F E A T U R E

Crucially, design modularity fundamentally changes white space planning: circuits can be added or removed with minimal effort, offering a very straightforward mechanism for scaling capacity and maximising space without reconfiguring power infrastructure.

How do installation processes differ between RPP and busway systems and what effect does that have on overall installation cost?

This is where RPPs and busway systems fundamentally diverge. RPPs can be resource-intensive, requiring significant labour and time. To illustrate, an RPP system involves two physical locations: the RPP source and the final rack location. If power is needed for 20 racks in a row, you must route a single core cable 20 times from the RPP’ s physical location to 20 different racks. This process is labourintensive and time-consuming.

Busway is considerably less complex. When busway is installed overhead, a 40-foot span only requires four or five modular pieces, making‘ day one’ installation very straightforward. Crucially, powering the racks is achieved using plugins which can be added or removed in minutes. The difference in time and labour between the two systems is substantial; the busway’ s reduced complexity and ease of installation positively impacts the overall project cost.

Beyond cost, what are the primary risks introduced by the extensive wiring required for traditional RPP installations?

One of the primary risks of traditional RPP installations stems from having two separate locations, the RPP panel and the rack, sometimes distanced by 30 or 40 feet. Wiring between these two disparate points, especially when live, significantly increases the chance of human error. While you typically need to de-energise an RPP to work on it, live RPP work does occur and exposes technicians to the entire live panel.

Conversely, busways are inherently designed for enhanced physical and electrical safety. When working on the busway, you install a single plugin, which manages a single or dual

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