Electrical Engineering
What Does an Industrial Electrical Engineer Do?
Electrical systems are at the center of nearly every industrial facility. They power production equipment, motors, pumps, controls, instrumentation, lighting, safety systems, communications, and the infrastructure that keeps a facility operating.
That makes industrial electrical engineering about much more than supplying power to equipment. A well-designed electrical system must be safe, reliable, maintainable, code-compliant, appropriately sized, and capable of supporting both current operations and future growth.
At PSE, electrical engineers work with clients throughout the life of a facility—from new construction and major expansions to equipment upgrades, modernization projects, troubleshooting, and replacement of aging infrastructure.
Designing Power Distribution Systems
One of the primary responsibilities of an industrial electrical engineer is determining how electrical power will move through a facility.
Depending on the project, that may include:
Utility service and facility power distribution
Substations and transformers
Switchgear and switchboards
Motor control centers
Variable frequency drives
Panelboards and distribution equipment
Emergency and standby power systems
Grounding and bonding
Industrial lighting systems
The objective is not simply to connect equipment to power. Engineers must understand the loads being served, how equipment operates, what happens during startup or abnormal conditions, and how the system should respond when something goes wrong.
Good electrical design also considers maintainability. Equipment eventually needs to be inspected, serviced, replaced, or expanded. Decisions made during design can either make that work relatively straightforward or create operational problems for years.
Understanding the Existing Facility
Industrial projects rarely begin with a blank sheet of paper.
Many involve facilities that have been operating for decades and have been modified repeatedly over time. Drawings may be outdated. Equipment may have been replaced without corresponding documentation. Electrical loads may have increased substantially since the original system was designed.
Before adding a production line, replacing major equipment, or expanding a facility, an electrical engineer may need to determine whether the existing infrastructure can support the change.
That can involve reviewing drawings and equipment data, performing field investigations, documenting existing systems, evaluating available electrical capacity, and identifying equipment that may need to be upgraded.
For brownfield projects, understanding what already exists is often just as important as designing what comes next.
Performing Electrical System Studies
Electrical engineering also involves analyzing how a power system will behave under normal and abnormal conditions.
Depending on the facility and project, engineers may perform or support studies involving:
Short-circuit current
Protective device coordination
Arc-flash hazards
Load flow
Motor starting
Voltage drop
Harmonics
Power quality
These studies help engineers select appropriate equipment, coordinate protective devices, identify hazards, and reduce the risk that an electrical problem in one area will unnecessarily affect a much larger portion of the facility.
They can also reveal weaknesses in existing electrical infrastructure before those weaknesses become production problems.
Integrating Electrical Power with Controls and Equipment
Industrial electrical systems do not operate independently.
Electrical engineers frequently work alongside mechanical engineers, controls engineers, instrumentation specialists, equipment manufacturers, contractors, and facility personnel.
A new pump, conveyor, compressor, process skid, production machine, or HVAC system may require power distribution, motor controls, instrumentation, network connections, safety circuits, and integration with a PLC or facility control system.
That coordination becomes increasingly important as facilities become more automated.
At PSE, electrical and controls engineering can be coordinated as part of the same multidisciplinary project team. That helps resolve interfaces earlier and reduces the likelihood of discovering gaps between disciplines during construction or startup.
Supporting Construction and Commissioning
Engineering does not necessarily end when drawings are issued.
Electrical engineers may also assist with contractor questions, submittal reviews, field changes, equipment selection, inspections, startup, testing, and commissioning.
This involvement is particularly valuable on complex industrial projects, where unexpected field conditions are common and design decisions sometimes need to be revisited quickly.
Keeping engineering involved through construction helps preserve the intent of the design while allowing practical adjustments when actual site conditions differ from what was anticipated.
Modernizing Existing Electrical Systems
Many facilities are operating with electrical infrastructure installed decades ago.
The equipment may still function, but replacement parts can become difficult to obtain, documentation may be incomplete, and older systems may no longer meet the operational demands placed on them.
Electrical modernization projects can include replacing obsolete switchgear, upgrading motor control centers, increasing electrical capacity, improving power distribution, integrating new controls, or preparing a facility for future expansion.
The challenge is often determining how to make those improvements without unnecessarily disrupting production.
That requires engineering decisions based not only on electrical theory, but also on how the facility actually operates.
When Should You Involve an Electrical Engineer?
Electrical engineering should be considered early when a project involves significant new electrical loads, new production equipment, facility expansion, utility service changes, aging electrical infrastructure, power-quality concerns, safety issues, or modifications to major plant systems.
Early involvement gives the engineering team more options.
It is much easier to account for electrical capacity, equipment space, shutdown requirements, cable routing, controls integration, and future expansion during project planning than after equipment has already been purchased or construction has begun.
Electrical Engineering at PSE
PSE has provided electrical engineering services since the company was founded in Utah in 1991. Today, our electrical engineers work alongside mechanical, civil, structural, controls, instrumentation, and software professionals to support complex industrial, energy, manufacturing, and municipal projects.
Whether the project involves upgrading an existing facility, integrating new equipment, evaluating an aging electrical system, or designing a new installation, our approach begins with understanding how the facility operates and what the client needs the project to accomplish.
Because ultimately, good electrical engineering is not simply about delivering power.
It is about creating systems that allow the facility to operate safely, reliably, and effectively.