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Electrical Installation course Materials are included.
Typology: Lecture notes
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Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
1.1 Applicable regulations 1.1.1 Electricity act 1.1.2 Wiring regulations 1.1.3 Standards
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
The aim of this lesson is to introduce you to the subject of Electrical Installations.
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
The title of this course, "Electrical Installations" may not at first mean anything to you. Let us first try and see what this means. An 'Electrical Installations' according to the IEE Wiring Regulations, is 'an Assembly of associated electrical equipment to fulfil a specific purpose and having certain Co-ordinated characteristics.' If you look at this definition you will see a number of important words. Let us look at some of these words. For example the term 'Electrical Equipment' corresponds to 'any item for such purpose as generation, conversion, transmission, distribution or utilization of electrical energy, such as machines, transformers, apparatus, measuring instruments, protective devices, wiring materials, accessories, luminaries and appliances'. The term 'Assembly' indicates that the electrical equipment are not considered in isolation but as a complete set. Further this complete set has been assembled together for a specific purpose, and consists of equipment which have characteristics which are Co-ordinated with each other. The term 'Electrical Installation' may now sound even more confusing after my explanation. I have elaborated on the term as it is important to understand what is meant by an "Electrical Installation". Let us now see, by considering some examples, the importance of some of the details I have just mentioned. Question Is an electric light bulb an electrical installation?
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
No. An electric light bulb is a piece of electric equipment but not an assembly. Question Is an assembly consisting of a light bulb, holder, wiring and a switch an electrical installation?
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
It is possible to have electrical installations having just one circuit. However, this circuit must then end in a main switch incorporating a fuse (or other similar device) and connected to the supply. The characteristics of the devices used must also be Co-ordinated. For Example, if the electric lamp has a rating corresponding to a current of 1A, the wire should be able to safely carry this current and the switch should be safely able to switch on or switch off this current. Further the fuse in the main switch should be capable of continuously carrying the rated current of 1A without fusing but should fuse for currents somewhat in excess of the rating protecting the electrical equipment in the event of a fault occurring. The specific purpose in this example is lighting. An electric installation would generally consist of more than One circuit. For example, the electrical equipment in a house would generally be wired into a number of circuits but would be a single electric installation supplying the needs (such as lighting, heating and cooling) of the domestic consumer. I am sure that by now you would have formed quite a good picture of what a simple installation is like. Can you not simply select the equipment that you need and wire them, as is usually done by many electricians? No. although many ordinary people think that any electrician, given the number of points, can competently carry out an electrical installation on his own, it is not true. An electrician left on his own would only copies a system known to him without considering the requirements of the consumer and the various options available. In a small domestic installation the electrician would generally be able to get away using this method of what may be said to be hearsay requirements. However minimum use of material and adequate safety cannot be assured in this manner. Many fires and electrocutions have been attributed to faulty electrical Installations. Only a properly designed installation would protect the consumer from the hazards of electricity. Now that we have come to understand what "an Electrical Installation" is all about, let us see how the various organizations responsible for the Regulations have set about doing it.
1.1.1 Electricity act What are the applicable regulations in Sri Lanka? The Generation, transmission, conversion, distribution, supply and the use of electrical energy is regulated by the Electricity Act No.19 of 1950 and its revisions, such as Ceylon Electricity Board Act No.17 of 1969 and Sri Lanka electricity act No. 20 of 2009 the latest.
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi If the principal act by which electricity is regulated was enacted in 1950, does it mean that there were no legislative enactment's in this regard before that? No. In fact the Electricity Act of 1950 replaced the original Electricity Ordinance of 1906. The administration of the provisions of Act No. 20 of 2009 shall be by the Public Utilities Commission established under the Public Commission Act No.35 of 2002 and the commission shall exercise, perform and discharge all the powers, functions and duties. (You may go through the Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009 which is available in the internet to see the functions of the Commission) In terms of the Electricity Act, unless a person has a licence granted by the Minister shall: (a) establish or maintain any installation for generation of electrical energy for the purpose of transmitting or distributing such energy for use in any place which is not the property of that person, or (b) for any fee or reward supply electrical energy to any other person. What do these 2 statements mean? Does it debar us from having a standby supply? Or does it debar a large factory from having its own distribution network? Does it debar the Electricity Board and similar organizations from transmitting and selling electrical energy to the consumers? I have given a lot of questions together, not with an intention of expecting you to answer them, but as some points for discussion. If an individual consumer has a standby supply which is used only to supply his own requirements, then he does not violate either of the above conditions but he is not permitted to sell it to his neighbour or even to supply it free of charge to him. Similarly, a large factory can have its own distribution network, at whatever voltage it deems fit, provided it feed only within its own premises. Even the houses of employees located within the premises of the factory could be supplied from its own network provided the employee is not metered nor pay a direct charge for the electricity supplied. If the employee is to be charged for the electricity, then it must be supplied by a licensed authority. The Electricity Board, Lanka electricity Company Limited (LECO), local authorities and the like enjoy the powers conferred by the Act in particular areas. Thus the Electricity Board is able to Generate, transmit, convert, distribute and supply electrical energy, whereas the organizations coming under the Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009 Chapter III, Part I under Licensing only are permitted to convert, distribute and supply electrical energy.
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
The supply authority cannot be compelled to give such a supply, as according to the established Electricity Act, "A Licenses shall not be compelled to give a supply of energy to any premises unless he is reasonably satisfied that the consumer’s lines, fittings and apparatus there in are in good order and condition, and are not likely to affect injuriously the use of energy by other persons or the supply thereof of the license" You will notice that I will be asking questions from you as we go along. This is to get you involved in the session. You should briefly try to answer the question before proceeding. Question Does the licensed supply authority have to give a supply to any consumer who desires it provided the electrical installation of the consumer is in satisfactory condition? Does this apply when the power lines are adjacent to the consumer’s location, or when they are very far away or both? What about the size of the supply?
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi
The supply authority is required to give a supply if the origin of the installation at which the supply authority is to give the supply is within 50 meters of the supply mains. Section 25-1of the Electricity Act which relates to this is as follows: "A Distribution licensee shall, upon being requested by the owner or occupier of any premises situated within the authorized area of the licensee- (a) Connect, supply and maintain the supply of electricity to those premises; and (b) So far as may be necessary for that purpose, provide electric lines or electrical plant or both. Section 25-3 of the electricity act says that: The owner or occupier of any premises within the authorised area of a distribution licensee, which- (a) Are situated with in fifty meters from any distribution line of the licensee; or (b) Could be connected to any such line by an electric line supplied and laid by the owner or occupier of those premises. May make a request for a supply to such distribution licensee. From the above, it is seen that the size of the supply is according to the requirements, of the consumer if the feeding point is with 50 meters. However the consumer would have to pay, in either capital or interest, for any expansion required to the existing system. 1.1.2 Wiring regulations Several Regulations have been formed under the Electricity Act. One of these regulations, of the Act is very relevant here and can be stated below as: "A licensee shall not connect to his electric line the wires, fittings, apparatus and appliances on consumer’s premises unless he is
Lalith A. Samaliarachchi c. Why a person cannot run his own electricity generating station, transmit, distribute and sell the generated energy for a fee to any other person? d. Under what conditions can a person generate, transmit & distribute his own generated electrical energy? e. What do you mean by a “licensed authority”? Name some of the licensed authorities in Sri Lanka? g. What is the purpose & use of the IEE wiring regulation? h. What is the purpose & use of the Electricity Act? i. What is the connection between the electricity act and the IEE wiring regulation? j. Give a brief account of the evolution of electricity act and the IEE wiring regulation? Reference
