Electrical Systems

Competencies for
Electrical Systems

1. Describe briefly various aspects and components of electrical

systems, and cite important considerations regarding system design
and operating standards.
2. Identify elements of an effective electrical system and
equipment maintenance program.
3. Describe electrical system components: fuses and circuit breakers;
distribution panels and wiring; electric motors, controls, and drive
elements; electronic equipment; emergency power systems; and
electrical maintenance equipment.
4. Explain the billing methods of electric utilities, describe how to read
electrical utility meters, state why electric bills should be checked for
errors, summarize issues involved in deciding on a tariff (rate) for
electric service, and discuss electric utility deregulation.
5. Outline important elements of the telecommunications system and the
management of that system in hotels today.

Slide 1
Electrical Systems

• Electrical systems consist of a source, a distribution system, and

control devices connected to various pieces of equipment
• Some hospitality businesses produce their own power; internationally,
the term “combined heat and power” (CHP) is used to describe one
source of on-site power production; in the United States, the term
“cogeneration” is also used; this describes a system in which electrical
power and usable thermal output are produced
• Most hospitality operations have their electricity delivered by a local
utility; the utility is responsible for providing power at a correct voltage
and frequency
• The utility provides power through an electric meter that
measures the rate and amount of power consumed; this
information is used to generate the electric bill

Slide 2
Electricity
Terms
• Voltage—a measure of the electrical potential provided by the
utility (often compared to water pressure in a water system)
• Frequency—the rate at which an alternating current (AC) power
supply alternates the direction of the current flow
• Phases—refers to the number of energized or “hot” wires in the
electrical supply (almost always either one or three)
• Amperes—refers to the maximum current flow (measured in
amperes) for the system; it is essentially defined by the wire size
feeding the building
• Transformers—devices that change (step up or step down) the
voltage of the electrical supply

Slide 3
System Design and Operating Standards

• The electrical distribution system at the property should be designed and

maintained according to all relevant codes and standards
• In the United States, electrical system codes are established by local
governments; generally they are patterned after the National Electrical Code
developed by the National Fire Protection Association; codes change over time
as new information is discovered and new materials are developed
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act contains a large number of
provisions for electrical safety; major areas of concern include:
– Design safety standards for electrical systems
– Safety-related work practices
– Safety-related maintenance requirements
– Safety requirements for special equipment
• OSHA standards should be consulted when property maintenance
procedures are developed; OSHA standards outline minimum

standards for electrical safety during maintenance

Slide 4
System and Equipment Maintenance

• Keeping electrical equipment from breaking down is important,

since this equipment is critical to the ability to occupy the building
• For an effective electrical maintenance program, managers need:
– A current set of plans for the building’s electrical system
– Good knowledge of electrical practices and the building’s electrical system by
maintenance personnel and others
– Good housekeeping practices in areas containing electrical
equipment
– Knowledge of and adherence to proper safety procedures
– Incorporation of electrical maintenance procedures into the facility’s preventive
maintenance program
• Vital to the maintenance of the electrical system and equipment
are electrical plans and training for workers in operating and safety
procedures

Slide 5
Electrical Plans

• The electrical plan and the interior design plan must

be closely coordinated to ensure that electrical
services are provided at key building locations
• A building’s electrical plans will be quite extensive; a
major challenge is to keep them current as modifications
are made to the building
• Updating plans should be thought of as a maintenance
activity; it is a mistake to neglect this activity and rely on
the memories of personnel who will eventually move on
to other jobs or retire, taking important information about
the building with them

Slide 6
Training in Operating and Safety
Procedures
• Staff on duty at the front desk should know the location of circuit breakers
and controls for various electrical systems, the location of the electrical
disconnect switch for the building, and the location of the emergency
generator(s)
• Hotel staff members should know enough about the hotel’s electrical system
to answer guest questions about the compatibility of foreign electrical
equipment, and should know where guests can find adapter plugs
• All staff should be made aware of the importance of reporting needed
electrical repairs and of not operating equipment that has become unsafe
due to electrical problems
• Lockout/tagout procedures should always be followed when work is
performed on electrical equipment
• Electrical wiring can be found almost anywhere, so care must be taken
when performing other maintenance tasks to avoid accidental contact with
electrical lines
• Older electrical transformers that contain oil as an insulating/cooling
medium may contain PCBs; the U.S. government has issued rules and
regulations that establish conditions for the continued use of these
transformers Slide 7
System
Components

• In addition to transformers and feeders, other

components of an electrical system are:
– Fuses and circuit breakers
– Distribution panels and wiring
– Electric motors, controls, and drive elements
– Electronic equipment
– Emergency power systems
– Electrical maintenance equipment

Slide 8
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
• Fuses and circuit breakers are designed to break down; they
do so to interrupt the electrical supply when a current flow in
excess of safe levels is detected
• A fuse failure indicates either an existing safety problem
due to a short circuit or a potential safety problem due to
wire overloading
• Some fuses have a replaceable element and reusable fuse
body; others are completely disposable
• Fuses may be screw-in plugs or cylindrical cartridges with
either cylindrical ends or blade ends
• When fuses are replaced, care should be taken to replace
them with units of the correct amperage and type

Slide 9a
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
• Circuit breakers when “tripped” may be simply reset (unlike
fuses that must be replaced); to reset them, they are simply
turned off and then back on
• One type of circuit breaker is the ground fault circuit interrupter
(GFCI); GFCIs are installed where electricity and water may both
be found (bathrooms, swimming pools, spas, etc.); they are
designed to protect people
• Fuses and circuit breakers should never be replaced with items of
a larger capacity unless an analysis reveals that the wiring and
other system elements are capable of handling the larger load
• The burning out of fuses or tripping of circuit breakers should not
be ignored; these are signs that there is a potential problem with
the electrical system that should be investigated
• Fuse and breaker boxes should be kept locked
Slide 9b
Distribution Panels
and Wiring

• Next to the fuses and breaker boxes are the distribution panels
and wiring that distribute electricity to the building and its
equipment
• Preventive maintenance activities should be carried out to
check for loose connections, overloaded wires, and so on
• Some old hotels may have aluminum electrical cables rather
then the more common copper cables; aluminum cables can
cause connections to loosen and overheat, so properties with
aluminum wire need to enforce a regular maintenance schedule
to ensure tight connections

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Electric Motors, Controls, and Drive
Elements

• Small electric motors are found in many devices in a hospitality

operation; large motors power major pieces of building equipment
• The level of preventive maintenance performed on an electric motor will
vary depending on the motor’s size and importance to the operation
• Preventive maintenance includes regular inspections of the motors and
cleaning and lubricating them; if a motor has a drive element (belt and
pulley, drive chain, or drive coupling), this too should be inspected, and
cleaned and lubricated if necessary
• Electric motor controls are devices that provide an interface between an
electric motor and the electrical system; they need periodic attention as
well
• Electric motors can operate for a long time, and over their lifetime can
use a large amount of electricity, so purchasing energy-efficient motors
should be a high priority for facilities managers
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 Equipmen
t
• Electronic equipment can be sensitive to electric supply quality
problems such as voltage transients, voltage sags and surges,
momentary power loss, electrical noise, and harmonic distortion
• There are various solutions to electric supply quality
problems:
– Wiring-intensive solutions—wiring upgrades, grounding/bonding
upgrades, isolation of equipment loads
– Equipment-intensive solutions—surge-suppression equipment, voltage
regulators, isolation transformers, battery backup units
• The cost-effectiveness of any particular solution is dependent on how
likely the problem is to occur and the cost of the problem; many
operations find that some form of protective equipment is warranted
due to the large losses of time and money that can result from
problems with electronic equipment
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Emergency Power
Systems
• Emergency power systems provide power during
temporary interruptions of the building’s regular
electrical supply
• Emergency power supplies and equipment include such items
as generators and batteries to provide lighting, and
uninterruptible power supplies for computer systems
• The National Electrical Code provides for specific types of
businesses in which emergency power is required and the types
of loads that must be connected to this power; emergency
systems are generally required in all types of hospitality
businesses
• Items typically required to be connected to an emergency
power system are artificial illumination, fire detection and alarm
systems, fire pumps, and public

safety communications systems

Slide 13a
Emergency Power
Systems
• Battery backup units may be either standby power supply units or
uninterruptible power supply units
• Emergency power may be provided by batteries alone in small
buildings; in larger buildings, emergency generators powered by
engines (typically diesel) are used
• Code requirements usually stipulate that hotels have enough fuel on
hand for their emergency generators to provide two hours of full-load
operation; generators will be of limited usefulness during long power
outages unless provision is made for extended operation
• While it is not required by code, many operations install an
uninterruptible power supply on key pieces of computer equipment
• Some hotels operate their emergency generators during peak
electrical demand periods in order to reduce the peak power demand
of the hotel and save money on their electric bill

Slide 13b
 Electrical Maintenance
• Equipment
Multimeters
• Wall receptacle analyzers
• Fuse pullers for cartridge fuses
• Rubber boots and gloves
• Insulated ladders
• Hydrometers
• Cable fault locators
• Transformer oil test kits
• Vibration analyzers
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• Infrared (IR) scanning guns
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 Electric Utility Billing and Building
• Operations
The electric bill represents the bulk of a property’s utility costs; understanding the
billing methods of electric utilities and their impact on building operations and
operating costs can be very helpful
• Utilities charge commercial operations such as hotels and restaurants based on two
charges: an energy (or consumption) charge and a demand (or capacity) charge
• The energy charge is based on the amount of electricity used by the customer
over the billing period, measured in kilowatt-hours (kwh)
• The demand charge is based on the customer’s highest rate of energy usage,
measured in kilowatts (kw)
• Some utilities have rates that vary according to the time of year or time of day;
others have variations that depend on the relationship between the demand level
and the energy used; yet others impose a minimum demand charge based on
demand during some peak period of the year (called a ratchet clause)
• In addition to the energy and demand charges, two other charges are usually
found on the utility bill: a fuel clause adjustment, and the sales tax

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Reading Electric
Utility Meters
• The utility usually sends a meter reader to record the energy
and demand values off the property’s meter
• A well-run operation will take its own meter readings, usually
once per day or sometimes once per shift; these readings help
to detect problems and can be compared to utility company
readings
• There are various types of electric utility meter dials, but the
method of reading the meters are the same: quantities of
energy consumed are determined by subtracting the
beginning meter readings from the end-of-period meter
readings; if a multiplier is shown on the dial face, you must
multiply the difference between the two readings by the
number shown to determine the actual quantity of energy
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Two Basic Types of Electric Utility Meters

• Kilowatt-hour meter
• Kilowatt-hour meter with kilowatt demand meter

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Kilowatt-Hour Meter

• Kilowatt-hour meters are used to determine the

number of kilowatt-hours of electricity used
• On a kilowatt-hour meter, the meter dials are
read in sequence from left to right; the number
recorded for each dial should be the lower of
the two numbers that the hand is between

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Kilowatt-Hour Meter with a Kilowatt
Demand Meter

• In a combination meter, the row of dials on the meter

face marked “kilowatt-hours) are read the same way as
the dials on a kilowatt-hour meter
• There are many types of demand meters that are
included along with the kilowatt-hours meter, and
each is read in a different way
• The different types of demand meters are:
– Maximum demand
– Demand dials
– Cumulative demand register
– Recording demand meters Sli
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Checking the Bill for
Errors
• The maintenance department should get a copy of the
electric bill to review
• The bill’s information should be recorded in an
energy consumption log
• The meter readings taken by the utility company should
be compared to the readings taken by maintenance
personnel
• Utility bills should always be checked for errors
• Billing errors are so common that some independent
contractors offer to monitor and check bills, often
simply for a percentage of the
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savings they find
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 Choosing the Best Rate
•
Schedule
Deciding on a tariff or rate for electric service
can be
a somewhat confusing decision; there are often a
number of options available
• Some hospitality companies hire firms to identify
the most advantageous electric rate for them and
to audit their utility bills for errors
• Knowledge of a utility company’s rate schedule,
coupled with an automated building control system,
can help managers create opportunities for
significant electricity
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savings
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Electric Utility
Deregulation
• The electric utility system in the United States operated for many decades
as a regulated monopoly; starting in the mid-1990s, however, electric
utilities began to be deregulated
• Deregulation has presented managers with another decision to make:
which electric company should I choose?
• Utility deregulation occurs on a state-by-state basis with different (and
changing) provisions depending on the electric utility involved
• With deregulation, the oversight once provided by regulatory agencies has
been reduced, and the more-or-less guaranteed fixed return for utilities is
gone
• Deregulation has caused new companies to enter the public utility industry;
the desire for profits has led some companies to reduce maintenance
activities and system reserve capacities; the result has been more frequent
power outages and power-reliability problems
• Hospitality businesses have responded to deregulation by collecting
information and negotiating new electricity purchase agreements Sli
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