Claypool Electric installed all building-required electrical equipment for the new facility: new 15 kV metal-clad switchgear to refeed the 12.47 kV campus circuits, a G&W 15 kV switch, a pad-mounted transformer stepping power down from 12,470 volts to 480 volts, panels, lighting, receptacles, a standby generator and transfer switch, fire alarm system, and data and fiber communications infrastructure. A DC battery system backs up the 125-volt controls on the metal-clad switchgear.The new supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system allows Ohio University staff to operate breakers from a separate control area or directly from the face of the gear. The modernized system is also designed to isolate a fault at the affected breaker instead of allowing it to travel back to the main substation and interrupt power across a larger portion of campus.

Challenges

Replacing medium-voltage infrastructure serving 56 campus buildings required years of preparation, precise field verification and carefully coordinated outage work. Key challenges included:

• Addressing significant soil conditions that delayed construction of the new switchgear building.
• Managing manufacturing delays on the SQD metal-clad switchgear, which carried an approximately two-year lead time and pushed the project well beyond its original schedule.
• Rescheduling the project after construction and equipment delays caused the team to miss the original annual outage window, ultimately extending the project to 984 days from notice to proceed to completion.
• Coordinating campus notifications and all four outage dates up to two years in advance with Ohio University staff and project engineers.
• Performing work on 12.47 kV circuits that required specialized equipment, personal protective equipment and heightened safety procedures.
• Verifying phase rotation and the locations of switches, breakers and transformers across the connected campus buildings.
• Measuring, installing, terminating, racking, fire-taping and labeling feeders before the scheduled switchovers began.
• Ensuring every specialized material, tool, drawing and contingency item was on-site, since replacement components could not be obtained quickly during an outage.

Outcome

The completed building now houses new 15 kV metal-clad switchgear, a G&W 15 kV switch and a pad-mounted transformer capable of distributing 12.47 kV power to 56 Ohio University buildings. The system can be operated from the face of the gear or through SCADA controls, allowing staff to open and close breakers without standing directly beside the energized equipment.

A standby generator provides backup power for the building, while a DC battery system supports the 125-volt switchgear controls. The protection system is designed to isolate a fault to the affected circuit, reducing the risk that a localized issue could interrupt power across a larger portion of the Athens campus.

Claypool completed all four planned 12.47 kV feeder switchovers faster than scheduled:

• Outage 1: planned 4 hours, completed in 3
• Outage 2: planned 4 hours, completed in 3
• Outage 3: planned 18 hours, completed in 16 (peak workforce of 36)
• Outage 4: planned 16 hours, completed in 6

Every connected building returned to service within its planned outage window, with no unplanned downtime across the project.

Crews logged 6,294 total man-hours on the project. All medium-voltage safety protocols were followed throughout, with no reportable incidents. Key milestones included completion of the building envelope, delivery of the switchgear, and hitting every planned outage window on schedule.

The finished project improves safety for university facilities staff, strengthens the reliability of the campus distribution network and demonstrates Claypool’s ability to coordinate specialized medium-voltage work alongside complete building electrical systems.

Highlights

• New 15 kV metal-clad switchgear (SQD)
• 12.47 kV distribution serving 56 campus buildings
• G&W 15 kV switch and pad-mounted transformer (12,470V to 480V)
• New 120/208-volt and 277/480-volt distribution systems
• Standby generator and transfer switch
• DC battery backup for switchgear controls
• SCADA-controlled breaker operation
• New fiber communications, fire alarm and data infrastructure
• 6,294 total man-hours across four completed outages, with zero unplanned downtime