The prefabricated electrification system is designed for each location to meet its needs. The system arrives at the work site ready for installation. The packages are clearly marked with position numbers, and the assembly is easily carried out with plug connections.
Assembly by modules is simple and saves time, which benefits both developers and contractors. The method is excellently suited for replacing the traditional electrical installation at sites where the time required for electrification must be cut down and to facilitate carrying out the subsequent changes. In addition to shopping centers and shops, these sites include office buildings and schools.
Seppälä Prisma, opened in Jyväskylä last spring, replaced its predecessor, the first Prisma in Finland from 1972. The 4,000-square-meter (43 055 square feet) hypermarket grew to 10,000 square meters (107 639 square feet) over the decades, and then a modern shopping center was established next to it. Now the surface area is 43,000 square meters (462,848 square feet), of which 3,900 square meters (41,979 square feet) have been reserved for special stores complementing the hypermarket services.
The electricity requirements can be grasped by the giant dimensions of the shopping space: there are 410 meters (1345 feet) of refrigeration equipment and 22 meters (72 feet) of service desk. The purpose is to highlight the approximately 82,000 different products available in the hypermarket with general lighting, spotlighting, and special furnishings. The electrification needs of the market’s lighting vary by the season.
“In design and construction, we used as the starting point the fact that we are not about to build the biggest Prisma in Finland. Instead, we want to build the best Prisma, utilizing the best competence and newest innovation,” says Mikko Junttila, Prisma director in charge of Seppälä hypermarket.
This guiding concept was also followed during electrification, with flexible modifiability a special requirement. Since the work site was a hypermarket, the installation had to be carried out quickly in spite of the record-breaking amount of square meters.
Salotec Oy, who operated as the electrical contractor, suggested that the customer could use Ensto Plug. It is a customer-specific solution for the distribution and management of electricity, based on a plug connector system. The CEO of the company, Henri Salo, says there were several reasons for the decision.
“Above all, the short turnaround and avoiding connection errors are the benefits we value in large projects with tight schedules such as this. Ensto Plug modules come prefabricated and tested. Material savings are obtained as well, since no extra cable has to be brought to the site”, Salo says.
“It was also easy for the customer to accept the plug connector system, since it offers excellent modifiability and the possibility to make changes easily. This is important especially in the shopping area, where small and large changes are carried out regularly. Also, the management of the site is easier. This was also one of the reasons why we considered it to be the best solution for the site.”
In total, 46 Ensto Plug centers were installed in Seppälä Prisma, distributing electricity in a decentralized manner. The centers are supplied via conductor rails going through the area. This made it possible to design modular electrification, minimizing the amount of different components to be installed. The large space was divided into dozens of uniform modules. This simplified significantly the dimensioning work by the designer.
Unlike in a centralized system, one collecting and space-demanding switchboard is not needed and the installation cable lengths are essentially shorter. It is easy to dimension the short-circuit currents, and this method also helps save significant amounts of copper, which is a burden on both cable shelves and the environment.
Ensto Plugi centers enable control of all desired devices, of which the most common include lamps, upper distribution sockets, work point sockets, and air conditioning. In the same switchboard, more control logic, measurement functions, and additional outlets can be added to control units as per the customer’s wishes. The prefabricated and tested control unit is connected with a plug connection directly to the system. No demanding and time-consuming programming work has to be carried out at the work site.
1,230 pre-dimensioned wiring harnesses equipped with EnstoNet connectors and 469 installation panel sockets with shelf brackets were delivered to this work site. In addition, different taps were installed, making it easy to carry out the three-phase group phase rotation, among others. The unused tap outlets offer added flexibility for subsequent changing needs. When the lighting installation rails, conductor rails, and cable shelves were ready, the implementation of the Plugi electrification and general lighting only took ten working days for two installers.
The electrification is always designed in cooperation with the designer and Ensto, defining the required Ensto Plugi components for the implementation. After this, the dimensions, wire lengths, and functions to be programmed are detailed. The clear manner of working and the modularity of the system facilitate the electrical design of large sites and subsequent changes of plans.
“As a contractor, we received excellent support from Ensto throughout the design and implementation project,” says Henri Salo.
“The excellent design co-operation was evident at the work site, where the installation-ready products arrived on time. The work could be carried out fluently without delay, and no installation errors requiring trouble-shooting were detected. This working method suited us well, and our customer was satisfied with both the swiftness of the work and its results.”
Surface area of 43,000 m2, with 18 special stores 46 Ensto Plugi centers and 1,230 wiring harnesses Two installers carried out the electrification and general illumination of the commercial premises in 10 days. Was finished and opened more than a month in advance in April 2016
Modularity benefits the electrical engineer - significantly reduces the time required for planning large projects - facilitates changes prior to the implementation and afterwards - minimizes the amount of different components - more environmentally friendly in many ways
The EnstoNet plugging system benefits the electricity contractor - cuts the installation time up to 80% - removes the possibility of connection errors - no tools required for installation - reduces the dangerous working time spent on ladders - reduces installation costs up to 50% - does not produce installation waste to the work site
The Ensto Plugi concept benefits the property owner - reduces the electrification turnaround time up to 10% - enables quicker implementation and return of investment - saves time and cost throughout the life cycle of the building, particularly in lighting renovation projects.
Author: Kari Heikkilä