Sinclair Knight Merz designed the Takapuna electrical substation in Auckland’s northern suburbs. The substation is sited in a residential street surrounded by family homes and a bowling green. To meet the requirement that it be aesthetically pleasing and blend into the surrounding neighbourhood, the substation was designed to resemble a family home. It included indoor 33 kV and 11 kV switchboards, a 33 kV/11 kV 24 MVA transformer, protection, control, SCADA RTU and auxiliary equipment.
The substation had to meet stringent council requirements including low noise, building area limitations, property landscaping and ground surfacing. The building area maximum limit of 35% of the 500 m2 site, including allowance for a future transformer and switchgear extensions, required a compact and untraditional transformer arrangement. To remove the tap changer without dismantling enclosure walls, Sinclair Knight Merz incorporated a roof hatch into the design.
The low noise level limit (down to 35dBA) at the boundary required a specialised transformer design, and an innovative noise containment solution. Removal of the maximum transformer load heat losses of 130 kW was achieved with a silenced variable speed ventilation system, permitting low ventilation fan speed and noise at night during times of low load.
Sinclair Knight Merz was selected for this project because of our team's significant experience and a proven track record in the industry.