2004-11-19 - Versatility, ease of installation and maintenance and a competitive price tag were amongst the key factors that made ABB distribution equipment the best choice for an electrical services application at the new Xscape leisure complex in Castleford, West Yorkshire.
Specified and installed by Balfour Kilpatrick, the equipment is used to control the lighting and power system at the complex, which cost £64m to build and which covers the equivalent of six football pitches in size.
Cost was a particularly important factor for us in delivering the lighting and power for the leisure facilities, says Peter Anderson, Electrical Contract Manager for Balfour Kilpatrick. ABB offered us the most comprehensive range of equipment at the most competitive prices.
Xscape boasts the UK’s largest real-snow slope 190metres of slopes including a 35-metre wide dedicated lesson slope. In addition to this, leisure-seekers can also take advantage of a 16-metre ice climbing wall, rock climbing walls, an aerial assault course, a 14 screen cinema, bowling alley, all weather indoor skatepark and a number of bars, restaurants and retail units. The entire site uses around 5MW of power.
With over three million visitors expected each year, it is essential that the complex’s electrical distribution system can guarantee a problem-free supply of power to the site. To satisfy this requirement, ABB supplied 20 ABB Protecta distribution boards renowned for their reliability and durability. The distribution boards were supplied with miniature circuit breakers rated up to 32A and were pre-wired to cut down on installation time on site. Standard 100A switch disconnectors were fitted to the incomers to the distribution board along with 50 OT range enclosed load break switches (rating 32A to 400A) and 45 OS range enclosed switch fuses (rating 63A to 400A) all to provide extra protection for the equipment.
Supplying the distribution boards pre-wired meant they were ready to be connected up as soon as they arrived on site, eliminating the time needed for installing and commissioning the various individual components on site, says Duncan Haigh, Sales Engineer, ABB Low Voltage Products.
To help the leisure facility save on energy costs as well as minimise peak demand, some of the distribution boards were also fitted with contactors and time clocks, which automatically switch off the lighting within certain areas of the complex at pre-determined times.
As part of the installation, Balfour Kilpatrick also used ABB’s EMAX range air circuit breakers with a rating of 1250A fitted into the enclosures. The availability of a fully rated, rather than the usual half-rated, neutral pole made the EMAX ACB ideal for providing high-current circuit protection for this particular application where high densities of fluorescent lighting place an increased single-phase loading on the three-phase network.
The EMAX range of air circuit breakers has a much longer mechanical life when compared to others in their category, says Anderson, They’re also compact, easy to install and the electronic protection is extremely versatile.