Contacts:

Yoshiko Hill - Manager, Electrical Engineering

326 East Hoover, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1002

Phone: (734) 764-2492

Fax: (734) 936-9916

 

Joe Iott - Chief Electrical Foreman

326 East Hoover, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1002

Phone: (734) 647-2044

Fax: (734) 763-2932

The electrical work group is composed of Plant Engineers and two electrical shops that work together to serve High Voltage, Outside Lighting and Tunnels needs for the University of Michigan. Please click on the shops listed below for a complete listing of the services they provide.

The University of Michigan has built an extensive power grid nested within the Detroit Edison system. Because of the relatively high degree of power reliability required for patient care, research, and public assembly, the University’s bulk power grid has been built underground and has several sources of self-generated power located on site. It delivers power at a level of about 1 kilowatt for every student, staff, faculty and visitor on the Ann Arbor campus.

The University’s bulk power grid extends along a 10-mile northeast-southwest axis from Green & Plymouth Road to Main Street and Stadium. Power from Detroit Edison is purchased at 40 kilovolts at three main supply points: North Campus, UM Hospital, and the Central Power Plant. The voltage is stepped down to either 13.2 or 4.8 or 2.4 kilovolts to the service substations located in various facilities on each campus. The approximately 400 substations within buildings step voltage down to low-voltage levels that can be used by end-user equipment. Some facilities, located some distance from this axis (or “off-grid”) receive their supply directly from Detroit Edison.

Preferred Manufacturers List: Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC)'s Electrical Trades Preferred Manufacturers List Acrobat (pdf) document.

The services performed for the university community by UPE electrical work groups are as follows:

High Voltage: A division of the UPE Electric Shop, this specialty workgroup operates and maintains the bulk distribution grid. It works closely with Detroit Edison to prevent regional outages and restores power as safely and as quickly as possible.

In many cases each of the foregoing workgroups are engaged in construction or assisting private contractors in the construction of University electric power infrastructure.

Low Voltage: Another division of the UPE Electric Shop, this workgroup provides installation, maintenance, repair, and testing of outdoor lighting systems, special events labor for the Electrical / Technical shop, electrical restoration and maintenance of tunnel lighting and pumping systems and provides Miss Dig locating requests for outside lighting circuits and secondary feeders.

For help with an electrical problem of any kind please call the Electric Shop at 647-2044 (Joe Iott or Lee Lambarth). For more information about the bulk distribution grid call 764-2492 (Ed Hengesh)

Primary System Operations
Low Voltage Distribution

To request services see "Obtaining Work Requests"