Prefabricated Substations
What is a prefabricated electrical assembly?
Eaton Arabia supplies Prefabricated Substation solutions (E-Houses) for Oil, Gas & Petrochemical clients and industries including custom-designed Power Centers for onshore and offshore applications.
E-House solution integrates major power and control equipment into prefabricated electrical buildings (PEBs) that are easy to install and maintain. These “E-Houses” provide HVAC, lighting, security and motor control for Oil & Gas operations utilizing our switchgear and motor control centers.
What is a prefabricated electrical assembly?
A prefabricated electrical assembly is a fully customizable and factory-integrated solution for electrical control and power distribution. Prefabricated assemblies integrate multiple pieces of electrical equipment into an enclosure or skid and can be designed for stand-alone construction. These prebuilt power systems increase project productivity by helping to shorten timelines, simplify project management and reduce installation time and cost. Compared to customary brick and mortar construction, prefabricated assemblies are often the most economical choice to meet project demands.
- Space is limited due to cost or availability
- New or incremental electrical equipment is required
- Electrical systems are located in a remote area or separately from the main facility
Prefabricated electrical assemblies can also significantly reduce project management requirements. Onsite coordination and installation problems are minimized or eliminated because all equipment is installed, tested and ready to use upon delivery.
To make things simpler, prefabricated electrical assemblies can be custom designed, constructed, tested and inspected. This streamlined process is typically significantly more efficient than onsite construction and coordination.
Why use a prefabricated assembly?
There are hosts of advantages to consider when deciding between traditional and prefabricated electrical assemblies.
- Less on-site labor
Prefabricated assemblies are factory constructed and electrical equipment wired and tested to minimize on-site labor costs, quality issues, and time.
- Simplified project management
Prefabricated assemblies can significantly reduce the potential impact of various equipment delivery schedules and multiple construction trades accessing the jobsite.
- Streamlined power system component integration, commissioning and testing
With start-up and commissioning test plans are combined with in-depth factory testing, prefabricated electrical assemblies arrive ready to manage all anticipated normal and emergency operating conditions.
- Reduced physical footprint
Each assembly is engineered to use as little space as possible while meeting unique application needs. Most solutions can fit on a platform or trailer, making transportation and space requirements manageable.
- Future expandability
Unlike traditional construction, prefabricated electrical assemblies offer a flexible, expandable design that can be connected to additional units to meet changing needs.
- Accelerated asset depreciation
Prefabricated assemblies can be depreciated faster than traditional brick and mortar builds in the U.S. according to IRS publication 946. Prefabricated assemblies can be depreciated in 7 years compared to 39 years for equipment installed in facility
Enclosed or skid – understand what makes sense for you
Whether single-unit, multi-story, walk-in or non-walk-in, prefabricated electrical assemblies provide a solid foundation for electrical control and power distribution. Construction details are engineered to ensure that both customer specifications and building codes are met for each installation.
Enclosed electrical assemblies can be customized with climate control and blast-resistant enclosures to meet the required ratings for hazardous environments including Class 1 Division 2, or when traditional indoor equipment needs to be located outdoors. Rated for reliable performance in extreme environmental conditions, enclosed electrical assemblies can be applied in conditions where wind, snow, seismic activities or harsh temperatures occur. Custom components can also be integrated into enclosed assemblies, including HVAC systems, power backup equipment or personnel workstations
Skidded Solution
Skidded electrical assemblies are a plug-and-play solution that mounts all necessary electrical equipment onto a base that can be delivered to a designated location for quick, safe and easy installation. Whether a fully integrated electrical control room or power distribution center, skid assemblies can be configured for indoor or outdoor applications.
Skidded designs can be incorporated into existing buildings and configured for nearly any application. For example, preassembled substations can be applied in remote oil and gas production sites, on campus-type commercial settings, or at utility distribution substations and distributed-generation sites. The flexible, expandable design allows for a variety of customized equipment configurations and can even be connected to other modules to form larger, more complex electrical systems. Designs can also be standardized to easily accommodate future modifications.
The different types of prefabricated electrical assemblies include:
E-house
What is an e-house?
An electrical house or e-house is a fully customizable, prefabricated integrated power assembly that contains industrial control and power distribution equipment. Design, construction quality inspection and testing of the solution is all completed in a controlled manufacturing setting prior to being delivered to a job site.
An electrical house can include a wide variety of electrical equipment and meet additional operational needs. For example, e-houses can support HVAC systems, personnel workstations and backup power system requirements.
How is an E-House Build?
E-houses are constructed using a quarter-inch thick floor plate welded to a C-channel base. This solid foundation for internally mounted components enables installation on either a concrete pad or raised “piers.” Exterior walls are formed interlocking panels typically constructed from painted-galvanized steel, aluminum, or stainless steel, but can also be made from other materials to extend the life of the structure, including pre-coated corrugated galvalume steel, concrete or fiberglass. Building aesthetics can be enhanced with flashing and trim, and side walls can be modified to accommodate penetrations as required.
Where can an e-house be applied?
E-houses can be applied across many industries and applications. They are often chosen over traditional brick and mortar construction because of the positive impact on project productivity. Using an e-house can simplify project management and coordinating equipment, saving time and money.
E-houses are also a good fit for applications requiring equipment that is not rated for the location’s environment. For example, e-houses can be built to NEMA 3R standards, which provides a raintight enclosure. Additionally, e-houses can be built to operate in harsh or hazardous environments (like Class 1, Division 1, Groups A, B, C and D as defined by NFPA 70), meet additional ratings and address environmental conditions.
What equipment can be integrated into an e-house?
Almost any type of power distribution and control equipment can be included in an e-house including but not limited to:
Low voltage motor control centers
Medium voltage motor control
Backup power UPS systems
Low voltage switchgear
Gas-insulated, metal-clad and metal-enclosed medium voltage switchgear
Substation transformers
