BUILDING ELECTRICAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT - Electric circuit refers to the complete path traversed by an

electric current. It is the entire house wiring installation
BRANCH CIRCUIT - Branch circuit is defined by the National Electrical Code (NEC) as:
"the circuit conductors between the final over current protective device and the outlets.”
It is only the wiring installed between the circuit over current protective device i.e. fuse
or circuit breaker, and the outlet
Branch circuit comprises the following:
• The source voltage
• The wiring
• The load
ELECTRICAL LAYOUT AND ESTIMATE
Circuitry design varies according to the number of designers. However, good circuitry
design is based on the following considerations:
• Flexibility of the circuit - Flexibility of the Circuit means that the installation can
accommodate all probable pattern arrangements and location of the loads for
expansion, or future development
• Reliability and efficiency of service - Reliability and Efficiency of Service-
means to have a continuous service and supply of power that are all dependent
on the wiring system
• Safety and circuitry - Safety means that independent service can be used in
lieu of emergency equipment as backup for normal services. Reliability of electric
power in a facility is determined by two factors: Utility Service and Building
Electric System
For the reliability of the circuitry, the following principles should be considered.
• To provide double emergency power equipment at selected weak points in the
system.
• That the electrical service and the building distribution system must act 02
together so that the power can reach the desired point of service.
• Critical loads within the facility must be pinpointed to determine the best way to
serve them by providing a reliable power either from the outside source, or by
standby power package for them.
• The system design must readily detect any equipment failure and to be corrected
automatically.
ECONOMY AS TO COST
Economy refers to the initial cost as well as the operating cost.
The effect of Acquiring Low Cost Equipment
• High energy cost
• Higher maintenance cost
• Shorter life
ENERGY CONSIDERATION
• Energy laws and codes
• Budget
• Energy conservation technique
• Energy control
• Space allocation
SPACE ALLOCATION
• Easy maintenance
• Ventilation
• Expandability
• Centrality
• Limitation of access
Branch Circuit is classified into:
• General purpose branch circuit - General purpose branch circuit supplies
outlets for lighting and appliances, including convenience receptacles
• Appliance branch circuit - Appliance branch circuit supplies outlets intended for
feeding appliances. Fixed lighting however, is not supplied.
• Individual branch circuit - Individual branch circuit Is designed to supply a
single specific item
Circuiting Guidelines
1. The code requires sufficient circuitry to supply residential load of 30 watts per
square meter in buildings excluding porches, garages and basements.
2. The requirement of 30 watts per square meter is up to 80 square meters for a 20
amperes circuit (2,400 watts) or 60 square meters for 15 amperes circuit (1,800
watts).
3. The Code requires a minimum of 20 amperes appliance branch circuit to feed all
small appliance outlets in the kitchen, pantry, dining and family room.
4. The general-purpose branch circuit shall be rated at 20 amperes circuit, wired
with No. 12 AWG being the minimum size of conductor wire required for all
convenience outlet.
5. The minimum circuit load of 15-ampere circuit shall be used for light circuit
6. Plug outlets or convenience receptacles shall be counted in computing the load if
it is not included in the load for general lighting circuit. To find the number of
 outlets for 9 and 12 amperes loading on a 15 and 20 amperes circuit
respectively, we have:
a. For 15-ampere circuit: 9/1.5 = 6 outlets
b. For 20-ampere circuit: 12/1.5 = 8 outlets
7. Convenience receptacles should be planned properly, so that it case of failure by
any one of the circuitries, the entire area will not be deprived of power supply. In
terms of reliability of service, each area should be provided alternately with
different circuits.
8. All kitchen outlets should be fed from any of these circuits except lighting circuit.
9. Certain outlets in the room should be designed as appliance outlet like:
a. All kitchen receptacles
b. Dining room receptacles
c. One in the living room
10. The code requires that, “at least one 20 amperes circuit supply the laundry
outlets”
11. If air conditioner is anticipated, provide a separate circuit for this particular
appliance.
Other Good Practices in Circuiting
1. Lighting and receptacles should not be combined in a single circuit.
2. Avoid connecting all building lights on a single circuit.
3. Do not allow combination switch and receptacle outlets.
4. Provide at least one receptacle in the bathroom, and one outside the house. Both
must be Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) type.
5. Provide switch control for closet lights. Pull chain switch is a nuisance.
6. Convenience outlet shall be laid out in such a manner that no point on a wall is
more than 2.00 meters from an outlet. Use grounding type receptacle only.
Protection of the Branch Circuit
As a rule, branch circuit should be protected from over current. Hence, an overall
current protective device shall be installed in all branch circuitries. The function of the
over-current protective devices is to open the circuit (disconnect the line) when the
current capacity of the equipment being protected is exceeded
OVER CURRENT - Over current is any current in excess of the rated capacity of the
equipment or the rated ampacity of the conductor.
There are two principal causes of over current:
1. Overload in the equipment or conductors
2. Short circuit or ground fault
The over current protective devices are installed in circuits to protect the following:
• The wiring
 • The lights
• The transformer
• Appliances and other equipment
FUSE - Fuse is defined as an overall current protective device with a circuit opening
fusible element which opens (break) when there is an over current in the circuit. It is a
one-time protective device to be replaced after the fault is cleared.
Generally, fuse consist of a fusible link or wire that easily melt at a low temperature
classified into two types: Cartridge type and Plug Fuse type
Circuit Breaker - The Circuit Breaker is an over-current protective device to protect the
branch circuit from overload and ground fault. Circuit breaker can be manually tripped,
so that, in many cases, it can also act as circuit switch. Trip or Tripping refers to the
cutting off or disconnection pf the current supply.
Advantage of Circuit Breaker Over the Fuse
• The circuit breaker act as a switch aside from it’s being an over-current protective
device.
• Unlike the fuse that has to be discarded after it was busted die to an over current
flow, the circuit breaker trips off automatically and after correcting the fault, it is
again readily available for switch on.
• Circuit breaker can be multiple pole installed with 1,2 or 3 poles which will
simultaneously protect and switch one to three lines. The fuse on the other hand,
is a single pole, installed on a single wire that could only protect a single electric
line.
• The circuit breaker position is easier to detect. It could be closed, tripped, or
open right at the handle. On the contrary, the busted fuse could not be detected
easily because the melted fusible element is inside the fuse casing.
• The circuit breaker can be manually tripped so that in n many cases, it also acts
as the circuit switch
Advantage of the Fuse over the Circuit Breaker
Despite the advantages of the circuit breaker over the fuse, the latter has also some
advantages over the circuit breaker enumerated as follows:
• One major advantage of the fuse over the circuit breaker is its reliability and
stability. The fuse can stay on its position for years and act when called on to act
as designed.
• The cost of the fuse is very much lower compared to that of the circuit breaker.
• Circuit breakers has several moving parts which requires maintenance and
periodic testing to be in good condition at all time.
The Panel Board - The Panel Board is defined by the National Electrical Code as “A
single panel or group panel limits designed for assembly on the form of a single panel.”
It is designed for mounting in a cabinet of cutout box installed in or against a wall or
partition accessible only to the front. Panel board is popularly known as panel or
electrical panel. It is simply the box wherein the protective devices are grouped from
which they are fed. If the devices are of fuses, it is called Fuse Panel. If the devices are
circuit breakers, it is called Breaker Panel
LAMP CONTROL - Light control is the ability to regulate the level and quality of light in
a given space for specific tasks or situations. Controlling light properly not only
enhances the experience, it helps to save energy by using light when and where it is
needed most.
MASTER SWITCH - A switch that controls the action of relays or that makes and
breaks the main supply line to a building other installation
EMERGENCY ELECTRIC SUPPLY SYSTEM
The concept of the emergency standby system is to replace normal power supply to
selected, or entire loads within the building in case of utility power outage. Loads
include egress light on stairs, doors, exit and lobby area. The emergency electrical
supply system could be arranged as follows:
• BATTERY SUPPLIED - Storage batteries are connected to a converter Where
all emergency loads be supplied with direct current DC as in the following
diagram, the Same arrangement in Figure 3-23 could be adopted if alternating
current AC is required. When the equipment is totally separated from the formal
equipment and is normally de-- energized, following arrangement could be
utilized.
• CURRENT SUPPLY BY GENERATOR - Where emergency loads are large
enough that batteries. could not be economically feasible, and where 8 to 15
seconds starting time is tolerable, a generator set is employed
• TWO SEPARATE ELECTRIC SERVICES - The National Electrical Code allows
the use of two separate electric services. One for normal, and the other for
emergency source
ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN BUILDING
The Service Entrance is defined as that portion of the supply conductors which extends
from the street main duct or transformer to the service or switchboard of the, building
supply. The National Electrical Code (NBC) defined service entrance as: “The conductor
and equipment for delivering energy from the electricity supply system to the wiring
system of the premises served”.
• Overhead service entrance is the common type of service wire installed by
electric power supply companies for industrial, commercial, and residential
houses
• Underground service entrance consists of a race-way (conduit) extending from
the building to the property line where it is tapped to the main.
Electric Service Metering
Electric Meter is generally installed outside the building at the property line wall, or
electric post for ready access to the meter reader, making it more difficult to tamper or
to install jumpers.
• The Feeder - The National Electrical Code define Feeder as the "All circuit
conductors between the service equipment or the generator switchboard of an
isolated plant, and the final branch circuit over current device
• The Main - The Main is a feeder interior wiring extending from the service switch,
generator bus, or converter bus, to the main distribution center or electric service
equipment’s.
• Location of the Service Equipment - The Service Equipment should be
centrally located to shorten all home runs. Branch circuit run in excess of 30
meters will have an excessive voltage drop.
Single Phase
In single phase electricity, the supply voltage of the power changes simultaneously. In
general, a single-phase current is called “residential voltage” because it is mostly used
in homes. When it comes to distributing power, a single-phase connection uses neutral
and phase wires. The neutral wire acts as a returning path for the current and the phase
wires carry the load.
ADVANTAGE: Single-phase connections are intended for domestic supplies and
residential homes. That’s because, most of the appliances require a small amount of
electricity to perform such as television, lights, fans, refrigerator.
DISADVANTAGE: Heavy equipment such as industrial motors and other machinery
alike cannot run by using a single-phase power supplier, etc.
Three-phase
With a three-phase power connection, you get three individual electric services. So, how
does three phase work? Every leg of the current can reach maximum voltage and gets
separated by one-third of the time completed within one cycle. In short, the voltage from
a three-phase power connection remains constant
GROUNDING
The term grounding is commonly used in the electrical industry to mean both
“equipment grounding” and “system grounding”. Equipment grounding means the
connection of earth ground to non-current carrying conductive materials such as
conduit, cable trays, junction boxes, enclosures, and motor frames
PURPOSE:
1. To provide solid ground reference for the microgrid.
 2. To detect the faults within the microgrid faster and more reliable and secure.
3. To enable grid re-synchronization
GROUND FAULT
A ground fault happens when electricity strays to an unplanned path to the ground. This
path is unrestricted as there is no longer resistance and the flow of charge increases
dramatically and quickly. Ground faults are most dangerous in areas that tend to
experience high moisture, such as bathrooms or garages. Shock is the most common
danger, but fires and burns are also a high risk
Circuit Safe Load
The problem confronting the technologist is to determine the types of wire to their sizes
and other appurtenances relative to its installation The National Electrical Code have
the following provisions:
1. The code provides that wirings for electrical circuitry shall be of the types RHW,
T, THW, TW, THWN, XHHW in a raceway or cables as presented on table 2-5.
2. That, on a 15 amperes circuit, a single appliance shall not draw a maximum load
of more than 12 amperes.
3. That, on a 20 amperes circuit, a single appliance shall not draw a maximum load
of more than 16 amperes
4. That, if a branch circuit is combined with lighting or portable appliances, any fixed
appliance shall not be allowed to draw more than 7.5 amperes on a 15 amperes
circuit and 10 amperes on a 20 amperes circuit.
5. That, on a 20 amperes circuit, a single appliance shall not draw a maximum load
of more than 16 amperes.
6. That, a heavy lamp holder shall be rated not less than 750 watts.
7. That, a 30, 40, and 50 amperes circuit shall not be used for fixed lighting in
residences.
8. That, when loads are connected for a long period of time, its actual load shall be
computed not to exceed 80% of the fuse rating.
9. That, a continuous type load shall be considered at 125% of the actual load in all
load calculations.
10. That, a single receptacle on individual branch circuit shall have a rating of not
less than the circuit.
11. Receptacles feeding portable and or steady appliance shall be limited to loads of
80% of their rating, that is:
a. 12 amperes for a 15 amperes receptacle
b. 16 amperes for a 20 amperes receptacle
c. 24 amperes for a 30 amperes receptacle
12. The number of outlets in a circuit shall be limited to:
a. 6 outlets on a 15-ampere circuit
b. 8 outlets on a 20-ampere circuit
ELECTRICAL PERMITS
Electrical Permit Needed Before Work is Started
Before starting any installation work, alteration, repair or extension on any electrical
system, the owners, lessors, operators, occupants, or licensed electrical practitioners
shall obtain Electrical Permit for buildings, trailers, mobile homes, or other premises
from the Office of the Local Building Official, and for watercrafts from the Maritime
Industry Authority (Marina). In securing the electrical permit, the services of a licensed
electrical practitioner are required under the New Electrical Engineering Law (RA 7920).
Requirement for Electrical Permit: Signatures and submittals

LIGHT AND ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING SYSTEM

LIGHTING - describes the way an area is made known to the human eye through either
natural or artificial light.

Natural Light Artificial Light

• Natural Sources • Human-made

• Sun • Fire
• Moon • candlelight
• Stars • gas light
• Fire • electric lamps

EVOLUTION OF ARTIFICIAL LIGTHING

Early Days (500BC)
The origin of artificial light goes all the way back to 500 BC, when bamboo pipes carried
natural gas from volcanoes to light the streets of ancient China
1400's
The Romans lit the front of their homes with oil lanterns and had special servants who
tended to these lanterns. In 1417, the Mayor of London created a law that required all
homes have a lantern hung front during the winter
1700's
light fixtures were equipped with poorly made oil lamps and candles.
1800's
- gas lighting replaced candles and oil lamps.
- Sir Humphry Davy created the first carbon arc lamp in 1809
- The first patent for an incandescent lamp in 1841 by Frederick de Moleyns.
- in 1874 patent for the incandescent lamp with a carbon filament was issued to Henry
Woodward and Mathew Evens.
- Edison group discovered that a lamp with a carbonized bamboo filament would burn
for up to 1200 hours.
- “Edison screw-in lamp”
1900's
- 1911 - Tungsten filament lamps by William D. Coolidge.
- improved in 1913 by Irving Langmuir 1925, all lamps were made of clear glass. Marvin
Pipkin invented the first incandescent frosted lamp.
- 1950’s brought us into the “halogen era”
- in 1976 Edward Hammer created the first spiral compact fluorescent lamp
- Gary Pittman and James Biard were working on a laser diode when they discovered
the first “light emitting diode” (LED) in 1961
- in 1993 Shuji Nakamura developed the first bright blue emitting diode.

ELEMENTS OF SEEING LIGHTS

Light
- Light as part of electromagnetic spectrum
Visible light is a kind of radiation under electromagnetic radiation
- Light as part of Electrical Lighting Design
Light has 5 elements in Electrical Lightning Design namely: Luminous Flux,
Luminous Efficiency, Luminous Intensity, Illuminance and lastly, Luminance

• Luminous Flux - The luminous flux describes the quantity of light emitted by a
light source. It is represented by the symbol, Փ. It is measured by lumen (lm)
• Luminous Efficiency - The luminous efficiency of an electrical lamp is the ratio
of the luminous flux emitted by the lamp to the electrical power consumed by the
lamp. Its unit is (lm/W).
• Luminous Intensity - The luminous intensity describes the quantity of light that
is radiated in a particular direction from a light source such as a lamp. It is
 represented by the symbol, I. Its unit of measurement is the candela (cd).
Luminous Intensity is given by: I = Փ/W
• Illuminance - Illuminance describes the quantity of luminous flux falling on a
surface. It decreases by the square of the distance (inverse square law). It is
represented by the symbol, E. Its unit of measurement is the lux or lx.
Illuminance is given by: E (lx) = luminous flux(lm)/area (m2) = Փ/A
Note that: lx = lm/m2
• Luminance - Luminance specifies the brightness of a surface and is essentially
dependent on its reflectance (finish and color). It is represented by the symbol, L.
Its unit of measurement is cd/m2
Luminance is given by: L = I/A or L = E/W
CHARACTERISTICS OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING
- Light Quality - This is basically the very first characteristic of many light sources
It shows how good or bad a lighting source is. Basically, two simple measures
are considered under the light quality characteristic. They include:
- Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) - The CCT explains the color temperature
of light sources.
- Color Rendering Index (CRI) - The CRI describes the reproduction system of
the various colors seen in light sources.
• Efficacy - This talk about their efficiency and how much light they generate as
well as their energy input. Higher incandescent bulbs are also more efficient than
the low capacity ones. Fluorescent bulbs are known to be higher in efficacy when
compared to the incandescent lamps.
• Timing - It covers the flicker and the turn on time. The term flicker refers to what
happens when a light turns off every time the AC line passes through 0 volts.
When it comes to turn on time, this refers to how fast a light turns on when power
is applied
• Dimming - Dimming means reducing the output of a lamp or lighting fixture. The
output of a lamp or lighting fixture is measured in lumens (lm) and is sometimes
known as its “luminous flux”. As a lamp or fixture is dimmed, its lumen output
decreases.
• Aging - There’s a difference on aging duration for all the light sources. An
incandescent bulb has a lifetime of 100 hours of usage. Fluorescent bulbs have
complex lifetime since their lifetime depends on how many hours they are used
as well as the on/off cycles used. Basically, their lifetime stands at 10,000 hours
of usage. LEDs have longer lifetimes. This is because they are made of
semiconductors that last for years. Their average lifetime stands at 50,000 hours
TYPES OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING SOURCES
• Incandescent Lamp - It has a wide variety of forms, shapes and sizes.
Incandescent lamps are critically dependent on the wattage supply that even for
 a small fluctuation of the current voltage, its life, output, and efficiency is
materially affected. It generates yellow color or warm light output
• Fluorescent Lamp - It was first introduced in 1937. It was considered the best,
and most widely used type of lamp. It comes in varieties of sizes, wattages,
colors, voltages and specific applications, and has longer life span compared
with the incandescent lamp. The emitted light is typically white.
• Mercury Lamp - It is a combination of the arc discharge characteristics of a
fluorescent lamp and the compact focusable shape of an incandescent lamp. The
lifespan of a mercury lamp is extremely long with an average of 24, 000 hours
based on 10 burning hours per start.
• Metal Halide Lamp - It is a Mercury Lamp, improved by the addition of halides of
metal such as Thallium, Indium, or Sodium to the arc tube. It generates a very
cool white light.
• High Pressure Sodium Lamp - It was first developed and introduced by
General Electric Co. (GE). This is one of the latest developments in the high
intensity discharge (HID) lamps. Among the most efficient sources of light; used
primarily for exterior street lighting. The color rendition is similar to incandescent
lamps. It has a yellowish color.
• Low Pressure Sodium Lamp - This type of lamp is also called SOX. It produces
light of sodium characteristics monochromatic deep yellow color. SOX is widely
used on streets, roads, area lighting and for emergency or after-hours indoor
lighting. This lamp is identified through its signature color that is monochromatic
yellow.
• Tungsten - Halogen Lamp - Tungsten-Halogen Lamp is popularly called Quartz
Lamp. It is a special type of incandescent lamp. Tungsten halogen lamps are
being used widely as spotlight, film projectors, for medical surgery lamp and the
like
LIGHTING FIXTURES
Lighting fixtures are electrical devices designed to hold and connect the Iamp to the
power supply as well as control and distribute the light, and protect the lamp
Classifications of Lighting Fixtures
• LAMPHOLDERS - are either cord or box mounted sockets for the incandescent
lamps or wiring strips for the fluorescent lamps which are provided with wiring
channel and mounting for the ballast.
• REFLECTORS - a mirror (usually curved) in the back of a lighting fixture, which
redirects back through the front of the fixture those rays of light which hit it.
• DIFFUSER - This is a translucent or semi-transparent cover that spreads out or
scatters light. Using a diffuser will control brightness and give off a soft light
relative to the lamps being used.
ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING
serves and enhances certain architectural elements to foster, establish or emphasize a
building’s aesthetic, history and purpose—its ethos.
COMPREHENSIVE LIGHTING
• Consideration of the amount of functional light provided.
• The energy consumed.
• The aesthetic impact supplied by the lighting system
THREE KEY ASPECTS
• Aesthetic
• Function
• Efficiency
DECISIONS TO CONSIDER
• The lamps and fixtures to be used.
• The arrangement and installation of the fixtures.
• Any required electrical and control devices.
INFERENCES
• Light is a fundamenta
• l element of architecture
• Lighting can alter the spatiality, visibility and aesthetics of spaces
• Association of light and designs could be by natural or artificial.