There are a few commercial/industrial electrical elements I'm finding myself constantly struggling to replicate in the MEP system, and I think they could potentially be incorporated as new Revit Electrical Equipment types. If not, I'd at least like to bring them to the developer's attention so they see the pain points we are encountering.
"Transformer and Panel" - This would be a combination of a transformer feeding an electrical panel. So it would have a primary and secondary distribution system like a transformer, but it would also allow you to produce a panel schedule.
- I have not currently found a way to replicate this as a single electrical element, so many items like Power Distribution Units, Mini Power Zones, Mini Power Centers, all need to be modeled as two separate elements, even if they are housed in one box.
- If you try nesting the panel inside the transformer, or vice versa, you run into problems setting up the electrical circuit.
- This forces you to name and circuit two separate elements, and if the name changes you need to rename the panel, the transformer, and both circuits.
- You also have to be mindful that if the items are moved, they are moved together as a unit.
- You also typically need to make the transformer hidden so you don't have two elements in your plan views, but then others are confused when they go to make changes.
Alternatively, this could be solved by allowing nested electrical equipment to be pre-circuited internally. That would be a better solution since you could then use it to model entire substations as well, with a primary disconnect, a transformer, and multiple secondary compartments represented by a panel schedule.
"Busway" - Busway poses the opposite problem. Instead of using one family to represent multiple objects, we have a need for multiple families represented by a single panel schedule. My proposed solution would allow multiple busway segments to have the same busway name with different segment names. All the loads with the same busway name could be displayed in a single schedule, and the segment lengths could be used to calculate the voltage drops.
- Currently we have a hidden panel for circuiting the busway loads, and the busway segments are all modeled separately.
- This runs counter to the idea of BIM modeling. How do I calculate the voltage drop for each load on the busway in this scenario?
- I could circuit each bus segment, one-to-the-next, but then there's no way to display all the loads in a single busway panel schedule.
Alternatively, this could be its own Type Category that would function more like mechanical duct, so you could chain the segments together and have a single panel schedule represent the entire chain.
