Industrial Electrical Engineering & Design: Power Systems, Controls, Arc-Flash & Drafting
In-House Engineering Capability
Engineering and field execution belong in the same conversation. When design decisions are made without input from the people who will build the system, the result is drawings that require field modification, equipment that arrives without adequate space for installation, and commissioning that uncovers problems that were introduced at the design stage.
Wikota Electrical Services delivers electrical engineering and design through Mid-America Services, a 25-year electrical engineering practice integrated into the Wikota platform as the in-house engineering function. Mid-America Services does not operate as a subcontractor. The engineering team works alongside the construction and I&C teams within the same project management structure, using the same drawing management system, from concept through handover.
Electrical Power Systems Design
Power systems design encompasses the full electrical distribution architecture: single-line diagrams, load studies, short-circuit analysis, protective relay coordination, and grounding and bonding design. Arc-flash analysis is performed to IEEE 1584 methodology, producing incident energy calculations, arc-flash boundary determinations, and PPE requirement labels for the installed equipment. Load studies account for both normal and emergency operating scenarios.
Control Panel Design and Assembly
Control panel design covers PLC and HMI architecture, I/O allocation, enclosure selection and layout, schematic drawings, bill of materials development, and UL and NEC compliance review. Mid-America Services produces the panel design package and coordinates with the fabrication and field installation teams to ensure the panel is built and wired to the drawing. Build and test support is available for panels fabricated through Wikota Fab Solutions.
Electrical Drafting
Electrical drafting services include new construction drawing packages and as-built completion for existing facilities. Deliverables include one-line power distribution diagrams, conduit and cable schedules, panel schedules, grounding plans, and SCADA and PLC site cabling diagrams. Drawings are produced in AutoCAD and maintained in SharePoint with version control throughout the project.
Industrial Consulting and Operations Enablement
Engineering consulting services address the operational needs of existing facilities. Services include feasibility studies for facility modifications or capacity additions, owner’s representative support for third-party EPC projects, LOTO program development to NFPA 70E requirements, value engineering reviews, and power quality investigations for facilities experiencing equipment failures or nuisance trips.
AI-Enabled Engineering Software
Mid-America Services uses AI-enabled engineering software to support design review and power system analysis. This technology supports more thorough review of design packages before they reach the field, reducing the frequency of drawing revisions during construction.
Frequently Asked Questions
An arc-flash analysis calculates the incident energy at each electrical panel and piece of equipment in the distribution system. The calculation requires a complete single-line diagram, equipment data including transformer impedance and upstream protective device settings, and fault current calculations. The output includes incident energy values in cal/cm2, arc-flash boundary distances, and required PPE categories for each piece of equipment. Results are formatted as arc-flash labels that are affixed to equipment and incorporated into the facility's electrical safety program.
Issued for Construction (IFC) drawings are the approved design documents released to the field for installation. They represent the design intent at the time of release. As-built drawings reflect what was actually installed, incorporating field changes, substitutions, and deviations from the original design. As-built drawings are produced at project completion and form part of the facility's permanent record. They are critical for future modifications, maintenance, and emergency response.
A basis of design document describes the design criteria, assumptions, codes and standards, and engineering decisions that govern the project. It establishes the technical foundation before detailed design begins and provides a reference point for evaluating proposed changes during the project. For electrical systems, the basis of design typically covers voltage levels, fault current assumptions, load growth allowances, equipment ratings, protective relay philosophy, and applicable codes.
Engineering should be engaged before procurement begins, not just before construction. Equipment lead times for transformers, switchgear, and MCCs can run 20 to 40 weeks. If procurement decisions are made without complete engineering, equipment may arrive that does not fit the space, does not match the one-line diagram, or requires field modifications that add cost and schedule. Engaging engineering early enough to influence procurement decisions produces a more predictable construction phase.
In-house engineering reduces cost by eliminating the coordination overhead between separate engineering and construction firms. Change orders that originate from a design error are resolved within the same team rather than through a formal change process between two organizations. Drawing revisions reach the field through a shared document system rather than through a submittal cycle. Equipment specifications account for field installation requirements, reducing the frequency of substitutions and modifications during construction.