Electrical Check List

List of coordination questions in the kick-off meeting:

1. Appliances:
   • Will major appliances, including the range, water heater, and dryer, be gas-powered or electric?
2. Dwelling Unit Lighting Preferences:
   • Are surface-mounted or recessed downlights preferred?
   • Is under-cabinet lighting preferred in kitchens or other areas?
3. Residential Corridor Lighting:
   • Are surface-mounted or recessed downlights preferred for corridor lighting?
4. Recreation/Leasing Area Lighting:
   • Are surface-mounted or recessed downlights preferred in recreation or leasing areas?
5. Emergency Lighting:
   • For residential and recreation buildings, are wall-mounted bugeye lights or ceiling-mounted fixtures with integral battery backup preferred?
6. Elevator Machine/Equipment Room:
   • Where will the elevator machine or equipment room for Building D be located?
7. EV Parking Requirements:
   • Will the architect specify the locations for electric vehicle parking spaces?

Code Reference: CALGreen 2022, Section 4.106.4.2.2

1. Solar Power:
   • Is a solar consultant part of the team? If so, please confirm:
     • The location for the solar connection.
     • The quantity and dimensions of any solar equipment planned for placement in the electrical room.
   • Will solar power systems be included for the recreation/leasing building?
2. Low Voltage Systems:
   • Is there a low voltage consultant on the project? They need to confirm the requirements and dimensions for MPOE (Minimum Point of Entry) or low voltage rooms.
3. Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Systems:
   • Is there a fire sprinkler and alarm consultant involved? They need to confirm the requirements and dimensions for fire riser rooms.
4. Recreation/Leasing Electrical Room Access:
   • Can double doors with a minimum width of 6’-0” be provided for the recreation/leasing electrical room to accommodate the switchgear?
     • Typical switchgear dimensions for this type of building are approximately 64”W x 28”D (based on Siemens manufacturer specifications).
5. Pool Equipment:
   • Will the pool equipment, such as heaters, be gas-powered or electric?
6. Landscape Power Requirements:
   • Please provide details on the power requirements and locations for landscape elements such as BBQs, irrigation controllers, fire pits, decorative lighting, and any irrigation/booster pumps.

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As an electrical engineer/designer, it’s crucial to ensure that the electrical design of a residential building complies with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and other relevant standards. This checklist(QA/QC Form) should serve as a guide to ensure that the electrical design is correctly implemented during construction and that the installation complies with the NEC and Title 24 in California.

Below is a comprehensive checklist to help you ensure that the electrical construction aligns with your design:

1. General Design Considerations

• Load Calculations:
  • Verify total connected load and demand load calculations.
  • Confirm that the service entrance and feeder sizing are adequate.
• Service Entrance:
  • Ensure proper sizing and placement of the service panel.
  • Confirm that the service entrance conductors are adequately rated and protected.
  • Verify proper grounding and bonding of the service.
• Panelboards:
  • Ensure proper placement of panelboards, including accessibility and clearance.
  • Verify that the panelboards are adequately rated for the connected loads.
  • Confirm proper circuit breaker sizing and type.

2. Single Line Diagram (SLD) and Key Notes

1. • Review the SLD and corresponding key notes.
   • Ensure compliance with utility standards.
   • Consider wall-mounted or freestanding configurations, solar taps, and meters for ADUs.
   • Utilize Siemens electrical equipment.
   • Ask Michael from Siemens for switchgear selection.
   • Ensure sufficient space for electrical equipment.
   • Typically, utility companies that are part of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) do not allow 3^rd party metering. If requested by client, dry utility company should confirm with the utility company if it is allowed or not.

3. Electrical Room Coordination:

1. • Collaborate with the architect to ensure adequate space for the electrical room.
   • Verify sufficient room for solar disconnects.
   • Coordinate with the architect for the solar equipment room.

4. Feeder Schedules:

1. • Review feeder schedules.
   • Specify conductor and conduit types (SER, PVC, EMT).

5. Voltage Drop and Fault Current:

1. • Check voltage drop and fault current calculations.
   • Provide worst-case voltage drop calculations.
   • Add an autotransformer if the elevator control panel fault current exceeds 10K.
   • Feeder voltage drop should not exceed 3%, Branch voltage drop should not exceed 3%, and overall feeder and branch should not exceed 5%. The voltage drop table note should be per below:
     1.  

     NOTE: THE VOLTAGE DROP IN THE ABOVE TABLE IS AN ESTIMATED LENGTH. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL REVISE THE FEEDER SCHEDULE BASED ON THE ACTUAL LENGTH IN THE FIELD AND INCREASE OR DECREASE THE FEEDER SIZE TO ACCOMMODATE THE VOLTAGE DROP. PER CEC 2022 210.19(A) AND 215.2(A)(1)(b) THE FEEDER AND BRANCH CIRCUIT SHALL BE SIZED TO PREVENT VOLTAGE DROP NOT EXCEEDING 3% AND TOTAL VOLTAGE DROP FOR BRANCH CIRCUIT AND FEEDER SHALL NOT EXCEED 5%.

6. Electric Vehicle (EV) Load Calculation:

1. • Perform EV load calculations.
   • Collaborate with the architect on EV location planning.
   • Adhere to CALGreen standards for EV after July 1, 2024. Refer to the following link: CALGreen Requirements.

7. Site Lighting:

1. • Coordinate with the architect and client for pole lights and bollards.
   • Work with the landscape architect to avoid tree conflicts.
   • Collaborate with the civil engineer to avoid water and sewer pipes and fire hydrants.
   • Implement motion sensors for pole lights over 40W and less than 24 feet height.
   • Verify photometric calculations and lumens.
   • Coordinate with the architect and client for emergency lighting and battery backups.
   • Check light spill past the property lines and any light spill that will go into a residential unit’s window. Provide house-side shield on pole light as needed.
   • For outdoor lighting, if the light fixture is 6200 lumens or greater, then check that the BUG ratings (Backlight, Uplight, Glare) meet the requirements per CalGreen section 5.106.8.

8.Units:

1. • Check lighting and receptacle layout.
   • Avoid conflicts with mechanical equipment.
   • Verify GFCI and AFCI compliance.
   • Ensure subpanel locations are not in shear walls.
   • Check receptacle layout for islands and peninsulas in kitchens.
   • Ensure the counter top receptacle comply with ADA.
   • Smoke detectors shall not be within 10 feet of a cooking appliance unless listed for installation near cooking appliance.
   • Provide smoke detectors inside each bedroom, and directly outside the bedroom.
   • Avoid conflicts with smoke detectors and mechanical registers/grilles (should be at least 3 feet away)
   • For safety, add GFCI in addition to AFCI for the circuit breaker that serves the bathroom lighting.

9. Title 24

1. • Review Title 24 calculations.
   • If the general lighting (does not include decorative lighting) in the primary daylight zone is more than 120W, daylight sensors are required and need to be indicated in Title 24 LTI forms.

10. Special Systems

•  Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors.
• Low-Voltage Systems