Electrical Contracting News (ECN) June 2017 | Page 48

SPECIAL
FEATURE
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
WIRED FOR EFFECT
Steve Martin, head of technical at the Electrical Contractors’ Association, takes a look at
the new 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations and its effects on energy efficiency.
T
he IET Wiring Regulations
– otherwise known as
BS7671 – are currently
under full review, with a
new 18th Edition planned
for the near future. The
Electrical Contractors’
Association (ECA) has
had a major presence on the main JPEL
committees which oversee and implement
the changes.
One of the biggest changes within
these regulations is expected to be on
energy efficiency, which is set to be
included for the first time. The reasoning
behind this addition is the increasing
importance to clients of having energy
efficient electrical installations.
At present, BS7671 only takes steps to
safeguard against fire and electric shock.
This proposed new section, detailing
the steps to be taken during the design
process to consider the energy efficiency
of an electrical installation, is therefore a
significant development.
The implication of these changes to the
electrical installation design hierarchy is
outlined in figure 1 (below).
Effectively there will be two design
requirements – the first is to understand
the energy profile of both passive and active
measures taken within a building, while
the second is to undertake steps to reduce
energy losses within installations.
This update will therefore provide a
framework for clients to stipulate levels of
energy efficiency, in order to achieve:
• Less impact on the environment
• Reduction of energy losses and
energy cost
• Use of energy at lower tariffs
• Less reactive maintenance
• Optimisation of performance
for lifecycle
Figure 1.
‘One of the
biggest
changes
within these
regulations
is expected
to be on
energy
efficiency.’
Traditional model New model in 18th edition
Safety Safety
Capacity Capacity
Resilience Efficiency
Resilience
48 | June 2017
IEC60364-8-1 – which is the
international document the proposed
update is based on – considers a number
of factors for energy efficiency in electrical
installations, which include:
• The efficiency placement of the
electrical intake
• Electrical distribution wiring system
efficiency
• Types of controls to avoid wastage
• Provision of energy measurement
• T
 ypes of loads which can be
switched off without impacting
safety and usability
• Electrical system energy management
• Energy efficiency impact of
maintenance work
Significantly, IEC60364-8-1 recognises
that replacement of existing building stock
is low – around five per cent or below,
and therefore this regulation states that it
should also apply to existing buildings as
well as new developments.
Other headline changes to the Wiring
Regulations are expected to include the
following: Protection against overvoltages
– Updated guidance on Surge Protection;
Protection against Fire – Updated guidance
on Arc Fault Detection; and Updated
guidance on Special Locations.
The updates are intended to bring UK
regulations in line with both CENELEC
and IEC60364 standards, will ensure
existing regulations are clearer, and
will allow for new technology and
methodology to be incorporated.
A draft of the 18th Edition will be
open to public consultation from 1st
June this year, and anyone in the
industry will be able to offer feedback
until late August. During this time, the
ECA will be consulting with members
and other stakeholders within the
electrotechnical sector over the changes,
and how they may impact firms across
the industry.