TI0007 – PADMOUNT TRANSFORMERS MULTI-UNIT RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERGEX REQUIREMENTS
Refer Operational Update 6/8/2021
Our electrical engineers produce electrical engineering documentation for multi-unit residential, commercial & industrial developments. During this process, our electrical engineers identify suitable padmount transformer locations that satisfy Energex requirements.
ENERGEX documentation Underground Distribution Construction Manual (6229-A4) Section C3 Sub-Sect 1 states that the edge of all Padmount substation (PMT) enclosures shall be located a minimum of 4m from the edge of a permissible residential dwelling construction area (to address noise, EMF and fire and explosion risk).
Energex advise that For Multi-Unit Commercial, Residential, & Industrial application the above clause shall be read as:
The edge of all Padmount Substations (PMT) enclosure shall be located a minimum of 4 m from the edge of Buildings or Building envelopes.
Our electrical engineers check for clashes and verify compliance when selecting a PMT site. If it is identified that this requirement is not achievable, Our electrical engineers will consider the following:
EMF & Noise
The 4 m clearance requirement applies to habitable rooms and areas for which human occupation can be expected for significant periods of time.
Habitable Room means a room used for normal domestic activities , and
- Includes a bedroom, living room, lounge room, music room, television room, kitchen, dining room, sewing room, study, playroom, family room, home theatre and sunroom; but
- Excludes a bathroom, laundry, water closet, pantry, walk-in wardrobe, corridor, hallway, lobby, photographic darkroom, clothes-drying room, and other spaces of specialised nature occupied neither frequently nor for extended periods.
Fire & Explosion Risk
A barrier with a FRL of 120/120/120 shall be provided between the padmount substation and buildings. For buildings, the fire barrier can take the form of a fire resisting wall. The fire barrier or fire resisting wall section needs to extend in a vertical direction up to 4.5 m or to the building height plus a 750 mm parapet, whichever is less. The fire barrier or building fire resisting wall shall be located outside the padmount substation site, i.e. outside the 4.8m x 5.0m site.