Top Commercial Electrical Products for Power Distribution and Control

Reliable, efficient and safe commercial building electrical systems rely on quality power distribution, control and monitoring products tailored to application needs. With its extensive commercial equipment portfolio, GRL helps businesses optimize their electrical capabilities while simplifying compliance.

Contact us today to discuss employing advanced electrical solutions that meet your facility’s power requirements while maximizing value.

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The most commonly used commercial electrical products

The most common electrical products found in commercial buildings include:

Switchgear – House and protect circuit breakers, fuses, switches to control, distribute and isolate power.
Panelboards – Enclose circuit breakers or fuses that distribute and protect branch circuits. Manage lighting, receptacles, equipment.
Transformers – Step down higher incoming voltage levels for usage. Isolate electrical systems.
Motor Starters and Drives – Start motors smoothly and protect them. Control motor speed.
Transfer Switches – Transition power source between utility and backup generator.
Disconnect Switches – Manually isolate equipment for safety during maintenance.
Lighting Controls – Occupancy sensors, timers, dimmers that optimize lighting usage.
Meters – Monitor power consumption and quality to identify optimization opportunities.

These products provide safe, reliable and efficient power distribution and control across commercial facilities.

The standards apply to commercial electrical equipment

Relevant standards include:

NEC – National Electrical Code lays out wiring methods, overcurrent protection rules and installation requirements.
NEMA Ratings – Classify electrical enclosure types for environmental protection needs.
UL – Third-party safety certification for common hazards like arc flash, electric shock.
Energy Star – Verifies products meet EPA efficiency guidelines to reduce electricity use.
Title 24 – California standard for lighting controls and building energy efficiency.
LEED – Administered by USGBC, rewards green buildings for sustainability.

Compliance provides assurance of safe, long-lasting and high-performing commercial electrical systems.

How to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings?

Energy saving electrical approaches include:

Install LED lighting with advanced controls like occupancy/daylight sensors.
Add VFD motor drives to reduce HVAC fan energy usage.
Switch to higher efficiency Premium motors and transformers.
Deploy power meters to identify optimization opportunities.
Install capacitors to improve power factor and reduce losses.
Use timers or scheduled lighting controls to switch off unused areas.
Replace aging electrical components and distribution wiring with current efficient models.
Shut off devices when not in use to reduce phantom loads.

Optimizing commercial electrical usage lowers utility bills and meets sustainability goals.

What lighting controls work well in commercial settings?

Effective commercial lighting controls:

Occupancy sensors turn off room lighting when vacant. Help meet codes.
Daylight harvesting systems adjust brightness based on available natural light.
Timers manage common area lighting schedules automatically.
Lighting contactors energize and de-energize lighting circuits as needed.
Preset dimming scenes tailor light levels to activities like meetings or cleaning.
Centralized lighting control systems enable facility-wide control from one interface.

Advanced controls reduce wasted lighting energy and enhance occupant comfort.

How do you safely isolate equipment in commercial facilities?

Equipment isolation methods include:

Enclosed circuit breakers – Enable remotely switching off equipment like HVAC units while protected inside switchgear.
Disconnect switches – Manually disconnect power with a switch yet maintain fuses/breakers in the circuit.
Lockout/Tagout – Physically lock disconnect switches and panelboards associated with equipment during maintenance using padlocks.
Safety interlocks – Prevent accessing components unless power is mechanically disconnected first.
Remote racking devices – Allow breakers to be pulled out or inserted into switchgear outside the arc flash boundary.
Insulated power tools – Prevent inadvertent contact with live circuits during diagnosis.

Following electrical safety procedures protects workers and avoids unintentional re-energization.

What causes power quality issues in commercial buildings?

Common power quality culprits:

Starting large motors like elevators can briefly drop voltage levels.
Unbalanced loads on three-phase systems produce voltage imbalances.
Equipment like photocopiers or AV systems with switched-mode power supplies can generate harmonics.
Transients from lightning strikes or switching surges can damage electronics.
Poor grounding allows noise interference for sensitive devices.
Old wiring with deteriorated insulation causes voltage drops under load.
Overloaded circuits trip breakers, interrupting power.

Power conditioning and surge protection helps mitigate quality issues.

How can power monitoring improve commercial electrical systems?

Power metering benefits include:

Identify underused equipment to shut off or adjust for savings.
Detect harmonics and anomalies needing correction to improve reliability.
Evaluate voltage drops or unbalances indicating wiring issues.
Verify proper phase balancing to prevent transformer overloads.
Correlate usage spikes with equipment startup cycles for load balancing.
Confirm generator capacity is adequate under emergency demand loads.
Log outages or surges to pinpoint causes and prevent future issues.

Detailed power data enables informed electrical system improvements. Real-time monitoring is most effective.

What surge protection should commercial facilities have?

Surge protection technologies:

MOVs (metal oxide varistors) clamp transient overvoltages on service entrances and panelboards.
Surge protective receptacles filter power at point of use for sensitive electronics.
Lightning arrestors divert lightning strikes from directly impacting the building.
AC line filters isolate equipment from line harmonics and noise.
Surge suppressors protect communications and data lines from voltage spikes.

Layered surge protection defends critical systems from damage and disruption.