Scott Reamy, Manager Electric Distribution Design, Dominion Energy
COVID is changing how business is conducted across the Commonwealth. As the weather begins to cool, and temporary accommodations are made to adhere to local guidelines, businesses, such as bars and restaurants, may begin to install electric heaters, lighting, audio equipment, and other electronics that require additional electricity. It is important to understand how much available load you have in your panel box and whether any additional work needs to be done to accommodate new electric load.
COVID is changing how business is conducted across the Commonwealth. As the weather begins to cool, and temporary accommodations are made to adhere to local guidelines, businesses, such as bars and restaurants, may begin to install electric heaters, lighting, audio equipment, and other electronics that require additional electricity. It is important to understand how much available load you have in your panel box and whether any additional work needs to be done to accommodate new electric load.
At Dominion Energy, safety is our most important company value. When any building is adding significant electrical load, it’s essential that an electrician is consulted to evaluate if the building has the capacity to handle the new equipment. Improperly overloading electrical equipment could have tragic results.
Electricians will assess your desired equipment and recommend proper installation. It is possible that the electrician may need to contact Dominion Energy to supply even more power to the meter. This can be done by initiating a work request. More than likely, it won’t cause a problem to add an extension cord or two of lighting or a speaker here or there. But it’s always safe to evaluate the building’s electrical capabilities prior to a fuse tripping from overloading, or even worse damage to equipment or the rare occurrence of a fire.
Each of these steps and evaluations take significant time. The electrician may need to rework the existing fuse box, meet new electrical code changes, add wiring, or add outlets to make usage easier. If Dominion Energy needs to provide more electric power, impacts to the neighborhood grid need to be engineered. New cable may need to be installed, County permits may be needed, or larger transformer equipment may need to be ordered and replaced. As you can imagine, this may take some time. In order to deliver a desired electrical load, Dominion Energy needs the proper lead time to meet your needs. The process may not be as quick as “flipping a switch.”
Start now to consider how the changing season may change your electrical usage to keep you in business throughout the winter. Please utilize the expert teams at Dominion Energy as a resource to evaluate your energy needs. If you are an existing Dominion Energy customer and have questions, call 888-569-5700 or visit DominionEnergy.com.
Electricians will assess your desired equipment and recommend proper installation. It is possible that the electrician may need to contact Dominion Energy to supply even more power to the meter. This can be done by initiating a work request. More than likely, it won’t cause a problem to add an extension cord or two of lighting or a speaker here or there. But it’s always safe to evaluate the building’s electrical capabilities prior to a fuse tripping from overloading, or even worse damage to equipment or the rare occurrence of a fire.
Each of these steps and evaluations take significant time. The electrician may need to rework the existing fuse box, meet new electrical code changes, add wiring, or add outlets to make usage easier. If Dominion Energy needs to provide more electric power, impacts to the neighborhood grid need to be engineered. New cable may need to be installed, County permits may be needed, or larger transformer equipment may need to be ordered and replaced. As you can imagine, this may take some time. In order to deliver a desired electrical load, Dominion Energy needs the proper lead time to meet your needs. The process may not be as quick as “flipping a switch.”
Start now to consider how the changing season may change your electrical usage to keep you in business throughout the winter. Please utilize the expert teams at Dominion Energy as a resource to evaluate your energy needs. If you are an existing Dominion Energy customer and have questions, call 888-569-5700 or visit DominionEnergy.com.
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