Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 17 Automated or manual switching to prevent energy wastage is another potential solution for more sustainable power distribution networks in commercial buildings. CMD has designed and manufactured some bespoke solutions for specific clients that enable an “all off”’ power down out of office hours. It is likely that this type of energy-saving solution will become more commonplace as office occupiers continue to implement carbon reduction plans and are held accountable for credible environmental improvements by their customers. Environmental performancemust be balancedwith resilience, however. For commercial office occupiers in sectors that rely onmission critical computerised systems, such as the banking and broadcast industries, the ability to switch from themain distribution to the UPSmay also need to be incorporated in the power distribution systemdesign. This can be done using either a powertrack or power hub distribution system, with colour coded tap offs to ensure each feed is easily identifiable. With continued volatility in the energy sector, there is potential to see an increasingly strong focus on resilience over the next few years, so dual feed installations may become more commonplace. Retrofitting for “problem” voids With speed and ease of installation and plenty of flexibility for reconfiguration, additional tap-offs, and parallel UPS distribution, a powertrack installation is usually the most appropriate option for flexible and scalable power distribution systems in new build developments or moremodern commercial buildings, but older buildings can bemore challenging. Unlike contemporary buildings, where floor voids have usually been designed with sufficient capacity for the level of services required, heritage or older buildings constructed before technology became such an integral part of the way we live and work, often have shallow or uneven floor voids. This sometimes means that older buildings are unsuitable for a powertrack systembecause, although the lengths of powertrack themselves are slim, the tap offs aremade to the top of the track and require sufficient clearance for maintenance or reconfiguration. The conventional response to insufficient or inconsistent floor voids would either be to opt for a hard wired electrical network, or to raise the floor in order to increase the void space, but these are onerous solutions that would add time to the programme, and raising the floor could compromise headroom. A power hub system provides a convenient alternative to a conventional powertrack, which overcomes the issue of shallow or inconsistent floor voids while offering the same speed and ease of installation, maintenance and reconfiguration benefits. With a reduced height - just 38mm for our Power Hub as compared to 47mm for our Betatrak powertrack – power hub systems have tap-offs located to the side of each unit rather than above. This makes them a much more suitable, compliant solution for shallow and undulating floor voids. Power hub systems combine compact hub units with flexible metal conduits or “umbilicals”, which connect the hubs together to create the electrical distribution network. The metal flexible conduits provide cables with mechanical protection, allowing compliance withWiring Regulation 543.7 “Earthing requirements for the installation of equipment having high protective conductor currents”. They also protect cables from dirt ingress and rodents, ensuring a similar level of resilience to powertrack systems and ensuring that the electrical distribution system offers a lowmaintenance, fit and forget solution. Power hubs can be specified in 4-way and 6-way units, which can be wired in a series circuit in the required configuration. Tap-offs are made to the side of the power hub unit, using BS EN 61535 compliant connectors in a metal housing to ensure a secure and safe tap-off connection. A choice of tap-off units allows electrical supply to be routed to the required locations, regardless of how densely populated the floorplate will be, while minimising the number of hub units required, thereby keeping costs and installation time down, reducing maintenance and optimising space in the void. Additional hub units or tap-offs to existing units can be retrofitted to the installation at any time, with no additional space required for plugging in or unplugging tap- offs and the potential to configure multiple power hubs together on a single circuit. This provides the flexibility required for commercial environments to continue adapting to changing working cultures and technologies. Readiness for change Change in the workplace is nothing new: even those whose working lives can be counted in years rather than decades know that. But the impact of the pandemic, technological innovation, and the emerging jobs that never previously existed are all accelerating change. Building services need to be ready to adapt, so building the flexibility to reconfigure existing power distribution networks without time- consuming, expensive and wasteful strip out is a central part of our readiness for change. More information can be found at www.cmd-ltd.com FEATURE WORKING BUILDINGS