RECO1006 Construction II

Electricity Supply System and

Electrical Installations

Edward CY YIU
Department of Real Estate and Construction
January 2007

Learning Objectives
• Electricity supply system
• General layout of electrical installation
• Protection against electric shock
– Overcurrent protective devices
– Residual current devices
– Earthed equipotential bonding
• Electricity Supply for Emergency system
(see course materials on Fire Safety
Installations or FSI Code)
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 Authority
• ELECTRICITY ORDINANCE, Cap. 406
• Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (2001 Edition - with
amendments)
• CLP / HEC Supply Rules

Building Services Framework

Water in – Plumbing System

Water out – Drainage System

People out – Transportation System

People / Goods in – Transportation
System (Lifts and Escalators) Waste out – Waste Disposal System

Energy in – Electricity Supply Energy out - OTTV

Systems
Air in – MVAC System Air Out – MVAC System

Fire in – Gas Supply System Fire out – Fire Safety System

Light in – Lighting System Light out – Lighting System (blinds)

Sound in – Acoustics System Sound out – Acoustics System

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 What is Electricity
• “Electricity is defined by three major attributes:
– Voltage
– Current
– Resistance
• Voltage is the "pressure" that makes electric charge move.
• Current is the charge's "flow" -- the rate at which the charge moves
through the conductor, measured at any particular point.
• The conductor offers a certain amount of resistance to this flow,
which varies depending on the conductor's composition and size.”

Current is equal to voltage divided by resistance (commonly written as I = v / r).

5
http://www.howstuffworks.com/power.htm

How power transmit?

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http://www.howstuffworks.com/power.htm

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 How much electricity is produced?
• With an installed generation capacity of
6,597.5 megawatts, and a transmission and
distribution network of some 12,000 kilometres,
CLP supplies electricity to approximately 80%
of Hong Kong's total population.

http://www.clpholding.com 7

Transformers and Xfm Room

Source:
CPL (2000)
CoP 101

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 Transformers
For large developments, the local distribution network may supply electricity at 11kV
which is then stepped down at consumer transformers to 380V (3-phase) or 220V (1-
phase) at 50Hz ac current.

Connection between Xfm and Sw

Source:
CPL (2000)
CoP 101

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 Customer’s Switch Room
•The electricity
from transformer
room is fed into a
Main Switchboard
of a building.
• These subsidiary
switchboards send
out power to main
plant areas such
as lift motor room,
pump rooms,
lighting in common
areas, and to all
storeys by means
of a rising main.

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Switch Room LV Interconnection

The rising main is

usually made of
copper bars (‘bus
bar’) with tee off
units tapping
supply to
individual floor at
3-phase.

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http://www.hec.com.hk/NR/rdonlyres/C478933D-F92B-4AD4-B3B1-FC032B1A8202/0/EnCH10.pdf

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 Switchboard Installation
400A TP&N Bus
Bars

63A Isolator
400A Fuses to be
installed

Provision of 63A Power Supply

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For a new shop

Schematic Wiring
Diagram

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 Meter Board
Provision of 63A Power Supply
For a new shop

Meters

If over 160A, Current

Transformer (CT)
box required by CLP

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Plug Requirements
• Guidance Notes for the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (2001
Edition - with amendments)

Rated current 13A

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http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/e_download/pps/elect/guidance/epr2001/c/c3-1.pdf

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 Electrical Safety
• Circuit breaker – a mechanical switching device capable of making, carrying
and breaking currents under normal circuit conditions and also of making,
carrying for a specified time, and breaking currents under specified
abnormal circuit conditions, such as those of short circuit.

• Air circuit breaker – a circuit breaker in which the contacts open and close in
air at atmospheric pressure

• Earthing – the act of connecting the exposed conductive parts of an

installation to the main earthing terminal of an installation.

• Earth leakage current – a current which flows to earth or to extraneous

conductive parts, in a circuit which is electrically sound. This current may
have a capacitive component including that resulting from the deliberate use
of capacitors.

• Residual current device – a mechanical switching device or association of

devices intended to cause the opening of the contacts when the residual
current attains a given value under specified conditions.
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Protective
Devices
from
Electricity
Supply to
Customer
Installation
- HEC

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http://www.hec.com.hk/NR/rdonlyres/C478933D-F92B-4AD4-B3B1-FC032B1A8202/0/EnCH10.pdf

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 Protective
Devices
from
Electricity
Supply to
Customer
Installation
- CLP
MCB Board
Isolator
MCB Units
Fuses
RCCB (for sockets)
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MCB Board
Rated current 63A
BS5486 Pt.13 1969

Isolator

MCB Unit

Residual
Current
Circuit
Breaker

BS5486 Pt 13: Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies – 20

Particular requirements for consumer units

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 • MCB Unit 20A
• 250V 50Hz Isolator 63A 21

MCB and MCCB

MCB provides an
on/off switch
function, as well as a
fuse to protect the
circuit.

The Mould Case Circuit Breaker (MCCB) complies with standard of IEC947-2

The Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) complies with IEC 60898

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 How Circuit Breakers Work
• The simplest circuit protection device is
the fuse.
• A fuse is just a thin wire, enclosed in a
casing, that plugs into the circuit.
• if the current climbs too high, it burns
up the fuse wire.
• Destroying the fuse opens the circuit
before the excess current can damage
the building wiring.

• A circuit breaker does the same thing

as a fuse -- it opens a circuit as soon
as current climbs to unsafe levels -- but
you can use it over and over again.
• The basic circuit breaker consists of a
simple switch, connected to either a
bimetallic strip or an electromagnet.
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Source: see http://www.howstuffworks.com for a flash version of the mechanism

RCD or ELCB or RCCB

• Residual current devices (or called earth
leakage circuit breakers, or Residual current
circuit breakers) must be installed for socket
outlet circuits.
•
When parts under voltage are touched, the RCD
will instantly switch off the current long before
any amount or duration of current flow can
cause damage.

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http://www.alibaba.com/productsearch/Residual_Current_Device.html

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 RCCB at
home – 30mA
Trip, BS4293
• Test button for annual
inspection

These are devices which make

use of sensing the residual
current or voltage in the earth
return circuit and ‘trip’ open when
it exceed the predetermined
value.

BS4293 Specification for residual current operated circuit

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breakers

2 Classes of Equipment
• Class I equipment – equipment in which protection
against electric shock does not rely on basic insulation
only, but which includes means for the connection of
exposed conductive parts to a protective conductor in
the fixed wiring of the installation (see BS2754)

• Class II equipment – equipment in which protection

against electric shock does not rely on basic insulation
only, but in which additional safety precautions such as
supplementary insulation are provided, there being no
provision for the connection of exposed metal work of
the equipment to a protective conductor, and no reliance
upon precautions to be taken in the fixed wiring of the
installation (see BS2754)

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 Earthing requirements
Electrical installations should have an effective earthing arrangement.

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Source: CLP (2001) Supply Rules; EMSD Electricity Household Electrical Safety Handbook

Earth Continuity Conductor

• All metal parts of an installation should be
bonded to the earth connection or Earth
Continuity Conductor (ECC).
• The ECC may be earthed by means of
metal probes buried underground and
carried upwards to the building.

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 4 Categories of Circuit
• Category 1 circuit – a circuit (other than a fire alarm or emergency
lighting circuit) operating at low voltage and supplied directly from a
mains supply system
• Category 2 circuit – with the exception of a fire alarm and
emergency lighting circuits, any circuit for telecommunication (e.g.
radio, telephone, sound distribution, intruder alarm, bell and call, and
data transmission circuit) which is supplied at extra-low voltage.
• Category 3 circuit – a fire alarm circuit or an emergency lighting
circuit.
• Category 4 circuit – a high voltage circuit.

• Extra low voltage – <50V rms ac or <120V ripple free dc

• Low voltage – <1000V rms ac or <1500V dc between conductors

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Installation and Testing

Requirements

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Source: CLP (2001) Supply Rules

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 Old-fashioned Electricity Supply
System to Ageing Buildings in HK
• Cases study of ageing buildings in Sham Shui Po and Kwai
Chung
– Given the relatively low total electrical loading, there were no
transformers installed for the two target buildings. The low-voltage
three-phase incoming power supplies to both buildings were fed
directly by the power company’s cables which were laid underground
adjacent to the main entrance at ground level of the buildings.
– The incoming electrical feeders were mounted alongside the
staircase at the main entrance of the two target buildings. The main
switches and the electric meters for the building flats were mounted
at high level of the sidewall at ground floor. There was no dedicated
switch or meter room housing the electrical switches and meters. In
addition, there was no essential power supply to the buildings.
– Electrical distribution to individual households was through single-
phase cables clipped directly on wall. No metal trunking or tray was
provided for the cable runs along the wall of the staircases.
Distribution boards were located inside the households for final circuit
distribution. Figures 1 and 2 show the schematic arrangement of the
electrical distribution system for the buildings.
Source:
CIIHK (2006) 31
How to calculate the required electrical loads of a building?

• Exposed
Cables –
High Fire
Hazard;
• Cables
passing
through
walls – No
FRP
protection

Source:
32
CIIHK (2006)

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 Source:
CIIHK (2006)
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Statutory maintenance
requirement
• Statutory order/notice for repair and maintenance of electrical installations in
buildings is under the jurisdiction of the Electrical and Mechanical Services
Department (EMSD).
• Regulation 20 of Cap. 406 requires that an owner of a low voltage fixed electrical
installation that has an approved loading exceeding 100A, single or three phase,
at nominal low voltage, that is in premises other than those referred to in
subregulation (1) or (2), shall have the installation inspected, tested and certified at
least once every 5 years (i.e. PITC).
• The main incoming supply to the Sham Shui Po building was 100A, which should
be exempt from this statutory requirement. Despite the exemption, in view of the
generally poor management for the electrical installations at the common areas
(e.g. staircase), it is worthwhile to conduct a PITC for the installations.
• The regulatory PITC requirement should apply to the Kwai Chung building
because the rating of its main incoming supply, as indicated on its circuit breaker,
was 300A. But from the interviews, the respondents did not seem to be aware of
such requirement. While it is recommended to further verify the capacity of the
electrical installations, conduction of a PITC for the installations is recommended.

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 References
• CLP (2000) Code of Practice 101 for Distribution
Substation Design, Version 7.0, China Light and
Power Co. Ltd, HK.
• CLP (2001) Supply Rules, China Light and
Power Co. Ltd., HK.
• EMSD (1997) Code of Practice for the Electricity
(Wiring) Regulations, HK Govt, HK.
• EMSD (1998) Code of Practice for Energy
Efficiency of Electrical Installations, HK Govt,
HK.

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The End
For enquiries, please send email to
Edward CY YIU
Department of Real Estate and Construction
The University of Hong Kong

ecyyiu@hkucc.hku.hk

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