Unfortunately, for the past year due to the COVID situation, many plants and facilities have been running at greatly reduced capacities; many with reduced shifts or minimal operations. Thankfully, with the hope of a vaccine on the horizon and the start of a new year, we seem to have turned a corner and operations are resuming. Some plants have taken advantage of the down time to make necessary repairs and implement upgrades and to prepare themselves for a new business cycle. Where systems and equipment have been sitting idle, or operating at a reduced capacity, there is always a danger that a sudden return to full loading may expose system weaknesses, or stress failing and/or aging components. It is always a good idea to give your plant infrastructure a checkup or implement a plant/facility wide recommissioning prior to reenergization.

Over time electrical equipment ages and deterioration occurs as part of the normal process. With proper testing and effective maintenance, most unplanned outages can be prevented, and equipment life maximized.

When equipment is sitting idle the electrical distribution system can experience dielectric deterioration due to moisture-absorbing components. Condensation may build up, and wind driven snow, ground, or rainwater often seem to find a path into the electrical system where it waits for an inopportune moment to strike.  Then, after the system is returned to full load, a sometimes-catastrophic failure can occur and the plant folks find they have some unpleasant explaining to do. Just as a doctor recommends a physical prior to starting on an exercise program, your electrical system should have regular check-ups and a physical before adding load or resuming operation after a slow period.

How confident are you that your system is ready to start production and able to sustain operation after a slow period? Has anything changed? Has there been any pest damage to equipment or cabling? Have the cubicle heaters been operating? Do you have a load tap changer or similar equipment? If you have been running lightly loaded will it function properly once your load changes with resumed operations. There are just a few of the many questions plant and facilities teams should be asking themselves when preparing for their facilities to open back up.

Effective maintenance, as outlined by NFPA-70B and maintenance testing per NETA MTS are a good first step in the process. Working with an accredited testing company helps ensure you are performing he right tests on the right parts of your system. An experienced technician will know what the appropriate piece of test equipment is and the limitations of that test. There are numerous tests available ranging from insulation resistance, contact resistance, cable insulation integrity, grounding, primary injection testing, protective relay testing, excitation and winding resistance, to performing power factor testing on transformers, bushings, circuit breakers, cables, and lightning arrestors to mention just a few. Knowing which tests to run and what compliment of tests are needed to maximize your operational peace of mind can be achieved through an open discussion with your testing partner.

An engineering review with a load or system study, where applicable, can help to ensure your system is up to date and able to handle today’s loads and tomorrow’s demands. Your Arc Flash Hazzard analysis should be updated whenever changes occur or, in the absence of changes, every five years at a minimum. Will your protective devices operate selectively under fault conditions? Is your grounding system up to code? Have there been any power quality changes or new equipment added? Is your equipment reaching the end of its useful life? Can it be refurbished? Upgraded? Does it need to be replaced? Are there other “life extension options” available? What about retrofits or retro-fills? These are some of the questions an experienced engineering and testing organization can help you answer. An engineering review can be tailored and customized to your needs, application, and budget. An independent engineering review coupled with a regular testing and maintenance program can help ensure effective life cycle management of your plant/facilities asset and may just help you sleep better once we hit the industry “on switch” once again. Stay safe out there!!