Electrical, power systems in office buildings

The Consulting-Specifying Engineer 2016 Electrical & Power Study indicated that 56% of engineers specify, design, or make product selections for office buildings—and seven in 10 of these engineers are responsible for researching and evaluating the options for these projects. Below are five electrical and power system findings as they relate to office building projects:

1. Revenue: The average firm earns $2.9 million, annually from electrical or power systems specified into new and existing office buildings, with 31% bringing in more than $5 million each year from these projects.
2. Systems specified: The top five electrical or power systems or equipment being specified into office buildings are circuit breakers, fuses, etc. (82%); emergency and standby power (81%); electrical distribution (81%); transformers (80%); and transfer switches, etc. (77%).
3. Specifications: Engineers are most frequently issuing performance electrical or power system specifications (77%) for office building projects, followed by prescriptive specifications (69%).
4. Future concerns: Budget/cost (26%), lack of a skilled workforce (20%), and energy efficiency (15%) are the top concerns among engineers regarding electrical or power systems designed for future office building projects.
5. Comparing systems: Overall quality is highly important when selecting an electrical or power system for an office building; engineers are also looking for energy efficiency, technical advantage, superior service support, and product warranty for these systems.

View additional research from Consulting-Specifying Engineer: www.csemag.com/research

Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve. Click here to start this process.