Electrical Reticulation & Power Supplies, Design, Installation, Maintenance

CORONET PEAK SKI AREA UPGRADE, QUEENSTOWN

Peak Power has a long-term advisory, design, construction, maintenance and faults contract with Southern Alpine Recreation Ltd for Coronet Peak and the Remarkables Ski Areas. We have also been involved in an advisory and design capacity for Mount Hutt Ski Area in Canterbury.

Each summer since 2001 Peak Power has carried out major upgrade projects at Coronet Peak to keep up with expansion of the ski area’s lift and snow-making capacity. To cater for an on-field reticulation maximum demand of 4.6MW, we designed and installed new 2-incomer, 8-way SF6 11kV switchgear complete with a double sided bus, full protection and earthing equipment. PPD has also overseen the design and carried out the installation of 4 x 300kVA 11kV power factor correction banks with a stepped control system and harmonic filtering. Provision has also been made for two further banks.

This work is in addition to the on-field reticulation work which has grown to around 15km of 11kV cable, 16 large distribution transformers, 36km of 240 & 300mm2 LV cable and 280 snow-making outlets installed across the mountain.

This work involved:

• Overall network configuration design, planning and protection systems,
• Construction of transformer LV panels complete with LV fusing, MDI’s and earthing. Installation of transformers,
• Installation of 11kV switchgear on the mountain, mostly ABB SD type units,
• Installation, jointing, termination and maintenance of all cabling 11kV and LV,
• Manufacture and installation of weather-proof snow making service boxes to supply snow-making machines and pumps,
• Expansion and maintenance of an extensive earthing system across the mountain,
• Testing and commissioning of all equipment.

Additionally Peak Power has:

• Negotiated the conditions of supply and zone substation upgrade for Coronet Peak with the incumbent network owner,
• Arranged and overseen mandatory five year network inspection,
• Negotiated Energy Supply contracts on behalf of Southern Alpine Recreation for all three ski areas,

Assisted the ski areas with general wiring advice and assistance in support of their own electrical staff.

PENINSULA BAY, WANAKA

This project involves the design, supply and installation of reticulation to 359 residential lots.

By completing this project we will have:

• Liaised closely with developer to assist planning, provide design and cost estimate advice,
• Completed electrical design and drew up consent and construction plans,
• Discussed and obtained approvals for connection from the network management company,
• Liaised with primary contractor to co-ordinate electrical installation work with general works programme,
• Supplied, assembled and installed pad-mounted transformers up to 500kVA,
• Supplied and installed 11kV ring main and other switchgear,
• Supplied, installed and terminated 11kV cable from the existing overhead lines to the new reticulation transformers,
• Supplied, installed and terminated 400V cable and service boxes.
• Supplied and installed street lighting.

Tested, commissioned and produced as-built drawings.

OUTSIDE SPORTS AND STATION BUILDINGS, QUEENSTOWN

These were two separate projects to construct new commercial buildings located about a block from each other in Central Queenstown.

After the presentation of design proposals and discussions with the network owner it was decided to supply both new buildings from a centrally located distribution substation site. This enabled us to provide electrical service to both buildings in the most cost effective way. Provision of future capacity for a further building development by one of the owners was also planned.

In completing this project we:

• Completed preliminary design and cost estimates and confirmed them with the client and the network owner,
• Prepared construction and consent documentation and drawings,
• Liaised with the District Council, roading authority and the supply network company to gain approvals for the design and construction methodology,
• Engaged a trenching contractor to carry out trenching, cable installation and other earthworks on the major arterial route in the centre of town,
• Planned and carried out network switching to off-load an existing major substation supplying a major commercial area of the town.

HILLEND SUBDIVISION, WANAKA

Having received resource consent for 26 x 20 hectare rural residential lots our client decided to extend this to 53 smaller lots. Peak Power was engaged to provide a dual design that could be converted from 26 to 53 lots should resource consent be obtained. Due to timing issues the 26 lot reticulation was to be installed before the final decision would be made.

This project required us to:

• Complete an efficient dual scheme design with costs acceptable to the client,
• Liaise with the supply network company and gain connection agreement and network cost approval for both designs,
• Prepare construction and consent drawings,
• Install over 16km of high voltage cable with buried loops at switchgear and transformer positions to suit either scheme,
• Install the network connection equipment to be used for either scheme,
• Supply and install 11kV switchgear and up to 18 transformers depending on the final number of lots,
• Supply and install reticulation for pumping stations with temporary arrangements until the arrangement was finalised,
• Supply and install 400V cable where the proposed routes would be common with the 11kV cables.

REMARKABLES PARK, FRANKTON, QUEENSTOWN

Design and installation work is well underway on a new embedded network based in Remarkables Park at Frankton.

The network is being established to supply the entire electrical load within the new development including supplies for commercial and residential use. It will also be connected to, and will supply a separate embedded industrial network in Glenda Drive, Frankton (Shotover Park).

Owned by Electricity Southland Ltd, managed by PowerNet Ltd, constructed and maintained by Peak Power, the network will eventually supply a substantial portion of the entire electrical load of the Wakatipu Basin.

Consumers connected to the new network do not notice any difference in the cost or the way they pay for their electricity. Consumers have their choice of electricity retailer and Electricity Southland has pledged that network line charges will not be greater than those of the incumbent surrounding network owner.

The network has built-in redundancy to ensure a high degree of supply security and faults are handled by calling the consumer’s retailer as in any other network.

To date, there have been substantial initial cost advantages for developers who have connected to this network and that is expected to continue.

Peak Power’s involvement in the network includes:

• Arrangements for taking two new 33kV underground cable feeders from the Transpower National Grid exit point at Frankton,
• The installation of a new 33/22kV zone substation with capability up to 46MVA in Remarkables Park,
• The installation of 33kV cable circuits from Transpower across the Airport runway to supply the new substation,
• The supply and installation of multiple 22kV feeder cables from the substation to supply discrete areas of electrical load within and externally to Remarkables Park including feeders along SH6 towards Invercargill and Cromwell that have already been installed,
• The supply and installation of transformer substations to supply individual areas, commercial buildings and internal and external developments.

The general arrangement for Remarkables Park is shown in the map below.

Remarkables Park Embedded Network General Arrangement

SHOTOVER PARK INDUSTRIAL AREA, FRANKTON, QUEENSTOWN

Peak Power Distribution designed and installed the extensive industrial area reticulation on behalf of the developer. On completion the network was effectively sold to an independent network owner who is also the formal network manager. Consumers within the network notice no difference to any other consumer in terms of choosing their energy supplier and receiving their electricity account and network line charges are no greater than those of the surrounding network owner.  The original developer has no on-going responsibility for the network.

Peak Power has on-going involvement with the network acting locally on behalf of the owner to:

• Design and construct the on-going development and expansion of the network,
• Provide network maintenance, faults, metering and connection services,
• Act as a local advisor and contact point for customers within the network.

SMALL TOP END SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENT, QUEENSTOWN

Peak Power has designed and installed a high-class embedded network with the ownership of the electrical reticulation assets being retained by the original developer.

Effectively, the subdivision and the consumers within it, operates in a similar manner to supply to a large commercial building where there is a Body Corporate management of the common equipment supplying to individual tenants.

Peak Power’s on-going role includes:

• Provision of network maintenance, faults, metering and connection services.
• Acting as a local advisor and contact point for customers within the network.