10 best electrical projects of 2014

Three New South Wales projects, three Queensland projects and one from each of Victoria, Western Australia, ACT and South Australia received the 2014 National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) National Excellence Awards.

“These projects were some of the most innovative projects we have seen over the past 12 months,” said Suresh Manickam, NECA CEO.

Many also show incredibly innovative ways for buildings to be more energy efficient - such as the Sydney Cricket Stadium and Old Parliament House in Adelaide, Manickam said.

The winning and commended projects are listed below:

Winners

Category 1 - Domestic Residence

Winner: Argus Technologies Solutions (Vic)

Project: Private Residence Mornington Peninsula

Argus Technologies offered the client functionality as well as a family-friendly environment. The company achieved this by utilising some of the same technologies the family were previously accustomed to while also including the automation of all lighting, security and multimedia equipment. As the property had a heritage overlay, Argus Technologies was responsible for preserving the history and character of this home while making it family friendly and functional.

Category 2 - Small Contracting Business

Winner: TN Electrical (NSW)

Project: BMA House

This beautiful 12-storey heritage-listed building, occupied by medical and legal practitioners, included the replacement of the entire electrical distribution system, from the incoming supply through to 60 tenancy sub boards. While executing the project, TN Electrical faced a multitude of challenges - including retaining the heritage features of the building, ensuring minimum power outages, extremely limited storage on-site, noise and dust minimisation, confined working areas, limited access and having to work after hours. A crucial factor in the success of this upgrade was TN’s technical knowledge. By pretesting the in-situ cables in this heritage building and working closely with installation inspectors from Ausgrid at an early stage, and on a continual basis, TN Electrical ensured a safe and successful outcome.

TN Electrical Director John Nelson said, “It is an honour to be judged by our industry peers as a winner in this category. This is a huge achievement for our small business and it is a testament to our ability to deliver a quality project with many complexities, being technical and logistical, to the satisfaction for our client.”

Category 3 - Energy Efficiency and Environment

Winner: Blue Star Atlantic (Qld)

Project: JBS Dinmore Biogas Recovery & Effluent Treatment Project

JBS Australia is the country’s largest meat processor and exporter. This project has cut the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 44,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Blue Star Atlantic’s works expanded throughout the project and included general light and power, electrical automation and controls, switchboards, cable reticulation systems and communications for the upgrade of the wastewater treatment system. This was done in conjunction with a biomethane gas recovery system from new and existing ponds, integration of biomethane gas as fuel for the existing gas fired boiler, a red waste stream dissolved air flotation system replacement and a tallow recovery system.

Category 4 - Lighting

Winner: Barnwell Cambridge (NSW)

Project: Noble Bradman Stand - Sydney Cricket Ground

This project involved turning the old M.A. Noble, Sir Donald Bradman and Dally Messenger stands into the new Noble Bradman Stand at the SCG. The works also included the relocation of two light towers and an upgrade of sports lighting to suit the revised geometry of the field. Barnwell Cambridge completed many hours of computer modelling, not only looking at the lighting for the field itself but also areas such as the grandstand, function rooms and even stairwells. Because of the success of this project, Barnwell Cambridge is now the preferred contractor for all electrical maintenance on the SCG and Football Stadium Precinct - from high voltage to general lighting and power.

“This project has already been showcased to the public. To be acknowledged as a leader in our field provides our staff with the level of satisfaction they have earned. To be a winner with this project allows Barnwell Cambridge to showcase our design and construct capabilities and quite simply give the team at Barnwell Cambridge the recognition it deserves for completing a project that was faced with many construction challenges,” said Barnwell Cambridge Director Anthony Cambridge.

Barnwell’s team worked tirelessly through the Christmas period to allow for the partial completion months ahead of schedule.

Category 5 - Industrial - Small

Winner: Shepherd Electrical (ACT)

Project: Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex 2.4 kV Medium Voltage Works

The Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex is one of three in the world to track deep space vehicles. Shepherd Electrical’s works included the construction of a new 2.4 kV medium voltage supply to a new central services building located approximately 4.8 km away. The building’s distribution boards then provide power to a new radio antenna and a second radio antenna under construction.

Category 6 - Industrial - Large Project

Winner: ECM (Qld)

Project: Ruby Jo Central Processing Plant (CPP) & Field Compression Processing Plant (FCS)

The Queensland Curtis LNG Upstream Works Project is located in the Surat Basin of Southern Queensland. The project included the supply, installation and certification of electrical, instrumentation and communication works for the Ruby Jo Field, Compression Station or FCS and Central Processing Plant - the CPP.

The site is in a cyclone, bushfire and flood-prone region and despite bad weather and flooding across the area, ECM made good progress on the project that, once fully commissioned, will produce enough gas to sustain half a million homes a day.

ECM worked in excess of 230,000 man-hours to successfully complete the Ruby Jo Central Processing Plant and FCS, and has now completed over 500,000 hours to date across the Surat Basin.

Category 7 - Voice/Data Project

Winner: Fredon Industries (NSW)

Project: Charles Perkins Centre

The 10-level Charles Perkins Centre at RPA provides a facility for research into obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The facility caters for 950 researchers and almost 1500 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Fredon’s scope of works included design and construct for the electrical; communication; security; audiovisual; standby diesel generator together with building load management; photovoltaic system; UPS; and nurse call systems. The project used over 520 km of Cat 6A cable; 5½ km of fibre cables; 389, 24-port, patch panels; and 14,500 patch leads - creating an environment where the technology blends seamlessly into the building’s striking interior design.

Category 8 - Commercial - Small Project 

Winner: PGS Industries (WA)

Project: Central Law Courts

The Central Law Courts project involved the design and manufacture of a 2500 A switchboard, plus two MIMs junction boxes, to be installed in the state’s biggest legal facility. For PGS, this was the biggest single switchboard they had built - at 9.6 m wide, 1.2 m deep and 2 m high. PGS had to accommodate the facility’s existing cabling system, and the company was only given four weeks for the design and manufacture to enable the on-site installation during the September long weekend. The main board was fully built and assembled in the workshop for testing and then disassembled and split into seven tiers for transportation and installation ease, before being installed on-site in the existing electrical switch room.

In designing this complex switchboard, PGS industries had to be mindful of the facility’s existing cabling system, high technical specifications and the fact that this large switchboard had to be installed into a small switch room. PGS industries also had to work to a short project time frame - while delivering the largest single switchboard they had ever produced.

Category 9 - Commercial - Medium Project

Winner: Niramar (SA)

Project: Old Parliament House Refurbishment

The Old Parliament House Redevelopment involved the careful removal of most of the existing interior and then refitting the entire building while maintaining or re-establishing some existing features or fixtures. Although this was an engineered project, Niramar was challenged to rethink its approach to numerous tasks throughout the course of the redevelopment. Complete new electrical, communications, access control, audiovisual, security and lighting control systems were installed and routed to avoid any visual impact to this historic building. Niramar installed innovative suspension systems for a number of the custom-made light fittings, allowing for safe cleaning and maintenance, even over stairways.

Category 10 - Commercial - Large Project

Winner: Nilsen QLD (Qld)

Project: Verde Townsville

The 12-storey Verde Tower features seven levels of office space, along with ground floor retail, fours levels of parking and a plant room on the 12th floor.

Verde includes one floor specifically designed to be used as a post-disaster coordination facility. To supply back-up power for the Disaster Relief Centre, the building is equipped with two 1100 kVA generators in the plant room.

Nilsen’s design included the use of three in-slab conduits to each room in the office floor - the first for power, the second for the lighting/DALI cabling and the third as a spare. This eliminated overcrowding of ceiling spaces and saved labour, with less cabling tied onto cable trays.

New South Wales and Western Australia also received commendations on projects that were pipped at the post by the overall category winners. These include:

Category 1 - Domestic Residence

Winner: Synergy Integrated Systems (NSW)

Project: Private Residence Northern Beaches

The client for this large multilevel private residence, situated on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, wanted a family home that was simple and intuitive to use. In addition to the integration of the many technical products included in this project, Synergy was responsible for the design of the electrical reticulation, including maximum demand calculations and load approvals, designing switchboards and distribution boards, along with locating cable pathways throughout the home. Movement sensors and lux level sensors within the home combined with strategically placed exterior wind sensors and lighting sensors. These are linked to more than 85 separate internal and external blinds that assist in heating and cooling this remarkable home.

Category 5 - Industrial - Small

Winner: KP Electric (WA)

Project: Fremantle Ports North Quay HV reticulation and Sub Station Upgrade

The Port of Fremantle is Western Australia’s principal sea gateway for container and general cargos. KP Electric has been the primary supplier of electrical services to Fremantle Ports for over 16 years. This project involved the upgrade of the precinct’s high-voltage electrical reticulation system and associated substations - including installing new ABB switchgear into purpose-built substations, along with data and security systems for remote switching. The new ring main will improve reliability and enable the Ports to upgrade to 22 kV in the future. A particular challenge was installing 72-core, singlemode fibre from the administration building to the main substation - by cabling across the Swan River via the rail bridge.

Fremantle Ports engaged KP Electric to carry out an electrical reticulation upgrade program, ensuring their future energy requirements would be met. In all, more than of 10 km of cable was installed. With much of it underground or around waterways and under wharves, KP Electric’s knowledge of the Port Precinct was invaluable on this complex project.

Category 10 - Commercial - Large Project

Winner: Programmed Electrical Technologies (NSW)

Project: NBN Earth Satellite Stations

As a part of the NBN rollout, Satellite Earth Stations are being established across Australia, in remote locations such as Bourke, Broken Hill, Roma and Wolumia. Programmed Electrical Technologies developed accurate 3D models for each station type. These models contained the entire infrastructure, including cable ladders, trays, baskets, switchboards, UPS systems and Technical Rooms. With much of the infrastructure produced off-site and services such as lighting integrated into the structures, site deployment was quick, accurate and seamless. Most sites contain an integrated 100 kW solar farm. Honeywell’s BMS and Dynalite lighting control system allow monitoring and control of each facility from a central network operations centre. Programmed Electrical Technologies National General Manager Sales and Technical Stuart Malmgron said: “To win this award would be recognition of the teamwork within Programmed Electrical Technologies and all its partners which were required to deliver such a technical project in remote locations of Australia in such a short time frame. We consider ourselves to be the leaders in 3D modelling, which allows large portions of the project to be designed, coordinated and constructed off-site. The off-site production improves productivity, reduces safety risks, delivers outstanding workmanship and provides the customer NBN with consistent delivery across all sites.”