Over the last few years, electrical installation design software has taken great strides forward. Giuliano Digilio, ECA Head of Technical Services explains how this has made work on new and existing installations that much simpler and cost effective.
Man Hours
The design process can be one of the most expensive and time-consuming parts of an electrical project. A large amount of a design engineer’s time will often be given over to making sure that calculations add up. However, innovation in design software means that these can now be done in seconds. At the same time, software has also made compliance with industry standards including the wiring regulations much more straightforward. Streamlining the job, this allows design engineers to use their man hours more effectively.
Efficient Projects
Aside from its use on new installations, design software allows engineers to make easy alterations to existing designs as projects evolve and change, requiring redesigning. Properly used design software will also have an impact on the lifetime efficiency of an installation. Design engineers will be able to optimise the project from the start by altering the configuration to minimise cable losses over the length of each cable within the installation. This will ensure that energy wastage is kept to a minimum. Maximising energy efficiency, this makes design software invaluable as a bidding tool.
Although it can simplify projects, design software is a sophisticated tool, requiring the know-how that fully qualified engineers will have to make full-use of its potential.
BIM Compatibility
As building information modelling software is now becoming more commonly used in the wider building services industry to deliver more efficient and better-value projects, greater demands are also being made for an integrated approach to building design. To address this, installation design software is now being developed which is compatible with building information modelling software and automatically incorporates electrical installations into the wider building model as it is developed.
To The Future
Cutting the time spent on calculations and compliance with standards, and making final designs and adaptations cheaper for contractors and design engineers, it is clear that the future for electrical installation lies in design software. Taking the plunge and getting to grips with good electrical design software is now a wise choice for any electrical consultancy practice, electrical design engineer or electrical contractor. Those who have the expertise will be the ones to master the market in years to come as clients demand an integrated, cost-effective design process and this useful tool becomes the norm.