Electrical Design Approval From Agricultural Engineers??? 2

[nightfox1925]

In one country, some Professional Agricultural Engineers were given authority to sign and seal electrical plans associated with Agricultural Design. There is a clause in their engieering law that includes Farm Electrification and Energy Systems.

I am not happy with the way this law was enforced since I am always under the belief that all electrical designs involving farm electrification should be designed, approved and supervised by a licensed Professional Engineer. An Agricultural Engineer should only provide his approval on the premise of the Agricultural Process only and any Agricultural equipment.

I wouild like to invite any comments and suggestions from professionals regarding this practice in one part of this world.

 

[nightfox1925]

BTW, I meant "...supervised by a licensed Professional Electrical Engineer."

 

[ykee]

which country?

 

[nightfox1925]

Philippines

 

[dpc]

Some states in the US have Agricultural Engineering as a PE category. They are supposed have enough electrical knowledge to do design of simple systems related to farm buildings, etc.

 

[nightfox1925]

Is there supposed to be defined limitations of the extent of electrical design work that they are supposed to do without any involvement from an Electrical PE? If residential designs (which are also simple as well) are checked and approved by PEs...why farm buildings are not under our electrical jurisdiction?

 

[ykee]

Most jurisdictions limit the size of electrical designs done by non electrical engineers -- but farms can get really big. I would only be concerned for large farms.

Maybe it boils down to an ethics and professional competency issue that you should take to your professional engineering group (or maybe the body that issues electrical permits), if you are concerned about electrical designs made by the agricultural engineers.

 

[dpc]

This will vary state by state in the US. In Oregon, no engineer is required for small electrical systems below 600 V designed by a master electrician. This is not just for farms, but for residential, commercial, etc.

 

[nightfox1925]

Thanks dpc and ykee for your responses. Dpc, if you say "small systems" below 600V, is there any defined parameters to say that this is "small"?

 

[dpc]

Up to 150 kVA.

The IBEW is pretty well connected in Oregon. I don't like this exemption, but I will say that Oregon does actually license its electricians and provide some oversight that generally eliminates the grossly incompetent ones.

 

[nightfox1925]

Thanks Dpc for the insight and information. If you have some suggestions that I would improve or at least avoid such overlap, I will appreciate to have them.

 

[ykee]

While I can understand having concern over designs not being made by an EE, you also need to take into account whether or not a design can be simple enough to be made by someone knowledgeable in the codes using standard parts (ie: most installations under 200kVA).
I doubt there would be enough EE's, or for that matter enough interest in design if small buildings were to require an EE to design.
That said -- a farm could have a lot of rotating equipment, standby generator etc, could get complicated pretty quickly, regardless of overall service size. I need to think about this a little more!