Industries
Transformers and power distribution for commercial buildings
Transformers, switchboards and substations for offices, retail, hotels, hospitals and mixed use developments, where space and the fire strategy shape the specification.
The equipment chain
- 01GridA building whose demand outgrows a low voltage connection takes its supply at medium voltage, on terms the network operator sets.
- 02SubstationEither the operator's station on the site or the building's own. Who owns it decides who specifies it and who may operate it.
- 03TransformerUsually dry type when it stands inside the building, because the fire strategy keeps insulating liquid out of occupied space.
- 04Main boardSplits the supply between landlord, tenants and plant, with the metering each lease needs.
- 05BuildingLighting, lifts, mechanical plant and charging points. Their diversified demand, not the sum of their ratings, sets the transformer.
In a commercial building the first decision is where transformation happens. Inside the building, dry type transformers in a dedicated room keep the insulating liquid out of an occupied space. Outside, a compact substation keeps the equipment out of the building altogether but needs land and access.
Send your consultant's specification and drawings with the enquiry. Offers that follow them line by line are easier to compare.
What decides the ratings
The diversified building load, meaning what the building actually draws at once rather than the sum of every connected load, sets the transformer rating. Mechanical plant, lifts and electric vehicle charging change the profile and are worth stating separately.
The fire strategy often decides the construction. Your fire engineer usually sets it, and it governs whether a dry type unit is required and which fire behaviour class it must carry.
What to settle early
| Consideration | Why it matters here |
|---|---|
| Location of transformation | Inside the building or in an external substation |
| Fire strategy | Often requires dry type units and sets their classes |
| Room size and access | Decides unit dimensions and the delivery route |
| Noise | Units near occupied spaces may need a sound level requirement |
| Metering | Tenant and landlord metering affects the board layout |
| Future loads | Charging and heat pumps change the load profile |
Equipment for this application
What we need to quote
- Consultant specification and drawings, where available
- Diversified building load, and major plant stated separately
- Whether transformation is inside or outside the building
- Fire strategy requirements for the transformer
- Room dimensions and delivery route
- Programme date for equipment on site
Building or expanding a facility?
Send the whole equipment schedule as one project, each item with its own requirements.