by Eingel Joy Pangilinan

BUILDING ELECTRICAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

- It specifies the minimum provisions necessary for protecting people and property from the improper use of
The Electrical Code
electricity and electrical equipment
- It is a set of specifications and standards in the form of a model code that can be adopted into local law
National Electrical Code
by the local governmental entity used in United States
- It is a modified version of the National Electrical Code. The modifications were made to suit the local
Philippine Electrical Code
Philippine environment and conversion into the SI system
Electrical Construction - It shows the layout and design of an electrical installation. A complete set of construction drawings and
Drawings specifications of the building electrical system is needed to convey design information to the contractor.
1. Complete plans and specifications of all electrical work
2. Labeling criteria of all electrical equipment
3. Lighting floor plan(s) including electrical circuits indicating
THE FOLLOWING
conduit and wiring sizes
CONSTRUCTION
4. Power floor plans including electrical circuits indicating
DRAWINGS AND DETAILS
conduit and wiring sizes, equipment, and disconnect switches
ARE GENERALLY
5. Exit sign/means of egress lighting location and power supply
REQUIRED
6. Panelboard schedule
7. Lighting fixture schedule
8. Symbol schedule and diagrams
- Power is delivered by the utility company to the user at supply voltages
Building System Voltages
- The principle voltages available in a building are called the system voltages
- Electric Utilities transmit power from the power plant most
efficiently at very high voltages. In the United States, power
companies provide electricity to medium or large buildings at
13,800 volts (13.8kV).
- Small commercial or residential buildings have a very simple
power distribution system. The transformer reduces the voltage from
13.8kV down to 120/240 or 120/208 volts and then passes the
electricity to a meter, which is owned by the utility and keeps a
record of power consumption.
- Large buildings have a much higher electrical load than small buildings. In this case, the owner will
provide and maintain their own step-down transformer, which lowers the voltage to a more usable level (in the US, 480/277 volts). This
transformer can be mounted on a pad outside the building or in a transformer room inside the building
Branch Circuits - They are the wiring that leads from the circuit breaker to the devices in a home
1. They power the essential appliances in a residence, along with the lighting and power outlets
IMPORTANCE 2. Use the correct type of branch circuit to properly manage your electrical system and avoid any power
outages
6 TYPES OF BRANCH CIRCUITS
A. 120-Volt Circuits - Connect with the electrical wiring in a residence and provide power to all the normal outlets and lighting
fixtures in it.
- Provide power to large appliances and central heating and cooling systems in a residence. Because they
B. 240-Volt Circuits can provide twice as much power as 120-volt circuits, you can use them to power multiple large
appliances at once
- Type of branch circuit that powers one device
C. Dedicated Appliance
- Use these circuits to power large appliances like refrigerators and air-conditioning units because they
Circuits
might require a large amount of power.
- They are branch circuits that provide service to a room in a residence
D. Room Circuits
- Used to divide the flow of power into individual rooms
E. Outlet Circuits - Provide electricity to the power outlets in a residence
F. Lighting Circuits - Branch circuits that power the lights in a home
Building Electrical
- It is essential for safely and efficiently delivering electrical power from the main service entrance to various
Distribution
circuits and loads within a building.
Equipment
COMMON TYPES OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION EQUIPMENT FOUND IN BUILDINGS
- They are fundamental components of any electrical distribution system.
1. Transformers
- They serve the crucial task of changing the voltage levels from high to low or vice versa, enabling
efficient power transmission and ensuring compatibility with the requirements of end-use devices.
- They are safety devices designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or
2. Circuit Breakers short circuits. They automatically interrupt the current flow when a fault is detected, preventing potential
fire hazards and equipment damage.
- They carry electricity from substations to residential, commercial, and industrial users. They come in two
3. Distribution Lines types: overhead lines, which are visible on poles along streets and highways, and underground lines, which
are buried to provide a cleaner look or where overhead lines are not feasible
- They are pivotal in the power distribution system. They serve to step-down the high-voltage power from
4. Substations transmission lines to a level suitable for local distribution, using transformers. In addition, substations help
control the flow of electrical power, providing a crucial checkpoint for system protection and control.
- They are the end-users’ interface with the power distribution system. They measure the amount of
5. Electric Meters
electricity consumed by a household or business, providing the basis for billing.

LOAD COMPUTATIONS
 EXAMPLE

LIGHTING SYSTEMS
- That form of electromagnetic radiation that allows the eye to see
Light
- Wavelengths of visible light range from about 380 nm to about 750 nm

BEHAVIOR OF LIGHT

1. Luminous Flux - It is a measurement of the total amount of light a light source emits, integrated over the entire angular
(Lumens) span of the light
2. Luminous Intensity
- It is a measure of the light that shines from the source in a given direction
(Candelas)
3. Luminance
- The amount of light emitted from or reflected off an object
(Candelas/m2)
4. Illuminance - It is the amount of light incident on (striking) a surface
TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHT SOURCES
- Emit visible light as a result of heating; they incandesce
A. Incandescent Lamps - Short rated life and poor efficacy
- Are ideal for applications needing excellent color rendition such as retail, furniture, clothing and grocery
stores, hair and beauty salons, restaurants, and art studios
- Composed of a tubular glass bulb
that is covered with a thin phosphor
coating on its inside surface
B. Fluorescent Lamp - Come in a variety of shapes,
wattages, and voltages
- Offer inferior color rendition
- Produce a very bright light by discharging an arc when electrical current passes
through a metal gas contained under high pressure in a glass bulb.
C. High Intensity - HID lamps can be used for commercial and industrial indoor lighting and exterior
Discharge Lamp landscape, recreation/sports court, parking lot, and street lighting.
- Used in outdoor and industrial lighting where high brightness is required

TYPES OF ARCHITECTURAL - Good architectural lighting is crucial to the performance of everyday activities and to the appreciation
LIGHTING of the built environment.
- Sometimes called general lighting, provides uniform illumination throughout the space
1. Ambient Lighting -Most essential form of lighting because it fills the volume of a room or space with uniform
light
- It is the illumination provided for a specific visual function, which is additional to and controlled
2. Task or Local Lighting separately from the ambient lighting.
- Tasks, such as sewing, drafting, assembly, and surgery, generally require this type of lighting
- It is directional lighting used to emphasize a particular object or area.
3. Accent Lighting - It is used to call attention to or orchestrate interest by emphasizing a particular
architectural feature, piece of artwork, pho
- It is the light source that adds a quality of interest to the space. It combines with other types of lighting to
4. Decorative Lighting give an overall “feel” to a room that serves little purpose other than to look attractive
- Hanging crystal chandelier used as a main feature in an entry or dining space
- It is a secondary lighting system that provides backup illumination when the power
supply to the normal lighting system is interrupted or fails, such as in the case of a public
5. Emergency and Safety
utility power outage
Lighting
- Required in the critical care and emergency spaces found in hospitals, nursing homes,
and police, fire protection, and crisis management areas
BASIC LIGHTING ANALYSIS
- Based on the principle that the intensity of light traveling away from a source decreases as it gets farther
from the source.
A. Single Point
- Makes a strong case for placement of the luminaire as close to a task as is physically possible.
- Suggests that task lighting rather than ambient lighting is a good choice when high illumination levels are
desired.
- It is the currently accepted method for calculating average illuminance levels for indoor areas unless the
light distribution is extremely asymmetric.
B. Zonal Cavity
- It refers to dividing the space into zones or sections to analyze the lighting conditions in a structured
manner
C. Natural Lighting - Optimize natural sunlight as a source of illumination within indoor spaces
- It is a method of numerically comparing the color distribution of a light source to a reference lamp.
Color Rendering Index - The reference lamp emits light over the full visible light spectrum at the same color temperature as the
light source being tested
1. Retail Settings - Strong color rendering will enhance the perceived quality of the products
- _____, such as food processing plants, factories, or assembly lines need to be sure employees can safely
2. Industrial Facilities
and accurately perform precision tasks
- _____ high quality color rendering becomes critical when it comes to ensuring clear visualization of tissue
3. Surgical Facilities
around wounds or incisions
4. Visually Demanding - from reading to painting to makeup application need excellent color rendering not just to ensure a
Tasks beautiful end product