NCTD - Electric Panel Schedule Verification & Panel Compliance Updates
NCTD - Electric Panel Schedule Verification & Panel Compliance Updates
Client: North County Transit District
Location: San Diego, CA
Key personnel for this project included John Lopez, PE, Neil Sherer, Donald Crawford, Martin Perea, and Nora Castillo. The Lopez Engineering team designed the electrical system upgrade for many of the North County Transit District (NCTD) sites in San Diego County, CA.
This electrical upgrade project resulted from the arc flash study prepared by Lopez Engineering, Inc. (LEI) for NCTD. During that study, LEI identified electrical equipment that needed to be upgraded due its condition and/or its age being beyond the expected life of that equipment. Sites that were upgraded included Oceanside Transit Center, Old Town Station, Santa Fe Station, Palomar College Site, 417 Autumn Dr site, Encinitas Station, Solana Beach Station, Vista Transit Center, Carlsbad Village Station, Poinsettia Station, East Division and Sprinter Operations Center, Escondido Transit Center, San Marcos Civic Center, NCTD Administration Bldg., NCTD West Ops, Stuart Mesa - Camp Pendleton. Additional sites were investigated for the potential need to upgrade them, which included: Palomar College Station, Buena Creek Station, Camp Sprinter, Sprinter Operations Center, and San Luis Rey Station. Additional field work was conducted at these 21 sites beyond what was performed for the Arc Flash Study.
Electrical equipment to be upgraded include: switchboards, Motor Controls Centers, Distribution Panel boards, Panel boards, Dry Type Transformers, and feeders. Some of the equipment will be replaced while other equipment will need to be relocated in order to comply with the California Electrical Code (CEC) clearance requirements.
Electrical outages will be required at all locations with some of those requiring weekend outages, while others such as the NCTD Headquarters requiring that continual power be provided during the upgrade. All locations will need to have two-week warnings prior to the required outages. Design will include combining some equipment, increasing capacity of other equipment, decreasing the effects of excessive voltage drop at certain existing facilities, and relocating other equipment for better access. The electrical system upgrade consists of over 200 panelboards, switchboards, motor control centers, disconnect switches, and dry type transformers. Construction documents currently being developed include: drawings (single line diagrams – demo and revised, site plans, floor plans, elevations, enlarged floor plans, details, and schedules), specifications, cost estimate, and sequence of construction.