Breaking paradigms in control building design

Do your control buildings meet the needs of your company? Poor control building design will leave a lasting impact on your utility. This paper lists several common paradigms seen in control building designs and how the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has remedied them creating a modern control building that has revolutionized the way TVA designs, constructs, maintains, and operates substations. The following five paradigms will be examined: Paradigm #1: Live terminals in close proximity with our electricians and operators are acceptable. Paradigm #2: Relays and other equipment must be mounted in a cabinet or other U-shaped structure. Paradigm #3: Terminal blocks must be mounted in the cabinet or panel with their corresponding relays. Paradigm #4: A standard, modular control building to suit the needs of every site, regardless of site specific demands, is simply not feasible. Paradigm #5: A control building cannot enable the reinvention of the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of a substation.