00 with its latest updates.
100 KVA size transformers shall be installed directly on pole and 200 & 300 KVA transformers
shall be mounted on platform using H-pole.
Detailed Construction Specifications for Installation of Pole Mounted Transformers are
referred to SEC Distribution Construction Standard No. SDCS-01, SECTION-13, Rev.00 with
its latest updates.
LV Terminations of Pole Mounted Transformer:
The following Aluminum Cables shall be used to connect the LV terminals of pole mounted
transformers to the LV Cabinet as follow in the table below:
148
The sufficient No. & Size of Incomer Cables to be connected to pole-mounted transformers for
different PMT's Ratings and for different Voltages (V) are shown in the table below.
Table 36: No. & Size of Incomer Cables for Different Voltages (V)
149
Number of outgoing Cables 4 2
Rating of out-going MCCBs (Amps) 200 200
Size of out-going Cables (mm2 , Quadruplex) 120 120
300 kVA (220/127 V) 100 kVA (220/127V)
Transformer to be installed with PMT 300 kVA (400/230 V) 100 kVA (400/230 V)
Cabinet 200 kVA (220/127 V)
200 kVA (400/230 V)
Outgoing terminals of PMT LV Cabinets shall be suitable for direct connection of 120mm² Al.
Quadruplex overhead cables. Detailed materials specifications for LV Cabinet of Pole Mounted
Transformer are referred to SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. 31-SDMS-03 , Rev.
01 with its latest updates.
The ratings firm capacities of the PMT LV cabinets are mentioned below
Table 39: Ratings and Firm Capacities of PMT LV Cabinets (Firm capacities mentioned in brackets)
Rating & Firm Ratings & Firm Capacities for Different
PMT LV Cabinets Capacities (A) Voltages (in KVA)
400V 380V 220V
H-pole cabinet 800 (640) 554 (443) 527 (421) 305 (244)
Single pole cabinet 400 (320) 277 (222) 263 (211) 152 (122)
Note: Firm capacity is 80% of rating
LV OVERHEAD CONDUCTORS
The LV overhead line conductor shall be a quadruplex cable. The three insulated phase
conductors and the bare neutral shall be twisted together to form what is called a quadruplex
conductor consisting of three XLPE insulated aluminum conductors laid up around one bare
ACSR/AW. The neutral shall act as a messenger for L.V spans up to 50m for main feeder and
30m for service drop. From protection perspective, the following factors need to be considered
while selecting cable15:
Positive sequence resistance
Reactance
Short-time withstand current ratings for 1 second
Capacitive current per km
Two standard sizes of conductors shall be used in the overhead low voltage distribution
network as following :
1. Quadruplex conductor 3x(1x120 mm2 XLPE insulated Aluminum Conductor) + 1x120
mm2 ACSR/AW , for main line/feeder.
15
These values are to be obtained directly from manufacturers
150
2. Quadruplex conductor 3x(1x50 mm2 XLPE insulated Aluminum Conductor) + 1x50
mm2 ACSR/AW , for service drops as connection to the customer.
Service drop cable is the portion of the system which makes the final connection from the low
voltage network to the customer's premises. Detailed materials specifications for LV Overhead
Line Conductor are referred to SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. 11-SDMS-02,
Rev. 00 with its latest updates.
The conductor current ratings in (A) and equivalent capacities in (KVA) at different low
voltages are given in the table below:
Table 40: Conductor current ratings and firm capacities (mentioned within brackets)
Unified Rating & Ratings & Firm Capacities (kVA) for different
LV conductor Material Firm voltages
size - NEW Code Capacities
400 380 220
(A)
4x120 mm2 Al, 8112120
200 (160) 139 (111) 132 (105) 76 (61)
quadruplex
4x50 mm2 Al, 8112050
110 (88) 76 (61) 72 (58) 42 (34)
quadruplex
151
Note: Impedance values are ohms per km per phase for each conductor type. Multiply by square
root of 3 to derive equivalent line values. Indicated values are positive / negative sequence
impedance values. The AC resistance values take account of skin. The reactance values only
include line inductance effects. Capacitance effects are ignored for these voltage levels. The
inductance values are based on a geometric mean conductor spacing as follows: 33 KV 1.5 m,
13.8 KV 1.25 m , L.V. 0.6 m. The geometric mean conductor spacing is the cube root of the
product of the three phases inter – conductor spacing.
RAC 80 °C is calculated using the formula below:
= × ( )
Where:
= AC resistance values at 80 degrees Celsius
20 = AC resistance values at 20 degrees Celsius
= Temperature coefficient of resistance whose value is 0.004308 for Aluminum and
0.004041 for Copper
, = = Temperature values at 80 degrees and 20 degrees Celsius
Example:
Calculate RAC 80 °C for 120 mm2 Al conductor
RAC 20 °C for 300 mm2 Al is 0.13 Ohms / km
RAC 80 °C = 0.31037 x (1 + (0.004308 x (80-20))) = 0.39059
Condition Value
Ambient Temperature 50 °C
Minimum wind velocity 0.6 m/sec
Altitude (above sea level) 1000m
Maximum continuous conductor operating temperature 80 °C
Emissivity (for Cu and Al) 0.5
Absorptive (of solar heat) 0.5
Furthermore, certain corrections need to be taken into account for use of conductors in various
environment conditions using the following formula:
152
=
×
×
×
The tables for correction factors are mentioned below:
153
=
×
×
×
As per the above tables, the following values are to be used:
Ambient Temperature Correction Factor = 0.88
Altitude Correction Factor = 0.95
Conductor Temperature Correction Factor = 1.10
In standard conditions, the conductor rating is 200A
The corrected rating is: 200 x 0.88 x 0.95 x 1.10 = 184A
Detailed materials specifications for LV Service Connections Circuit Breakers are referred to
SEC Distribution Materials Specification No. 37-SDMS-01, Rev. 03 with its latest updates.
154
KWH METERS
Electro-mechanical and Electronic Kilo-Watt-Hour (kWh) meters, intended to be used for
revenue metering in the system.
The kWh meters used by SEC are classified as given in the table below:
Table 44: Meter CB ratings by meter type
155
Two back to back cables of sizes up to one
300/400 A CT meter box 400 Amps
4x300 mm2 + one 4x185 mm2
500/600 A CT meter box* Two back to back cables of sizes up to one
600 Amps
4x300 mm2
800 A Remote meter box* Two cables of sizes up to one 4x300 mm2 800 Amps
* Only applicable for 220V networks
Detailed materials specifications for Meter Boxes are referred to SEC Distribution Materials
Specification No. 42-SDMS-01, Rev. 04, No. 42-SDMS-02, Rev. 00, and No. 42-SDMS-03,
Rev. 00 with its latest updates.
156
7. MEDIUM-VOLTAGE (MV) CONNECTIONS PLANNING
The rules and guidelines in this section will be applicable for all network connections at
medium voltage level, for 33KV and 13.8KV (including non-standard voltage levels of 69KV,
34.5KV and 11KV wherever applicable).
This will include the following types of connection requests:
New connection requests with loads of more than 4 MVA up to 25 MVA
Removal or transfer of network payable by customer (customer-funded)
Temporary MV connection to customer
Reinforcement, replacement and integration of MV networks are covered in separate section
in Chapter 9.
=1⇒ ( )=1
Note:
157
Typically for Medium Voltage connections, the number of meters (and number of individual
units) is 1, which corresponds to diversity factor of 1. Under this condition, the formula for
calculating Coincident Demand Load (CDL) will be:
= ( × )
158
This will also cover optimum utilization of equipment
Asset condition
Condition of the asset (and its associated impact on maximum allowed operating parameter)
should be taken into account for grid planning of existing network.
For any use of existing assets:
- Align with maintenance function to assess whether asset marked for reinforcement is
scheduled for maintenance-linked actions
- In case of both maintenance-linked replacement and reinforcement marked on the same
asset, discuss and align on single action (through cost-benefit analysis)
Grid stations criteria
The grid station is the interface point between transmission level and distribution level. In
planning stage, the following should be considered:
The study for new connection application of a customer from an existing grid station
will depend upon the forecasted load of that grid station.
The load should not exceed the firm capacity of the grid station based on N-1 criteria.
The location of the new grid station should be in load center
The length of feeders should be limited to avoid extra ordinary long lengths
The capacity of the new grid station should be appropriate for the forecasted load.
The time required to build the grid station should be in line with the timeline of
demand realization
The number / rating of outgoing MV feeders from each grid station should be
reasonable
For the interface details between transmission level and distribution level, refer to “Operation
Interface Agreement” signed between SEC’ Distribution business unit and National Grid.
For details about developing the new grid station for MV customer, refer to ECRA Customer
Affairs Guidelines “ ”الكهرباء الخدمة تقديم دليلand SEC Customer Affairs Manual “خدمات دليل
”المشتركينwith latest updates.
There are specific guidelines and conditions to guide whether network planner should request
for grid station or for main distribution network (MDN) substation (if available in the area).
These are mentioned below:
MDN substation can be requested only through 10-year or 5-year network plan for ED
or if required for MV bulk customers
The first priority would be to check if the new demand load can be met through adding
feeder(s) in existing MDN substations or grid stations, using the conditions mentioned
below. If and only if the above cannot be done, request for new MDN substations should
159
be made16. If and only if the demand load cannot be met through addition of new MDN
substations, new grid stations may be requested. However, exceptions may be made
based on the rules for requested load and depending on the specific site scenario
An MDN substation should be requested only if any of the following conditions are
met:
o A customer connection with very high demand load which requires dedicated
MDN substation or it is specified based on rules for requested load or there are
specific site scenarios
o The new demand load (over the 5-year time horizon) cannot be met through
new feeders from existing MDN substations or grid stations, i.e. adding such
feeders will lead to load exceeding firm capacities of existing MDN substations
and / or grid stations
o Catering to the new demand load (over the 5-year time horizon) from existing
MDN substations / grid stations will lead to voltage drop in excess of 5%. This
will be relevant for demand in areas that are geographically far away from
existing MDN substations / grid stations
o Existing interties cannot sufficiently take care of contingency situations. For
example, load transfer from existing feeders leading to overloading across other
feeders and equipment and no new feeders can be added. Under this situation,
the n-1 reliability of the system is compromised (although the situation can be
handled through use of mobile equipment). A permanent solution would mean
creation of new interties through new MDN substations
o There are geographical constraints for new feeders from existing MDN
substations
Request for grid station, which is the interface point between National Grid and
Distribution Business Unit, should be submitted to National Grid
Such a request should be made only after assessing the need for grid station through
10-year or 5-year network plan for ED
A new grid station request can only be made if addition of new MDN substation is not
possible:
o Addition of new MDN substation is not possible due to geographical constraints
(either remoteness of area or congestion in area)
16
There will be a need to align this with the overall strategic objectives of SEC with respect to MDN substations.
For example, if SEC plans to phase-out MDN substations across all areas, requests for new MDN substations
will not be accepted. Under such circumstances, only requests for new grid stations should be made
160
o Addition of new MDN substation cannot sufficiently cater to new demand load
(over the upcoming 5-year time period)
o All existing grid stations catering to the area are fully loaded and new MDN
substation will lead to grid station exceeding its firm capacity
o There is strong economic rationale for new grid station, i.e. new grid station will
be economically more feasible than new MDN substation
However, exceptions to the above may be made based on the rules for requested load
and depending on the specific site scenario. This should be verified with operating areas
Transformer loading
Maximum load shall not exceed 100% of nameplate capacity. When load reaches 80%,
reinforcement should be planned. Maximum allowed load could be linked to age and
condition of the transformer and other equipment and should be taken into account while
deciding on reinforcement
Impact of small scale solar project on transformer loading is as follows:
Currently, the cap set on small scale solar for KSA is 15% of transformer capacity. The key
assumption is that energy produced by small scale solar installations would be consumed within
the premises and only the remaining energy would be fed into the grid.
Best practice indicates that planning for transformer loading will need to take into account two
extreme scenarios:
Scenario 1: No feed-in from small scale solar installations and peak consumption by
customers. This would mean that the full demand load for the customers will need to
be met through the grid. This scenario would be valid during nights or in days with
high degree of cloud cover.
Scenario 2: Full feed-in from small scale solar installations and no consumption by
customers. This would mean that difference in load between feed-in and total non-
peak demand would need to be met through the grid. This scenario would be valid
during bright days with no consumption on-premises.
In both the scenarios, the load at the distribution transformer will not exceed the stated limit of
80%. Example:
Let us assume a DTR of 500 KVA capacity which is operating under full capacity (i.e. the peak
load of customers is 80% or 400 KVA). Once maximum permissible small scale solar
installations are operationalized, it would mean maximum feed-in load of 75 KVA.
Scenario 1: No feed-in. This would mean that the transformer load would be 400
KVA.
Scenario 2: Full feed-in of 75 KVA. This would mean that transformer would need to
draw in 25 KVA (20% non-peak demand load of 100 KVA – 75KVA = 25 KVA)
from the grid. This would imply a loading of 5%.
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Feeder loading
The table below describes the maximum loading of different types of feeders.
Table 47: Maximum loading of different types of feeders
For loop, for N-1 offline criterion, in case of power failure in one of the feeders, the other
feeder should be capable to meet the whole demand until the repair work is completed.
Contingency planning17
Network plan should meet the first level contingency conditions. The following contingencies
are to be covered:
Failure of any one of the power transformers in any substation having single,
double or multiple power transformers
Failure of any one of the bus sections in any substation having single, double or
multiple bus sections, which normally involves interruption to all the loads associated
with the bus section. But the first contingency criteria require that the power supply
shall be restored within reasonable time through available standby / alternate supply
Failure of any one feeder segment in any feeder network configuration
Single point of failure in the network, i.e. equipment
Contingencies should be identified for each ED and should be accompanied by specific plans
and validated by the load flow software. Consequences of contingencies will result in actions
required from the concerned ED. The following contingencies are not to be covered and
planned for:
Contingency at distribution transformer
Contingency at LV system
Multiple contingencies at any level
The planned contingencies will lead to any of the following two conditions for which
various solutions can be used:
17
Details of contingency planning are outlined in Distribution Operations Manual (DOM)
162
Grid station overloading: load transfer, thermal protection, advanced installation,
temporary facilities installation, mobile station/transformers, manning or frequent
inspections
Feeder overloading: advanced installation, temporary facilities installation, mobile
generators
Transformers
Table 48: Contingency planning for grid station with single transformer
Table 49: Contingency planning for grid station with two transformers
Table 50: Contingency planning for grid station with three transformers
Bus sections
Table 51: Contingency planning for grid station with single bus station
163
Loss of supply to customers Not applicable Load transfer from
till system is reinstated or neighboring grid station if
temporary/standby supply is interties are available
arranged
Table 52: Contingency planning for grid station with two bus stations
Table 53: Contingency planning for grid station with three bus stations
Feeders
Table 54: Contingency planning for radial feeder
164
depending on degree of
overloading till normalcy is
restored
165
be reduced to minimum allowable level to minimize the risk of overloading. The contingency
plan should identify the grid stations, which are required to be protected from overloading for
coordination with the concerned agencies to implement the scheme.
3. Advance installation of planned facilities
Planned distribution facilities may be advanced by one or two years, if the overload is expected
to be alleviated significantly by their implementation. Little modification if any may be
required to enable the facility to be efficiently utilized during the interim period of contingency
plan and to be readily available before its planned use. The advancement of expenditure may
avoid non-recoverable expenditure in installing alternatively other facilities on temporary
basis. But the earlier implementation depends on budget provision and certainty of
development plan.
4. Installation of facilities on temporary basis
Installation of temporary facilities is sometimes necessary to maintain reliability of supply. The
facilities shall be planned such that they involve minimum non-recoverable expenditure. Short
lengths of lines and new feeders to interconnect existing overloaded feeders and grid stations
with the available source of relief shall be planned to overcome the situation.
5. Installation of mobile station / transformer: Where:
a. The overloading is so heavy that it cannot be relieved through the available
interties
b. The neighboring grid stations are also overloaded
c. The overloaded grid station is located in an isolated area and there is no facility
available in the neighborhood for load transfer
6. Manning of grid station or frequent inspections
One of the alternatives though expensive is manning of the grid station or planning frequent
inspections during peak load period. In case the overloading of a grid station is significant and
it is not possible to reduce by any of the probable solutions mentioned above it may be loaded
as per the requirement within the installed transformer capacity and watched for the
abnormalities to arrange immediate load relief by load shedding. Such situations will normally
be very rare.
Feeder overloading
1. Advance installation of planned facilities
Please refer to ‘Grid Station Overloading’ for more details)
2. Installation of facilities on temporary basis
Please refer to ‘Grid Station Overloading’ for more details)
3. Use of mobile generators
Mobile generators shall be used to provide emergency supply to the customers, which are
normally fed by radial feeders. The arrangement may also be workable in case of loop feeder,
166
which exceeds the emergency loading capacity. The feeder shall be sectionalized and supplied
by mobile generator to avoid overloading during first contingency.
Guidelines for second/multiple contingencies
The second / multiple contingency conditions are created in the system when more than one
feeder, power transformer, bus section of a bulk supply point or grid station or primary feeder
fail, the impact being in accordance with the capacity lost. SEC does not plan the system at any
level to meet such contingencies, which involve huge capital investment. Such contingencies
are however very rare and if materialize may result in interruption of supply. Nevertheless,
SEC is obliged to utilize the system redundancy wherever available to provide alternate supply
to the customers. Therefore, it is desirable to develop contingency plans for each such
contingency to enable the concerned agencies to systematically utilize the available facilities
and minimize interruption to the customers.
These plans should be developed on the following lines:
1. Identify critical loads, which require restoration of supply on priority.
2. Establish operational steps required to restore supply to the VIP customers utilizing the
available alternate source of supply and existing interties.
3. Simulate conditions of multiple contingencies in the load flow software
4. Determine the loads, which can be restored with rotating blackout.
5. Identify the feeders which cannot be partially / fully restored until repairs are
completed.
6. Identify the loads which shall be partially / fully restored through customer installed
emergency / standby supply.
7. Identify the loads which should be partially / fully restored through installation of SEC
mobile generators.
8. Propose additional distribution requirement if any, with the justification.
9. Estimate load in MW / MVA (reflected to peak) that will remain without supply until
repairs are completed.
Estimate approximate number of customers that will be left without power if the outage
occurs during peak load period.
For further details on Contingency Planning, please refer to relevant DOM procedure
167
Voltage drop
District boundaries
Auto-change over switches
Easy accessibility
Equipment operational flexibility
Optimal energy loss
All temporary shifting shall be by operating officials as per operational requirements.
The most desirable design condition for a normally open point in any loop is to have equal
loading on the individual circuits of the loop and to have each circuit supplied from separate
grid stations (to achieve maximum load transfer capability between grid stations). As an
alternative to supply from separate grid stations, if other grid station is not available in the
same zone, the circuits may be looped onto different bus sections at the same grid station (with
this arrangement, station capability will not be achieved).
Feeder configuration
Single loop is preferred under normal circumstances but due to customer location and feeder
loading, other configurations may be used:
For feeders with high load, tee loop (Option 1 – equal sharing of load) is preferred
Tee loop (Option 2 – 3rd feeder used for emergencies with 2 loaded feeders) is not
preferred. When the combined feeder load in a single loop exceeds normal rating of
the cable depending on the size and construction of the line, tee loop arrangement
shall be considered. There are two options for use of tee loops:
i. Option 1: three feeders sharing approximately equal load connected together
ii. Option 2: two feeders each loaded to full capacity and one feeder as express
circuit to provide back up to either of the two feeders in case of emergency
Radial configuration is to be used for remote area customers. This is the most
economical type of supply but offers minimum reliability (circuit-out conditions)
Single loop consists of two radial feeders. Such radial feeders should be looped between two
neighbouring grid stations. Alternatively, they may be looped between different MV buses of
the same grid station.
Wherever practical and economical, loop supply should be provided with diversified sources.
The network shall be operated radially and the total load of loop shall not exceed the normal
rating of the conductor / cable. This type of feeder arrangement offers an acceptable degree of
reliability but at a higher initial cost.
168
Figure 15: Single Loop
169
Figure 18: Tee Loop (Option 2)
Voltage Drop
The voltage drop on any feeder should not exceed 5%. Any new plan needs to be assessed
using load flow software to determine the extent of voltage drop for any customer from the
source, in both peak load and low load scenarios. If any over-voltage or under-voltage is
observed, appropriate measures need to be taken, which can include use of voltage regulators,
capacitor banks or other solutions, These are outlined in the subsequent chapter on MV
Network Performance Improvement.
Short Circuit Level
The short circuit level within the network should be maintained within permissible limits in
line with the voltage level. The limits are mentioned in Chapter 3 (page 32)
170
Improvement of power quality should be ensured
Design should take into account SEC safety guidelines
Design should ensure standardization of system
Zone-based planning should be used
For urban areas, MV system of should be 13.8kV (or 33kV in some cases) voltage level,
in loop (these are detailed in Section 7.4)
For rural areas, MV system can be of 13.8kV or 33kV as per availability, but preferable
by of 33kV (as detailed in Section 7.3)
The MV connection line from SEC should not pass through the customer’s premises
Parallel operation of SEC MV feeders or standby generators operating in parallel to
SEC network are not allowed for bulk customers
Customers with sensitive supply requirements may be provided additional supply
sources by SEC
Any backup supply to customer should either be from another MV bus bar within the
same grid station or from another grid station (the second is preferred particularly for
customers with sensitive supply requirements)
The preferred configuration of supply is single loop, if loop system is available in the
area
If the customer requests for single loop system and the existing network in the area is
radial, the customer needs to pay for the additional cost
The backup feeder should be either from another MV bus bar within the same grid
station OR can be from another grid station if feasible.
The backup feeder for sensitive nature customers (e.g. big hospitals, military /
government head offices etc.), may be preferably from another grid station, if feasible.
The customer is responsible for safety and reliable protection of its plant.
The plug settings of relays should be according to the contracted load.
The maximum demand recorded on the energy meter should be regularly watched by
SEC officials, so as to avoid any un-authorized extension of load by the customer.
For details on charging of costs (e.g. of cables, conductors, backup supply, switchgear,
sharing of network etc.), refer to SEC Customer Service Manual “”المشتركين خدمات دليل
with its latest updates.
The customer shall comply with all relevant Saudi Arabian’ Codes, Regulations &
Standards. All other relevant government and statutory requirements shall be adhered
to. The customer is required to comply with all relevant good electricity industry
practices.
171
All designed MV networks need to be validated through use of load flow software (e.g.
CYME)
MV DESIGN PROCESS
The process for handling MV connection requests is outlined below:
1. Receive connection request for bulk customer at MV network (for loads between 4
MVA and 25 MVA), which will include the following information:
Plan area, location and ownership along with relevant approval forms from
other government entities, like Baladiya and Ministry of Commerce
Type of facility (new, extension, re-connection, reduction)
Filled out load declaration form outlining the customer load details18
Time schedule of construction and date by when connection is required
Single line diagram for the connection, outlining backup requirements as well
as presence of backup generators, if relevant
Distribution voltage level
Size, voltage ratio and impedance of transformers
Also refer to SEC Customer Service Manual with its latest updates.
SEC will verify the submitted load detail, according to its Rules.
The customers which are likely to create disturbance / distortion / fluctuation in SEC’
network (e.g. steel furnaces etc.) are required to perform proper studies and
implement remedial measures (e.g. current limiting reactors, harmonic filters etc.), so
as to ensure compliance with the SEC’ power quality standards for harmonics, voltage
dips etc.
2. Verify the provided details through physical inspection and / or discussions with the
customer
3. Ensure receipt of study detailing impact and remedial measures to prevent disturbance
/ distortion / fluctuation in SEC network due to equipment in customer premises (such
as furnaces), if relevant
4. Estimate the load for the first 5 years from the customer premises, cross-check with the
numbers provided by the customer and ensure alignment
5. Estimate impact of customer connection on existing SEC MV assets. In cases of
interference with existing assets, the customer is to finance project(s) to eliminate
interference
18
The load declaration form is provided in Appendix 11.4
172
6. Define configuration of connection depending on the nature of system in the area (loop
vs. radial) and requirement for back-up connection by the customer (for customer with
sensitive load requirements)
7. Ensure availability of MV switching / metering room at the boundary of the customer
premises (at ground level, adjacent to its boundary wall, with door on the outer side).
This room should be constructed in coordination with SEC. This room shall always be
kept locked. For details, refer to SDCS-02 part 10 with latest updates.
MV NETWORK CONFIGURATION SCHEMES
a. The customers can be supplied from existing MV network if it is technically
feasible (feeder load permits, voltage drop is within permissible limits etc.),
otherwise SEC will have the right to ask for new feeder(s) as per the prevailing
standards / policies.
b. The customers can be supplied by creating new feeders from the existing grid
station if it is technically feasible (grid station load permits, spare switchgear
is available, voltage drop is within allowed limits etc.), otherwise SEC will
have the right to ask for new grid station as per the prevailing standards /
policies.
The following connection schemes are draft and are being evaluated and studied. Once
approved, they will be updated in the DPS
173
Load from 1MVA up to 4 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 19: Load from 1 MVA up to 4 MVA, 13,8 kV
Note:
There is no need for special cable for such customers and connection from existing
networks should be used while maintaining n-1 condition
If this is not possible, the above configuration can be used
All cables are 3x500 mm2 Al
174
4 MVA to 8 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 20: Loads of 4 MVA to 8 MVA, 13.8 kV
175
8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 21: Loads of 8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV
176
16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 22: Loads of 16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV
177
8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 23: Loads of 8 MVA to 16 MVA, 13.8 kV
Note:
This configuration is to be implemented if circuit breakers in grid stations are not
available or there is requirement for more sources
All cables are 3x500 mm2 Al
178
16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV
Figure 24: Loads of 16 MVA to 25 MVA, 13.8 kV
Note:
This configuration is to be implemented if circuit breakers in grid stations are not
available or there is requirement for more sources
All cables are 3x500 mm2 Al
179
Load from 1 MVA up to 10 MVA, 33 kV
Figure 25: Loads from 1 MVA up to 10 MVA, 33 kV
Note:
There is no need for special cable for such customers and connection from existing
networks should be used while maintaining n-1 condition
If this is not possible, the above configuration can be used
All cables are 3x400 mm2 Al
180
10 MVA to 18 MVA, 33 kV
Figure 26: Loads from 10 MVA to 18 MVA, 33 kV
181
18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV
Figure 27: Loads from 18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV
182
18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV
Figure 28: Loads from 18 MVA to 25 MVA, 33 kV
Note:
This configuration is to be implemented if circuit breakers in grid stations are not
available or there is requirement for more sources
All cables are 3x400 mm2 Al
183
VOLTAGE DROP CALCULATION
For a particular supply voltage, the voltage drop from the source to the customer interface
depends on various factors such as customer demand, length and size of c on du ct o r/ cable,
power factor etc. A commonly used formula for voltage drop is provided below:
Where:
kVA = Three phase load in kVA.
R = Resistance of conductor in ohms per kilometer
X = Inductive resistance of conductor in ohms per kilometer
kV = Three phase supply voltage in kilovolts at sending end
L = Length of cable in kilometers
∅ = Angle of supply
Where K is a constant
10
=
Rcos∅ Xsin∅
184
Table 57: Voltage Drop Calculations for MV Cables and Conductors
Cable / At Power Factor 0.85 At Power Factor 0.90 At Power Factor 0.95
R X
Conductor Voltage
(Ω/km) (Ω/km) cos ϕ sin ϕ K cos ϕ sin ϕ K cos ϕ sin ϕ K
size
3 x 500
0.0855 0.1060 0.8500 0.5270 14815 0.9000 0.4360 15461 0.9500 0.3120 16660
mm2 Al
3 x 300
0.1037 0.1080 0.8500 0.5270 13132 0.9000 0.4360 13566 0.9500 0.3120 14409
mm² Cu
3 x 185
0.1655 0.1160 0.8500 0.5270 9437 0.9000 0.4360 9545 0.9500 0.3120 9847
mm² Cu
13.8 kV
3 x 300
0.1692 0.1080 0.8500 0.5270 9487 0.9000 0.4360 9552 0.9500 0.3120 9794
mm² Al
170 mm²
0.2561 0.3910 0.8500 0.5270 4494 0.9000 0.4360 4749 0.9500 0.3120 5213
ACSR
70 mm²
0.6452 0.4220 0.8500 0.5270 2471 0.9000 0.4360 2491 0.9500 0.3120 2558
ACSR
3 x 240
0.1266 0.1310 0.8500 0.5270 61643 0.9000 0.4360 63657 0.9500 0.3120 67572
mm2 Cu
3 x 400
0.1054 0.1240 0.8500 0.5270 70276 0.9000 0.4360 73113 0.9500 0.3120 78434
mm2 Al
3 x 185
0.1655 0.1160 33 kV 0.8500 0.5270 53965 0.9000 0.4360 54582 0.9500 0.3120 56306
mm² Cu
170 mm²
0.2561 0.4040 0.8500 0.5270 25290 0.9000 0.4360 26780 0.9500 0.3120 29484
ACSR
70 mm²
0.6452 0.4360 0.8500 0.5270 13994 0.9000 0.4360 14129 0.9500 0.3120 14541
ACSR
RAC90o C (for cables) and RAC80o C (for conductors) and X1(60Hz) is used in above table
The voltage drop at a certain node should be calculated by adding the voltage drops of segments
since the start of feeder up to that node, as under:-
EXAMPLES OF MV CONNECTION DESIGN
Example (1):
Calculate loading percentage on MV single loop size 3×500mm2, aluminum, 13.8 KV, if its
CDL is 6381 KVA
% = × 100
Rating of the single loop size 3×500mm2, 13.8 KV, according to earlier table is 7.6 KVA
Example (2):
185
Calculate CDL on each segment of MV cable between two substations in the single loop
according to the following figure:
Feeder 1 Feeder 1
CDL is calculated on each segment of MV cable between two substations according to the
following equation:
( , ) = ×
First: CDL is calculated for each segment in Feeder 1 from the beginning of the feeder (X=0)
to the last substation in the loop (X=7)
= (4100 + 600 + 680 + 730 + 800 + + 660 + 715) × 0.9 = 7456 KVA
CDL for the rest of the segment is according to the table below:
Second: CDL is calculated for each segment in Feeder 2 from the beginning of the feeder
(Y=0) to the last substation in the loop (Y=7)
186
= (715 + 660 + 800 + 730 + 680 + + 600 + 4100) × 0.9 = 7456 KVA
CDL for the rest of the segment is according to the table below:
Example (3):
Calculate Voltage Drop percentage on each segment of MV cable between two substations in
case of using cable size 3×500mm2 Al, 13.8 KV for the same loop in Example (16).
First: VD % is calculated for each segment in Feeder 1 from the beginning of the feeder (X=0)
to the lase substation in the loop (X=7)
From Table in Section 7.2.1, K factor for the aluminum cable size 3×500mm2, 13.8 KV =
14816
Second: CDL is calculated for each segment in Feeder 2 from the beginning of the feeder (Y=0)
to the last substation in the loop (Y=7)
187
Segment (0,1) (1,2) (2,3) (3,4) (4,5) (5,6) (6,7)
Example (4):
Total VD % is calculated from the beginning of the loop inside the plan to the last distribution
substation on the loop according to the following equation:
% = %( , )
First: VD % is calculated for each segment in Feeder 1 from the beginning of the feeder (X=0)
to the lase substation in the loop (X=7)
Second: CDL is calculated for each segment in Feeder 2 from the beginning of the feeder
(Y=0) to the last substation in the loop (Y=7)
= (0.18 + 0.16 + 0.05 + 0.15 + 0.1 + 0.1 + 0.05) = 0.78%
Example (5):
Calculate CDL for the entire plan according to the figure below:
Grid Station 1 Grid Station 2
188
Feeder 1 Feeder 1
= ×
(350 + 740 + 690 + 720 + 590 + 780 + 680 + 680 + 650 + 550 + 350 + 800 + 760 + 600)×0.9
= 7434 KVA
(4100 + 600 + 680 + 730 + 800 + 660 + 715) × 0.9 = 7456 KVA
CDL is calculated for the entire plan according to the following equation:
= ×
CDL for the entire plan = CDL (for the first MV single loop + for the second MV single
loop)×0.9
= (7456 + 7434) × 0.9 = 13401 KVA
Example (6)
A customer applied for electricity conduction for residential building consisting of ten units.
The space of each unit is 150 square meters. It becomes known that electricity can be conducted
189
by medium voltage network only. The nearest electricity transformer is at a distance of 300M.
The kind of conductor is 300mm2 Al.
Firstly, the load is calculated for the customers using the following steps:
1. Load calculation of the customer is made according to the built-up area of the building:
Example (7)
What is the voltage drop for underground feeder of length 20km with a load of 2MVA and
voltage of 13.8 kV. The conductor type is (AL 3X300mm2)
For MV networks, the K values are given in table from Section 7.2.1
Cable / At Power Factor 0.85 At Power Factor 0.90 At Power Factor 0.95
R X
Conductor Voltage
(Ω/km) (Ω/km) cos ϕ sin ϕ K cos ϕ sin ϕ K cos ϕ sin ϕ K
size
3 x 500
0.0855 0.1060 0.8500 0.5270 14815 0.9000 0.4360 15461 0.9500 0.3120 16660
mm2 Al
3 x 300
0.1037 0.1080 0.8500 0.5270 13132 0.9000 0.4360 13566 0.9500 0.3120 14409
mm² Cu
3 x 185
0.1655 0.1160 13.8 kV 0.8500 0.5270 9437 0.9000 0.4360 9545 0.9500 0.3120 9847
mm² Cu
3 x 300
0.1692 0.1080 0.8500 0.5270 9487 0.9000 0.4360 9552 0.9500 0.3120 9794
mm² Al
170 mm²
0.2561 0.3910 0.8500 0.5270 4494 0.9000 0.4360 4749 0.9500 0.3120 5213
ACSR
190
70 mm²
0.6452 0.4220 0.8500 0.5270 2471 0.9000 0.4360 2491 0.9500 0.3120 2558
ACSR
3 x 240
0.1266 0.1310 0.8500 0.5270 61643 0.9000 0.4360 63657 0.9500 0.3120 67572
mm2 Cu
3 x 400
0.1054 0.1240 0.8500 0.5270 70276 0.9000 0.4360 73113 0.9500 0.3120 78434
mm2 Al
3 x 185
0.1655 0.1160 33 kV 0.8500 0.5270 53965 0.9000 0.4360 54582 0.9500 0.3120 56306
mm² Cu
170 mm²
0.2561 0.4040 0.8500 0.5270 25290 0.9000 0.4360 26780 0.9500 0.3120 29484
ACSR
70 mm²
0.6452 0.4360 0.8500 0.5270 13994 0.9000 0.4360 14129 0.9500 0.3120 14541
ACSR
191
Globally, many industrial cities offer subsidized electricity tariffs as investment
incentive but that is not the case in Saudi Arabia. For example, Modon offers the
standard electricity tariffs to its tenants
(https://www.modon.gov.sa/en/CustomerService/Pages/cost_of_industry.aspx)
If SEC were to treat industrial cities as ‘Government Customer’ and pay for the
connection, this would be a direct subsidy which is currently not aligned with higher
government stakeholders. To illustrate this point, this subsidy is not mentioned by
Modon as a benefit to its tenants
(https://www.modon.gov.sa/en/CustomerService/Pages/investment_and_cost_advanta
ges_of_industry.aspx)
The developer of such industrial cities charge their tenants connection fees – which are a direct
pass-through of connection costs charged by SEC. In light of this, the owner of the industrial
city will bear all required costs associated with electrification of the industrial city:
If the industrial city is located within planned area, the owner bears the cost of
connecting the city to the nearest transmission substation
If the industrial city is located outside planned areas, the owner bears the cost of
additional infrastructure required to connect the city as well as the cost of connecting
the city to transmission substation
Classification of Industrial Cities
Production oriented industrial cities can be classified based on the type of activity undertaken
/ planned to be undertaken within it. The following types of industrial cities are observed19:
1. Light production and assembly industries consisting of:
a. High technology industries, such as printing, pharmaceutical and medicinal
products.
b. Low technology industries such as non-alcoholic drinks and wood.
2. Batch production and assembly industries, such as garments and shoes industries.
3. Mass production and assembly industries such as yarn, textile, cloth and carpets
industry and leather industry.
4. Dispersed process-based production industry, including:
a. Centralized process based production industries such as oil factories, dairy
products, grain mills, bakeries and sugar factories.
b. Dispersed process-based production industries such as pasta factories, animals'
feeds and paper factories.
19
Based on classification by Ministry of Investment
192
5. Heavy engineering production industries such as iron and steel factories, metals
forming factories.
Service oriented industrial cities can be categorized into the following four types:
1. Transportation service centres: comprising of workshops for maintenance services for
vehicles or planes, etc., such as mechanic workshops, electricity workshops, bodywork
and painting workshops, etc.
2. Specialized maintenance centres: which comprises of one independent closed centre (a
large workshop), where all maintenance and repairs work of the cars are done (except
bodyworks) such as maintenance centres of cars agencies.
3. Industrial workshops: where work consists of manufacturing, assembly and installation
of certain products such as carpentering workshop, furniture manufacturing, blacksmith
and aluminium workshops, pottery industry, bodywork industry, cars paints and the
workshops of heavy equipment mechanics.
4. Light workshops: which work on maintenance, repair and installation of separate parts
and devices such as decorations workshops, advertising workshops, cars windshields
shops, car upholstery and its installation, shops of selling and repair of cars tires.
The industrial cities can be further categorized based on stated bulk customer loads:
Planned load of less than or equal to 4 MVA
Planned load more than 4MVA but less than or equal to 16 MVA
Planned load more than 16MVA but less than or equal to 25 MVA
Planned load more than 25 MVA
CONNECTION PRINCIPLES BASED ON PLANNED LOAD
PLANNED LOADS OF LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 16 MVA
The electricity is supplied to the estimated loads of not more than 16 MVA at medium
distribution voltage
The service applicant has the right to divide the loads on low distribution voltage for
the purpose of measuring consumption as long as it does not breach the rules and
decisions of the consumption tariff.
The service applicant bears the charge of transmitting of the capacity connected at
medium distribution voltage if the industrial plan required to be delivered the electricity
to, is located inside the planned areas or within the network scope.
If the industrial plan required to deliver electricity to, when applying, is located outside
the planned areas and outside the network scope, the applicant bears the charge of the
connected capacity at medium distribution voltage, in addition to the costs of
connection line outside the network scope, as per Customer Service Manual:
193
PLANNED LOADS OF MORE THAN 16 MVA BUT LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 25
MVA
The electricity of the industrial plan of estimated loads of more than (16 MVA) and
less than (25 MVA) is supplied at medium distribution voltage
The applicant has the right to divide the loads on low distribution voltage for the
purpose of measuring consumption as long as it does not breach the rules and
decisions of consumption tariff.
The requester of the service bears the charge of transmitting of the capacity
connected at medium distribution voltage in addition to the costs of transmitting to
the nearest suitable point with the company’s network, and bears the responsibility
of operating and maintaining it.
The requester of the service is to establish his own transmission station and bears
the responsibility of operation and maintenance.
The company will operate and maintain the transmission station of the requester in
accordance with the manual of participants’ services:
o The transmission station should comply with the standard specifications of
the company’s network.
o The transmission station should exist at the external borders of the
establishment, and the company should be able to access it freely.
o The ownership of the station equipment will be transferred to the company,
and in case the applicant wishes to maintain the ownership of the station, he
will pay an annual charge for the company of 2.5% from the total capital
value of the station. Such percentage will be amended according to the
annual inflation after obtaining the approval of the authority.
The company may contribute with the applicant in the costs of the station of the applicant and
the connection lines within the network with a percentage of the additional capacities which
the company wishes to add in order to serve other customers per Customer Service Manual
194
The applicant bears the charge of delivery of the connected capacity at the
transmission voltage (review article 6-3-3 of customer services manual) in addition
to the costs of delivery to the nearest suitable point in the network, where the
company determines starting with a station switch or feeding point. In case the
applicant objected on the connection point in the network determined by the
company, the Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority is to decide in the
matter. The cables and connection lines with the network are owned by SEC and it
will bear the responsibility of their operation and maintenance.
The applicant is to construct his own transmission station, and bears the
responsibility of its operation and maintenance.
The company is to operate and maintain the transmission station of the applicant in
the following cases:
o The loads of the applicant are divided on the distribution voltages for the
purpose of consumption measurement.
o The transmission station is compatible with the standard specifications of
the company’s network.
o The company can access the transmission station freely.
195
o The ownership of the station equipment is to be transferred to the company,
and in case the applicant wishes to maintain the ownership of the station,
he/she will pay an annual charge for the company of 2.5% from the total
capital value of the station. Such percentage will be amended according to
the annual inflation after obtaining the approval of Electricity &
Cogeneration Regulatory Authority.
The company may contribute with the applicant in the costs of the station of the
applicant and the connection lines within the network with a percentage of the
additional capacities the company wishes to add in order to serve other customers.
The cost of connecting to transmission network is as per Customer Service Manual:
1- The owner of the industrial city shall submit the request of transmitting the electrical
service of the undeveloped or under construction industrial plan to the area electricity
department in which the industrial plan located.
2- Register the request in the unified distribution system (UDS).
3- Provide the owner of the industrial city with the necessary requirements to transmit
electricity to the industrial plan.
The owner of the industrial city is to agree with a certified consulting/engineering office
to prepare an integrated technical study includes calculations of the loads and a
complete design of the electricity grid inside the industrial plan (medium voltage
networks, distribution stations, low voltages networks and counters) in accordance with
the technical specifications received from the company including the following pre-
requisites:
Provide a geographical map indicating the city location in the geographical sector
where the industrial city is located (including coordinates).
Provide a general plan indicating the land plots, type of use, streets, areas,
supporting services, lighting… etc.
Determine the date of the required power supply for the whole load of the project
or the load of each phase of the project (in case the industrial city is divided into
phases), and determine the low and medium supply voltage.
Provide the technical study, loads calculations and design of the electrical network
in the industrial plan (the medium voltage networks, distribution stations, low
voltage networks and counters), and it must cover the needs and loads of all pieces,
facilities and services inside the plan.
Provide a letter including the total estimated load of the plan and the table of
expected loads of all pieces, to be according to the manual of calculating the loads
of the company (Chapter 5). The calculation of the rest of the loads shall be
completed based on the equations of synchronized load of the whole plan indicated
196
in details in the manual of the procedures of distribution planning, indicated in the
annex of this manual.
In case the industrial plan is an industrial products plan, the owner of the industrial
plan will provide a letter to indicate the estimated electrical loads of the productive
industrial plans.
4- After presenting the full technical study prepared by the consulting or engineering
office in accordance with the above stated instructions to the concerned electricity
department, and to be reviewed by the distribution engineering department, it may be
approved if there is available power in the existing transmission station and the loads
of industrial plan less than 25 MVA.
5- If the request of electricity transmission to an industrial plan of estimated loads is less
than 25 MVA, and there is no available power from the feeding source (the existing
transfer station), the request of electric service is referred to the national Grid SA.
6- If the request of electricity transmission to an industrial plan of estimated loads is more
than 25 MVA, the request of electric service is referred to the national Grid SA.
7- After finalizing the transmission procedures and the approval of distribution department
of the request, an expected date for transmitting the service and launching the electrical
current shall be fixed after the owner of the industrial plan fulfills the transmission
requirements.
If the owner of the industrial city applied with a request to develop and deliver electricity to
undeveloped areas inside an existing industrial plan within definite time phases and plans, the
procedures of electrical transmission of the incomplete parts consist of the following:
Whereas:
197
CLcov: shall mean the loads of the contractual previous parts of the developed areas
of the industrial city (MVA)
CLun: shall mean the loads of the estimated undeveloped parts of the industrial city
(MVA)
Transmit the electricity to the industrial plan shall be made as per the total
contractual loads CLT (MVA)
In case the industrial city is divided into more than one part or multiple undeveloped areas as
per the plan of the owner of the industrial city, then he/she has to provide a definite time plan
on multiple definite phases. The owner of the industrial city should present a general plan to
indicate the multiple remaining undeveloped areas and estimated loads of each area as per the
following equation:
= .
Whereas:
198
addition to part of the costs of the connection line outside the grid scope or the urban
scope as per the procedures of the manual of participants services.
199
participants services manual, and the company is to operate and maintain the
internal network.
De-rated capacity
Voltage level Size
Rating (A) Rating (MVA)
Underground 13.8 kV 3x500 mm² Al 320 7.6
cable (two or
three cables in 33 kV 3x240 mm² Cu21 290 16.6
the same trench)
20
3x400 mm2 Al cable has been proposed as replacement. However, ratings are to be provided by HQ
Standardization Department
21
Same comment as above
200
From protection perspective, the following factors need to be considered while selecting cable
/ conductor:
Zero sequence resistance (for cables) and positive sequence resistance (for conductors)
Reactance
Short-time withstand current ratings for 1 second
Capacitive current per km
22
To be updated by HQ Standardization Department
201
Cable size Amps MVA
1 x 50 mm² Cu* 150 4
* Old equipment not currently used for new connections
These ratings are based on calculations derived from IEC 287: “Electric cables – Calculation
of the current rating”. They are based on the standard rating conditions and on the cable
characteristics. These results are based on data for typical cable types. For more precise data
refer to the specific cable manufacturer. Correction factors for deviation from these conditions
are indicated in below tables.
The ratings in above table are based on equally loaded circuits at a spacing of 0.3 m.
Where two or more circuits are installed in proximity, the load rating of all affected cables is
reduced. For precise values of its correction factors, refer to specific cable manufacturer and
IEC 60502-2.
Correction factors will need to be applied based on the following formula:
= ×
×
×
Burial depth correction factors are as follows:
Table 61: Burial depth correction factors
202
surrounding the cables should be assumed to be dry. The soil at the ground surface should also
be assumed to be dry. Thus, the value of soil thermal resistivity chosen shall be higher than the
background value derived from site measurements.
Ground temperature correction factors are as follows:
Table 63: Ground temperature correction factors
23
To be updated by HQ Standardization Department
24
These values may be updated based on inputs from HQ Technical Support Standardization department
203
The DC resistance values are based on IEC 228 “Conductors of insulated cables”. The AC
resistance values take into account skin effect and are based on data for typical cable types. For
more precise data refer to the specific cable manufacturer.
The reactance values are based on a trefoil conductor configuration for single core cables. They
are based on data for typical cable types. For more precise data refer to the specific cable
manufacturer.
The R and X values for 3x500mm2 Al cable is currently not available in SEC specifications.
This will be updated later
RAC 90 °C is calculated using the formula below:
= × ( )
Where:
= AC resistance values at 90 degrees Celsius
20 = AC resistance values at 20 degrees Celsius
= Temperature coefficient of resistance whose value is 0.004308 for Aluminum and
0.004041 for Copper25
, = = Temperature values at 90 degrees and 20 degrees Celsius
Example on applying correction factor
A 3x500mm2 13.8kV cable is buried under 1.5m with soil thermal resistivity of 1.2 °C.m/w
and ground temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. What is the rating of the cable?
The formula for calculating the corrected cable rating is:
= ×
×
×
As per the relevant tables 61, 62 and 63, the following values are to be used:
Burial depth correction factor = 0.96
Soil thermal resistivity correction factor = 1.14
Ground temperature correction factor = 0.94
In standard conditions, the cable rating is 380A
The corrected rating is: 380 x 0.96 x 1.14 x 0.94 = 391A
25
Source: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/.../temperature-coefficient-resistance...
204
Table 65: Standard line rating conditions for overhead lines
Ambient temperature 50 °C
Minimum wind velocity 0.6 m/sec
Altitude (above sea level) 1000 m
Maximum continuous conductor operating temperature 80 °C
Emissivity (for Cu and Al) 0.5
Absorptive (of solar heat) 0.5
Normal load ratings for overhead lines are as follows:
Table 66: Normal load ratings for overhead lines
205
Table 68: Altitude correction factors
206
RDC 20 °C RAC 20 °C RAC 80 °C XL (60HZ)
Conductor Size
Ohms/km Ohms/km Ohms/km Ohms/km
70 mm² ACSR* 0.426 0.529 0.645 0.436
300 mm²
0.109 0.133 0.162 0.388
AAAC*
180 mm²
0.183 0.223 0.271 0.409
AAAC*
120 mm²
0.277 0.337 0.410 0.428
AAAC*
120 mm² Cu* 0.153 0.190 0.236 0.425
70 mm² Cu* 0.273 0.338 0.420 0.447
13.8 kV
240 mm²
0.120 0.150 0.183 0.374
ACSR*
170 mm² ACSR 0.169 0.210 0.256 0.391
70 mm² ACSR 0.426 0.529 0.645 0.422
300 mm²
0.109 0.133 0.162 0.374
AAAC*
180 mm²
0.183 0.223 0.271 0.395
AAAC*
120 mm²
0.277 0.337 0.410 0.415
AAAC*
120 mm² Cu* 0.153 0.190 0.236 0.412
70 mm² Cu* 0.273 0.338 0.420 0.433
* Old equipment not currently used for new connections
RAC 80 °C is calculated using the formula below:
= × ( )
Where:
= AC resistance values at 80 degrees Celsius
20 = AC resistance values at 20 degrees Celsius
= Temperature coefficient of resistance whose value is 0.004308 for Aluminum and
0.004041 for Copper, 0.00366 for ACSR and 0.00360 for AAAC26
, = = Temperature values at 80 degrees and 20 degrees Celsius
Impedance values are ohms per km per phase for each conductor type. Multiply by square root
of 3 to derive equivalent line values. Indicated values are positive / negative sequence
impedance values. The AC resistance values take account of skin. The reactance values only
include line inductance effects. Capacitance effects are ignored for these voltage levels. The
inductance values are based on a geometric mean conductor spacing as follows:
26
These values are taken from cable manufacturer specifications (http://www.trefinasa.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/04/overhead_conductors_trefinasa_2016web.pdf) and may need to be updated
207
33 kV 1.5 m
13.8 kV 1.25 m
LV 0.6 m
The geometric mean conductor spacing is the cube root of the product of the three phases inter
– conductor spacing.
For safety clearances of overhead conductors, please refer to SEC “ ”المشتركين خدمات دليلwith its
latest updates.
Any sort of building construction below the MV line is not allowed.
For details, refer to DSM-01-01 “ ”الهوائية التوزيع شبكات في الخلوص دليلwith latest updates.
Any MV line in hazardous situation should be shifted / re-routed, as per SEC “خدمات دليل
”المشتركينand SEC “ ”الشركة ومرافق شبكات إزالة أو ترحيل مطالباتwith latest updates.
RMU
The non-extensible ring main unit (RMU) shall consist of two load break switches and one
circuit breaker. Rating of load break switch 400A
For details, refer to 32-SDMS-01, 32-SDMS-04, 32-SDMS-07 with latest updates.
For details, refer to 32-SDMS-03 with latest updates.
MRMU
The metered ring main unit (MRMU) at customer end shall consist of two load break switches
and one circuit breaker. Rating 400A/630A
For details, refer to 32-SDMS-02, 32-SDMS-05, 32-SDMS-06 with latest updates.
ENERGY METER
For revenue metering, the CT & VT operated static energy meter(s) will be used.
For details, refer to 40-SDMS-02A with latest updates.
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8. PLOT PLANS
8.1. CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR AREAS DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT OR COMBINED PLOT PLAN
For all such customers, an average load requirement VA/m² is considered as appropriate
method for the load calculation. For customers of types C1 (normal residential dwelling) & C2
(normal commercial establishment) in plot plans, please refer to Section 5.4 for load estimation.
For other customer types, please refer to Table 5.
Any additional loads will be considered & added as special loads.
For street lighting, circuit breaker rating is determined by Baladiya
For parks and other public areas, circuit breaker rating is provided by Baladiya. However, this
needs to be checked against the relevant tables in Chapter 5
= ( × ) × ( )
Where :
= Number of all KWH Meters supplied by that Substation.
2. For Customers’ Buildings designed to be supplied by Private Substation or by MV
RMU, calculate their (CDL) according to steps described in MV New Connections
section.
3. Calculate the Total Coincident Demand Load (CDL) for the (Development Project /
Plot Plan) as follows :
= × ×
Where :
= Number of all (Public Substations + Private Substations + MV RMUs) which
designed to supply all Lots/Buildings within the (Development Project / Plot Plan).
= Coincident Demand Load in (KVA) for the Individual element (Public Substations +
Private Substations + MV RMUs) no. ( ).
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= Coincident Factor between (Public Substations + Private Substations +
MV RMUs) = 0.9
= Coincident Factor between (MV Feeders) = 0.9
Or (Only in case of Master Plan Stage without detailed Networks design):
= Number of all Lots/Buildings within the (Development Project / Plot Plan).
= Coincident Demand Load in (KVA) for the Individual
Lot/Building no. ( ).
Note :
Calculate the Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (KVA) of the customer's building from the
calculated Coincident Demand Load (CDL) in (Amp) as follows :
× × √3
=
1000
Where :
= Nominal Voltage (line to line) of the LV Network (in volts). This equation can be
simplified as follows :
Where :
= Conversion Factor to convert (CDL) from (Amp) to (KVA). Its values for
different nominal voltages are shown in the table below.
Table 72: Conversion factor overview
1.443
210
3. The company shall agree with the owner to determine the locations and areas necessary
to accommodate main transmission and distribution stations if it is required to supply
the plot plan, and it will be made available for SEC, in accordance with the Royal
Decree No. (M/15) dated 1/03/1424 AH.
4. If the plot plan is located within the planned electrification area of SEC Distribution,
the company will bear costs of construction of the line connecting the plan with the
network, as well as it will bear supply and implement of the transmission station or
main distribution station, and its operation and maintenance.
5. If the plan is located outside the planned electrification area of SEC Distribution, the
company will bear costs of construction of the line connecting the plan with the
network, and costs of supply and implement of the transmission station or main
distribution station will be as follows:
a. The company shall bear costs of construction of the transmission station or the
main distribution station, if the distance between the beginning of the plan and
the nearest transformation station, according to the approved paths, is not
exceeding 10 km on 13.8 KV or 30 km on 33 KV.
b. The owner shall bear costs of construction of the transmission station or the
main distribution station, if the distance between the beginning of the plan and
the nearest transformation station, according to the approved paths, is exceeding
10 km on 13.8 KV or 30 km on 33 KV.
6. Ownership of all networks and stations, constructed by finance from the owner, will be
transferred to the company, free of charge, and it will assume the responsibility of their
operation and maintenance. The company has the right to use them to feed any other
customer outside the plan, provided that to ensure giving priority to the plan to get
benefit from the network in the future, which has been constructed by finance from its
owner.
7. Electrical service will not be started to the plan except after the completion of the above
mentioned conditions
8. The owner of the plan should bear all costs resulting from the transfer or cancellation
of the existing transmission or distribution networks that interfere with the plan as
required by the plan and in accordance with the procedures and regulations approved
by the company within the planned development works.
9. Loads and full design of the distribution networks and stations of the plan will be
calculated according to the following company guides:
a. Loads calculation guide (Chapter 5)
b. Underground LV network design guide (Chapter 6)
c. Private plans electrical networks design technical rules guide
10. Design of MV network in the plan will be in accordance with the planning applicable
in the area (Ring or Radial), as well as design of MV and LV networks in the plan will
211
be in accordance with the type of network in the area (Underground/ Overhead), taking
into consideration the approved plan of the company to convert the overhead networks
into underground ones.
11. Technical studies, load calculations and design of the electrical network in the plan
(MV & LV networks and distribution substations) must cover the needs and loads of
all plots, facilities and services within the plan without exception, regardless the type
of use, nature of the facility and the amount of load.
12. MV networks implemented within the plan by the owner of the plan must cover the
needs and loads of all plots, facilities and services within the plan without exception,
regardless the type of use, nature of the facility and the amount of load.
13. Distribution substations implemented within the plan by the owner of the plan must
cover the needs and loads of all plots, facilities and services within the plan except the
plots of connected load exceeds (4 MVA) for each plot.
14. Owner of the plan should, at his own expense, supply, implement and lay fiber optic
network within the plan, in accordance with the constructional specification of the fiber
optic network approved by the company No. (SDCS-02 Part 6: INSTALLATION OF
UNDERGROUND FIBER OPTIC CABLES AND DUCTS) as a part of the
infrastructure of underground distribution networks within the plan required to be
implemented by him.
15. An official letter from Baladiya is required when sub-dividing the electrification of a
single plot plan. The following conditions are required to be met:
a. Electrification plan submitted by the plot owner should be sub-divided into
multiple parts in line with electrification plan
b. The private plot should be under a single registration number with the Baladiya
Under these conditions, the owner will be required to implement the electrification plan
in line with the overall development plan of the plot. Also, the owner is required to
submit a technical study outlining the load and technical requirements of all phases
separately.
16. Under the above conditions, SEC Distribution will provide the final approval on
whether to accept such a part-wise electrification plan
17. Owner of the plan has to coordinate with the municipality (Baladiya) to register for
street lighting within the plan and will need to provide the company with a letter from
the municipality regarding the application of supplying electricity to lighting meters
and its points of supply and loads.
18. The owner will need to pay the cost of the supply according to the determined lighting
meters, and then the payment to install the lighting meters before connecting electricity
to the plan.
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19. Electrification will not be done to any building in the unsupplied private plan,
regardless of the type of the facility, except after the completion of all requirements of
supplying electricity to the entire plan and connecting the power supply to the plan.
20. If the owner of the plan implemented and installed MV network and distribution
stations without approval and supervision of the company, handover of these networks
will not be accepted.
213
transfer or removal of company networks and facilities and to notify the concerned
electricity department in this regard.
6. Concerned electricity department shall coordinate with the department of main
distribution network operations to verify that there is no interference in the plan with
the main distribution networks. In case of existence of an existing main distribution
network, overhead or underground, interferes with scheme of the plan network, the
developer shall bear all costs resulted from the transfer or cancellation of this network
within the works of the plan development, in accordance with the approved procedures
and regulations in the company guide No. (05001-016) concerning the procedures of
preparation and collection of the claims of transfer or removal of company networks
and facilities.
7. Plan owner/developer commits to make an agreement with one of the approved
engineering or consultancy offices to prepare an integrated technical study includes
loads calculation and the design of the entire electrical network within the plan (MV
networks, distribution stations and LV networks), in accordance with technical
specifications received from the company and the details mentioned in technical rules
guide of private plans electrical networks design (as per Section 8.5), and according to
the following:
a. Technical study, loads calculations and design of electrical network in the plan
(MV&LV networks and distribution substations) must cover all plots, facilities
and services within the plan without exception regardless the type of use, nature
of the facility and the amount of load (residential plots/ commercial residential
plots/ commercial plots/ mosques/ schools/ parks/ street lighting panels/ etc.)
b. Connected loads will be calculated for all plots, facilities and services within
the plan without exception according to loads calculation guides (Chapter 5)
and (Chapter 6).
c. Connected loads will be determined for each unit in the individual plot
according to building areas of the individual unit according to the number of
units determined in the building system approved from the Baladiya for the
individual plot, and if the number of units is not mentioned for the individual
plot in the approved building system, the expected minimum number of units
for the individual plot will be taken as determined by the company, in
accordance with the technical regulations and rules mentioned in Section 8.5
d. Circuit breakers rates corresponding to the connected load (area load) will be
determined for each unit of the individual plot, in accordance with area load
tables in Chapter 5.
e. The entire LV networks and distribution substations within the plan will be
designed to supply all plots, facilities and services in the plan without exception,
in accordance with the underground LV network design principles (Chapter 6)
based on circuit breaker rates determined for the units and not on their area
loads.
214
f. Locations of distribution substations will be determined between two plots (in
case of supplying more than one residential or commercial residential plot),
while (in case of supplying one residential or commercial residential plot, or
supplying one of the other facilities or services), locations of the distribution
substations will be determined inside the land of the plot/ facility/ other services.
g. Network will be designed inside the plan according to the medium voltage
prevalent in the area (13.8 or 33 KV) and low voltage of 400/230V
h. All feeders and LV network loops (Single Loops) will be designed inside the
plan to supply all plots, facilities and services inside the plan without exception,
as well as all RMUs necessary to connect the internal network with the plan
(terminations of single RMUs inside the plan) in the company network,
provided that to be at the nearest plan terminal to the source of supply
determined by the company, in accordance with technical regulations and rules
mentioned in Section 8.5.
i. Total CDL will be calculated to the entire plan, in accordance with technical
regulations and rules mentioned in Section 8.2.
j. The developer shall submit the entire technical study prepared by the
engineering or consultancy office, in accordance with the above mentioned
instructions, to the concerned electricity department, to include the following
attachments:
i. (3) Paper copies size (A0) and one amendable digital copy of the initial
regulatory plan approved and stamped from the licensing authorities
(municipality or secretariat) of scale 1/2000, to indicate the following
therein:
ii. Panel number approved for the plan
iii. Owner name
iv. Total raw area of the plan
v. Number of plots
vi. Type of use (residential- commercial) for each plot
vii. Building system for each plot (building percentage/ number of floors/
number of units in each floor/attachments/ etc.)
viii. Dimensions and area of each plot
ix. Dimensions of the streets with the ownership boundaries of the plan
x. All facilities and services inside the plan (mosques/ schools/ parks/ street
lighting panels/ etc.)
k. Copy of the title deed for the plan in the name of the owner approved and
stamped from the notary public.
215
l. Copy of the license approved for the plan in the name of the owner and in the
panel number of the plan, approved and stamped from the municipality or
secretariat.
m. Official letter from the Baladiya indicating the location of the plan in the
approved urban zone (urban development phase) (is the plan located inside or
outside the approved urban zone with the determination of the urban
development phase).
n. (3) Paper copies size (A0) and one amendable digital copy of the plan approved
and stamped from the engineering or consultancy office indicating details of the
entire design of MV&LV networks, locations of distribution substations and
locations of distribution cabinets necessary to supply all plots, facilities and
services inside the plan.
o. (3) Paper copies size (A0) and one amendable digital copy of the single line
diagram indicating on it details of the entire MV network design inside the plan,
approved and stamped from the engineering or consultancy office.
p. (3) Paper copies and one amendable digital copy of the technical tables of loads
calculation for all plots, facilities and services inside the plan, in accordance
with company specifications in Chapter 5 and approved forms in Section 8.5,
approved and stamped from the engineering or consultancy office.
q. (3) Paper copies and one amendable digital copy of the technical tables of MV
network design calculations, loading percentages and voltage drop percentage
calculations on MV feeders and loops from the feeders to the open points, in
accordance with company specifications and the forms approved in Chapter 5,
approved and stamped from the engineering or consultancy office.
r. (3) Paper copies and one amendable digital copy of the technical tables of LV
network design calculations, loading percentages on LV feeders, distribution
cabinets and distribution substations, and voltage drop percentage calculations
on LV feeders from the distribution substations to the meters, in accordance
with company specifications in Chapter 6 and the forms approved in Chapter 5,
approved and stamped from the engineering or consultancy office.
8. Concerned electricity department shall review the entire technical study and make sure
that it fulfills all the approved planning rules and standards, in accordance with
company guides related to the design of electrical networks of the private plans (DPS-
01, DPS-02, DPS-10), and record the technical comments thereon, if any.
9. If there are comments on the technical study or it did not meet all the approved planning
rules and standards, in accordance with company guides, the concerned electricity
department will return the entire technical study to the plan owner with the technical
comments to instruct the engineering or consultancy office to correct all the recorded
comments, and then resubmit it again to the concerned electricity department.
216
10. After the final revision of the technical study by the concerned electricity department
and make sure of its correctness and clearance of any technical mistakes, the concerned
electricity department shall submit the entire technical study with all the attachments
mentioned in Item 7 above to the Distribution Engineering Department, attached with
it the form of approving the supply of the electrical service to the private (Attachment
3) after filling all of its data.
11. Concerned electricity department shall revise the application procedurally and revise
the entire study technically, and make sure that it meets all approved planning rules and
standards, in accordance with company guides related to the design of electrical
networks of the private plans Chapter 5, Chapter 6 and Section 8.5, and record the
procedural and technical comments thereon, if any.
12. If there are comments on the application or technical study or it did not meet all the
approved planning rules and standards, in accordance with company guides, the
Distribution Engineering Department will return the entire technical study to the
concerned electricity department with the procedural and technical comments to correct
all the comments from the engineering or consultancy office, and then resubmit it again
to the Distribution Engineering Department.
13. After the final revision of the technical study by the Distribution Engineering
Department and make sure of its correctness and clearance of any technical mistakes,
only if the total (raw) area of the plan is more than 500 thousand square meter, or if the
total CDL of the entire plan is greater than 25 MVA, the Distribution Engineering
Department will coordinate with the Network Planning Department in National Grid
SA to study the extent of the technical need to secure the substation location (central
transmission or main transmission) inside the plan, in coordination with the
Engineering Services Department, the concerned electricity department and the
Properties Department, in accordance with (Attachment 14), so that to allocate the
location of the substation inside the plan in case of occurrence of any of the following
cases:
a. Existence of a station (central transmission or main transmission) approved
within one the current or previous capital budgets in the same zone, in which
the plan is located, and has no a land location available for it till date, and the
plan is located within the research area determined for the location of the
approved station or nearby and suitable for the construction of the approved
station.
b. Existence of a station (central transmission or main transmission) required in
the same zone, in which the plan is located, within the needs plan of
transmission stations through the capital budgets for the coming five years
according to the loads expectation plan, and the company has no a land location
that can be allocated to it till date, and the plan is located within the research
area determined for the location of the required station or nearby and suitable
for the construction of the required station.
217
c. Listing (10%) of CDL of the entire plan annually in the study of the loads
expectation plan led to the emergence of a need to a station (central transmission
or main transmission) within the needs plan of transmission stations through the
capital budgets for the coming five years in the same zone, in which the plan is
located, and the company has no a land location that can be allocated to it till
date, and the plan is located within the research area determined for the location
of the required station or nearby and suitable for the construction of the required
station.
14. The following conditions must be available in the location selected for the construction
of the station (central transmission or main transmission) required within the plan-
¬taking into account any amendments or updates on these conditions specified by the
transmission competent authorities:
a. Dimensions of the location of the main transmission station (HV) are not less
than 60m × 70m (or as determined by the transmission competent authorities).
b. Dimensions of the location of the central transmission station (UHV) are not
less than 200m × 200m (or as determined by the transmission competent
authorities).
c. The location must meet the technical conditions and regulations of the
construction of transmission stations issued from the Ministry of Municipal and
Rural Affairs, which include that it must be located at three main streets (the
width of one them is not less than 30 m) and a passageway.
15. After agreeing between the Networks Planning Department in the National Grid SA
and the Distribution Engineering Department on the location of the station (central
transmission or main transmission) required inside the plan, the Networks Planning
Department in the National Grid SA will return the application to the Engineering
Services Department with a letter determining the agreed location of the station to
coordinate with the Properties Department to provide the location.
16. Distribution Engineering Department shall raise the study for approval from the
authorized person (as listed in the authorities guide approved in the company) according
to the form of approval of supply the electrical service to the private plan (Attachment
3) after filling of all data with the determination of the result of the study of the technical
need to provide a location for a station (central transmission or main transmission)
inside the plan, in accordance with the instructions mentioned in Item 13 above.
17. Distribution Engineering Department shall send the approved entire study with a copy
of approval letter of the Networks Planning Department in the National Grid SA on the
location of the station (central transmission or main transmission) to the concerned
electricity department.
18. Concerned electricity department shall forward a letter to the Properties Department
attached with it the approval letter of the Networks Planning Department in the National
Grid SA on the location of the station (central transmission or main transmission), to
include the following:
218
a. Interference with the existing distribution networks, if any, and the action taken
to solve it according to company guide No. (05001-016) concerning the
procedures of preparing and collection of the claims of transfer or removal of
company networks and facilities.
b. List of all locations of the distribution stations required inside the plan according
to the attached form (Attachment 4).
19. Real Estate Department shall implement all the regulatory procedures necessary for
obtaining the determined and agreed location of the station (central transmission or
main transmission) required inside the plan according to the system of expropriation of
properties for public benefit and temporary possession on the property issued by the
Royal Decree No. (M/15) dated 11/03/1424 AH, as well as to obtain from the secretariat
/ municipality a license for the construction of the transmission station in the location
determined inside the plan and its approval letter in this regard.
20. Properties Department shall coordinate with the plan owner to sign the waiver of the
locations of the distribution substations according to the attached form (Attachment 5)
and request him to clear or marginalize the locations of the distribution substations on
the title deed of the plan for the interest of the company through the competent
secretariats/ municipalities and notary public, provided that the Properties Department
shall prepare a letter for the secretariat regarding the locations of the distribution
substations and the location of the transmission station (if any) signed by the head of
distribution and subscribers services sector (according to the concerned geographical
sector), in accordance with the form (Attachment 6), and to attach with the letter a list
of all locations of the distribution substations required inside the plan, in accordance
with the form (Attachment 4), and to provide the concerned electricity department and
the Networks Planning Department in the National Grid SA with a copy of the letter.
21. After the plan owner has signed the waiver of the locations of the distribution
substations according to the relevant form (Attachment 5) and the completion of the
procedures of clearing or marginalizing the locations of the distribution substations on
the title deed of the plan, the Properties Department shall provide the concerned
electricity department and the Accounts Control Department at the area of works with
a copy of the title deed of the plan, indicating on it the marginalization of the locations
of the distribution substations or copy of the titles of clearing the locations of the
distribution substations and their ownership to the company.
22. Concerned electricity department, after obtaining from the Real Estate Department a
copy of the title deed of the plan indicating on it the marginalization of the locations of
the distribution substations or copy of the titles of clearing the locations of the
distribution substations and their ownership to the company, shall coordinate with the
plan owner to sign the agreement of supply the electricity to the plan, in accordance
with the form (Attachment 9) to commit the plan owner to supply and implement the
entire MV network with all distribution substations inside the plan at his own expense,
according to the final technical study designs approved from the company, in
accordance with the specifications approved from the company, by one the contractors
219
approved by the company, and by using the materials of the distribution networks
approved and supplied from one of the manufacturers approved by the company under
the supervision of the competent persons of the company.
23. Concerned electricity department shall provide both the Real Estate Department and
the Accounts Control Department at the area of works with a copy of the agreement of
supply the electricity to the plan after signing it by the plan owner.
24. Concerned electricity department shall handover the owner/ developer a copy of the
approved technical study to commit to contract with one of the contractors approved by
the company to, at the expense of the owner, supply and implement the entire MV
network with all distribution substations inside the plan according to the agreement of
supply the electricity to the plan signed with the company, and according to final
technical study designs approved by the company, in accordance with the specifications
approved by the company, and by using the materials of the distribution networks
approved and supplied from one of the manufacturers approved by the company under
the supervision of the competent persons of the company. This commitment will be by
the plan owner as follows:
a. Submit the routine test certificates to the concerned electricity department for
all materials of the distribution network required for the plan (whether for those
supplied to the stores or those installed inside the plan), in accordance with the
specifications approved by the company and supplied by one of the
manufacturers approved by the company.
b. Supply and implement all MV network feeders and loops (aluminum cables 500
mm2) inside the plan necessary to supply all plots, facilities and services inside
the plan without exception with all of their supplies of joints, terminals, etc., in
accordance with company specifications and under its supervision, and
according to the network design in the approved technical study.
c. Supply and install all RMUs necessary for connecting the internal network with
the plan (terminals of the MV single poles inside the plan) in the company
network and connect these RMUs with MV single poles implemented inside the
plan. They will be connected at the nearest terminal of the plan to the source of
supply determined by the company.
d. Supply, implement and layout fiber optic network, in accordance with the
constructional specifications of the fiber optic cables approved by the company
No. (SDCS-02 PART 6 : INSTALLATION OF UNDERGROUND FIBER
OPTIC CABLES AND DUCTS) with each MV cable required to be
implemented according to item b above, inside each excavation connecting
between two points (from a distribution substation to another distribution
substation) under the supervision of the company.
e. Construction of all foundations of distribution substations and install all RMUs
for all locations of the distribution substations and connect them with the
network, in accordance with company specifications and under its supervision
220
by any of the contractors approved by it, for all distribution substations inside
the plan necessary to supply all plots, facilities and services inside the plan,
according to the approved technical study, except the plots of connected load
exceeds (5 MVA) for each plot.
f. Install transformers and distribution panels only for the locations of the
distribution substations allocated for the supply of plan lighting.
g. Supply all transformers and distribution panels required for all distribution
substations inside the plan, in accordance with company specifications and
under its supervision to the company stores, except those allocated for the
supply of plan lighting, which will be installed in the plan, in accordance with
the approved guide concerning the procedure of handover the materials of the
private plans No. Min240-155 dated 11/04/2009, provided that the company
commits to install them when needed in the future. All distribution substations
inside the plan necessary for the supply of all plots, facilities and services inside
the plan must be in accordance with the approved technical study, except those
plots of connected load exceeds (4 MVA) for each plot.
25. Owner of the plan shall commit his contractor by a provision contained in the contract
made between them to grant the company a guarantee on the implementation works for
all networks implemented by him inside the plan, as well as to commit him to
coordinate with the company to schedule the supervision process of the company on
the implementation of the electrical network inside the plan, according to a specific
schedule agreed upon between the contractor and the company, in accordance with
supervision table form concerning the implementation of the plan network (Attachment
8), and the owner of the plan shall provide the company with a copy of the contract
made between him and the contractor.
26. Concerned electricity department shall carry out the technical supervision on the
implementation of the electrical network by the contractor inside the plan according to
a specified schedule agreed upon between the contractor and the concerned electricity
department, in accordance with supervision table form concerning the implementation
of the plan network (Attachment 8).
27. Concerned electricity department shall document the handover of all distribution
network materials required for the plan (whether supplied to the stores or installed
inside the plan) from the owner of the plan, in accordance with the specifications
approved by the company and the form of handover plan network materials
(Attachment 9), as well as the handover of the warrantee certificates of workmanship
of these materials and their routine test certificates from the owner of the plan.
28. Concerned electricity department shall implement MV installations to connect MV
network (Single Loops) inside the plan with the source of supply according to the
designs indicated in details in Section 8.5 as follows:
a. If the number of the single loops designed for the plan is (two loops or more),
and there are empty cells in any of the existing transmission stations in the same
221
zone, in which the plan is located, (2) new MV feeders will be laid (to form one
single loop) from the existing transmission station and connect them with the
RMUs (terminals of the MV single loops inside the plan).
b. If the number of the single loops designed for the plan is (less than two loops),
and there are no empty cells in any of the existing transmission stations in the
same zone, in which the plan is located, RMUs (terminals of the MV single
loops inside the plan) will be connected with the nearest neighboring existing
MV loop of loads do not exceed its safe capacity. The method of connection
mentioned in this item is considered an operational connection method and not
a planned one, and can be accepted exceptionally to operate the lighting of the
plan and supply it with electricity only for the limitation of providing MV cells
in the transmission stations and its priority of need to enhance the distribution
networks and reduce the loads or to supply the applications of new subscribers
with big loads, and due to the inexistence of distribution transformers installed
on the MV network (except lighting) inside the plan, hence they have no loads
connected to it, and because of the rate of growth of loads in these plans is
relatively small.
29. Costs of MV installations to connect MV network inside the plan with the nearest
existing network will be included in the item allocated for it in the capital budget later
(the item of connecting private plans network with the existing network).
30. Concerned electricity department, before taking over the network, shall verify the
completion of following points by the owner of the plan as a main condition to sign the
minutes of network handover:
a. Owner of the plan has to plot the locations of the distribution substations and
location of the transmission station (if any) on the final plans which will be
approved by the municipality/secretariat.
b. Owner of the plan has to install identification tags on the network materials that
have been installed, which their value exceeds 5000 Riyal.
31. Before signing the minutes of network handover, owner of the plan has to handover to
the concerned electricity department a form signed and stamped from the contractor to
ensure that implementation works of all networks implemented by him inside the plan
are in accordance with the relevant form (Attachment 10)
32. Before signing the minutes of network handover, owner of the plan has to handover a
digital copy of the as-built drawings for the entire electrical network implemented
inside the plan to the concerned electricity department in the form of Arc Map files, if
the electricity department has GIS system, and in from of Auto Cad files, if the
electricity department has no GIS system, and it should be in conformity with the
geographical coordinates system used in the company.
33. Before signing the minutes of network handover, owner of the plan has to fill the form
of the costs of the materials and works of the electrical networks implemented in the
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plan, in accordance with the form (Attachment 11) and hand it over the concerned
electricity department to revise it and make sure of its correctness.
34. Concerned electricity department shall take over the implemented networks and sign
on the minutes of network handover with the signature of the owner of the plan on the
minutes, in accordance with the form (Attachment 12). The concerned electricity
department shall submit, to the accounts department, a copy of the minutes of network
handover and a copy of the form of the costs of the materials and works of the electrical
networks implemented in the plan.
35. Concerned electricity department shall notify the Real Estate Department in writing the
completion of the development requirements in the plan.
36. Real Estate Department shall prepare a letter signed by the head of the distribution and
subscriber services sector (according to the concerned geographical sector) directed to
the secretariat, informing the completion of the development process by the owner of
the plan, with the necessity to state in the letter to provide the company with a copy of
the original plan approved by the secretariat, indicating on it the locations of the
distribution substations and location of the transmission station (if any), in accordance
with the attached form (Attachment 13).
37. Electricity will not be supplied in the plan except after the completion of the following
procedures:
a. Transfer or remove all company networks (transmission networks, main
distribution station and substation networks) that interfere with the plan, and
obtain a letter from the transmission department and main distribution networks
department informing, each in its competency, that the owner of the plan has
paid the actual costs resulted from this.
b. Complete the procedures of clearance of the locations of the distribution
substations and transfer the title deed to the interest of the company, and obtain
the original final plan approved by the secretariat/ municipality, indicating on it
the locations of the distribution substations, and the Properties Department has
provided the concerned electricity department, engineering services department
and the Networks Planning Department in the National Grid SA with a copy of
the approved original final plan, indicating on it the locations of the distribution
substations, and a copy of the title deed marginalizing on it the locations of the
distribution substations or copy of titles of ownership of the company of these
locations.
c. Owner of the plan has provided the company with a letter from the secretariat
requesting supply the electricity to the lighting meters, its points of supply and
loads, and commit to pay the costs of supply according to the determined
lighting meters, and then to install the lighting meters before connecting the
electricity to the plan.
d. Complete the procedures of expropriation of the location of the station (central
transmission or main transmission) required inside the plan, and obtain a permit
223
from the secretariat/ municipality to construct the transmission station in the
location specified inside the plan and its approval letter in this regard.
38. After completion the procedures of expropriation of the location of the station (central
transmission or main transmission) required inside the plan, the Properties Department
shall provide the concerned electricity department, the Networks Planning Department
in the National Grid SA, engineering services department and accounts control
department at the area of works with a copy of the expropriation decision of the location
of the station determined inside the plan.
39. Concerned electricity department has to monitor and follow-up the growth of loads
continuously in the MV loops, to which the plan network has been connected
(operational connection as mentioned in Item 29 above), after connecting the electricity
to the plan to correct the method of connection with the existing network schematically
in a gradual way by inserting new MV feeders on the MV loops implemented in the
plan as needed within the annual plans of networks upgrading, and in accordance with
the technical regulations and rules mentioned in details in Section 8.5.
40. Any new distribution transformer shall not be installed on MV loops inside the plan or
on the MV loops, to which the plan network has been connected to them, except after
reviewing the situation of the loads connected to the MV loops to make sure that they
are not exceeding their safe rates. If the loads exceeded their safe rates, a new MV
feeder must be inserted on the existing loop before the installation of the new
distribution transformer, in accordance with the technical regulations and rules
mentioned in details in Section 8.5.
41. All provisions of the attachments mentioned in Item (7) below are integral part of the
regulations and procedures mentioned above:
Attachment No. Attachment Name
Attachment (1) Private plans database form
Form of the letter of the requirement of supply electricity to the private
Attachment (2)
plans directed to the owner of the plan
Attachment (3) Form of approval to supply electricity to the private plans
Attachment (4) Form of the list of the locations of the stations in the plan
Document of the waiver of the owner of the plan of the locations of the
Attachment (5)
distribution substation in the plan
Form of the letter directed to the secretariat regarding the locations of
Attachment (6)
the stations in the plan
Attachment (7) Form of the agreement of supply electricity to the private plans
Form of the supervision schedule on the implementation of the network
Attachment (8)
in the plan
Form of the documentation of handover the materials of the private
Attachment (9)
plans
Form the warrantee certificate of the implementation works of the
Attachment (10)
networks implemented inside the plan
Attachment (11) Form of materials and works costs
Attachment (12) Form of the minutes of handover of private plan network
224
Form of the letter directed to the secretariat regarding the completion of
Attachment (13)
the construction of the networks
Form of approval of the transmission department on the approval of the
Attachment (14)
plan
Which correspond to the following forms (in Arabic):
The network should comply with relevant design and equipment guidelines relevant
for LV networks within SEC (which is outlined in Chapter 6)
The LV network must cover all load requirements inside the plan
It should be underground network type and radial network design with 400/230V
Method of supply and selection of branch LV circuit breakers is based on the table
below
225
300
217 248 150 172 143 163 83 95 DP 2 2 185 mm2 1
mm2
1 184 1 127 1 121 1 70 SS 1 1 185 mm2 Direct Feeder
185 248 128 172 122 163 71 95 SS 1 1 300 mm2 Direct Feeder
249 368 173 255 164 242 96 140 SS 2 2 185 mm2 Direct Feeder
369 496 256 344 243 326 141 189 SS 2 2 300 mm2 Direct Feeder
Total voltage drop on LV cables from distribution cabinets should not exceed 5%
The location of distribution cabinet should follow these guidelines:
o Locations of distribution cabinets are determined so that to be in the center of
the plots planned to be supplied from them as possible, and to be on the outer
boundaries of any piece of land on the approved streets directly
o If it supplies only one plot of any type: the distribution cabinet is installed at
the front fallback of this plot.
o If it supplies a plot of any nonresidential services and facilities with a plot or
more (residential or residential/commercial): the distribution cabinet is
installed at the front fallback of the nonresidential services or facility plot.
o If is supplies more than one plot of (residential or residential/commercial) type
only: the distribution cabinet is installed at the front fallback between the two
plots which are located in the center of the load of the plots planned to be
supplied from this cabinet
Location of shared distribution substation is to be between the plots supplied and not
at the outer edge / boundary of the plots and should adhere to the following
guidelines:
o If only one plot is being supplied, the distribution substation can be located at
the boundary of the plot
o If the substation is intended to supply any non-residential facilities along with
residential facilities, the substation should be located at the boundary of the
residential plot
o If the substation is intended to supply more than 1 residential plots, the
location should be between the plots as close to the load center as possible
Dedicated distribution substations are to be used when supplying to a single plot of
more than 800A connected load and when the coincident demand load of the plot does
not exceed 4MVA and the suitable rating of the dedicated distribution substation
should be such that it fully serves the entire CDL of the plot without exceeding 100%
of its rating
The dedicated distribution substation may be located within the plot that is being
supplied by it, at the outer boundaries
MV switchgear will be used for plots that have a single customer (plot) with more
than 4MVA of CDL. The rating of the switchgear (400A or 630A) will depend on the
CDL of the plot such that the loading percentage does not exceed 100%
226
The following criteria need to be adhered to while designing MV network inside the new plot
plan:
Feeder 2 Feeder 1
Distribution
Transformer
= ×
Where
227
= CDL calculated for station (i) supplied from the loop
% = × 100
Where
Paths of MV Cables
MV cables are laid in the approved paved streets (under paving) and not under the
pavements.
MV cables are not laid in pedestrians, exceptionally only, if the pedestrians are paved
and of width not less than 6 m, they can be laid therein.
Paths of MV feeders necessary for the plan, are planned so that the beginnings of all
feeders (terminals of MV single loops inside the plan) will be at one point at the edge
of the plan, the nearest to the source of supply, which is determined by the company
228
Number of single loops for the plan is two or more
Extensible RMUs are used according to the approved specification No. 32-SDMS-03
to connect MV single loops inside the plan
It has to be ensured that circuit breaker- CB cell for each feeder terminal and the
required number of CB cells are designed with the same number of MV feeders
necessary for the plan
Cells are divided into two groups, so that each group is connected to the other one to
form one extensible bus- EX, hence, two buses are formed (EX. 1 and EX. 2)
Each single pole consisting of two feeders is connected with these two buses, through
connecting one of their terminals (its feeder) with the CB cell of the first bus (EX. 1)
and connect the other terminal (other feeder) with the CB cell of the second bus (EX.
2), and make an open point (OP) in the middle of the single loop
After this, Load Break Switch- LBS is connected with each bus (EX. 1 and EX. 2),
and each bus (EX. 1 and EX. 2) will be supplied from one new MV feeder laid from
the nearest existing transmission station
It has to be ensured that the first new feeder (F1) is connected with the LBS of the
first bus (EX. 1) and the second new feeder (F2) with the LBS of the second bus (EX.
2)
A second LBS is connected with the second terminal of each bus (EX. 1 and EX. 2),
and the two buses (EX. 1 and EX. 2) are connected to each other through connecting
the two LBSs with each other and make OP between them, according to the Single
Line Diagram (SLD) shown in Figure below
In this way, supply from grid station is considered temporary only until the completion of the
emergence of the actual loads on MV loops in the plan in the future, so that the loads on it
can be controlled and its supply can be boosted in the future, according to the mechanism
mentioned in the later sections.
229
Figure 30: MV Network Design when Number of Single Loops is 2 or more
Feeder 1
If there is no possibility to supply the entire planned load calculated for plan loop
(CDL) from any existing neighboring MV loop without exceeding the firm capacity
of the neighboring loop, the two LBSs (two ends of the single loop) are connected
with (2) new MV feeders laid from the nearest existing transmission station according
to the Single Line Diagram (SLD) (as shown in figure below). The supply by this
was, in this case, is considered permanent planned supply.
230
Feeder 1
If there is no possibility to supply the entire planned load calculated for plan loop
(CDL) from any existing neighboring MV loop without exceeding the firm capacity
of the neighboring loop, and there are no empty cells in the neighboring transmission
stations, the two LBSs (two ends of the single loop) are connected with the
neighboring existing loop of the least loads according to the Single Line Diagram
(SLD), as shown in figure below
231
Feeder 1
After this, Load Break Switch- LBS is connected with each bus (EX. 1 and EX. 2),
and each bus (EX. 1 and EX. 2) will be supplied from one new MV feeder laid from
the nearest existing transmission station
Case 1: Grid station is already approved in the area where the plot plan is located and
the location for the grid station is identified
Case 2: Grid station is planned as per capital budget for the next 5 years according to
load forecast plan but location hasn’t been identified
Case 3: If need for grid station is established using 10% of CDL of private plot plan
using the following process:
o Calculate CDL of all MV single loops inside the plan
= ×
232
Where
233
o Calculation of voltage drop is line with specified methodologies
o Voltage drop is within specified limits (5%)
o Calculation of loading percentage on distribution substations, distribution
cabinets and LV cables is line with specified methodologies
o Loading percentage on any equipment does not exceed 80%
o All plots are covered in calculations
MV network design
o Calculation of voltage drop is line with specified methodologies
o Voltage drop is within specified limits (5%) for all MV loops
o Calculation of loading percentage on MV feeders and loops is line with
specified methodologies
o Loading percentage on each MV single loop is not exceeding the firm capacity
(N-1) of the loop, which is 100%) of the de-rated capacity of the MV cable.
234
Table 73: Check list for Revision of Technical Study for Plot Plan
Plan plate No.: …………… Plan Name: ………… Plan Owner:……………
First: Revision of loads calculation Achieved Unachieved
1 Revision of all calculations of CLs and CDLs for all plots inside the plan
prepared by the plan owner according to Form (…)
Arithmetical total of the raw areas (residential/ commercial) for all
plots in the plan is matching the total raw area (residential/
1-1
commercial) approved from the secretariat/ municipality on the plan
map
All calculations of building areas for the plots are made according to plot
1-2 dimensions and building system approved from the secretariat/
municipality
All calculations of CLs for all plots are made according to the approved
1-3
regulations
All calculations of CDLs for all plots are made according to the approved
1-4
regulations
All CB ratings are determined for all plots are made according to the
1-5
approved regulations
All plots in the in the approved plot are included in the study of loads
1-6
calculation.
235
All plots in the approved plot are included in the study of MV networks
3-5
design.
However, the method of connection of MV network inside plot plan to SEC MV supply will
remain temporary and may be changed to permanent depending on the load.
More than 1 loop connected with extensible RMUs which are supplied by laying new MV
feeders from a neighboring transmission station
New feeders load (2 new feeders), laid to supply a group of loops inside the plan, will
be controlled and measured continuously and permanently, especially when installing
any new distribution transformer to supply the new requests in the plan
If load of new distribution transformer exceeded its firm capacity (N-1), actual loads
of the group of loops inside the plan must be studied and revised according to the
requests actually connected in the plan
The possibility of load transfer and distribution of peak load of the new feeder to the
group of loops in the plan will be studied
If the above is not viable, the loop of the highest load that needs to be disconnected
from the extensible RMUs and supplied by laying new MV feeders (2 feeders) from
the nearest existing transmission station (therefore, convert the supply of this loop of
the highest load from temporary operational supply to permanent planned supply) will
need to be determined
Control of the load of the feeders supplying the group of loops in plan, which are
remained on the extensible RMUs, will be continued, and to implement the same
mechanism, mentioned above, when its load exceeded its firm capacity (N-1).
Single loop connected and supplied from an existing MV loop with a temporary operational
supply
Load of the existing MV loop that supplies the loop inside the plan, will be controlled
and measured continuously and permanently, especially when installing any new
distribution transformer to supply the new requests in the plan
If load of new distribution transformer exceeded its firm capacity (N-1), it must be
disconnected from the extensible RMUs and supplied by laying new MV feeders (2
feeders) from the nearest existing transmission station (therefore, convert the supply
of this loop inside the plan from temporary operational supply to permanent planned
supply).
236
8.10. ARITHMETIC EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE CALCULATIONS FOR
PRIVATE PLAN CONNECTION
Example (1):
- CDL for the plan is more than the rating of the single loop, cable size 3×500 mm2, 13.8 KV
according to Table (5) is 7.6 KVA
- The plan is divided into (2) single loops and CDL is calculated for each loop from the equation:
= ×
- CDL for the first single loop from substation (1) to (10)
- CDL for the second single loop from substation (11) to (14)
= 7420 KVA × 0.9 = 6678 KVA
Example (2):
Determine the need to a location for a transmission substation in a plan submitted a request to
supply the electrical service in 2016 and its CDL is 30 KVA and the information of the
forecasted load plan inside the zone, in which the plan is located, is according to the following
table:
Installed Firm Actual Load Forecasted Load (MVA)
Substation Growth
Capacity Capacity 2015
Name 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Factor %
(MVA) (MVA) (MVA)
A 3x100 200 160 175 185 200 180 190
B 3x60 120 95 104 110 116 100 110 5%
C 3x67 134 Under C 0 0 0 60 100
(10%) of the total CDL calculated above for the entire plan annual is included in the study of
the forecasted load plan in the same zone, in which the plan is located, for eight years from
2016 to 2023, according to the following equation:
237
= × 10%
= 1, … 8
FSLi - - - - - - - -
FTLi - - - - - - - -
CDLi
Plot 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Plan
Example (3):
Calculate the forecasted loading percentage for the zone in which the plan is located in Example
(20).
Forecasted loading percentage is calculated for the zone, in which the plan is located, for the
coming eight years (from the coming year 2016 to the year N+8) according to the following
equation:
% = × 100
= 1, … , 8
Example (4):
Determine the need for a location for a transmission substation in Example (21).
238
Forecasted loading percentage for the zone, in which the plan is located in 2023 is 103%,
therefore, the transmission substation will be included in the capital budget needs plan for the
year (2019), therefore, a location will be allocated for a transmission substation inside the plan.
239
9. NETWORK PLANNING STRATEGY
The recommended network planning strategy should have 4 key pillars:
240
Figure 32: Integrated Network Planning
The long-term network plan will be based on the forecast of demand conditions in the city /
area after 10 years which would also take into account plans from municipality (Baladiya).
The process and criteria for developing this plan would include both technical robustness and
economic viability. The output for this plan would be a city-wide representation of the
Distribution network in 10 years; in other words ‘how will the Distribution MV network in the
city look like 10 years from today’. The key output of such a plan would be a prioritized list
of MV projects for the Distribution network to transition from its as-is state to the target state
in 10-years.
The most important benefit of developing such a plan is that it would enable the planning
engineers to have a view of how the demand will evolve in their city / area over a long-term
horizon thereby enabling them to prepare for it. Additionally, this would also enable the
planning engineers to adopt a ‘system-wide’ view of how can the technical network
performance be improved rather than adopting a narrower view of handling demand and / or
network performance issues. Finally, by developing the 10-year (long-term) network plan,
Distribution will align their network planning cycle with National Grid thereby ensuring
alignment between the two entities.
The mid-term network plan for the city / area will be derived from the long-term network
plan. The key inputs to developing the mid-term plan will be updated 5-year demand
conditions (i.e. load forecast) as well as the 5-year view of city development plan from
municipality (Baladiya). As with the 10-year long term plan, this will also focus on MV
network. Based on the 5-year demand conditions and other constraints, the 10-year project
roadmap for the next 5 years will be updated at the end for MV network for the area. In
addition to updating the project roadmap, the mid-term network planning process will also
241
result in development of the 5-year or mid-term network plan for the city / area; in other
words ‘how will the Distribution MV network in the city look like 5 years from today’.
The mid-term planning will ensure definition and prioritization of all projects for the 5-year
time horizon for the city / area. This will include all integration and reinforcement projects
with estimates on number and value of replacement and new connection projects required for
the city / area. This would facilitate CAPEX approval from SEC Corporate Planning. Once
projects (and hence 5-year CAPEX budget) has been approved for the city / area, the 10-year
roadmap will be updated to reflect the changes in projects and their prioritization.
In terms of timing, the long-term network planning would need to be undertaken once every 4
years and both mid-term and short-term network planning will be undertaken every year, as
outlined below
242
Furthermore, the network plan would be integrated with other similar planning processes
within SEC Distribution, such as Load Forecasting, Integrated CAPEX Planning27 and
Material Planning, as outlined below
Figure 34: Integration of Network Planning with other SEC Distribution Planning Processes
Load forecasting (10-years and 5-years) will act as the key input for long-term and mid-term
network planning processes. The output of mid-term network planning process (5-year
project roadmap for the city / area) will be used as the input for Integrated Planning Process
as part of which the CAPEX roadmap for the city / area will be approved. Finally, the short-
term network planning process will ensure development and finalization of all projects to be
delivered within the city / area for the upcoming year. This will act as a key input to the
material planning process for the next year.
27
Integrated CAPEX Planning is a special initiative under ASTPO
243
Figure 35: Coordination Related to Network Planning
The network planning team, as part of long-term and mid-term network planning will need to
assume a proactive role in ensuring that all required inputs are obtained from Electricity
Department (ED) maintenance, operations and National Grid teams to develop a robust
network plan (both long-term and mid-term). Additionally, the defined network plan needs to
be verified and cross-checked with the above teams to ensure that all inputs are captured. The
details of the checks and its timings are mentioned in the detailed process steps in the
subsequent sections.
Draft network plans (long-term, mid-tem and short-term) presented by planning team
Draft maintenance roadmaps (long-term, mid-tem and short-term) presented by
maintenance team
244
Inputs from maintenance team on assets scheduled for replacement
Inputs from planning team on assets scheduled for reinforcement
Inputs from operations team on loading on critical assets
Maintenance projects to be included as replacement projects in capital planning
Emergency maintenance activities undertaken
1-year material planning presented by planning team
Inputs from maintenance on adjustments to material forecasts
On-going monitoring of capital expenditure vs. budget for ED and presentation to
ED leadership team
These set of criteria will provide the basis against which each developed network plan will be
evaluated. Additional details on the criteria is provided in the subsequent sections of the
document.
245
options and assessing them in a highly efficient manner before recommending the optimal
solution for any issue. Any such simulation would enable multiple functionalities for the
network planner:
The following pre-requisites need to be fulfilled before the above strategy can be rolled out
across SEC:
Complete rollout and training of all network planners across EDs and DEDs in usage
of load flow software
Full and accurate rollout of GIS
Adoption of coordination mechanism with Baladiya to ensure timely and accurate
data provision on future demand
246
2. LV project roadmap for the year:
a. Roadmap for new distribution substations
b. Roadmap for LV reinforcement projects
3. Alignment of MV and LV project roadmaps with relevant stakeholders:
a. ED maintenance and operations teams
b. DED and regional management
c. SEC HQ Distribution Planning Department Manager and other senior
management
d. SEC HQ Corporate Planning
4. Identification of material requirements for projects (MV & LV)
Monitoring of execution of projects (MV & LV)
DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE:
PROJECT ROADMAP PLANNING
For each ED following activities should be followed:
1. Outline project execution roadmap for the next year for the city / zone:
Identify distribution projects with execution time overlap for the next
year – projects that are due to start in the next year as well as projects
from last year with implementation timeline extending to next year,
based on the last updated 5-year roadmap
Assess status of on-going transmission projects (grid station
reinforcement / expansions) and impact on the distribution projects for
next year as relevant for the city / zone
Identify status of each distribution project for the city / zone from the
5-year roadmap. Such constraints may include right of way, delays in
dependent projects, non-realization of expected customer demand,
delays in on-going projects, etc.
Assess impact on planned projects, in terms of delays / fast-tracking of
execution, changes in starting time of projects, etc.
2. Develop 1-year project roadmap for each city / zone which includes the following:
MV Projects currently under execution and planned for execution as
well as their updated timelines
247
Classification of MV projects along relevant category (new
connection, replacement, reinforcement, integration and others) and
sub-category28
Confirmation of mode of execution for new MV projects (turnkey vs.
unit-rate)
Identification of planned LV reinforcement projects29
3. Consolidate projects across all cities / zones into roadmap for the ED
4. Align with ED operations team on new projects and operational impact
5. Assess robustness of new MV projects (addition of new elements – grid stations, MDN
substations and feeders & reinforcement) using load flow software (e.g. CYME)
6. Align with ED maintenance team on replacement projects and finalize project roadmap
for tracking and monitoring going forward
PROJECT MATERIAL PLANNING
For each ED following activities should be followed:
1. After finalization of project roadmap for next year, assess number of projects for next
year for each project type (new connections, replacement, reinforcement and
integration) for the ED
2. Execute the material planning process30 and assess CAPEX & OPEX requirements for
the ED for the next year, taking into account material consumption, labour costs and
other indirect costs
3. Align with SEC HQ Corporate Planning function to finalize CAPEX & OPEX for the
ED (as well as project roadmap) and share with the ED planning team for project
monitoring
MATERIAL AND PROJECT MONITORING
For each ED following activities should be followed:
1. From the start of the year, monitor execution as per the project roadmap for each ED
and report to HQ and senior management:
Prepare monthly reports on status of projects execution outlining
progress on projects, expenditure on materials and labour vs. planned
(per project type and sub-type)
Highlight issues related to execution (e.g. delayed projects, right of
way issues) and proposed actions regarding them:
28
Proposed project categorization is detailed separately
29
Detailed process for planned LV reinforcement projects are outlined in a separate chapter
30
Material Planning Process is detailed in a separate document
248
ii. Such actions will consider sound engineering judgment and may include
changes in project timelines, changes to project characteristics (such as change
in location of sub-station), etc.
iii. Align with relevant senior management (from ED and / or HQ) on proposed
corrective actions
iv. Update project roadmap to account for corrective actions
Align with ED maintenance team on status of replacement projects and
on corrective actions related to these projects
2. Prepare quarterly report summarizing status of project execution for each ED
SEC Consolidated activities include the following:
1. Prepare quarterly reports for SEC Distribution HQ senior management on status of
projects execution across all EDs
2. Identify key actions requiring senior management approval and facilitate the same
3. Align with ED planning staff to communicate inputs and approvals from SEC HQ
senior management, as required
OUTPUT FORMAT
The 5-year network plan will be prepared for each zone and will consist of the following
sections:
249
d. CAPEX Plan (1-year): for information related to implementation and CAPEX
requirements of the proposed projects
For each section of the 1-year network plan report for city / zone, the following specific
guidelines should be followed (the output templates are provided in a separate file):
Grid station & MDN sub stations plan
1) In this sub-section, detailed plan on status and expected progress will be provided for
all new grid stations and MDN substations (including capacity increases) in the city /
zone that are planned or under implementation (this will include projects from earlier
years that are underway as well as projects initiated in the current year), using the table
from the next page:
• Current project status
• Earlier expected date of completion
• New expected date of completion
• Justification for change in date of completion (if applicable)
• Dependencies & risks
2) Each project will be accompanied by the following:
• Single line diagram for the system before and after addition of new grid station
and / or MDN substation (please refer to pages 18 onwards of Qatif plan
document)
• Simulation results from load flow software (e.g. CYME) outlining equipment
overloading, voltage drop for system and contingency robustness
Feeder plan
1) Please refer to pages 14 onwards from Qatif plan document
2) In this section, details of feeder related actions will be defined (using the following
table) with the following information:
• Feeder information (basic information on feeder on which action is taken)
• Length of feeder
• Type of action (new connection, reinforcement or integration)
• Justification of action
• Expected date of completion
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3) Each project will be accompanied by the following:
• Single line diagram for the system before and after feeder action (please refer
to pages 18 onwards of Qatif plan document)
• Simulation results from load flow software (e.g. CYME) outlining equipment
overloading, voltage drop for system and contingency robustness for each
feeder project
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Feeder Starting Voltage Type Proposed Details Feeder Estimated Expected Year of Action Alternatives
ID G/S or S/S Level Action of Voltage Length Feeder Load Considered &
ID Feeder & (km) Rationale for
Action Feeder Action
Capacity
&
Benefits
LV reinforcement
This section will include information on expected LV reinforcement projects (in line with
expected customer requests) with the following information (also detailed in following
table):
Basic information
Type of project
Expected date of electrification
Justification and benefit
Dependencies & risks
CAPEX Requirements
1) This section will have CAPEX requirements for MV feeders, other projects and LV
reinforcement projects
2) The CAPEX numbers will be based on value of similar projects executed in the city /
zone historically and will include the following cost items:
• Equipment cost (if unit rate)
• Contractor installation cost (if unit rate)
3) The provided CAPEX numbers will be checked and approved by DED
252
4) The following table will be included in the section
253
Project Name Type Justification CAPEX (SAR Mn) Year
254
3. Alignment of MV project roadmap with relevant stakeholders:
a. ED maintenance and operations teams
b. DED and regional management
c. SEC HQ Distribution Planning Department Manager and other senior
management
d. SEC HQ Corporate Planning
DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE
1. Update MV network model for the city / ED:
Update single line diagrams to include new grid stations, MDN substations and
feeders for MV and correct connection between existing substations
Update capacity and load for substations, grid stations and feeders
2. Compile information on as-is grid stations, substations, feeders & segments (refer to
data collection sheet) and receive strategic direction from HQ regarding network
planning. Such guidance will include inputs from Distribution HQ senior management
to guide long-term plan development, for example:
Degree of CAPEX spending preferred
Long-term target for SAIDI & SAIFI
Rule for coverage of planned and unplanned areas
3. Based on 10-year ED network project plan, 5-year load forecast and 5-year city
development plan from Baladiya, define network requirements to cater to demand for
new areas as well as for areas with existing network (5-year target grid plan):
Outline constraints for each project identified as part of long-term network plan
within the relevant 5-year planning period, which may include right of way
constraints, delays in dependent projects, non-realization of expected customer
demand, etc.
Obtain inputs from National Grid on timeline of execution of planned grid stations
as identified in the 10-year masterplan for the city
Confirm presence / mitigation of capacity constraints for grid stations and MDN
substations taking into account execution of 10-year masterplan for the city as
well as expected year of appearance of such constraints (if relevant)
In line with above, assess need for corrective action for grid stations and / or
MDN substations within the city, such as:
Changes in execution timelines for planned grid stations and / or MDN
substation
Changes in requirements for new grid stations and / or MDN
substations
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Updates to proposed capacity changes for existing grid stations and / or
MDN substations
Align with National Grid on changes to requirements for grid stations
Identify issues within the ED related to system performance at MV level, covering
SAIDI, SAIFI, voltage drops and power factor issues
Identify cost-optimal solutions to mitigate system performance issues (use of
specialized equipment like auto-reclosers & voltage regulators, new feeders, etc.)
Assess number of feeder(s) required from each new grid station & MDN
substation including requirements for new feeder(s) to meet customer demand
Identify requirements for reinforcement of feeder(s) and segment(s):
Priority should be given to feeders that are already overloaded and / or
contribute significantly to technical losses in the system
Lengthy feeders (particularly overhead) should be considered for
reinforcement – either in the form of additional conductors or through MV
equipment such as voltage regulators, auto-reclosers, etc.
From the grid stations, identify need for MV customers and isolated areas
connection
Ensure alignment of the network requirements with the 5-year maintenance plan
Obtain inputs from ED operations team on the 5-year new network requirements
4. Confirm target grid plan and identify requirements for:
Grid stations and MDN substations (if relevant): new, capacity increases
Feeders: new, reinforcement requirements, changes in feeder configuration
(integration)
5. Prioritize list of projects in line with new demand and supply conditions:
Identify critical projects required for the 5-year time horizon (projects which
cater to over-capacity of assets, fulfilment of N-1 condition, replacement of
aged equipment, handling voltage drop and / or new demand centers)
Define priority and sequencing for other projects based on the following order:
i. Dependencies for critical projects
ii. Dependency towards the 10-year grid plan (for example, projects that
contribute to the target grid plan)
iii. Extent of contribution towards improvement of other technical
parameters, such as technical losses, operational complexity, capacity
for maximum power flow in the system
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6. Classify projects as per the defined categories (new connection, replacement,
reinforcement and integration) and sub-categories31
7. Outline requirement for timeline of completion over the coming 5 year time horizon
and identify pre-requisites and dependencies
8. For each project, outline implementation details such as32:
Year of installation
Useful life of equipment
Differences in O&M costs
Best alternative out of multiple options for ‘new build projects’, such as option
& timing of integration of grid station, potential for using mobile transformers
vs. timing of increasing capacity, feeder configuration option to be used
Implementation option (unit rate vs. turnkey)
Estimates of benefits & costs will be provided along with this (either in terms of
reduced losses, lower CAPEX or OPEX, higher revenue potential)
9. Based on the feasibility results, consolidate project list from all cities / zones and
finalize list of projects for the upcoming 5-years horizon for the ED
10. Update project roadmap with details on project prioritization, project requirements,
timing and implementation conditions (unit-rate vs. turnkey)
11. Prepare all required documents for CAPEX approval process for all projects in the
roadmap and initiate approval process with SEC HQ Corporate Planning
12. Consolidate all projects over the 5-year time horizon across all EDs at HQ level
13. Re-evaluate prioritization of projects and review documents prepared for approval of
CAPEX allocation
14. Engage with SEC HQ Corporate Planning team for approval of CAPEX for projects
and provide clarifications as required
15. Update and finalize list of projects for approval from key senior management within
Distribution HQ and regions
OUTPUT FORMAT
The following general guidelines need to be followed (which are detailed in the separate
templates file):
31
Project categories and sub-categories are detailed in subsequent pages
32
This process step will be required to ensure alignment with SEC Corporate Planning guidelines as part of
‘Integrated Planning’ initiative
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1. The 5-year network plan needs to be submitted as excel file in line with format provided
in editable format
2. There will be 1 submission per ED which will be submitted by the Head of Network
Planning for the ED and signed by the Heads of Network Planning for each city
3. The network plan will be submitted to DED who will approve and forward to HQ for
final approval
4. DED will be responsible for preparing all documents necessary for obtaining approval
on CAPEX spending from HQ Corporate Planning team
5. The template is provided as part of ‘20180518 - SECAM04 - Network Planning
Strategy (TEMPLATES) – vFINAL’ file with the following sheets:
a. GS & MDN SS (5-year): for information on grid stations & MDN substations
(new and reinforcement) over the 5-year horizon
b. Feeder (5-year): for information on MV feeders (new and reinforcement) over
the coming 5 year time horizon
c. Implementation Plan & CAPEX (5-year): for information related to
implementation and CAPEX requirements of the proposed projects over the 5-
year horizon
For each section of the 5-year network plan report for city / zone, the following specific
guidelines should be followed:
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G/S G/S Type Voltage Equipment Approximate Status Overview Overview Alternatives
or or Level & Location of Benefits of Risks considered
S/S S/S Capacity and rationale
Name ID for
recommended
option
1
2
Feeder Requirements
1) This section provides a high-level overview of new feeder requirements over the up-
coming 5-years
2) The following table will be used
3) Justification for new feeders can include the following: connection to new customers,
system improvement, integration of new grid station
Feeder Starting Voltage Type Proposed Details Feeder Estimated Expected Feeder Year of Alternatives
ID G/S or Level Action of Voltage Length Load Action Considered
S/S ID Feeder & (km) & Rationale
Action for Feeder
Capacity
& Action
Benefits
Implementation Plan
1) In this section, high-level implementation plan for new grid stations, MDN substations
and feeders will be outlined along with other relevant information such as:
• Risks associated with each project
• Timeline of completion (estimated)
• Dependencies (other projects which need to be completed or conditions to be
met before this project can be initiated)
G/S/ S/S G/S
Expected
/Feeder or S/S Type Status Dependencies Risks
Completion Date
Name ID
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CAPEX Requirements
1) This section will have high-level CAPEX requirements for new MDN substations &
projects for MV feeders
2) The CAPEX numbers will be based on value of similar projects executed in the city /
zone historically and will include the following cost items:
• Equipment cost (if unit rate)
• Contractor installation cost (if unit rate)
• Lump-sum contract cost (if turnkey)
3) The provided CAPEX numbers will be checked and approved by DED
4) The following table will be included in the section
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PROCESS INPUTS & OUTPUT
The following inputs are needed for the process:
1. Strategic direction for network planning from HQ
2. 10-year roadmap of new plot plans for the ED
3. Load forecast for all MV feeders for the ED
4. 10-year forecast of load requirements of all bulk customers connected at MV for the
ED
5. Inputs from National Grid on proposed grid stations and MDN substations
The expected output of the process are:
1. CAPEX plan over the 10-year forecast horizon on a year-by-year basis, which will
include:
a. Number and approximate location of new grid stations in the ED
b. Number and approximate location of new MDN substations in the ED (if
relevant)
2. 10-year MV project roadmap for ED (10-year masterplan), which will have details of:
a. New projects (grid stations, MDN substations)
b. Reinforcement projects forecast (grid stations, MDN substations)
3. Alignment of MV project roadmap with relevant stakeholders:
a. ED maintenance and operations teams
b. DED and regional management
c. SEC HQ Distribution Planning Department Manager and other senior
management
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DETAILED STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE
TARGET GRID PLANNING
For each ED following activities should be followed:
1. Compile information on as-is grid stations, substations, feeders & segments33. Receive
strategic direction from HQ regarding network planning. Such guidance will include
inputs from Distribution HQ senior management to guide long-term plan development,
for example:
a. Degree of CAPEX spending preferred
b. Long-term target for SAIDI & SAIFI
c. Rule for coverage of planned and unplanned areas
2. Based on 10-year load forecast & 10-year city development plan (plot plan) from
Baladiya, define network requirements to cater to demand for new areas as well as for
areas with existing network (target grid plan)
Identify expected capacity constraints over the 10-year planning horizon, based on
expected demand load growth (as outlined in 10-year load forecast), roadmap for
plot plans and remaining life expectancy for each grid station and MDN substation
in the zone / area
Identify other constraints related to existing grid stations and MDN substations
(for example, non-compliance of n-1 criteria, voltage drop issues) for the 10-year
load forecast
In line with above, assess need for new grid station(s) and capacity changes for
existing grid station(s) based on ‘Grid station criteria’ load transfer plan,
contingency criteria and asset condition criteria taking into account bulk customer
and isolated areas requirements34
Align with National Grid on roadmap from transmission planning on new grid
stations
3. Confirm target grid plan and identify requirements for:
New Grid stations and MDN substations
Capacity increases and replacement of transformers for existing grid stations
and MDN substations
PROJECT ROADMAP DEFINITION
For each ED following activities should be followed:
33
Once GIS is implemented accurately for the ED, this step will be replaced by ‘Obtain grid information from
GIS’
34
Please refer to detailed ‘Planning Criteria’ outlined in Chapter for MV New Connections Planning
262
1. In line with the interim target grid plan, define list of distribution projects required, such
that:
All new grid stations and substations are covered
All reinforcement requirements are catered to
2. Define timeline for project realization, identifying project start year and end year over
the next 10 year time horizon while taking into account demand requirements and
interdependencies
3. Assess benefits and costs of each project
4. Confirm updated target grid plan as well as distribution project list and timelines
COORDINATION AND FINALIZATION
Across all EDs, following activities should be followed:
1. Analyse and review the 10-year target grid plan for each ED (to be conducted by the
DED and HQ teams)
2. Update project details as required for the target grid plan
3. For each ED, align with Distribution maintenance and operations teams on the proposed
project roadmap and update as required
After implementation of the Network Planning Strategy, the process for long-term network
planning will be updated to include the following:
OUTPUT FORMAT
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b. Implementation Plan (10-year): for information related to implementation of the
proposed grid stations and MDN substations over the 10-year horizon
For each section of the 10-year network plan report for ED, the following specific guidelines
should be followed:
1)
1)
1)
1)
The following format should be used in the report (which are detailed in separate template file):
New Grid Stations & MDN Substations Information
G/S G/S Type Voltage Equipment Approximate Status Overview Overview Alternatives
or or S/S Level & Location of of Risks considered
S/S ID Capacity Benefits and rationale
Name for
recommended
option
1
2
Implementation Plan
G/S/ S/S G/S or Type Status Expected Dependencies CAPEX estimate
/Feeder S/S ID Completion Date
Name
1
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9.5. LOAD FORECASTING & ZONE DEFINITION GUIDELINES35
This section as a guideline for developing a medium range load forecast for distribution sector,
covering all the main components of distribution network:
Grid stations (230/69 kV, 230/34.5 kV, 132/33 kV, 132/13.8, 115/69 kV, 115/34.5 kV,
115/13.8 kV, 110/33 kV, 110/13.8 kV).
Main distribution substations (69/13.8 kV, 34.5/13.8 kV, 34.5/11 kV, 33/13.8 kV).
Outgoing feeders (34.5 kV, 33 kV, 13.8 kV, 11 kV).
Isolated areas that are under jurisdiction of Distribution Sector.
ISSUES RELATED TO LOAD FORECASTING
This section highlights some important issues related to load forecast process such as
forecasting accuracy, forecasting range and various methodologies used for development of
load forecast.
FORECASTING ACCURACY
Load forecasting is an important function in planning and operation of an efficient electric
power system. The better the forecast, the better would be the justification to invest as capital
cost. There could be two scenarios: “Over estimation” of the load forecast would depict higher
than the actual demand, resulting in planning of additional facilities which otherwise are not
necessary. “Under Estimation” of the load forecast would depict lower than the actual demand,
missing planning of additional facilities which otherwise are necessary. It could result in
delaying power supply to new customers as well as exhibit poor quality of power supply to the
existing customers.
Accuracy is naturally a concern in any forecasting situation particularly in the medium and
short-range planning time frames. To determine how well a particular load forecast would
satisfy future transmission and distribution requirements, it is necessary to determine how well
the answer to the following three basic questions is provided by the planner; “Where the power
is required?”, “How much power is required?”, and “When the power is required?”. A forecast
or plan can be quite correct with reference to the amount and timing of the additional demand
but could be quite inaccurate with reference to the location where this power is required. Same
thing applies if one of the other factors (Amount of Demand or Timing of the Demand) comes
out to be inaccurate.
In view of the above, an error margin of ± 5% could be considered acceptable in all forecasting
levels.
35
The details of the section may be updated in light of rollout of SAS
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FORECASTING RANGE
The load forecast can be developed in a long, a medium or a short-term range.
The long-term load forecast is normally for more than 15 years range. The medium-term ranges
from 5 to 10 years. While the short-term load forecast can be developed annually, monthly,
weekly, daily, or even hourly.
For the SEC Distribution System, where accurate information of city development in the
kingdom is not available, it is advisable for the time being to go for a medium range forecasting
(5-years and 10-years) method. This will be in line with the recommended Network Planning
Strategy and Mid-term and Long-term Network Planning processes. However, load forecasting
could be done on long Rang basis (15 years) for planning Transmission and Generation
facilities which require a longer lead time due to budgeting, Development of SOW/TS,
acquisition of ROW and longer construction period.
One purpose of the Medium-range planning is to assure that lead-time requirements are met
for the different types of projects. The output of the medium-range planning process is a set of
decisions and specification for future change to the system.
The set lead-time for system additions should not be allowed to slip. Therefore, what is mostly
needed in medium-range planning is to set up a reliable “alarm” about when present facilities
will become insufficient.
Long-range planning needs are somewhat different. No commitment needs to be made to the
elements in a long-range plan, so timing is less important than in medium-range planning. Since
the long-range plan evaluates whether and how medium-range commitments fit well into long-
range needs, capacity and location are more important than timing. Unlike medium & short-
range planning, long-range transmission and distribution planning requirements for a load
forecast are oriented less toward “ when” and more toward “how much”. For long-range
planning, knowing what will eventually be needed is more important than knowing exactly “
when the demand will actually appear.”
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the future to provide the forecast. The modified multiple regression method to consider some
dynamic factors such as load transfer and unusual spot loads, is recommended to be used in
SEC. This method will be explained in detailed in subsequent sections
Simulation Method
Simulation-based distribution load forecasting attempts to reproduce, or model, the process of
load growth itself in order to forecast where, when, and how load will develop, as well as to
identify some of the reasons behind its growth. In contrast to trending methods, simulation uses
a completely different philosophy, requires more data, and works best in a very different
context. It is best suited to high forecast resolution (very small area), longrange forecasting,
and ideally matched to the needs of multi-scenario planning. Most important, when applied
properly, it can be much more accurate than the best trending techniques. Examples of the
simulation method are ANN and Fuzzy Logic method.
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Data Collection
Data collection is a vital activity in the load forecast process as correctness of information is
required to have a realistic output. Different types of data are required for the load forecast
process. Details of this data, its sources and its importance are explained in section 6.
Assessment of Substations and Feeders Peak
In this activity, recorded peak readings of grid stations, main distribution substation, and
feeders are analyzed and the maximum peaks are then assessed. Detailed methods/ techniques
of peak assessment are explained in subsequent sections.
Load Forecast Process and Analysis
Different parameters are considered in load forecast process. These parameters are
incorporated through an excel-based program. Details of load forecast methods/techniques and
parameters are discussed in section 8.
Reporting of Substations and Feeders Load Forecast
In this activity, load forecast reports of grid station and main distribution substation are
prepared based on the output of load forecast process and analysis. Operating Areas shall then
sent these reports to Planning Department/Distribution Services (PD/DS) for review and
consolidation. Details of formats and sequence of report is explained in subsequent sections.
Report Review and Consolidation
Load forecast reports shall be reviewed and consolidated by PD/DS in order to have a
comprehensive final report that shall be submitted to Transmission Sector.
Submitting of Final Report to Transmission Sector
After review by PD/DS, final report of load forecast of transmission substations is to be
submitted to Transmission Sector by the mid of January of the following year.
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TIMING
Due to variety of weather conditions in the Kingdom, two scenarios are considered with regards
to collection of data particularly peak load of feeders, main distribution substations, and grid
stations. The first which is Normal Scenario, for areas where summer is the peak period and
second which is Special Scenario where peak period occurs during winter, covering areas as
mentioned in table below:
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Load Forecast Process and Analysis
Load forecast process and analysis is recommended to start by October and results shall be
ready by end of December, each year.
Reporting of Substations and Feeders Load Forecast
Operating Areas shall finalize and submit their load forecast reports to PD/DS by end of
December, each year.
Review, Consolidate and Submission of final report
Final consolidated report shall be submitted to transmission sector by end of January of next
year.
Moreover, following data might be also considered as necessary and upon the availability on
each operating area: Load Management Programs/ Energy Conservation Programs. −
International/local events that might affect area electricity load.
Historical data.
Historical information about peak load of feeders, main distribution substations and grid
stations is very important in the load forecast process. This data gives a picture of how was the
trend of peak load on feeders and substations in the past years, through which future demand
load can be forecasted considering other factors, such as bulk loads, load transfer between
feeders, main distribution substations, and grid substations due to network modifications.
270
A considerable body of research has shown that when working with typical distribution
network, the most recent six years of data give slightly better results than any other historical
sample, including seven, eight, or more years of data. (H. Willis, Spatial Electric Load
Forecasting). If data is not available for certain substations or area, load trending style of nearby
substation or area can be considered if the nature of the load is similar.
Peak demand of feeders and the transformers of main distribution substation, and grid
substation.
This data is required throughout the year on a routine basis. The load data, which comprises of
substation Power Transformers and associated feeders, are recorded either manually by
operators or automatically through SCADA/LDC link. Manual readings are taken in two
different modes, i.e. for peak period and off-peak period. During peak period, weekly load
readings are required. While during off-peak period, load readings are taken once a month.
Peak period for the different scenarios is described in section above.
Load readings shall be recorded in an electronic spreadsheet format (Appendix 10.8). Similarly,
required data from SCADA/LDC shall be downloaded in the same format for easier analysis
of the readings.
Customers forecast.
Number of normal customers during the forecast period is one of the essential factors affecting
the load demand forecast. Customer forecast per district or plot plan is required.
Appendix 10.8 (Form 8) shall be used to record forecasted number of customers in all
districts/plot plans in each Electricity Department. Following information shall be included:
− Location or district name.
− Source of power supply (substations and feeder(s)).
− Plot plan number/name.
− Total number of lots.
− Anticipated total demand (KVA).
− Approved budget year.
− Start year of electrification.
− Average Area per lot (square meter).
− Estimated demand per lot (KVA).
− Number of lots electrified.
− Lots with coordination certificate not electrified.
− No. of lots electrified in the current year.
− No. of lots forecasted to be electrified in the following five years.
Summary of the total number of customers in each Electricity Department shall be also
delivered.
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Spot load (bulk customers).
Customer having load of grater than 1 MVA is considered as a bulk load. All such customers
shall be taken into account during load forecast because of their considerable effects on the
future demand of the distribution network.
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Updated distribution network operational diagram.
Updated single line diagrams (SLDs) of feeders and their interconnections, showing all new
modification and previous year executed system improvements, shall be provided by
Electricity Departments. SLDs shall indicate substation name, feeder name, breaker number,
conductor size and type, cable length, transformers and their capacity and normal open point(s).
Single line diagrams are used to see modifications and changes done on distribution network
in the previous year as well as to help in the process of proposing future system improvement
projects for the distribution network.
Updated distribution network geographical layout.
Distribution network geographical layout shall be prepared and updated by Electricity
Departments. These layouts shall indicate substations, primary feeders, transformers and
scale of drawing.
For planning purposes, it is preferred to have these layouts in scale of 1:5000 or above.
Updated layouts shall be kept ready up on the request of DED or shared electronically.
Distribution network geographical layouts help in visualizing the network and to make the
most economical alternative system improvement projects.
Area layout drawings for plot plan development.
Electricity Departments shall provide three (3) colored copies of area layout drawings showing
all area development/new plot plans during the forecast period. Area development plans
provide the basic information for the development of network plans.
Details of the new plot plans, such as total number of lots, anticipated total demand, source of
supply and approved budget year shall be included in Appendix 10.8 (Form 8) mentioned in
section above on future grid stations
The absolute maximum of peak readings of substations transformers and feeders, which are
collected by Electricity Departments or recorded through SCADA/LDC is not necessarily the
real peak load, especially in loop systems. This is because of load transferability between
interconnected feeders or substations during contingency. Moreover, other factors such as,
human errors and faulty demand meters might affect quality and accuracy of peak readings.
Therefore, analysis and assessment of peak readings shall be carried out by DED to get the
correct yearly peak load of both feeders and substations.
Assessment of Feeders Peaks
Assessment of peak load of feeders is done based on the collected data from Electricity
Departments areas or from SCADA utilizing Appendix 10.8.
Assessment of peak load for radial feeders is much easier compared to loop system. In radial
system, assessment can be done by selecting the highest recorded peak during the whole year
after ignoring up-normal readings which might be due to human or device errors.
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For loop system, assessment shall be done loop-wise (considering coincident summation of
peaks on loop) to overcome the effects of load transfer. Refer to Appendix 10.8 for a sample
of assessment of peak load for interconnected feeders.
Other factors shall be looked to during the assessment of feeders’ peak loads such as, historical
peak loads and forecasted peak load of the specific feeder.
Assessment of Substations Peaks
Peak load on substations transformers can be assessed by applying following formula:
Assessed Transformer Peak = ∑assessed feeder peak of each TF * C.F.
Where,
C.F. is the coincident factor, which can be considered in the range of
0.9 – 1.0 depends on the nature of the load in a specific area. A C.F. of 0.95 is preferable
between the summation of feeders load and transformer load.
Coincident factor based on past data or history for each substation can also be utilized.
After getting transformers peak load, substation peak load can be then found through
multiplying the sum of assessed transformers peak loads by another coincident factor, which
is usually around 0.98.
However, if two transformers in a substation are connected in parallel, assessment of substation
peak load shall be first found through following formula:
Assessed Substation Peak = ∑assessed feeder peak of both TF’s * C.F.
Then,
Assessed transformer peak = (Assessed Substation Peak) / 2
Assessed transformer and substation peaks can be counter checked through SCADA readings.
Transformers manual recorded readings taken by operators can also assist in the assessment
and can be utilized as counter-check. Appendix 10.8 shows a sample of a substation peak load
assessment.
LOAD FORECASTING PROCESS & ANALYSIS
Main Parameters of Load Forecast
Main parameters considered during preparation of load forecast are followings:
1. Normal growth
2. Considerable customer forecast/development of new plot plans
3. Spot loads (Bulk Customer)
4. Load transfer due to network plan and system improvement projects.
Details on the above main parameters are explained in section 6.0 of this guideline.
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Explanation on how to incorporate these factors in load forecast process would be demonstrated
in section below.
Load Forecast Methods and Techniques
There are different methodologies and techniques used for load forecast. Since electrical
distribution network is a dynamic system (changeable due to load transfer on the level of
feeders and substations), there is no pure technique that can be directly applied to predict loads
in future years. However, modified and customized techniques can be useful for this purpose.
In order to forecast loads on distribution networks of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), a
modified multiple regression method is recommended to be utilized.
Multiple regression method, which is a type of trending methods, is used to find out growth
factor by analyzing the trend of historical load data and then extrapolating past load growth
patterns into the future. Trending encompasses a number of different forecasting methods that
apply the same basic concept -- predict future peak load based on extrapolation of past
historical loads. Many mathematical procedures have been applied to perform this projection,
but all share a fundamental concept; they base their forecast on historical load data alone
(Figure below).
Figure 39: Trending Method of Forecasting
In general, the curve fit is applied to the annual peak load data. There are two reasons for this.
First, annual peak load is the value most important to planning, since peak load most strongly
impacts capacity requirements. Second, annual peak load data for facilities such as substations
and feeders is usually fairly easy to obtain.
It is called “modified multiple regression method” because it incorporates some other factors,
such as load transfer and spot load, in order to forecast future loads. Following formula is
developed for this purpose:
Forecasted load for next year (N+1) = [(current year (N) peak * (1+normal growth
factor)) + Spot load ± load transfer] …. (1) And for year N+2
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Forecasted load for year (N+2) = [(forecasted load for year (N+1) * (1+normal growth
factor)] + Spot load ± load transfer)] .. (2)
. = 1 100
Where,
G.F. = Historical trends in growth (% Growth)
A = Current year peak.
B = Peak of the year (n), which precedes forecasted year by n years.
N = No. of preceding years – No. of historical data (preferably 6 years for 5-year load forecast)
Since loads of feeders and substations are sometimes experienced frequent change from year
to another year due to load transfer, a growth factor is recommended to be calculated on zone
or district levels. Then, it can be reflected on the feeders or substations.
Derived growth factor on zone or district levels usually incorporates spot loads of past years.
Therefore, it is more effective to subtract spot loads from historical data before finding growth
factor. This requires maintaining a database of energized spot loads in each year.
2. Incorporating Load Transfer
Proposed load transfer from overloaded substations to the nearby lightly loaded substations or
to the new substations shall then be entered in the MS Excel / SAS load forecast program.
Formulas 2 & 3 shows that load transfer can be positive or negative. Positive sign means that
some loads would be transferred to the feeder or substation while negative sign means shifting
some loads from the feeder or substation.
3. Incorporating Spot Loads
Spot loads (greater than 1.0 MVA) shall also be incorporated. A load of 1.0 MVA can be
considered as a spot load in some areas while it can be considered as a normal growth in some
other area. This can be judged be area responsible engineer.
Spot load can be allocated in one single year or it might be distributed for more than one year
depending on its nature and type (i.e. industrial, commercial, residential …). For example,
industrial load most probably comes in one year while commercial load might require many
years to materialize.
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Considerable loads of normal customers, which are due to new plot plans development can also
be considered as a spot load. Normal increase of new or existing customers would be covered
by the normal growth.
Load Forecasting Software
SAS is currently being used for load forecasting. Please refer to separate guidelines on how to
use the tool
LOAD FORECASTING REPORTS
In this section contents and formatting of two types of reports (feeders and substations load
forecast reports) are described.
Feeder Load Forecast Report
This report will be prepared by DEDs for Electricity Departments and Planning
Department\Distribution Services. The report shows forecasted demand of feeders for the
horizon of forecast. Also, it indicates spot loads and load transfer due to system improvement
projects.
Electricity Departments shall utilize and refer to the report for the following planning purposes
and activities:
• Power supply studies for customers whose load up to 4.0 MVA.
• Preparing contingency plans at feeders and transformers levels.
• Reinforcement/enhancement of MV network.
DED’s shall send a copy of this report to Planning & Development Department/Distribution
Services Sector for the purpose of maintaining a database.
Substations Load Forecast Report
DED’s shall prepare substations load forecast report and submitted it to Planning
Department\Distribution Services for their consolidation. This report shall include following
parts (please refer to forms in Appendix 10.8):
Summary of forecasted demand in MW for each main district belongs to each
Electricity Department, as per Form 1.
Summary of forecasted energy sales in MWH for each operating area, as per Form 2.
(DED’s shall collect these data from Customer Affairs Departments).
Grid stations and main distribution substations, which exceeded 100% of their firm
capacity during current year peak period. Forms 4 and 5 shall be used.
Grid stations and main distribution substations, which are expected to exceed 100% of
their firm capacity during next 5 years plan period. Forms 4A and 5A shall be used.
List of bulk customers (> 4.0 MVA), which are expected to be energized during forecast
period. Form 9A shall be used.
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5-Year load forecast of main distribution substations, incorporating any important
remarks or relieving projects for overloaded substations. Form 6A shows a sample
format.
5-Year load forecast of grid stations, incorporating any important remarks or relieving
projects for overloaded substations. Form 6B
List of required grid stations as shown in Form 11.
List of required main distribution substations as shown in Form 12.
PD/DS shall review reports submitted by DED’s and consolidate them in one report as 5-Year
Load Forecast of all Operating Areas. This report shall be then submitted to the Higher
Management and concerned departments with a summary of most important highlights and
required future projects.
LOAD FORECASTING REVIEW
Review of load forecasting will be conducted by the Distribution HQ Load Forecasting team
and will comprise of the following steps:
1. Completeness of all forms:
a. All the required information / formats as mentioned above have been duly filled
and attached
b. This will include all forms in Appendix 10.8 (forms 1 to 12)
2. Substation Peak:
a. Load forecast shall reflect the peak loads in accordance with the agreed peak
loads with National Grid during the reconciliation meetings
b. If should be ensured that all the substations (including ongoing and approved
projects to be commissioned in coming years) have been included in the load
forecast and proposals of load transfers to give relief to existing overloaded
stations have been incorporated
3. Feeder Peak Loads:
a. Assessment of peak loads for feeders, transformers and grid stations/
substations from the load reading data sheets is correct
b. Check that the assessed peak loads from the weekly/monthly load readings are
consistent with the agreed loads from National Grid
4. Growth Factors
a. Growth factors used for a particular substation / area are correctly calculated by
the formula as mentioned above. Check the consistency of growth factor(s) with
historical growth in the area
b. If there is extraordinary growth in the area and special growth factor has been
applied then reason to the fact is mentioned in the remarks column
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5. Spot Loads (Bulk Customers)
a. All bulk customer have been reflected in the load forecast
b. Bulk customer loads indicated are according to approved list and verify
correctness of year-wise breakup
c. Demand factors have been applied on the total connected load of customers
d. Loads indicated are on correct feeders / substation
e. Loads proposed to be supplied form new substations are correct and in
accordance with year of energization of substation
6. Plot Plans Data
a. Average load per lot is in accordance with Distribution Planning Standards
b. Total demand of plot plan in KVA is correct calculated, corresponding to the
total number of lots and demand factors have been applied correctly
c. Number of lots to be electrified shall be according to the approved budget year
d. Plot plan data shall be updated every year and compared with previous year to
verify its correctness
e. Loads of plot plans indicated in forecast are correct with respect to feeder,
substation and approved budget year
7. Load Transfers
a. Load transfer details for existing and newly completed substations are correct.
Loads removed from different substations have been adjusted to other
substations in the vicinity
b. The sum of load transfers in a zone / area shall be zero if all loads have been
adjusted within the zone / area
c. Load transfers are not made on proposed projects that haven’t been approved
8. On-going Projects
a. Check that all grid stations / substations projects have been included in the
forecast
b. The status of ongoing projects is re-checked for any delay and necessary actions
are recommended
9. Forecast Methods / Techniques
a. Methodology is consistent as outlined in Sections 9.5.5 and 9.5.6
10. General Screening
a. Feeders are not overloaded
b. Transformer load readings shall be equal to or less than feeder sum
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c. Transformer capacities as well as firm capacities of substations are correctly
indicated
d. Coincident factors are applied correctly and is never greater than 1
e. Overall load of different departments are consistent with previous forecasts
f. Necessary actions have been taken / proposed against critically loaded
substations for the current year and future
g. Accuracy of load forecast sheet is attached
h. Statistical data sheet is attached
Figure 40: Load Forecasting Review Process
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Efficiency of Operations & Maintenance
Within a zone, the operation of the network shall be more smooth since, in case of fault
occurrence or the operation staff shall require to shift the load or NOP then it shall be within
limited area of zone. This will make the job easy and the contingencies can be handled
effectively.
In other words, while handling contingency events, as the limits of network operations are
confined within the specific area of the zone, it will make the process of response handling
speedy.
Preparation of Load Forecast Reports
The zone-wise load forecast shall indicate the particular area’s loading conditions, then it shall
be easy to keep the zone in normal loading condition by transferring the load to other
substations which shall be present in the same zone or prepare plan for a new substation in the
zone
Improvement of System Reliability
Zoning will make the system more simple. As discussed earlier, the boundaries will be clearly
identified, so that the distribution network / system will be limited and no hard situations like
crossing of roads, mountains and military areas will be faced. This will significantly enhance
accessibility within a zone for operations and maintenance purposes
Ease of Design of New Projects
A planning engineer shall identify / check a particular zone’s loading positions (either
overloaded or under loaded). By zoning, a planning engineer shall identify requirements for
new substations in an easy manner.
Load Balancing of Distribution Network
Zones will provide constraints in terms of allowable substations for load transfer and reduce
their numbers. This will make it easy for planning engineer to do the job of transferring loads
to balance the system. In case of non-availability of firm capacity within the zone, the load may
be transferred from other nearby zone temporarily, and shall be transferred back again within
the zone when capacity is available
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3. Municipality / baladiya regulations and natural / geographical conditions shall be
considered for determining zone boundaries
4. Every zone shall be supplied from more than one source, from different transmission
substations if possible
5. The load should be preferably be transferred within the zone
6. Zone may be determined in accordance with the nature of load (Holy places, industrial
cities, military areas, dedicated substations and housing schemes)
7. After 3 years, zones may be revised if required with an exception that an adequate
justification is made for the change
8. Zone boundary limit will be maximum 10 kms around for 13.8kV from substation and
maximum 30 kms around for 33kV from substation
REINFORCEMENT
Reinforcement of network elements is undertaken to relieve overloaded equipment or to
improve performance of the network in terms of voltage drop or power factor.
The different types of reinforcement activities that can be undertaken include:
Cadastral surveys
Underground reinforcement
Overhead reinforcement
The following types of work will be covered as network reinforcement:
New feeder for relieving loads (at MV or LV)
Creating new link of feeder to existing substations for relieving loads
Reduction in voltage levels (either to MV or to LV)
Creating new feeder to re-distribute existing customers
Division of feeder
Emergency works related to network capacity increase
Installation of network improvement devices
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Increasing capacity of transformers not related to any new connection request or other
projects
Strengthening capacity of feeders (33KV or 13.8KV)
Projects to improve power factor
Company funded projects to remove hazardous conditions
Modifying / simplifying network design
Transfer of equipment from one site to the other with the purpose of network
improvement
LV NETWORK REINFORCEMENT
Criteria for LV Reinforcement Planning
1. Customer coincident demand load should be satisfied in line with the projected load,
for the time period (including current year). The customer coincident demand load
should cover all KWH meters as applicable for the customer
2. Equipment (LV cables, distribution pillars and distribution transformers) shall not be
overloaded. In case loading of any equipment exceeds 80%, relevant reinforcement
action should be initiated
3. Voltage drop at customer supply interface points shall not exceed 5% of nominal
voltage, i.e. from substation to customer location
4. Proposed LV network design should be the most economical for the projected load (for
the time period) and layout
5. Optimization first principle – for any network design, existing network elements
(substations, feeders, pillars, etc.) should be used as much as possible
6. Outgoing circuit breaker ratings for any outgoing supply source (substation,
distribution pillar) should be greater than circuit breaker ratings of all KWH meters
connected to it and to the coincident customer demand load
LV Reinforcement Process
The LV reinforcement process should follow these steps:
1. Identify elements for reinforcement:
Identify network elements (DP, SS, PMT or cables) where demand
load is expected to exceed firm capacity (80%) or there is issue of
voltage drop (more than 5%)
For each such element, assess need for increase in capacity or
development of new interties (new connections from other substations
to relieve load)
2. For each element identified for potential reinforcement:
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Calculate coincident demand load on the element, taking into account
all existing customers and new customers (which may include
distribution substation, PMT or feeders)
Calculate voltage drop % from the network element to all existing
customers and new customers (if any)
Repeat the above calculations while taking into account future
customers over the upcoming 5 year time period (based on future plot
plans, new constructions and potential increase in demand)
Check if loading % exceeds firm capacity of the element or voltage
drop % exceeds 5%, for current year or any year in the upcoming 5
year time period
Mark relevant network element for reinforcement and year for
reinforcement
3. For each network element confirmed for reinforcement, calculate degree of
reinforcement which should cover future customer requirements over the upcoming 5
year time period:
First priority would be to upgrade the cable, conductor, distribution SS
or PMT to the next permissible capacity level, as outlined in standard
list of equipment (per Chapter 6)
Conduct assessment to check loading % and voltage drop % for
existing, new and future customers with the reinforced network
element (5-year time period)
If loading % and voltage drop % criteria fail with the increased
capacity, repeat assessment using next permissible capacity level, as
outlined in standard list of equipment (as per Chapter 6)
If no options are available for network equipment with increased
capacity, initiate analysis to connect customers through new network
element, in line with new connections process5
Once degree of reinforcement has been established, conduct economic
analysis to check optimal cost of reinforcement vs. connection through
new elements
If cost optimization is established, confirm element for reinforcement
and include it as part of LV network reinforcement roadmap. Add
details on year of initiating reinforcement and bill of materials for the
project
Note: No change in connection configuration required
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Figure 41: Reinforcement from existing Distribution Substation
Main LV feeder
LV Meter (new
customer)
Main LV feeder
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Figure 43: Reinforcement from existing Distribution PMT
MV REINFORCEMENT
Reinforcement of MV network can comprise of any of the following:
Capacity increase of MV equipment (MV feeders / transformers / RMU) due to increase
in customer demand
Addition of network elements to relieve demand load / handle voltage drops
Addition of network elements or augmentation to reduce technical losses
Addition of MV network performance equipment
Measures for contingency planning
Measures to enhance power quality
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Sound engineering wisdom / judgment shall be used in applying these criteria.
Additionally, all MV connection design principles (from Section 7.2.1.1) need to be adhered
to
P_loss= I2 R
Non-technical losses, due to actions external to power system, are not controllable through
planning. Such losses may occur due to meter tampering, thefts and other similar actions.
Although technical losses occur throughout the system (generation, transmission and
distribution), SEC Distribution is primarily concerned with the technical losses occurring in
the Distribution side of the network, as represented in the figure below
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OR
Use a professional software that calculates power losses while doing a load flow analysis. A
load flow will give a more complete loss calculation.
(a) For 3 phase distribution circuits, with load in amperes:
=3 10
where:
I peak demand in amps
R conductor resistance in ohms/km
d distance in km
= 10
where:
kVA peak demand in kVA
kV voltage in kV
R conductor resistance in ohms/km
d distance in km
To manually calculate the LPD for a distribution feeder, the following general procedure is
followed. The manual calculation method uses the same general method for voltage drop
calculations:
• Group the loads into logical load nodes.
• Find the cumulative load for each line segment between load nodes.
• Calculate the LPD for each line segment by using one of the above formulas for
calculating LPD for given load.
• Calculate the LPD for the feeder by totaling the losses for all the line segments.
• Multiply by the loss cost factor to get the cost of losses.
Calculations for Loss Cost Factor (LCF) and Cost of Losses
Load Factor (LF) = average load / max load = 0.67
Loss Factor (LsF) = 0.2 LF + 0.8 LF² = 0.2 (0.67) + 0.8 (0.67)2 = 0.493
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Hours / Year = 24 x 354 = 8496 hours / year (Hijri)
Hours / Year = 24 x 365 = 8760 hours / year (Gregorian)
Loss Cost Factor (LCF) = H x LsF x CES
where:
CES cost of energy supply
LCF = 8496 x 0.493 x 0.1666 = 698 SR/kW/year
Note:
The load factor & CES should be updated, with passage of time. If a more accurate load factor
and k values are available, they may be used and the LCF should be modified accordingly.
Cost of losses = Losses at peak demand x loss cost factor = LPD x LCF SR/Year
Examples
Example (1):
Determine the cost of losses of this 13.8 kV feeder.
Example (2):
Determine the cost of losses attributable to a new load of 300 kVA at node B in Example above.
Note:
A common error is to consider the cost of losses of the additional load alone from the source
to its location (i.e. 19 km). The correct method is determine the cost of losses with this
additional load as a new exercise, and then subtract that from the line without that additional
load (i.e. example one’s results).
Node load (kVA) 1200 1250 485
Segment load (kVA) 2935 1735 485
Current (A) 122.795 72.589 20.292
R (per km) 0.13 0.13 0.13
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LPD 70.56 14.38 1.60
Segment losses cost 49,252 10,040 1,121
(SR/year)
This represents the additional annual cost of MV feeder losses created by adding 300 kVA at
node B.
Reduction of technical losses is a constant endeavor of power system design and can be
achieved through the following methods:
Bifurcation
In this case, overloaded or lengthy feeders are selected. One feeder is selected for bifurcation
and a new feeder is essentially involved in this case.
This can result in considerable loss reduction.
Area planning
The heavily loaded feeders are selected and their load can be partially shifted to nearby
lightly loaded feeders to balance the load amongst them. This may involve reconductoring
and / or creation of MV links.
Sometimes, one or more new feeders are proposed to share load of the overloaded feeders.
Sometimes, due to overloading of grid stations, area planning of MV feeders is exercised for
shifting of load from one grid station to another grid station by making MV links between the
grids. This will provide relief to the grid station.
After survey, planning of distribution network to be carried out in such a way that each area
should be fed from nearest MV feeder.
Area planning may or may not involve creation of new feeders.
Re-conductoring
The undersized / deteriorated conductor or cable should be replaced with that of higher
capacity, where required.
Sometimes, re-conductoring may also require mid-spanning of overhead line.
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Installation of MV capacitor banks
Installation of capacitor banks on MV lines at proper places results in loss reduction and
improvement in the voltage drop conditions.
In case of change in network configuration, re-location of existing capacitor may also be
required.
Load balancing
Under normal system conditions, the three phases shall be balanced in the system. Customers
with a dedicated transformer or those supplied at MV shall balance their loads to the greatest
degree possible.
INTEGRATION
When a new source of supply is planned for an area / system (a new source of supply can be
grid station, MDN substation or a distribution substation), new feeders are planned along
with it which can either:
Connect to new customers
Connect to existing customers by providing alternate source of supply
As outlined above, these projects can be for either MV network or LV network. In SEC, it is
more common to have such projects at MV network (for grid stations or MDN substations).
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EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT
Replacement of network equipment needs to be undertaken only when equipment condition
does not allow for normal usage. This could be due to periodic degradation of equipment and
its components due to normal wear and tear or could be a result of malfunctioning of
equipment.
For example, if there is a transformer blow-out due to overloading beyond the firm capacity,
it will need to be replaced with another transformer of higher capacity. This should be treated
as reinforcement. However, if the blow-out is due to short-circuit, this will be treated as
replacement.
Replacement projects can be associated with any part of the network and are closely
associated with maintenance activities. They can be of the following three types:
Preventive: Predictive changing of equipment to avoid an imminent equipment failure
Corrective: Changing of equipment in response to a failure, which does not affect the
functioning of the equipment
Emergency: Changing of equipment in response to a failure which has led to non-
functioning of the equipment
By its very nature, replacement projects will entail close collaboration between maintenance
and planning functions. This will be particularly true for MV networks where cost of failure
and equipment costs are higher. The lifecycle of MV network replacement projects will
comprise of the following activities:
1. Planning:
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a. The maintenance function in each department will be responsible for
developing the Maintenance Roadmap for the department for 1-year, 5-year
and 10-year time periods, outlining preventive maintenance requirements for
MV network for each year over the time horizon
b. This will be developed in line with Value Based Maintenance principles
c. Once defined, the roadmap will need to be aligned with the 1-year, 5-year and
10-year network plan, which is defined by the ED network planning function
d. This alignment will need to ensure alignment on equipment for reinforcement
and replacement.
For example, let’s say a transformer is due for replacement in 2020 (due to
aging) and it is due for increase in capacity in 2021 from 500KVA to 1000
KVA (due to increase in customer demand). The alignment between
maintenance and network planning roadmaps could lead to changing the
capacity of transformer from 500KVA to 1000KVA in 2020 (under the project
category of reinforcement)
e. The alignment is particularly critical for 1-year and 5-year time horizon due to
CAPEX planning requirements (which are outlined below)
f. Once the maintenance and network planning roadmaps are aligned, the
CAPEX requirements need to be estimated
g. The CAPEX for all replacement projects (as well as other projects) over the 1-
year and 5-year time horizon will be allocated under the correct project
category (new connection vs. reinforcement vs. replacement vs. integration)
and will be allocated to network planning function of the ED, who will be
responsible for monitoring and controlling CAPEX spending for the ED
2. Design
a. Design of replacement project (whether preventive or corrective) will need to
be undertaken before it is executed
b. The ED maintenance function will need to develop the design plan for the
project which should include:
i. Details of equipment to be replaced
ii. Material / equipment requirements for the project
iii. Layout (current and changes, if any)
iv. Geographical coordinates
c. The ED maintenance function will also define the inspection schedule
3. Inspection
a. Inspection of the replacement project will be undertaken by the relevant
section within the ED network planning team
b. As part of inspection, the following information needs to be assessed:
i. Confirmation of need for replacement work
ii. Presence of constraints that could affect replacement work
iii. Other issues
c. The inspection team will submit its report to network planning team
4. Approval
a. Every replacement project needs to be approved by network planning team
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b. The first check for approval is compliance with the defined 5-year or 1-year
maintenance roadmap
c. In case the replacement project is a deviation from the 1-year and 5-year
roadmap, the network planning team has the option of seeking justification
from the ED maintenance team
d. The second approval is from technical perspective – whether the proposed
design and equipment requirements are in line with standards and
specifications. The network planning team may proposed changes to design to
ensure compliance and discuss with the maintenance planning team
e. The second approval is from CAPEX perspective – whether the most
economical design and implementation model has been proposed for the
replacement project
5. Execution
a. Once the approval has been received, execution work can be commenced
b. Execution will be done by contractors with supervision from network planning
inspectors
c. After completion of all works, the equipment pre-commissioning needs to be
undertaken by inspections
A special case of such a conversion is when the network planning engineer needs to evaluate
whether to connect a new plot plan to SEC supply through underground or overhead network.
The following process needs to be followed under such circumstances. When the total
coincident load of the new plot plan is more than 800A, the first preference for connection is
through underground network (in line with LV bulk customer new connection process).
However, in general, the following process should be followed:
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1. Constraints analysis:
a. This step will include the following:
i. Assessment of right of way and other geographical constraints for
underground vs. overhead connection
ii. Assessment of customer preference / requirement
iii. Constraints on customer funds, in case of customer funded projects
b. The inputs from this step may determine the selection of underground vs.
overhead connection
c. If no constraints are applicable, proceed to step no. 2
d. Else proceed to next step of the ‘new plot plans connection process’
2. Technical simulation:
a. Separate simulations to assess network configuration and equipment
requirements for underground and overhead connection options. The
equipment requirements need to be in line with the estimated load over a 5-
year time period
b. Additional equipment may be added to overhead connection option in case of
high voltage drop (such as voltage regulators)
c. The simulation should take into account the load growth for the new land plot
plan over a 30 year time horizon. When load growth plans are not known,
assumption using CAGR may be used
d. In light of the load growth, equipment reinforcement should be considered
3. Pre-feasibility analysis:
a. This step entails a comparative assessment needs to be undertaken comparing
separate underground and overhead options
b. This assessment will entail economic assessment where the following factors
are evaluated:
i. Higher CAPEX cost for underground connection vs. overhead
connection (while taking into account equipment requirements and
installation costs)
ii. Difference in preventive maintenance costs for underground vs.
overhead connection on a yearly basis
iii. Difference in corrective and emergency maintenance costs due to
higher failure rates in overhead vs. underground and lower man-hours
required to fix underground failures on a yearly basis. The equipment
failure rates, which may depend on weather conditions and hence may
be specific to the region or ED under consideration, can be estimated
iv. Lower costs due to losses for underground vs. overhead connection on
a yearly basis
v. Difference in penalty cost for outages between underground and
overhead connections on a yearly basis – in line with ECRA imposed
penalties
vi. Discounted cash flow (DCF) method will be used to evaluate the total
cost (TOTEX) for both the options. The discount rate will depend on
funding (i.e. cost of debt) which can be obtained from SEC Finance
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vii. The period of analysis should be 30 years which will take into account
potential replacement of equipment
c. The option with lower economic cost is the recommended option
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MEDIUM VOLTAGE (MV) NETWORK PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENT
This section describes the optimal placement of voltage regulator, capacitor, auto-recloser,
sectionalizer, load break switch, fuse & fault indicator on medium voltage distribution network
and short circuit performance & losses evaluation. It is intended to assist SEC engineers to
achieve standardization in planning & design and to ensure a satisfactory and economical level
of service.
SEC’ Distribution Planning Standards (DPS), Distribution Material Specifications (SDMS),
Distribution Construction Standards (SDCS), Distribution Operation Manual (DOM)
(including any updated amendments) are indispensable for the application of this document:
this document should be read in conjunction with SEC’ DPS, SDMS, SDCS and DOM, unless
otherwise specified.
In addition to the guidelines mentioned in the section, sound engineering judgment is expected
to be applied in light of customizations required for specific instances of usage.
The overall objective of improving MV network performance is to enhance the security of
supply in light of ECRA standards (see table below)
36
The standards need to be updated based on alignment with ECRA
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However, it should be noted that full compliance to the above standards of security cannot be
ensured only through use of auto-reclosers and sectionalizers. This would require projects on
distribution automation, distribution management system and smart grids, which are being
pursued separately. Furthermore, this would also require firm capacity and interconnectivity.
One of the objectives behind installation of protection devices is to ensure compliance to
ECRA standards. However, these decisions need to be aligned with distribution protection
analysis team before final installation to account for various factors such as:
Coordination between devices for robust protection
Ensuring protection against correct level of fault current
Presence of other protection devices such as switches and circuit breakers
This is typically achieved through Sectionalizing studies using established load flow software
tools like CYME
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The secondary voltages are to be maintained according to SEC standard distribution voltage
ranges.
It should be noted that there are potentially multiple options to handle voltage issues in MV
systems, such as:
Placement of voltage regulator
Placement of capacitor banks
Changes in transformer tap-changer settings
Reinforcement of feeder (addition of second conductor)
New transformer / substation
When a voltage drop / over-voltage situation is encountered, the above options should be
evaluated simultaneously before any recommendation is made
Both technical and economic factors need to be considered while selecting the optimal option
to handle voltage drop issues.
Technical factors will include:
Voltage drop for heavy-load and light-load conditions before and after the option is
exercised, for current load as well as load after 10-years
No overvoltage at any demand point
Reduction in technical losses in the system before and after the option
Economic factors will include:
Cost of installation of new equipment(s)
Incremental operating costs of new equipment(s)
Cost associated with technical losses, allif applicable
Principle
A voltage regulator is a tap changing auto transformer with the ability to continuously
monitor its output voltage and automatically adjust itself by changing taps until the desired
voltage is obtained.
There are two types of voltage regulators: three phase units and single phase units. Single
phase regulators are now the dominant technology. Such units, when properly connected to
the system, regulate the voltage of three phase systems.
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Figure 45: Representation of Voltage Regulator
Rated voltage: It must be equal to or higher than the system nominal voltage.
Rated current: It must be equal to or higher than the maximum load current at the
place that regulator is going to be installed.
Benefits:
Provides more uniform voltage levels, more satisfactory to customers.
By better utilization of existing SEC network, investments in creation of new feeders
or additional grid station capacity can often be cancelled or delayed.
Often provide a small reduction in energy and demand losses and release line and
substation capacity due to a small reduction in line currents. This depends upon the
situation, system parameters and voltage profile.
System Connection
The individual single-phase voltage regulator units and the associated mounting racks are
mounted on pads or platforms.
Two or three single-phase regulators banked together, regulate the voltage of a three phase,
three-wire system when connected according to these configurations:
Open delta connection: Maximum regulation is ± 10% of input. Two single phase
regulators are used.
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Figure 46: Regulating a three-phase, three-wire circuit with two regulators
The regulators should be properly located in harmony with the current load forecast and
planned feeder configurations. Economic placement of voltage regulator is preferred, if
possible.
Any operational problems, such as over voltages, or special compensation setting
requirements with voltage regulator installations should be reported to Distribution
Engineering Department (DED) for assistance.
Whenever there is change in network configuration or addition of new bulk customer or
reinforcement, the re-location of existing voltage regulator(s) should also be done
accordingly.
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Figure 48: Schematic of a single-phase, 32-step voltage regulator
Figure 49: Typical Single Line Diagram of 33KV Voltage Regulator Type (A)
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Process for assessment of need, size and location of Voltage Regulator
Evidence of presence of voltage drop in a system can be assessed through multiple sources:
through proactive estimation done by planning team or be reacting to customer complaints.
However, once voltage drop has been confirmed in a system, the following steps should be
undertaken to fix the issue:
1. Assess whether changes in transformer tap-changer can handle the voltage drop issue.
Repeat simulation with changes in voltage tap changer for light-load and peak-load
scenarios
2. If the issue is resolved, inform operations team regarding the new settings
3. If the issue is unresolved, move to the next step of assessing other options
4. Define multiple options for handling of voltage drop:
i. OPTION 1: Addition of voltage regulator(s)
ii. OPTION 2: Addition of new feeder line
iii. OPTION 3: Addition of new substation
5. Each of the above options need to be evaluated along earlier defined technical and
economic parameters to determine optimal recommended option
6. OPTION 1: Addition of voltage regulator(s) – using trial and error method
• From the earlier simulation, identify the node in the system from where
voltage drop exceeds 2.5%, while taking into account 2.5% transformer
voltage drop and 5% secondary side voltage drop
• Place 1 voltage regulator (with 10% rated range of regulation) before the node
• Determine size of voltage regulator using the following formula:
(3∅) = √3
Where: (3∅) = Size of voltage regulator in KVA (3-phase. For a
single phase voltage regulator, the square root 3 factor should
be removed from the formula)
= Range of regulation needed (+/- 10% or +/- 15%)
= Voltage rating of feeder in KV
= Peak load of feeder
• Conduct simulation with the voltage regulator to check if the voltage drop still
persists – check for light-load and peak-load scenarios
• If the voltage drop issue still persists at the specified node, explore OPTION 2
and / or OPTION 3
• Else, repeat simulation to check if voltage drop is present in some other part of
the system
• If voltage drop is present in some other part of the system after taking into
account effect of voltage regulator, repeat the above steps
• Finalize number and location of voltage regulators required for the system
• Conduct economic analysis to estimate net present value of executing the
option (taking into account equipment costs, cost of installation and on-going
maintenance costs)
7. OPTION 1: Addition of voltage regulator(s) – using linear optimization method in
CYME which provides a module called ‘Optimal Voltage Regulator Placement’
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which uses linear optimization method to automatically recommend number and
location of voltage regulator required in any system. This method is strongly
recommended since it takes into account all complexities associated with the problem
8. For OPTIONS 2 & 3, estimate the net present value for each option independently
9. Recommend option with highest net present value
10. Settings of Voltage Regulator: Voltage regulator settings comprise of
• Voltage level: permissible voltage limit for the feeder
• Bandwidth: set to smallest possible tap change amount which denotes the
acceptable range of voltage regulation. Typically set to either 2V or 3V
• Time delay settings: typically set to value between 30-seconds and 60-seconds
depending on presence of downstream regulators
• Line drop compensation (LDC): to correct for voltage drop on the circuit using
the following equations
= ; =
Where:
, = R and X settings, which can be expressed in ohms or
volts
, = Resistance and reactance in ohms for the circuit (from voltage
regulator to rest of the circuit
= As relevant for the regulator control circuit
• Tap setting of the voltage regulator: as required
The following example illustrates the manual calculation method for voltage drop
Assume the following overhead circuit: 13.8 kV
Step 1
A voltage drop analysis is performed using the voltage drop calculation guidelines:
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1500 × 3
= 0.91%
4953
The voltage drops from the G/S to the nodes is the sum of the segment voltage drops:
The light load peak demand is estimated to be 50% of the peak demand and is used to calculate
the light load voltage drops:
If the grid station bus is set to maintain a constant voltage out of 14200 volts (102.9%), then
peak load voltages at the primary of the customer’s substation will be:
Step 2
The minimum customer voltage should be at 95%. For this to happen, the primary side
voltage needs to be 102.5% (95% + 2.5% to account for distribution transformer voltage drop
+ 5% to account for secondary service voltage drop.
In this example, to cover the voltage drop of the entire line (at peak load), the primary voltage
at the grid station needs to be 109.87% (102.5% + 7.37%) which is higher than the
permissible service voltage limits (which is set at +/- 5%). Conversely, if we set primary
voltage at grid station at 105% (which is the maximum permissible limit), the voltage at node
A will be 99.95% (105% - 5.05%) which will result in voltage at customer to be 92.45%
(99.95% - 2.5% - 5%) which is lower than permissible limits.
To correct this situation, a voltage regulator may be placed between grid station and node A
which is set at 105%. On the other hand, placing the voltage regulator between node A and B
or between node B and C will not take into account the voltage drop at node A
Step 3
The voltage drop at peak load and light load should be calculated to ensure there is no over-
voltage. In this example, the voltage profile will look as follows:
Peak load Light load
G/S Bus 102.9% 102.9%
Node A 105% 105%
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Node B 103.6% 104.3%
Node C 102.7% 103.8%
CAPACITOR BANKS
Shunt capacitors are installed along the overhead MV feeders to correct poor power factor,
reduce losses, and, as a side effect, improve the voltage. Capacitors can be used in two
possible configurations:
Fixed: where the capacitor bank can be switched on by the network operator as and
when needed and it can be permanently switched on
Switched: where the capacitor bank can be switched on automatically based on
control settings (VAR, V, date)
A particular concern in using fixed capacitor banks is that the voltage during both peak and
light load periods should comply with the voltage criteria. Whereas, during periods of light
load, customers should not be over-voltaged.
Shunt capacitor will cause a voltage rise from the capacitor bank location back to the source.
Fixed capacitor banks will not appreciably improve voltage regulation, but will provide a
constant increase in the voltage level. When installed on a MV feeder, the voltage increase at
the capacitor location is the same for both light load and high load feeder voltage profiles.
The voltage at light load must be calculated to ensure that customers are not over voltaged.
Principle
The function of capacitor is to provide leading kVARs to an electrical system where needed.
Customer loads (motors) place reactive power (kVAR) demands upon electrical systems.
Properly applied capacitors can supply the system with the capacitive kVAR necessary to
counteract the inductive kVAR required by loads of such nature.
The effects of capacitors on an electrical system can be explained in terms of current.
Inductive loads (motors) require lagging current. The system generator must supply this
inductive current in addition to the normal working current required by the various loads
throughout the system. The system itself must carry this additional inductive current to the
load. Properly applied capacitors supply leading current that will counteract or cancel out
inductive current required by the load, thereby relieving the system from generating and
carrying this inductive current.
Capacitors improve the voltage profile of the MV feeder while improving the power factor of
the system.
Individual single phase capacitor units and the associated mounting rack are mounted on
poles. The capacitor banks are connected in wye ungrounded configuration so that they may
not contribute to circulation of zero sequence currents in case of earth fault in feeder.
The capacitors should be properly located in harmony with the current load forecast and
planned feeder configurations.
Any operational problems, such as over voltages or harmonic interference, with capacitor
bank installations should be reported to Distribution Engg. Department (DED) for assistance.
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Whenever there is change in network configuration or addition of new bulk customer or
reinforcement, the re-location of existing capacitor(s) should also be done accordingly.
Benefits
Improvement in efficiency of the power system
Power factor improvement
Voltage improvement
Increased power flow capability
Reduction in energy and power losses
Release in capacity of line and substation
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The fixed capacitor banks may require that the fuse cutouts be opened in the fall and closed
again in the spring to ensure that customers will not be over-voltaged during the lightly
loaded winter period.
On the other hand, switched capacitor banks comprise of the following components:
a) Three or six capacitor cans
b) Three single-phase switches
c) Single phase fuse cutouts to protect the switches and capacitors and disconnect the bank
for maintenance.
d) mounting rack to mount the above equipment.
e) controller to sense and switch, based upon system or environmental conditions.
f) power transformers to supply operating power, and CT’s or VT’s to provide inputs to
the control.
The switched capacitor banks can be controlled by either automatic or timer. The type of
control chosen should reflect the same requirements that resulted in the placement of
capacitors on the system. Controls are available which respond to:
System voltage
Load current
kVAR flow
Time of day
Ambient temperature
Various combinations of above.
The advantages to the environmental controllers (time and temperature) are their simplicity in
installation and control settings. Typically, fewer man hours will be required to properly set
and monitor these controllers.
The advantages to system controllers (voltage, current and VAR) are that they can more
accurately sense the variables that are to be controlled. The major disadvantage is that more
man hours are required to properly set and monitor these controllers
Process for assessment of need, size and location of Capacitor Banks
For maximum benefits, the shunt capacitor should be installed on the system as near as
possible to the load where the reactive kVARs are needed. A survey of load locations and
operating conditions of each feeder is helpful to gain maximum benefits.
A simplified rule of thumb can be followed to eliminate the need for detailed engineering
calculations. i.e. maximum benefits will result when capacitor banks are installed, on a MV
feeder having uniformly distributed loads, at the 2/3 of the distance out from the grid station.
Accurate placement of capacitor banks is required to achieve the desired results of improving
a feeder’s voltage profile and voltage regulation. To this end, following method is used
whether the calculations are being performed by one of the computer programs or manually.
The overall requirement for placing capacitor banks is the understanding of voltage
regulation on a feeder. This includes such items as how the grid station bus regulation is
done, how distribution transformer no-load tap settings affect the voltage regulation and so
forth. It should be noted that the preferred method of assessing the need, size and location of
capacitor banks on a feeder is to use an established load flow software (such as CYME).
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These programs typically include dedicated functionalities that recommend the optimal
location for capacitors on a feeder to correct voltage drop and/or power factor issues.
For use of capacitor banks in light of observed voltage drop in a feeder, the minimum size of
capacitor required to correct the voltage drop can be estimated using the following formula:
(95% ) 10
=
∑( . )
Where: = Size of capacitor in KVA
= Voltage observed at point of unacceptable voltage drop, with the
assumption that 95% is the minimum acceptable voltage
= Voltage of line in kV
= Reactance of conductor of each segment between capacitor & source
= length of conductor of each segment between capacitor & source in km
Various capacity options for capacitor banks available within SEC include: 600 KVAR
(3x200 KVAR), 900 KVAR (3x300 KVAR) and 1200 KVAR
However, additional considerations need to be evaluated before deciding on size of capacitor
for placement (such as impact on power factor, requirement for loss reduction, etc.)
The following process steps can be taken to determine need, size and location of capacitor
bank for a system:
1. Assess whether changes in transformer tap-changer can handle the voltage drop issue.
Repeat simulation with changes in voltage tap changer for light-load and peak-load
scenarios
2. If the issue is resolved, inform operations team regarding the new settings
3. If the issue is unresolved, move to the next step of assessing other options
4. Define multiple options for handling of voltage drop:
i. OPTION 1: Addition of capacitor bank(s)
ii. OPTION 2: Addition of new feeder line
iii. OPTION 3: Addition of new substation
5. Each of the above options need to be evaluated along earlier defined technical and
economic parameters to determine optimal recommended option
6. OPTION 1: Addition of capacitor bank(s) – using trial and error method
i. From the earlier simulation, identify the node in the system from where
voltage drop exceeds 2.5% (this takes into account 2.5% voltage drop at
distribution transformer and 5% voltage drop at secondary side voltage before
customer) in peak-load scenario
ii. At that node, define minimum size of capacitor bank required for correction of
voltage drop issue
iii. Select capacitor bank from available sizes using options involving connection
of single or multiple cans which is just higher than minimum required size
iv. Conduct load flow simulation to check for the following:
A. Over-voltage in any of the nodes (in light-load scenario)
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B. Voltage drop in the feeder beyond the capacitor bank (for both light-
load and peak-load scenarios)
C. New power factor
v. If only condition A is observed:
Check for feasibility of replacing the capacitor with a switched
capacitor which can be switched off during off-peak season
If multiple capacitor banks are used, check for over-voltage when one
or more capacitor banks are switched off. In such a scenario, convert
the relevant capacitor banks to switched banks and keep the remaining
as fixed capacitor banks
vi. If only condition B is observed:
Increase size of capacitor bank to the next available size
Repeat load flow simulation to check on conditions A & B
If condition A is observed, repeat actions to convert capacitor to
switched capacitor bank
If condition B is observed again, increase size of capacitor bank and
repeat the earlier steps
If no higher capacitor bank size is available or if the next higher
capacitor bank size is greater than VAR demand at the node (i.e. power
factor in this situation will become lead rather than lag), place new
capacitor bank in the next node with voltage drop and repeat exercise
vii. For both of the above conditions, check if power factor after usage of
capacitor bank is within acceptable limits
viii. Conduct economic analysis to estimate net present value of executing the
option (taking into account equipment costs, cost of installation and on-going
maintenance costs)
7. OPTION 2: Addition of capacitor bank(s) – using linear optimization method in
CYME: CYME provides a special analysis sub-module on optimal capacitor
placement as part of CYMDIST program purchased by SEC which uses linear
optimization method to automatically recommend number and location of capacitor
banks required in any system
8. For OPTIONS 2 & 3, estimate the net present value for each option independently
9. Recommend option with highest net present value
Example Illustrating Manual Calculation Method:
Assume the following overhead circuit: where the voltage profile as example shown at previous
section.
Figure 4
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Peak 102.9% 97.9% 96.4% 95.5%
Light 102.9% 100.4% 99.7% 99.2%
Figure 5
If we install capacitor bank 1800 kVAR to compensate kVAR in segment AB then the MVA
will change as:
Figure 6
Note: After installing 1800 kVAR at node B, MVA in segment G/S-A reduced from 5.0 MVA
to 4.3 MVA and MVA in segment A-B reduced from 3.5 MVA to 2.97 MVA with the same
active load.
VD at peak load
During light load, if we keep 1800 kVAR capacitor the power factor become leading so that
we keep only 900 kVAR and remove 900 kVAR to improve power factor but still lagging
Figure 7
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VD from G/S to point A = (2160 × 5) / 4953 = 2.2%
VD from point A to point B = (1487 × 2) / 4953 = 0.6%
VD from point B to point C = (750 × 3) / 4953 = 0.45
G/S A B C
Voltage during peak load 102.9% 98.6% 97.4% 96.5%
Light load (900 KVAR) 102.9% 100.7% 100.1% 99.7%
Note:
1. The design of capacitor must meet light load to avoid over voltage.
2. During voltage drop occur we use first capacitor method then voltage regulator.
Principle
Auto recloser is a protective device with the ability to detect phase and phase-to-earth
overcurrent conditions, to interrupt the circuit if the overcurrent persists after a predetermined
time, and then to automatically reclose to re-energize the line. If the fault that originated the
operation still exists, then the recloser will stay open after preset number of operations, thus
isolating the faulted section from the rest of the system. In an overhead distribution system,
about 80-90% of the faults are of a temporary nature and last, at the most, for a few cycles or
seconds. Coordination with other protection devices is important in order to ensure that when
a fault occurs, the smallest section of the circuit is disconnected to minimize disruption of
supplies to customers. Generally, the time characteristic and the sequence of operation of the
recloser are selected to coordinate with mechanisms upstream towards the source. After
selecting the size and sequence of operation of the recloser, the devices downstream are to be
adjusted in order to achieve correct co-ordination.
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main circuit breaker that includes the built in CTs.
control unit
multi core cable, which is used for the connection of the control and the circuit breaker.
Auto recloser operates in a similar manner to that of the MV feeder breaker. Its main function
is to trip on a fault and reclose successfully in case of either a transient fault, or a fault cleared
by a downstream protective device, or trip and reclose till it reaches lockout in case of
permanent fault.
For details, refer to 33-SDMS-01 and Distribution Operation Manual (DOM) 01-20 with latest
updates.
Sectionalizer does not have fault interrupting capabilities. It does not interrupt short circuit
current and it is not used for protection, but just for isolation of the faulted section of the line.
The fault current interruptions are performed by the backup device (such as an auto-recloser or
circuit breaker) that is used for the protection of the line. Sectionalizers count the operations of
the backup device during fault conditions. The following conditions should be fulfilled in order
to initiate operation of the Sectionalizer:
sufficient overcurrent to activate the Sectionalizer.
interruption of the overcurrent by a recloser within a specific time.
The Sectionalize counts the number of the fault current flow interruptions and after a pre-
selected number it opens to isolate the faulted section of the line. This always takes place when
the backup recloser is in open position.
Sectionalizers can be set to open after the first, the second or the third interruption of the short
circuit current. After the sectionalizer opens, the backup device automatically recloses to
restore to service that portion of the line up to the sectionalizer location. It will reset counts that
do not reach the counts‐to‐open setting within the selected reset time due to clearing temporary
faults.
For details, refer to 33-SDMS-02 and DOM 01-20 with latest updates.
Benefits
Use of auto-reclosers and sectionalizers will lead to the following benefits:
Reduction in the outage duration.
Auto clearing of outages caused by temporary faults. It will save field staff from
unnecessary patrolling.
Isolating faulty sections from the healthy sections in case of permanent fault. It
will reduce post fault line patrolling effort by field staff.
System Connection
When installing auto-reclosers, it is necessary to take into account the following factors:
system voltage
short circuit level
maximum load current
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minimum short circuit current within the zone to be protected by the
recloser.
coordination with other mechanisms located upstream towards the source
and
downstream towards the load.
sensitivity of operation for earth faults.
Various operational settings for auto-reclosers (such as dead-time settings, number of shots,
operating time, impulse time, etc.) will need to be determined for each auto-recloser separately,
since there is significant dependence on network conditions, topology and load characteristics.
These should be evaluated through short-circuit studies (which is detailed in the process steps
below) in coordination with protection function.
Whenever there is change in network configuration or addition of new bulk customer or
reinforcement, the re-location of existing recloser(s) should also be done accordingly.
On the other hand, sectionalizers need to be installed downstream from an auto-recloser or a
circuit breaker on either the main feeder or branches that affect the overall reliability of the
feeder significantly.
Figure 51: Electrical Circuit Diagram for Auto-recloser
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Figure 52: Location Diagram of Sectionalizer in Overhead Networks
.
Installation Criteria, Number and Location
The installation of auto-reclosers and sectionalizers need to ensure compliance to ECRA
standards. However, decisions on auto-reclosers and sectionalizers need to be aligned with
distribution protection analysis team before final installation to account for various factors
such as:
Coordination between devices for robust protection
Ensuring protection against correct level of fault current
Presence of other protection devices such as switches and circuit breakers
This is typically achieved through Sectionalizing studies using established load flow software
tools like CYME
All overhead feeders may not require auto-reclosers and sectionalizers. Selection of feeders
will depend on the historical incidence of faults for the feeder and its load, as outlined the
figure below.
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Figure 53: Identification of Feeders for Installation of Auto-reclosers and Sectionalizers37
Identification of feeders as per above figure will facilitate compliance with ECRA Security of
Supply standards. As per this, feeders where the load is greater than 12 MVA and historical
average number of faults per year (permanent or transient) is more than 4 or maximum
historical fault duration is more than 2 hours (for the entire year) will have the highest
priority for use of auto-reclosers and sectionalizers – these feeders do not comply with the
current ECRA security of supply standards.
37
The dimension of feeder load is agnostic of feeder voltage since ECRA guidelines do not specify any voltage
levels in their security of supply standard
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No devices needed if automatic switching is present
If automatic switching is not present, the time required for manual
switching needs to be taken into account. If time required for above is
more than 2 hours, sectionalizers will be required
The following table outlines the criteria regarding number and location of auto-reclosers to be
used on feeders:
Table 78: Criteria for Number & Location of Auto-Reclosers on Feeder
Feeder’s total distance in Number of line Install line recloser at a distance of about
km auto-reclosers
required
1 > 30 km and < 60 km 1 Half way between the source and the
farthest point on the line
2 > 60 km and < 90 km 2 1/3rd and 2/3rd respectively from the
source point.
3 > 90 km and < 120 km 3 1/4th and 1/2 and 3/4th respectively from
the source point.
Additionally, auto-reclosers should be installed after key load points (such as industrial parks,
bulk customers, etc.) on the main feeder.
The sizing of auto-reclosers and sectionalizers should match the load and maximum fault
current requirements of the feeders as well as match the voltage level of the feeder and the
following conditions should be met:
Auto-reclosers:
i. Load rating should match current load as well as forecast 5-year load
ii. Interruption rating should be equal to or greater than maximum fault current
iii. Short circuit capacity should be equal to or greater than prescribed value for
feeder
Sectionalizers:
i. The backup auto-recloser or circuit breaker should operate for all branch faults.
ii. The nominal current of the sectionalizer should be equal to or greater than the
maximum expected load current.
iii. Sectionalizer should be activated for the minimum fault current of the branch
(at least for the minimum phase fault).
iv. The number of trips of the backup recloser should be at least one more than the
sectionalizer counts to open.
v. The memory time of the sectionalizer should be greater than the time interval
from the first trip of the backup recloser to the moment that the sectionalizer
will complete its counts to open.
vi. Sectionalizer must withstand the maximum fault current flow until the fault is
interrupted by a fault interrupting device.
vii. The current that activates the sectionalizer should not exceed 80% of the
minimum pick up current of the backup recloser.
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Process for Evaluation of Auto-reclosers and Sectionalizers
1. Identify priority for each feeders for each ED:
• From the outage register for the last 3 years, identify number of outages,
average duration of fault and maximum duration of fault for each overhead
feeder within the ED
• For each overhead feeder, identify current peak load (in MVA) and forecast
peak load for 5 years (in MVA)
• Categorize feeder as ‘priority 1 feeder’ if:
• Average number of outages per year for the feeder > 4; AND
• Average annual duration of fault for the feeder > 2 hours; AND
• Current peak load OR forecast peak load for any of the upcoming 5
years > 12 MVA (for all MV voltages)
• Similarly, assign priorities for other feeders based on the earlier defined
framework
2. For each priority 1 feeder, assess need for auto-reclosers, sectionalizers, load-break
switches and / or fault indicators as per earlier defined criteria (the need for such
devices will be recommended by Network Planning)
3. For each priority 1 feeder, confirm equipment requirements after aligning with
protection engineering team to take into account short-circuit study and sectionalizing
study conducted by them
4. Conduct economic assessment to determine present value of investments due to
equipment installation, while estimating customer minutes lost (CML) before and
after equipment to showcase as benefit
NOTE: Priority 1 feeders are the most suited to showcase benefits of distribution automation
Load break switches are used in the overhead distribution system. It is capable of interrupting
rated current and is capable of closing on faults. Load break switch operates manually only.
Load break switches are added where necessary, if the number of existing switches is not
considered as being appropriate.
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Figure 54: Typical Vertical Break Load Break Switch – Saudi LUCY – Type “RX-M” LBS
FUSE
Dropout fuse cutouts are used in the overhead distribution system. Installation of fuses on
shorter or lightly loaded laterals is recommended. These are considered as a low cost, yet
efficient solution for line sectionalization and to protect equipment against short circuits.
Since the fuse does not have reclosing capability, faults whether temporary or permanent by
nature, will cause a sustained outage.
Selection of fuse should be done based on short circuit study in consultation with Protection
Engineering function.
The basic technical parameters of the fuse cutout are:
rated current of the fuse holder
rated voltage
short-circuit current interruption rating
nominal current of the fuse-link. The load current should not exceed this magnitude.
the time-current curve.
FAULT INDICATORS
Fault indicators are tools used for locating faults and are particularly useful when visual
inspection is not available (such as in underground networks). Additionally, fault indicators
can also be used in conjunction with load-break switches to enable the operator to isolate the
fault on an overhead feeder without manual inspection. Fault indicators can be automatic, i.e.
which use current and/or voltage level to check if fault is cleared. When fault indicators are
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integrated with communications devices and remote controlling mechanisms, they enable the
operator to make dynamic switching decisions to reduce fault durations.
There are two types of fault indicators:
Earth Fault Indicator (EFI):
Earth fault indicators (EFI) are used in conjunction with MV underground distribution
network. The indication is clearly visible from a distance up to 20 meters away. EFI
are used at points on the underground ring systems, for determining where to section
the faulted ring to allow restoration switching. Effective use of EFIs is essential for
efficient restoration.
For details, refer to 38-SDMS-01 and DOM 01-20 with latest updates.
Line Fault Indicator (LFI):
Line fault indicators (LFI) are used in conjunction with MV overhead distribution
network. The indication has clear 360° visibility from a distance of 50 meters during
daylight and 200 meters at night. If implemented effectively, LFIs can significantly
reduce the time taken to patrol and locate faults.
For details, refer to 38-SDMS-02 and DOM 01-20 with latest updates
Coordination between the existing protection devices installed in the network must be assured
to the maximum possible degree. Establishing proper coordination between these devices can
result in substantial improvement in reliability indices.
Auto reclosers should be properly integrated into the protection scheme in a coordinated
manner. A system protection study should be conducted for the settings of the relays and auto
reclosers.
When new devices are introduced in the network, they should be properly coordinated with the
existing ones.
Many coordination schemes require revision of settings of the feeder’ relay in the grid station.
Distribution Protection Department / National Grid would need to be involved and facilitate
necessary changes.
The determination of the appropriate settings of the protective devices in a distribution feeder
should be the object of a detailed coordination study that should be based on fault level
calculations along the length of the distribution feeder.
Simulation should be performed for load flow, short circuit, load allocation, network
configuration and optimal placement of capacitor, voltage regulator, auto recloser,
sectionalizer etc. using an established load flow software such as CYME.
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Devices such as digital fault recorders, energy meters, protection relays may include power
quality functions.
Harmonics’ measurements shall be made at least up to the 50th order.
Power quality monitoring is necessary to characterize electromagnetic phenomena at a
particular location. The objective may be as simple as verifying steady state voltage regulation
at a service entrance, or may be as complex as analyzing the harmonic current flows within a
distribution network.
The primary reason to monitor power quality is economic, particularly if critical process loads
are being adversely affected by electromagnetic phenomena. Effects on equipment and process
operations can include mis-operation, damage, process disruption, and other such anomalies.
Such disruptions are costly since a profit-based operation is interrupted unexpectedly and must
be restored to continue production. In addition, equipment damage and subsequent repair cost
both money and time. Product damage can also result from electromagnetic phenomena
requiring that the damaged product be either recycled or discarded, both of which are economic
issues. Equipment compatibility problems can create safety hazards resulting from equipment
mis-operation or failure.
Problems related to equipment mis-operation can be assessed if customer disturbance reports
are kept. These logs describe the event inside the facility: what equipment was affected, how
it was affected, what were the weather conditions, and what losses were incurred. A sample
form is outlined below
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Figure 55: Sample Power Quality Disturbance Recording Form
At time of submission of application for new bulk MV connection, the single line diagram shall
also illustrate the arrangement for power quality, for SEC’s comments and approval.
National Grid has is now installing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) at its HV/MV
grid stations; (specification no.40-TMSS-03 “AMI”). That system also includes a power
quality meter. So one will be able to measure the parameters at grid end also.
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In 1st phase, power quality parameters to be measured and recorded at interface with
bulk MV customers.
In 2nd phase, power quality parameters to be measured and recorded at interface with
bulk LV customers.
In next phase, power quality parameters to be measured and recorded at interface with
random LV customers.
Simultaneously, there is need to create awareness among the customers. e.g. reduction in
harmonics is also financially beneficial for the customer itself.
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The updated DPS is approved by Head of HQ Distribution Network Planning team
before circulation to network planning engineers of all EDs
2. Updates due to new conditions / standards from ECRA
These requests will be initiated by ECRA and will be treated as change requests only
after there is alignment between SEC and ECRA to implement them and there is
approval from SEC senior management. All such change requests will need to be
approved by Head of HQ Distribution Network Planning team before implementation
Once the changes are confirmed, the HQ Distribution Network Planning team will
update the relevant sections of DPS during the month of May of each year
The updated DPS is approved by Head of HQ Distribution Network Planning team
before circulation to network planning engineers of all EDs
3. Detailing / Improvement of processes and / or guidelines by Network Planning team
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5. Updated DPS will be approved by Head of SEC Distribution Services and Head of SEC
Distribution
6. Updated DPS will be circulated to all planning engineers in EDs and subsequently
updated in SEC intranet
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10. APPENDIX
10.1. DETAILED OPERATING CONDITIONS
HARMONICS
Harmonics are sinusoidal voltages and currents with frequencies that are integer multiples of
the frequency at which the supply system operates.
Harmonic disturbances are generally caused by equipment with non-linear voltage – current
characteristics or by periodic and line-synchronized switching of loads. Such equipment may
be regarded as sources of harmonic currents.
The harmonic current from the different sources produces harmonic voltage drops across the
impedance of the network.
As a result of cable capacitance, line inductance and the power factor correction capacitors,
parallel or series resonance may occur in the network and cause a harmonic voltage
amplification even at a remote point from the distorting load. The waveforms proposed are the
result of the summation of different harmonic orders of one or several harmonic sources
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Non-linear loads appear to be sources of harmonic currents in shunt with and injecting
harmonic currents into the power system.
Any periodic, distorted waveform can be expressed as a sum of sinusoids. When a
waveform is identical from one cycle to the next, it can be represented as a sum of pure
sine waves in which the frequency of each sinusoid is an integer multiple of the
fundamental frequency of the distorted wave. This multiple is called a harmonic of the
fundamental, hence the name of this subject matter. The sum of sinusoids is referred to
as a Fourier series.
When both the positive and negative half cycles of a waveform have identical shapes,
the Fourier series contains only odd harmonics.
In the presence of harmonic distortion, the power system no longer operates in a
sinusoidal condition.
A distorted waveform in power systems contains only odd harmonics.
Figure 56: Fourier Series Representation of Distorted Waveform
Sources
Harmonic currents are generated to a small extent by generation, transmission and distribution
equipment and to a greater extent by industrial and residential loads.
Power electronics based equipment is a major contributor of harmonics in the power system.
These devices and loads can usually be modeled as current sources that inject harmonic
currents into the power system. Voltage distortion results as these currents cause nonlinear
voltage drops across the system impedance. Harmonic distortion is a growing concern for many
customers and for the overall power system, due to increasing application of power electronics
equipment.
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phase controlled equipment, some types of computers and UPS equipment
Effects
The long time exposure to relatively high harmonic distortion conditions may cause
some serious effects on the equipment.
Even very high short term harmonics distortion, e.g. resonance condition, may cause
dielectric breakdown due to over voltages.
Harmonics can lead to overloading. Hence overheating increases dielectric stress and
the power loss.
Capacitors for power factor correction often act as sinks for a particular order of
harmonic currents. In this case, it can lead to capacitor over current.
Non-sinusoidal power supplies result in reduction of torque of induction motors.
Increase in interference with telephone, communication circuits.
Can cause errors in reading of induction type energy meters, which are calibrated for
pure sinusoidal AC power.
High order harmonics cause voltage stresses.
Can cause additional losses.
Can cause overheating of rotating equipment, transformers and conductors.
High levels of reactive harmonic current injection may cause abnormal rms voltage or
very distorted wave shape.
Premature failure or operation of protective devices (e.g. relays).
Power electronics’ devices can mis-operate and cause a malfunction of the customer’s
process.
Limits
Two facts must be considered. One is that the number of harmonic sources is increasing. The
other is that the proportion of purely resistive loads, which function as damping elements, is
decreasing in relation to the overall load. Therefore increasing harmonic levels are to be
expected in power supply systems until the sources of harmonic emissions are brought under
effective limits.
Indicative values of planning levels are shown in following tables.
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Table 76: Planning Levels for Individual Harmonic Voltages in MV
Odd harmonics Odd harmonics
Even harmonics
non-multiple of 3 multiple of 3
Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic Harmonic
order voltage order voltage order voltage
h % h % h %
5 5 3 4 2 1.8
7 4 9 1.2 4 1
11 3 15 0.3 6 0.5
13 2.5 21 0.2 8 0.5
17 ≤ h ≤ 1.9 x 17/h – 10 ≤ h ≤ 0.25 x 10/h +
21 < h ≤ 45 0.2
49 0.2 50 0.22
Total harmonic distortion (THD) = 6.5%
Control
Mitigating harmonics for the network user begins at the disturbance source. The following may
be the choice according to the particular circumstances:
Embedded solution: e.g. PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) technology used in modern
power electronic communities.
A properly sized delta-connected transformer will provide a circulating path for these
harmonics, reducing their effect upstream from the transformer (toward the power
source and other loads common to it). Single-phase rectified input switching power
supplies are rich in third harmonic current but contain significant higher-order
harmonics.
By special transformer circuitry. One example is the use of a zigzag transformer or a
Scott- or T-connected transformer.
To install harmonic filters close to the harmonic producing loads.
INTERHARMONICS
Between the harmonics of the power frequency voltage and current, further frequencies can be
observed which are not an integer multiple of the fundamental. They can appear as discrete
frequencies or as a wide-band spectrum.
Sources
The main sources are:
frequency converters
switch mode power supplies
adjustable speed drives
arc welding machines
arc furnaces
power supplies to traction systems
Effects:
can give rise to flicker.
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generate additional energy losses.
disturb the operation of fluorescent lamps and electronic equipment such as television
receivers.
risk of unpredictable resonant effects which can amplify the voltage distortion and lead
to overloading or disturbance of equipment.
production of acoustic noise.
Harmonic Filter
Filters are composed of resistances R, inductances L and capacitances C selected such that the
circuit they form absorbs current at selected harmonic frequencies. This current is thereby
prevented from propagating into the network.
The harmonic producing device can generally be viewed as a source of harmonic current. The
objective of the harmonic filter is to shunt some of the harmonic current from the load into the
filter, thereby reducing the amount of harmonic current that flows into the power system.
Harmonic filters are designed to control the level of voltage and current distortion generated
by all the elements of the equipment to which they are connected, including susceptible
equipment, which often generates distortion by itself.
Filters consist of active or passive circuit elements. The simplest type of shunt harmonic filter
is a series inductance/capacitance (LC) circuit. More complex harmonic filters may involve
multiple LC circuits, some of which may also include a resistor.
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Figure 58: 1st and 2nd Order Filters
Harmonic
Filters
De-tuned
Filters
Tuned Filters
Passive Filters: Passive filters are reactor based systems basically used for the
suppression of harmonics and maintenance of healthy power factor. This is the
preferred industry choice as the equipment acts as the sink for certain harmonic current
orders.
Active Filters: Active filters are IGBT based power electronic devices. Mostly used for
harmonic current fluctuating situations, thus the response time is the key factor for
characterizing its performance.
The classification of de-tuned filters and tuned filters basically depends on the tuning frequency
of the filter reactor & capacitor circuit and the selection of harmonic filter type depends on the
level & order of harmonics present in the distribution network. Key design considerations for
harmonic filter include the following:
Reactive power (kVar) requirements
Harmonic limitations
Normal system conditions, including ambient harmonics
Normal harmonic filter conditions
Contingency system conditions, including ambient harmonics
Contingency harmonic filter conditions
331
Harmonic filters may be located at individual devices or at a common bus that feeds many
loads. They may be located at low voltage or at medium voltage. The alternatives in a given
application should be evaluated based on meeting the acceptable harmonic voltages and
currents and the effect of the resulting harmonic load flows on the affected equipment and
conductors (e.g., losses, heating).
1
f =
2π√LC
The design of a harmonic filter requires information about the power system and the
environment in which the harmonic filter will be installed. In addition to harmonic filtering,
the filter equipment will provide the system with capacitive reactive power
that will improve the power factor.
The capacitive reactance for the filter tuned to the h harmonic at power frequency is calculated
by:
h
X = X
h 1
Where:
kV
X =
Q
The inductive reactance for the filter at power frequency is calculated by:
X
X =
h
where
Xeff effective reactance of the harmonic filter
Qeff effective reactive power (MVar) of the harmonic filter
V nominal system line-to-line voltage
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VOLTAGE IMBALANCE
The voltage unbalance is represented by equation:
V
% unbalance = × 100
V
Voltage unbalance is considered in relation to long term effects i.e. for durations of 10 min or
longer.
Sources
At MV, unbalance is partly caused by the numerous single-phase installations supplied at LV.
Larger unbalanced installations at MV such as induction furnaces can also contribute to voltage
unbalance. These sources of unbalance are considered as being random. In addition to
unbalanced installations, the system inherent asymmetries at different voltage levels also
contribute to voltage unbalance.
Effects
Voltage unbalance affects the transformers, motors and generators.
Voltage unbalance degrades the performance and shortens the life of a three-phase
motor.
Current unbalance caused by voltage unbalance essentially creates counter-torque
(resistive torque). That is, it tries to make the motor turn in the opposition direction.
This will create heating.
Voltage unbalance may also reduce the capacity of equipment such as motors or
generators if not properly taken into consideration at the design stage.
Limits
The planning level for voltage unbalance in LV systems is a negative sequence component of
2% of the positive sequence component.
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Solutions
To decrease the degree of unbalance, several actions can be taken:
To deploy or distribute the loads in such a way that the three phase loads become more
balanced.
For large unbalanced loads, the SVC technology has the result.
Transposition of transmission lines may also be a solution to attenuate the negative
sequence unbalance voltage.
VOLTAGE DIPS
Voltage dips are unpredictable, largely random events arising mainly from electrical faults on
the power supply system or large installations.
Causes
The primary source of voltage dips observed on the public network is the electrical short circuit
occurring at any point on the electricity supply system.
The short circuit causes a very large increase in current, and this, in turn, gives rise to large
voltage drops in the impedances of the supply system. Short circuit faults are an unavoidable
occurrence on electricity systems. The short circuit can occur between phases, phase and
neutral, or phase and earth. Any number of phases can be involved. At the point of the short
circuit, the voltage effectively collapses to zero. Simultaneously, at almost every other point
on the system the voltage is reduced to the same or, more generally, a lesser extent. Supply
systems are equipped with protective devices to disconnect the short circuit from the source of
energy. As soon as that disconnection takes place, there is an immediate recovery of the
voltage, approximately to its previous value, at every point except those disconnected. Some
faults are self-clearing: the short circuit disappears and the voltage recovers before
disconnection can take place. The sudden reduction of voltage, followed by voltage recovery,
as just described, is the phenomenon known as voltage dip.
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The switching of large loads, energizing of transformers, starting of large motors and the
fluctuations of great magnitude that are characteristic of some loads can all produce large
changes in current similar in effect to a short circuit current. Although the effect is generally
less severe at the point of occurrence, the resulting changes in voltage observed at certain
locations can be indistinguishable from those arising from short circuits. In that case they also
are categorized as voltage dips.
Unless a self-clearing fault is involved, the duration of voltage dips is governed by the speed
of operation of the protective devices.
The magnitude of the voltage dip is governed by the position of the observation point in relation
to the site of the short circuit and the source(s) of supply.
Effects
Motor drives, including variable speed drives, are particularly susceptible because the
load still requires energy that is no longer available except from the inertia of the drive.
In processes where several drives are involved, individual motor control units may
sense the loss of voltage and shut down the drive at a different voltage level from its
peers and at a different rate of deceleration, resulting in complete loss of process
control.
Data processing and control equipment is also very sensitive to voltage dips and can
suffer from data loss and extended downtime.
Voltage dips can cause equipment to perform in a manner other than that which is
intended.
Voltage dips cause a temporary stoppage of the energy flow to the equipment. This
leads to a degradation of performance in a manner that varies with the type of equipment
involved, possibly extending to a complete cessation of operation.
Modern manufacturing methods often involve complex continuous processes utilizing
many devices acting together. A failure or removal from service of any one device, in
response to a voltage dip, can necessitate stopping the entire process, with the
consequence of loss of product and damage or serious fouling of equipment.
AC relays and contactors can drop out when the voltage is reduced below about 80%
of nominal for a duration of more than one cycle. The consequences vary with the
application, but can be very severe in safety or financial terms.
Often, the dip is sensed by electronic process controllers equipped with fault-detection
circuitry that initiates shutdown of other, less sensitive loads. Additionally, many
control systems use relay logic and contactors that can be highly sensitive to dips.
A slight speed change of induction machinery and a slight reduction in output from a
capacitor bank can occur during a dip.
The visible light output of some lighting devices may be reduced briefly during a dip
Solutions
As most of these events are caused by circuit faults, improving system operation management
skills and constructing robust supply systems are always the fundamental procedure to decrease
the effects of these unpredictable events.
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There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
Ferroresonant transformers (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
Magnetic synthesizer
Active series compensator
Motor-generator set with flywheel
Superconductor magnetic energy storage device
Static transfer switch
VOLTAGE SWELLS
Voltage swell phenomenon may occur to be unpredictable and random. Depending upon the
magnitude and duration, voltage swell may affect different types of load differently for the
same voltage swell event.
Voltage swells are much less common than voltage dips.
Causes
Energizing capacitor banks.
If a resonance condition is created.
Ferroresonance
Sudden loss of load on the MV network.
Effects
An increase in voltage applied to equipment above its nominal rating may cause failure of the
components depending upon the magnitude and frequency of occurrence.
Degradation of IT equipment.
Reduction in life of filament lamps.
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Electronic devices, including ASDs, computers, and electronic controllers, may show
immediate failure modes during these conditions.
Transformers, cables, busses, switchgear, CTs, PTs and rotating machinery may suffer
reduced equipment life over time.
A temporary increase in voltage on some protective relays may result in unwanted
operations while others will not be affected.
Frequent voltage swells on a capacitor bank can cause the individual cans to bulge while
output is increased from the bank.
Clamping type surge protective devices (e.g. varistors, silicon avalanche diodes) may
be destroyed by swells exceeding their maximum continuous operating voltage rating.
Solutions
As most of these events are caused by circuit faults, improving system operation management
skills and constructing robust supply systems are always the fundamental procedure to decrease
the effects of these unpredictable events.
There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
Ferroresonant transformers (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS
For non-repetitive voltage variation, or voltage dips, such as those associated with motor-
starting, welding equipment or power system switching, the voltage variation shall not exceed
7% of the fundamental nominal voltage under normal circumstances. Such variations shall not
occur more frequently than 3 times per day.
No Customer shall connect equipment to the power system, which causes voltage fluctuation
at the Customer interface in excess of these requirements. The SEC shall ensure that the power
supply, at each Customer's interface, conforms to these requirements.
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Figure 59: Voltage Fluctuations
Sources
Fluctuations caused by domestic appliances are not generally significant and are mainly
produced by:
continuously but randomly varying large loads such as:
a. resistance welding machines
b. rolling mills
c. large motors with varying loads
d. arc furnaces
e. arc welding plant
single on/off switching of loads (e.g. motors)
step voltage changes (due to tap voltage changers of transformers)
The main disadvantage is flicker. Additionally, voltage fluctuations can cause a number of
harmful technical effects such as data errors, memory loss, equipment shutdown, motors
stalling and reduced motor life, resulting in disruption to production processes and substantial
costs. However considering the fact that voltage fluctuations are normally within 10%
magnitude, most of these above mentioned effects are more typical of voltage dips or swells.
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operational voltage tolerances are considered as a disturbing phenomenon. Individual
customers' installations should not produce significant voltage variations even if they are
tolerable from the flicker point of view. Rapid voltage changes are often caused by start-ups,
inrush currents or switching operation of equipment.
Limit for LV Customers
Under normal circumstances, the value of rapid voltage changes is limited to 3% of nominal
supply voltage. However, rapid voltage changes exceeding 3% can occur infrequently on the
public supply network.
Limit for MV Customers
No. of changes n Rapid voltage changes
n < 4 per day 5%
n < 2 per hour and > 4 per day 4%
2 < n < 10 per hour 3%
FLICKER
Voltage fluctuation cause changes of the luminance of lamps which can create the visual
phenomenon called flicker. Above a certain threshold, flicker becomes annoying. The
annoyance grows very rapidly with the amplitude of the fluctuation. At certain repetition rates,
even very small amplitudes can be annoying.
Intensity of flicker annoyance, flicker severity is calculated with respect to both short and long
term effects.
The short term severity level, denoted by Pst, is determined for a 10-minute period. The long-
term severity level, denoted by Plt , is calculated for a two-hour period.
The severity of flicker can be measured with a flicker meter.
Flicker is considered to be an annoying problem for the customers. Most of the time, it does
not have a high financial impact. However, at high levels it can cause inconvenience to people
when frequent flickering of lights and computer screens occurs at their work places or homes
Limits for LV:
Short-term: Pst = 1.0
Long-term: Plt = 0.8
Limits for MV:
short-term: Pst = 0.9
long-term: Plt = 0.7
Solutions
Mitigating flicker for the network user begins at the disturbance source. It is always
accomplished by controlling fluctuating power drawn by the disturbance load, e.g., electric arc
furnace and elevator.
Use of higher voltage level supply as agreed between system operators and end users
Static Var compensators (SVC)
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Static synchronous compensators (STATCOM) or Static Var generation (SVG)
In cases where SVCs, STATCOMs, or SVGs are used, response time is the key factor for
characterizing its performance
VOLTAGE DROPS
LV Customers:
The Utility voltage drop allocations listed in Table 4 shall be used as guideline voltage drops
over the power system components supplying a low voltage customer. The additional voltage
drop in the customer's wiring shall not exceed the value indicated.
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Table 77: Voltage Drop Allocation for LV Customers
Notes:
The following factors are affect voltage drop:
The representation of the 3 phase, phase-phase and phase-neutral loads will be a single
phase system derived from the assumption that the load is balanced. It is known that
the above is an over simplification and that site measurements show that one or two
phases are more heavily loaded. This real situation shows that a correction factor is
required. This is known as the unequal loading in the phase.
In the SEC system, loads are mainly phase-phase with a smaller superimposed phase-
neutral load distributed over the 3 phases. The phase-neutral loads give rise to the
unequal loading in the phase.
Neutral current produces a voltage drop which has to be added to the phase conductor
voltage drop. The value of this neutral current which will flow is different throughout
the length of the conductor due to the vectorial addition. A correction factor is required
to allow for neutral current voltage drop.
The reactive impedance of the cable produces a voltage drop which is dependent on the
power factor of the loads. Power factor of 0.85 should be built into calculations.
The resistance value of aluminum varies with temperature. In a distributor supplying a
number of customers the current is not a constant value throughout the conductor and
the temperature of the cable core will change along the length of the conductor.
The rating of the cables used is very dependent upon the cyclic nature of the load. For
the period when high loads are expected on the cable a daily load factor of less than one
has been observed. Load factors lower than 0.84 allow considerable increase in the
amps/phase which the cable can safely carry. However there is a change over point
where the voltage drop along the distributor is reached before the thermal limit is
reached and there is no benefit
PHASE IMBALANCE
Under normal system conditions the three phase voltages shall be balanced at MV, and higher
voltages in the system, such that the negative phase sequence voltage does not exceed 2% of
the positive phase sequence voltage.
Customers with a dedicated transformer or those supplied at 13.8 kV or a higher voltage shall
balance their loads, such that the load phase unbalance at the customer interface meets the
above criterion. All other customers shall balance their loads over the three phases to the
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greatest degree possible. The SEC shall then balance these loads, within the power system, to
meet the above criterion
POWER FACTOR
Each customer shall maintain a power factor of 0.85 lagging or higher at the interface. No
customer shall present a leading power factor to the SEC system.
For industrial / government / commercial customers, having contracted load greater than 1.0
MVA, the minimum allowable power factor is 0.9 lagging, and will be 0.95 lagging after
21.10.1443 H. In case of deviation, a penalty may be imposed, as per Customer Services
manual.
Low power factor at customers end ultimately contributes to overall poor factor in SEC’
distribution network, resulting in negative impacts of:
excessive voltage drops
technical losses
decrease in capacity of system
Short Interruptions
Short interruptions are unpredictable, largely random events arising mainly from electrical
faults on the power supply system or large installations.
Causes
In the case of overhead networks, automatic reclosing sequences are often applied to the circuit
breakers that interrupt fault currents. Their purpose is to restore the circuit to normal with the
minimum of delay in the event that the fault proves to be a transient (self-clearing) one. If the
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first reclosing attempt proves unsuccessful, there may be subsequent attempts at pre-set
intervals. If the fault remains after the pre-set sequence of open-reclose operations is
completed, the circuit breaker remains in the open position and is not closed again until the
necessary repairs have been carried out at the fault site. In addition to the actual isolation of the
fault, further switching is often carried out, either automatically or manually, in order to reduce
the extent of network and number of users interrupted as a result of the initial fault clearance.
Thus, a single fault can result in a complex series of switching operations, observable to users
as a series of interruptions of various durations. Depending on the structure of the network in
the particular case and on the positions of individual users relative to the sites of the fault and
the relevant switches, some users will experience very brief interruptions, while others may
even have to wait for repairs to be completed before supply can be restored.
Effects
Short interruptions can cause equipment to perform in a manner other than that which
is intended.
Short interruptions cause a temporary stoppage of the energy flow to the equipment.
This leads to a degradation of performance in a manner that varies with the type of
equipment involved, possibly extending to a complete cessation of operation.
Modern manufacturing methods often involve complex continuous processes utilizing
many devices acting together. A failure or removal from service of any one device, in
response to a short interruption, can necessitate stopping the entire process, with the
consequence of loss of product and damage or serious fouling of equipment.
Even instantaneous interruptions may affect electronic and lighting equipment and
cause mis-operation or shutdown. Electronic equipment includes power and electronic
controllers, computers, and the electronic controls for rotating machinery.
Interruptions will almost always cause equipment to stop operating and may cause
drop-out of induction motor contactors.
In some cases, interruptions may damage electronic equipment, especially during the
abrupt recovery of the voltage.
Solutions
As most of these events are caused by circuit faults, improving system operation management
skills and constructing robust supply systems are always the fundamental procedure to decrease
the effects of these unpredictable events.
There are embedded solutions to improve the sensitive load immunity for riding through these
events. Following are the solutions at the end user level, by the application of devices e.g.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES)
Dynamic voltage restorer (DVR)
Static var compensator (SVC)
343
Ferroresonant transformers (constant voltage transformer) (CVT)
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10.2. LOAD ESTIMATION TABLES
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR NORMAL RESIDENTIAL
DWELLING (FACILITY CATEGORY C1)
Table 78: Facility Category C1: Loads Of Residential Buildings -220 V Phase To Phase
Constructed Area Total Connected Circuit Breaker Constructed Area Total Connected Circuit Breaker
of Building Load Rating of Building Load Rating
(m²) (KVA) (AMP) (m²) (KVA) (AMP)
25 4 801 114
50 8 30 825 116
75 12 850 120
76 13 875 123
300
100 16 40 900 126
110 17 925 130
111 18 950 133
125 20 50 975 136
150 24 976 137
151 25 1000 140
175 28 1025 143
70
200 32 1050 146
225 36 1075 150
226 37 1100 152 400
250 40 100 1125 156
275 43 1150 160
300 46 1175 163
301 47 1200 166
325 50 1201 167
350 53 125 1300 180
375 56 1400 193 500
376 57 1500 206
400 60 1600 220
425 63 150 1601 221
450 66 1700 233
460 68 1800 246 600
461 69 1900 260
475 70 2000 273
500 73 2001 274
525 76 2100 286
200
550 80 2200 300
575 83 2300 313
600 86 2400 326 800
625 90 2500 340
626 91 2600 354
650 93 2700 366
675 96 2701 367
700 100 2800 380
250
725 103 2900 394
750 106 3000 406 1000
775 110 3200 433
800 113 3400 459
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Table 79: Facility Category C1: Loads Of Residential Buildings - 400/230 V
Constructed Area Total Connected Circuit Breaker Constructed Area Total Connected Circuit Breaker
of Building Load Rating of Building Load Rating
(m²) (KVA) (AMP) (m²) (KVA) (AMP)
25 4 901 127
50 8 925 130
20
75 12 950 133
100 16 975 136
101 17 1000 140
125 20 30 1025 143
150 24 1050 146 200
151 25 1075 150
175 28 40 1100 152
200 32 1125 156
201 33 1150 160
225 36 50 1175 163
250 40 1200 166
251 41 1201 167
275 43 1300 180
300 46 1400 193 250
70
325 50 1500 206
350 53 1501 207
375 56 1600 220
300
376 57 1700 233
400 60 1800 246
425 63 1801 247
450 66 1900 260
475 70 100 2000 273
500 73 2100 286 400
525 76 2200 300
550 80 2300 313
575 83 2400 326
576 84 2401 327
600 86 2500 340
625 90 2600 354
650 93 125 2700 366 500
675 96 2800 380
700 100 2900 394
725 103 3000 406
726 104 3001 407
750 106 3200 433
775 110 3400 459 600
800 113 3500 470
825 116 150 3600 486
850 120 3601 487
875 123 3800 513
900 126 4000 540
4200 567 800
4400 594
4600 621
4800 648
CONNECTED LOADS ESTIMATION FOR NORMAL COMMERCIAL
SHOPS (FACILITY CATEGORY C2)
Table 80: Facility Category C2: Loads Of Commercial Buildings - 220 V Phase To Phase
Total
Constructed Area Total Connected Circuit Breaker Constructed Area of Circuit Breaker
Connected
of Building Load Rating Building Rating
Load
(m²) (KVA) (AMP) (m²) (KVA) (AMP)
346
25 6 601 129
50 10 30 625 134
55 12 650 139
56 13 675 144
400
75 16 50 700 150
100 22 725 155
101 23 750 160
125 27 70 775 166
150 32 776 167
151 33 800 171
175 38 100 850 182
500
200 43 900 192
201 44 950 203
225 48 1000 214
250 54 150 1001 215
275 59 1050 224
300 64 1100 235
600
301 65 1150 246
325 70 1200 256
350 75 200 1250 267
375 80 1251 268
400 86 1300 278
401 87 1400 299
1500 800
425 91 320
450 96 250 1600 342
475 102 1700 363
500 107 1701 364
501 108 1800 384
1000
525 112 2000 427
550 118 300 2100 448
575 123
600 128
347
251 55 1075 230
275 59 1125 240
300 64 100 1126 241
325 70 1200 256
350 75 1300 278 400
375 80 1400 299
376 81 1500 320
400 86 1501 321
425 91 1600 342
450 96 1700 363 500
150
475 102 1800 384
500 107 1850 395
525 112 1851 396
550 118 2000 427
600
551 119 2100 448
575 123 2200 469
600 128 2201 470
625 134 2300 491
650 139 2400 512
200
675 144 2500 533
700 150 2600 555 800
725 155 2700 576
750 160 2800 597
775 166 2900 619
3000 640
348
10.3. INDIVIDUAL EQUIPMENT DEMAND FACTORS
Table 82: Individual equipment demand factors
Demand Factors Used by SEC
S/N Type of Load
Residential Commercial Industrial Agr. Farms
1 Central A/Cs 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9
2 Window Type A/Cs 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7
3 Lighting (Interior / Exterior) 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
4 Refrigeration / Cooling 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
5 Fans / Blowers 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2
6 Equipment Used in Kitchens 0.2 0.2 0.2 -
7 Water Heaters 0.2 0.2 0.2 -
8 Laundry Equipment 0.2 0.2 0.2 -
9 Appliances Used for Recreation 0.2 0.2 - -
10 Appliances Used for Services 0.2 0.2 0.2 -
11 Equipment Used in Office / Labs - 0.2 0.2 -
12 Welding Equipment - 0.15 0.20 -
13 Electric Motors Used for Crafts, - 0.25 0.25 -
Workships & Service Centers
14 Electric Motors Used for Batch Work, - - 0.4 0.4
Fluctuating of Multiple Production
15 Electric Motors Used for Continuous - - 0.6 -
Process and Mass Production
16 Process Heating Using Ovens - - 0.35 -
17 Process Heating Using Furances - - 0.7 -
18 Miscellaneous (not covered above) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1
Demand factors are based on IEEE STD 241-1974 and Electric Utility Engineering Reference
Book by Westinghouse.
349
10.4. LOAD DECLARATIONS BY CUSTOMERS – SEC ENQUIRY FORM
CUSTOMER'S NAME
CUSTOMER'S ADDRESS
CUSTOMER CLASS Residential [ ] Commercial [ ] Industrial [ ]
SUPPLY VOLTAGE 220/127 V [ ] 220/380 V [ ] 277/480 V [ ]
TYPE OF A/Cs USED Central [ ] Window/Split [ ] Mixed [ ]
ITEM Type of load Total units (No.) Rating per unit (W) Remarks
1 CENTRAL A/Cs
- Unit # 1 (specify) ……
- Unit # 2 (specify) ……
- Unit # 3 (specify) ……
- Unit # 4 (specify) ……
- Unit # 5 (specify) ……
2 WINDOW/SPLIT A/Cs
- 1.0 Ton
- 1.25 Ton
- 1.5 Ton
- 2.0 Ton
- 3.0 Ton
- 4.0 Ton
- Others (specify)
3 LIGHTING LOADS
- Ordinary Lamps
- Flourescent Lamps
- Spot Lights (Halogen)
- Chandeliers (specify)
- Security Lights (specify)
- Others (specify)
4 FAN LOADS
- Fan (Ceiling/Floor)
- Exhaust Fans
- Blower Fans
- Others (specify)
5 REFRIGRATION LOADS
- Refrigerators
- Deep Freezers
- Ice Making Machine
- Water Coolers
- Others (specify)
- Others (specify)
ITEM Type of load Total units (No.) Rating per unit (W) Remarks
6 KITCHEN LOADS
- Electric Range
- Electric Ovens
350
- Dish Washers
- Toasters
- Mixers
- Water Heaters
- Others (specify)
7 BATHROOM LOADS
- Water Heaters
- Others (specify)
8 LAUNDRY LOADS
- Washing Machines
- Dryers for Clothes
- Others (specify)
9 RECREATIONAL LOADS
- Televisions
- Audio/Vidio Systems
- Film Projectors
- Public Address System
- Exercise Equipment
- Others (specify)
10 SERVICES LOADS
- Electric Irons
- Vacuum Cleaners
- Intercom Systems
- Water Pumps
- Lift/Elevators
- Others (specify)
11 SECURITY LOADS
- Fire Alarm Systems
- Burgler Alarm Systems
- Emergency Fire Pumps
- Others (specify)
12 OFFICE EQUIPMENT
- ElectricTypewriters
- Photocopying Machines
- Data Processing Equipment
- Others (specify)
- Others (specify)
ITEM Type of load Total units (No.) Rating per unit (W) Remarks
13 LAB EQUIPMENT
- Air Compressors
- Vacuum Pumps
- Centrifuge Pumps
- Hot Plates
- Sterilizers
- X-Ray Machines
- Sonographic Machines
351
- Others (specify)
14 WELDING EQUIPMENT
- Butt Welding Equipment
- Arc Welding Equipment
- High Frequency Welding
- Others (specify)
15 ELECTRIC MOTORS (*) USED FOR CRAFTS WORK SHOPS & SERVICE CENTERS
- Lathe Machines
- Drilling Machines
- Presses
- Saw Mashines
- Millers
- Shapers
- Others (specify)
16 ELECTRIC MOTORS (*)FOR BATCH WORK EDUCDATING OR MULT. PRODUCTION
Specify……………………..
Specify……………………..
17 ELECTRIC MOTORS (*) USED FOR CONTINEOUS PROCESS & MASS PRODUCTION
Specify……………………..
Specify……………………..
18 PROCESS HEATING USING ELECTRIC OVENS
Specify……………………..
Specify……………………..
19 PROCESS HEATING USING ELECTRIC FURNACES
Specify……………………..
Specify……………………..
20 MISCL. LOADS (Not covered in Items # 1-19 above)
Specify……………………..
Specify……………………..
352
10.5. FORMS FOR NEW CONNECTION PROCESS
SITE VISIT CHECK LIST
353
SUBSTATION SITE VISIT CHECK-LIST
354
10.6. LV UNDERGROUND NEW CONNECTIONS – TABLES AND
REFERENCE
TYPICAL LAYOUT FOR UNDERGROUND LV NETWORK
355
SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM FOR CONNECTION OF UNDERGROUND
SUBSTATIONS
Multi-circuit Substation 500KVA
356
Multi-circuit Substation 1000KVA
357
Multi-circuit Substation 1500KVA
358
Shared Substation 500KVA
359
Shared Substation 1000KVA
360
Shared Substation 1500KVA
361
500KVA/1000/1500KVA Substation
362
TYPICAL DISTRIBUTED LOADS PER OUTGOING OF THE
SUBSTATION
363
ADDITIONAL INPUTS FOR LV NETWORK PLANNING (MODULES
& TABLES)
Module for Design of Underground LV Network
364
Module for Design of Substations Required to Supply an Area
365
Module for Voltage Drop Calculations (through DP & Direct Feeder)
366
367
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied by LV Cables & DP
368
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied by Substation (400V)
369
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied by Substation (220V)
370
371
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied in Hajj Area
372
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied in Unplanned Area
373
Table for Number of Meters that can be Supplied in Commercial Area
374
Table for Maximum Lengths Within Voltage Drop of 5%
375
Table for Voltage Drop % in 400V with 300 mm2 cable
376
Table for Voltage Drop % in 400V with 185 mm2 cable
377
Table for Voltage Drop % in 400V with 70 mm2 cable
378
Table for Voltage Drop % in 380V with 300 mm2 cable
379
Table for Voltage Drop % in 380V with 185 mm2 cable
380
Table for Voltage Drop % in 380V with 70 mm2 cable
381
Table for Voltage Drop % in 220V with 300 mm2 cable
382
Table for Voltage Drop % in 220V with 185 mm2 cable
383
Table for Voltage Drop % in 220V with 70 mm2 cable
384
10.7. LV OVERHEAD NEW CONNECTIONS – TABLES AND REFERENCE
TYPICAL LAYOUT FOR OVERHEAD LV NETWORK
385
SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM FOR CONNECTION TO OVERHEAD
LINES
Radial connection by cables to OH line
386
TYPICAL DISTRIBUTED LOADS PER OUTGOING OF PMT LV
CABINET
400 50 400 2 72 36
400 100 400 2 144 72
400 200 800 4 289 72
400 300 800 4 433 108
380 50 400 2 76 38
380 100 400 2 152 76
380 200 800 4 304 76
380 300 800 4 456 114
220 50 400 2 131 66
220 100 400 2 262 131
220 200 800 4 525 131
220 300 800 4 787 197
387
ADDITIONAL MODULES & TABLES
Module for design of overhead low voltage network
388
389
Table for no. of meters can be supplied by (LV conductors)
390
391
Table for no. of meters can be supplied by (PMT 380V)
392
Table for no. of meters can be supplied by (PMT 220V)
393
Table for no. of meters can be supplied (in random area)
394
Table for no. of meters can be supplied (for commercial center)
395
Table for max lengths within (5%) voltage drop
396
Table for voltage drop (%) in (400V) with (120 mm2 conductor)
Table for voltage drop (%) in (400V) with (50 mm2 conductor)
397
Table for voltage drop (%) in (380V) with (120 mm2 conductor)
398
Table for voltage drop (%) in (380V) with (50 mm2 conductor)
399
Table for voltage drop (%) in (220V) with (120 mm2 conductor)
400
Table for voltage drop (%) in (220V) with (50 mm2 conductor)
401
402
10.8. LOAD FORECASTING FORMS
FORMS FOR LOAD FORECASTING
Form 1
403
Form 2
404
Form 3
405
Form 4
406
Form 4A
407
Form 5
408
Form 5A
409
Form 6A
410
Form 6B
411
Form 7
412
Form 8
413
Form 9
414
Form 9A
415
Form 10
416
Form 11
417
Form 12
418
EXAMPLES OF LOAD FORECASTING
Example of Looped Feeder Peak Load Assessment
1. As you see in above table, the maximum coincident total load on the loop xy is 325 Amps.
Therefore, total of peaks of both feeders shall be around this figure. If you will choose the
absolute max readings on each feeder, the total will be 420 Amps which is not correct.
2. You may notice that there is a load transfer from FDR x to FDR y during May and August.
Hence, these two readings at May and August might be ignored. From the analysis, the real
max peaks of FDRs x and y are 180 and 145 Amps, respectively.
3. Similar analysis can be done for T-loop and other mesh system.
4. Codes can be assigned for each loop to have proper identification and to facilitate getting
loop summation through a software such as MS Excel or Access or others. MS Excel can help
in this process through “Subtotals” function.
419
Example of Substation Peak Load Assessment
The above sample table shows two transformers (T1 & T2) of grid station ABC, which are
connected in parallel. F1 & F2 are connected to T1, while F3 & F4 are connected to T2 of
substation ABC.
Assessed substation peak = ΣAssessed feeder peak of both TF’s * C.F.
ΣAssessed feeder peak of both TF’s = 600 Amps
If historical data of C.F. for substation ABC is available, it shall be considered. If not, a value
of 0.95 shall be considered.
Then, assessed substation peak = 600 * 0.95 = 570 Amps
Assessed transformers peak = 570 / 2 = 285 Amps (they are equal because they are in parallel)
Note that F4 has up-normal reading (260 Amps) during July, which might be due to load
transfer
420
Cable pre-layout Update
421
Electricity and Co-generation Regulatory Authority (ECRA) published the Saudi Arabia
Distribution Code. This code is the foundation on which the SEC Planning Standards have been
established. The code is available on the ECRA website on the following link:
http://www.ecra.gov.sa/ar-sa/ECRARegulations/Codes/Documents/distrbutioncode.pdf
Several amendments in Distribution Code about renewable energy / power quality were
processed by ECRA in 2017 but not yet published on its website. ECRA informed that there
will be full scale revision of the overall Distribution Code soon.
422
10.10. ABBREVIATIONS
A (Amp): Ampere
AL: Aluminum
h: Harmonic Order
423
Hz: Hertz
OH: Overhead
SS: Substation
424
THD: Total Harmonic Distortion
TR: Transformer
UG: Underground
V: Volt
425
10.11. LIST OF CHANGES
The following table outlines the key changes in this version of DPS compared to earlier
approved DPS which is to help the reader navigate this document. Given the large number of
changes in this version of DPS, this table is mentioned as a separate chapter. However, from
the next version onwards, this table will be split and will be present at the start of each chapter
Chapter Title Page Change
General Standard
2 Principles of 17 Added from Saudi Arabia Distribution Code
Network Planning
Aggregation of terms and definitions from
3 Definitions 18 all DPS. Multiple definitions added /
modified
Section taken from Saudi Arabia
Distribution Code and draft DPS-12
This section outlines the operating limits for
SEC Distribution network as outlined by
Operating ECRA, covering factors such as frequency,
4 27
Conditions voltages, harmonics, imbalances, dips,
swells, voltage changes, drops, flicker,
phase unbalance, loading and short circuit
levels, among others
They are detailed in Appendix Section 10.1
Classification of Labor housing moved from C1 to C3
5.1 35
Customer Facilities
5.5 Example 45 Examples for connected load estimation
Low-Voltage (LV)
Addition of different types of LV
6 Connections 51
connections projects
Planning
Procedure for
Coincident Demand
6.1.1 52 Section added from DPS-01
Load Calculation
(20A to 800A)
Examples of Load
6.1.3 53 Examples for CDL estimation added
Estimation
Load Estimation for
6.1.4 57 Information taken from DPS-02
Special Cases
6.1.5 to 57 to Section taken from DPS-16 (New
6.1.16 71 Connections Manual)
Note: the process for cost calculation is
Cost Calculation, currently under review and pending
6.1.9 Review & Design 59 approval. Till the approval is obtained, the
Approval current method of estimation (using UDS)
will still apply
Note: Approval Levels are still pending
Scheme Design &
6.1.13 65 approval by SEC Distribution senior
Cost Approval
management
426
Chapter Title Page Change
Impact of change of
6.1.17 Voltage on LV New 70 Content taken from DPS-11
Connections
Cable Pre-layout for
6.1.18 76 Content taken from DPS-13
Customers
Change in size of distribution substation site
Location of
dimensions for 1000KVA substations in
6.2.2.2 Distribution 86
light of presence of inset gate and potential
Substation Sites
to upgrade to 1500KVA substation
Examples of Voltage
6.2.6.1 102 Examples added
Drop Calculation
Examples of LV
6.2.7 Underground 103 Examples added
Process
Exemption of
Customers to
6.2.10 provide Location for 114 Section added from DPS-08
Distribution
Substation
Factors to be considered while deciding on
LV cables from protection perspective
6.2.11.4 LV Cables 119
added. These are to be confirmed and
detailed with inputs from manufacturers
Example on application of correction factor
6.2.11.4 LV Cables 119
added
LV Overhead New
Connections
6.3.1.1 125 Design criteria summarized from DPS-03
Network Planning
Design Criteria
Examples of Voltage
6.3.4.1 141 Examples added
Drop Calculation
Examples of LV
6.3.5 Overhead 142 Examples added
Connections Design
Connection to LV Update of cable connections per outgoing
6.3.6 Customers (300A to 146 connection point to include 500A and above
400A) meter boxes for 220V
Exemption of
Customers to
6.3.7 150 Section added from DPS-08
provide Location for
PMT
Pole Mounted Removal of 50KVA transformer as per
6.3.8.1 152
Transformers standard
Factors to be considered while deciding on
LV conductors from protection perspective
6.3.8.4 LV Conductor 154
added. These are to be confirmed and
detailed with inputs from manufacturers
427
Chapter Title Page Change
Example on use of correction factor
6.3.8.4 LV Conductor 154
included
7.1 Load Estimation 161 Content of the section taken from DPS-01
Section taken from draft DPS-04
Added new MV connections design criteria:
Optimization first principle
MV Design Criteria
7.2.1.1 162 Asset condition
& Principles
Grid station criteria (including
guidelines to decide between grid
station vs. MDN substation)
Additional Design
Aggregated from various sections of DPS-
7.2.1.2 Principles for MV 175
04
Connections
Examples of MV Addition of examples illustrating MV
7.2.2 201
Connection Design connection design process
Industrial City New section on procedure for connecting
7.4 207
Connection industrial cities
Factors to consider while selecting feeder
from protection perspective added. These
Cables and are to be confirmed and detailed with inputs
7.5.1 208
Conductors from manufacturers
Example for application of correction factor
for MV cables added
8 Plot Plans 216 Entire chapter taken from DPS-09 and 10
Network Planning
New sections
Strategy and
9.1 – 9.4 240 All templates related to this section are
Network Planning
provided in separate file
Processes
Load Forecasting & This section is the same as Load Forecasting
9.5 Zone Definition 270 Guidelines, LFG-01 and LFG-02 with
Guidelines minor updates related to use of SAS tool
LV Network Reinforcement (9.6.1.1) is new
while MV Reinforcement (9.6.1.2) is taken
9.6.1 Reinforcement 289 from draft DPS-04 with updates to
Technical Loss Reduction
Project classification added
New section related to criteria and
9.6.2 Integration 296
procedure for integration projects
Equipment New section outlining guidelines and
9.6.3 297
Replacement procedures for replacement projects
New section added related to procedure and
assumptions for assessing conversion of
Conversion of
existing overhead network to underground
9.6.4 Overhead Network 299
network.
to Underground
The key assumptions and templates for
analysis have been provided in separate file
428
Chapter Title Page Change
Entire section added from draft DPS-04
Single line diagram for connecting voltage
regulators added
9.6.5.1 Voltage Regulator 303
Process for assessment of need, size and
location of voltage regulator added
(including setting of voltage regulators)
Entire section added from draft DPS-04
Diagram for cut-away of capacitor unit
added
Formula for assessing size of capacitor bank
9.6.5.2 Capacitor Banks 311
added
Procedure to assess need, size and location
of capacitor banks to resolve voltage drop
issues added
Entire section added from draft DPS-04
Electrical circuit diagram for auto-recloser
added
Distribution Security of Supply standards
from ECRA added
Auto-recloser
9.6.5.3 318 Installation criteria and location principles
&Sectionalizer
added for auto-reclosers and sectionalizers
to ensure adherence to Distribution Security
of Supply standards
Process to evaluate feeders for addition of
auto-reclosers and sectionalizers identified
9.6.5.4 Load Break Switch 324 Added current rating of 600A for LBS
Power Quality
9.6.6 Measurement and 327 Entire section added from draft DPS-12
Monitoring
Entire section added which defines
Governance Process
9.7 329 procedure for maintaining and governing
for DPS
updates to DPS going forward
Details of operating conditions for SEC
Distribution Network in line with the latest
discussions with ECRA. This includes
details of limits along harmonics, voltage
Operating
10.1 332 imbalance, voltage dips, swells,
Conditions
fluctuations, rapid voltage changes, flicker,
voltage drops, phase imbalance, power
factor and voltage regulation. This is taken
from draft DPS-12
Load Estimation These are tables which were used earlier in
10.2 351
Tables DPS-01
SLD for Connection
Single line diagram for connecting
10.6.2 of Underground 362
underground substations added
Substation
Typical Layout for Change of configurations in example so that
10.7.1 Overhead LV 389 PMTs are not in corner of plots and are in
Network middle of plots
429
Chapter Title Page Change
SLD for Connection
Single line diagram for connecting to
10.7.2 to Overhead 393
overhead lines added
Network
Cable pre-layout Instructions from SEC senior management
10.9 428
Update regarding cable pre-layout added
Saudi Arabia Link to last approved KSA Distribution
10.10 429
Distribution Code Code added
10.11 Abbreviations 430 List of abbreviations used in DPS added
430
10.12. REFERENCES
Standard No. Title
IEC 61000-2-1:1990 Electromagnetic environment for low-frequency conducted
disturbances and signalling in public power supply systems
431
61000-3-14:2011 Assessment of emission limits for harmonics, interharmonics,
voltage fluctuations and unbalance for the connection of
disturbing installations to LV power systems
61000-3-3:2013 Limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker in
public low-voltage supply systems, for equipment with rated
current ≤ 16 A per phase and not subject to conditional connection
432