Full Range of Electrical Engineering Design, Analysis and Consulting Services

Electrical engineers play a crucial role in utility, commercial, and industrial power systems. GRL has prepared this guide to explore the wide range of electrical engineering design, study, drawing, compliance, and project management services available for energy projects.

Fully optimizing modern power systems requires expertise across electrical design, safety, analysis, construction support and asset management. Qualified electrical engineering  consultants offer this broad range of services for utilities, buildings and industry based on decades of experience with complex electrical projects and emerging technologies. Partnering with the right firm provides peace of mind knowing your projects meet codes, maximize performance, improve efficiency, and protect workers now and well into the future. Contact us for more infomation or ask for a free sample.

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What are Electrical Engineering Services?

Electrical engineering consultants and firms offer end-to-end professional services supporting all aspects of utility and electrical systems projects. This includes:

  • Power distribution and transmission design
  • Electrical system studies and analysis
  • Equipment testing and inspection
  • Project documentation like drawings, reports, manuals
  • Energy optimization and efficiency improvements
  • Standards compliance and safety
  • Construction support, commissioning and start-up

Whether your project involves a multi-state utility grid upgrade or a factory electrical system retrofit, electrical engineers have the expertise to deliver reliable and cost-effective solutions.

Utility Design Engineering Services

For public and private utilities, typical high-voltage electrical engineering services include:

Transmission Line Design

Electrical engineers perform transmission tower design, conductor sizing and selection, electromagnetic field studies, reliability analysis, and National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) assessments.

Substation Design

Services involve substation equipment layouts and arrangement, protection and control schematics, grounding design, civil and structural analysis, and project cost estimation.

Distribution Design

This includes feeder routing and switching arrangements, voltage drop and load flow calculations, capacitor and regulator banks sizing, fault current analysis, and arc flash hazard mitigation.

Power System Analysis

Engineers build power system models to perform load flow, contingency, short circuit, and dynamic stability studies to identify any electrical issues and ensure reliable performance.

Utilities rely on electrical engineering support for designing and maintaining safe, robust and efficient grids.

Electrical System Design

For commercial, industrial and institutional systems, electrical engineers provide:

Building System Design

This includes calculating electrical loads, designing distribution topologies, specifying equipment like switchgear and transformers, emergency power, lighting design, and integration with other building systems.

Industrial Control System Design

Engineers design motor control centers, capacitor banks, harmonic filters, surge protection, backup power generation, and manufacturing process electrification.

Microgrid and Renewable Energy Design

Engineering services size solar PV/storage systems, design microgrid control systems, perform energy modeling, and integrate renewable sources.

Low Voltage System Design

This involves small power distribution, DC systems design, lightning protection, grounding, emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, and electric vehicle infrastructure.

Circuit Protection and Control Design

Engineers design control circuits, specify protective devices like fuses and breakers, and create equipment sequences of operation.

Proper system design from professional electrical engineers ensures safety, reliability, efficiency, and compliance with standards.

Electrical Drawings, Diagrams and Documentation

Clear documentation is critical over a project’s lifecycle. Electrical engineers provide:

Schematics and Single Line Diagrams

These drawings show the electrical connections, equipment, and functional relationships in a system using standard symbols and diagrams.

Electrical System Studies

Studies like arc flash, short circuit, coordination, and harmonics help identify issues and guide protective device settings.

Construction and As-Built Drawings

Detailed plans guide installation. As-built drawings record the final implemented system details.

Operations and Maintenance Manuals

These documents provide instructions for operating equipment, maintenance procedures, parts lists, and warranties.

Thorough documentation from electrical engineers captures institutional knowledge and provides a reference for personnel.

Testing, Commissioning and Compliance

To validate and commission systems, engineering services include:

Equipment Testing and Inspection

Engineers test components like switchgear, transformers, generators, and relays for conformance to specifications.

Power Quality Analysis

Power quality issues like harmonics, transients, and low power factor are analyzed using meters and oscilloscopes. Solutions are designed.

Standards Compliance

Engineers ensure compliance with relevant standards like NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, NEC, IBC and IEEE guides.

Hazardous Area Classification

Facilities are analyzed to classify and design permitted equipment for areas with flammable material risks.

Proper testing and commissioning verifies performance, safety and longevity. Compliance prevents problems during inspections.

Project Management and Consulting

Electrical engineers help execute and optimize projects by:

Lifecycle Project Management

Engineers can manage electrical projects from conception through commissioning and startup for seamless delivery.

Cost Estimating

Detailed cost estimates based on system designs and drawings provide accurate budgets and control spending.

Energy Efficiency Analysis

Energy modeling, utility incentives review, and identifying efficiency upgrades reduce operating costs.

Asset Management Support

Engineers help inventory electrical assets, plan maintenance, and determine optimal equipment lifecycles to balance cost vs performance.

Technical Advisory

Expert electrical engineers serve as trusted advisors on design best practices, safety, technology evaluation, and problem-solving.

Leveraging electrical engineering expertise and experience improves project outcomes and avoids costly mistakes.

Solution of GRL: Box-type substation

Frequently Asked Questions

What do electrical engineering consultants do?

Electrical engineering consultants design utility and building electrical systems, perform power system studies, provide construction support, ensure code compliance, and advise on technology integration, safety, reliability, and efficiency improvements.

What types of electrical engineering services are offered?

Typical services span transmission and distribution system design, substation and relay protection, power system analysis, facility electrical design, arc flash studies, drawings and diagrams, hazardous area classification, testing and commissioning, and project management.

How do I choose an electrical engineering firm?

Look for extensive experience in your type of project, proven designs supporting reliability and safety, expertise across needed services, responsiveness, and cost effectiveness. Check certifications and client references.

What is included in an electrical system design?

A system design considers loads, equipment like transformers and generators, distribution topology, voltage levels, protection and control schemes, grounding, surge suppression, code compliance, phasing, and integration with related systems.

What does an electrical system study analysis entail?

Studies like short circuit, coordination, harmonics and arc flash model the system in software to identify issues. This guides equipment ratings, protection settings, hazard mitigation, and capacitor design.

What is power system protection and relaying?

Protection systems sense dangerous faults then isolate problems and de-energize equipment using relays, circuit breakers, fuses and switches. Engineers design integrated protection schemes.

What software do electrical engineers use?

Common programs include AutoCAD, Revit, ETAP, SKM, ASPEN, PLS-CADD for design and modeling. Mathcad, MATLAB, PSCAD and Python for analysis.

How are electrical drawings and diagrams created?

Engineers use CAD software to create schematics, one-lines, panel schedules, floor plans, wiring diagrams, block diagrams, logic diagrams, and details showing installation and connections.

Can electrical engineering services be provided remotely?

Yes, much of the design, modeling, analysis, drawing, documentation, and advisory work can be delivered remotely. Onsite services arestill needed for inspections, testing and commissioning.

What electrical engineering certifications should engineers have?

Look for licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Energy Manager (CEM), LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP), and NFPA 70E Qualified Electrical Worker training.

How long does a typical electrical engineering project take?

This depends on the scale and complexity – small commercial retrofits may take a few weeks. Large utility transmission projects can run multiple years from planning through construction.

What factors affect electrical engineering costs and fees?

Project size and complexity, speed of delivery, geographic location, required documentation, cost of materials and equipment specified all impact engineering costs.

What questions should I ask potential electrical engineering firms?

Ask about their specific experience with similar projects, technologies and facilities. Check they offer all services you need. Request client references and sample deliverables.

How detailed are electrical construction and as-built drawings?

Very – drawings will usually document dimensions, ratings, connections, circuit details, wire numbers, routing, enclosures, physical arrangement and configuration changes needed during construction.

What are hazardous area classifications and how do you perform them?

Facilities are analyzed to divide into zones based on hazards present. Equipment suitable for each zone is specified to prevent dangerous ignition from electrical sources.

How can energy efficiency be improved through electrical engineering?

Engineers perform energy modeling to optimize efficiency via equipment sizing, high efficiency products, conservation features,alternative energy sources, waste heat recovery, metering, and controls.

How do you perform power quality analysis?

Power quality is monitored by metering and recording parameters like harmonics, flicker, voltage regulation and power factor. Issues are then analyzed and solutions designed.

How are safety issues considered in electrical designs?

Designs minimize hazards through physical separation, proper insulation, grounding, overcurrent protection, arc reduction methods, warning signs, redundant systems, and adherence to standards.

What deliverables can I expect from electrical engineering services?

Typical deliverables are schematics, one-line diagrams, equipment specifications, analysis reports, construction and as-built drawings, testing documents, manuals and project cost estimates.

How can electrical engineers save me money on projects?

Optimized designs, accurate equipment sizing, compliance planning, value engineering, alternate materials review, construction support, and energy efficiency focus reduce capital/operating costs over the system lifetime.

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