Power System Studies
Power system studies are how a facility demonstrates that its electrical distribution is safe, selective and adequately rated. Furano Pacific Consulting delivers them as a coordinated set rather than as isolated deliverables, because the outputs of each feed the inputs of the others.
All studies are sealed by a registered professional engineer. We hold active licences in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
The studies we perform, and why they belong together
Arc flash hazard analysis to CSA Z462 and IEEE 1584-2018, including incident energy calculation and equipment labelling.
Protective device coordination, including TCC plotting and relay settings.
Short circuit and fault current analysis, confirming equipment interrupting and withstand ratings.
Load flow, voltage drop and motor starting analysis.
Utility interconnection studies and submissions for BC Hydro, SaskPower, Saskatoon Light and Power and Alberta utilities.
Why they belong together
A short circuit study establishes available fault current. Coordination uses that fault current to set clearing times. Arc flash uses those clearing times to calculate incident energy. Change one and the others move.
Commissioned separately, the three studies are frequently built on inconsistent assumptions and the facility ends up with three reports that do not agree. Commissioned together, one field visit and one model support all three.
How we work
We model in ETAP and EasyPower. Both are industry-standard platforms accepted by insurers, prime contractors and authorities having jurisdiction.
We are a small firm by design. The engineer who scopes your study is the engineer who does the field work and seals the report — you are not handed to a junior after the proposal is signed.
Typical schedule is about two weeks from award to mobilizing on site, and about four weeks from the field visit to the sealed report.
We return the model file with the deliverables. Facilities change, and you should not have to pay for a full rebuild the next time a transformer is replaced.
What you receive
A sealed engineering report covering methodology, assumptions, model inputs and findings, written to be read by your electrical staff as well as filed for the regulator.
Updated single-line diagrams reflecting as-found conditions — for many facilities the most valuable single item in the package, because it is the first accurate drawing set they have had in years.
CSA Z462-compliant arc flash labels, print-ready or applied on site.
A device settings schedule in the form the technician enters.
The ETAP or EasyPower model file. A study you cannot update is a study you will pay for twice.
A prioritized recommendations list, separating what regulation requires from what we would do if the facility were ours.
Common questions
How often does a study need to be redone? CSA Z462 expects a review at intervals not exceeding five years, and sooner whenever the system changes materially. Labels older than that are difficult to defend after an incident.
What counts as a material change? A service upgrade, a transformer replacement, added generation or storage, a large motor addition, a new distribution centre — and a utility-side change to your incoming feed, which you may not be told about.
Can you update a study another firm produced? Yes, provided the model file or a sufficiently complete report is available. If neither is, it is usually faster to rebuild than to reverse-engineer, and we will say so rather than quietly charging for both.
Do you need a shutdown? Usually not for data collection on accessible equipment, though some enclosures can only be opened safely de-energized. We scope this before mobilizing.
What software do you model in? ETAP and EasyPower. Both are accepted by insurers, prime contractors and authorities having jurisdiction.
How long does it take? About two weeks to mobilize to site after award, and about four weeks from the field visit to the sealed report.