Prefabricated
switchrooms.
CWS delivers prefabricated electrical switchrooms, MCC rooms and control rooms for industrial and infrastructure projects throughout New Zealand. Switchboards, MCCs, automation panels and agreed auxiliary services can be integrated and factory tested off site before delivery.
One coordinated electrical fit-out.
The switchroom can be developed around CWS-built main switchboards, motor control centres, VSD and control equipment, with internal power and control wiring and agreed room auxiliary services incorporated into the project scope. This moves a significant part of the electrical assembly and interface work into a controlled factory environment.
The starting point is the equipment lineup and how people need to work around it. Room width, cable routes, doors and access should follow the switchboard arrangement and servicing requirements rather than being decided independently.
Plan for switchgear access, opening doors, withdrawing or replacing large components, future extension and the movement of equipment into and out of the room. The smallest room that contains the lineup is not necessarily the right room for the installation.
Coordinate the equipment package
A room may house main switchboards, motor control centres, drives and automation panels. Define the arrangement, auxiliary supplies and interfaces before fixing the room dimensions.
Resolve cable entry early
Top or bottom entry, floor penetrations, gland zones and cable-tray routes affect both the structure and the electrical installation. Provide likely cable sizes and quantities, including external connections that will only be completed on site.
Design for the room’s environment.
Heat rejection
Provide the equipment heat-loss information, expected loading and site ambient conditions. Room cooling and equipment ventilation need to be coordinated so that one system does not compromise another. Drives, transformers and auxiliary equipment can materially change the heat load.
Moisture and contamination
Identify coastal exposure, dust, washdown nearby, humidity and condensation risks. Materials, coatings, seals, ventilation and penetrations should be selected around the actual environment, not simply a generic indoor or outdoor description.
Auxiliary services
Agree the scope for lighting, socket outlets, heating or cooling, monitoring and any specified detection systems. Identify which services must operate before the main equipment is energised and how those supplies will be provided.
Project-specific building requirements
Structural, seismic, fire-performance and approval requirements need to be identified with the responsible project designers. Do not assume a particular rating, approval or certification is included because the electrical equipment is supplied in a prefabricated room.
Define the factory and site scope.
A useful switchroom proposal makes the boundaries visible. The table below is a scope checklist, not a statement that every item is included in every CWS quotation.
| Work package | Interfaces to agree |
|---|---|
| Room and structure | Design inputs, dimensions, finishes, doors, penetrations, structural documentation and any required approvals. |
| Electrical fit-out | Switchboards, MCCs, internal wiring, controls, auxiliary services and the limits of factory connection. |
| Civil and site works | Foundations, support points, levels, drainage, trenches and preparation of the final location. |
| Transport and lifting | Delivery route, transport limits, handling plan, lifting arrangements, crane access and who books each service. |
| External connections | Supply cables, outgoing circuits, earthing interfaces, communications and sealing of completed penetrations. |
| Site acceptance | Post-transport inspection, installation checks, final testing, energisation and the party accepting the completed system. |
Factory tested is not the same as ready to energise on arrival. Transport, installation and site connections introduce work that must be inspected and tested before the complete installation is put into service.
Delivery constraints can determine the design.
Review the transport route, site entrance, overhead restrictions, available lifting area and the path to the final foundation. Large or multi-section rooms may require a different approach from a single transportable assembly.
The lifting and support requirements need to be developed by the responsible specialists. Agree the transport condition of the equipment, restraints and any items removed for delivery, with a clear process for reinstatement.
Information needed from the site
- Location, access drawings and photographs of relevant restrictions.
- Proposed foundation arrangement, levels and external cable-entry locations.
- Delivery sequence, crane access and any limits on site working hours.
- Site readiness dates and the team responsible for final installation.
Agree the factory acceptance scope
Define which electrical and auxiliary functions can be demonstrated in the workshop, which systems will be simulated and which tests require completed site connections. Include inspection of the room fit-out and access provisions in the acceptance plan.
Prepare for handover
The document schedule can include room layouts, electrical drawings, equipment lists, test records, handling information and operating or maintenance documents for the supplied scope. Allocate the remaining site records and final as-built updates.
Allow for later changes
Reserve equipment space, cable routes and access for realistic future additions. Expansion may also affect cooling, auxiliary supplies and external infrastructure, so an empty floor area should not be treated as the only provision required.
What to send for a switchroom proposal.
Include the equipment lineup or preliminary layout, single-line diagram, site location, environmental conditions, required auxiliary services, transport constraints and target programme. Identify civil, structural and installation responsibilities already allocated to other parties.
Is a prefabricated switchroom just a shipping container?
No. The room format is selected around the equipment, access, environment and project requirements. Prefabrication describes how the package is assembled; it does not prescribe one enclosure type or imply that a standard container is suitable.
Can the switchboards and controls be included?
Yes. CWS can scope the room with MSBs, MCCs and control equipment. The quotation should identify the included equipment, internal connections, auxiliary services and the work left for site installation.
Are foundations, transport and commissioning included?
Only where they are explicitly included in the agreed scope. These work packages need separate responsibility allocation so the room can move from factory completion to an operational installation without gaps.
Put the requirements
in the brief.
Identify the standard, part and edition, current ratings, fault conditions, environment and verification records required for your project.
Understand the distinction between cited standards and subsequently published editions.
Prepare a switchboard specificationUse the enquiry checklist to prepare a comparable quotation.
One room.
A coordinated scope.
Send the equipment list, room layout, site conditions and delivery constraints.
Printable quote checklist (PDF)Email your checklist, drawings and schedules to estimating@clivewilson.co.nz. Leave unknown items blank.
Discuss a switchroomOr call +64 3 214 4264