Electricity Network Planning: The Key to Efficient and Reliable Power Supply to Consumers

This paper focuses on the need and procedure for the planning of electrical engineering infrastructure for any district/community in order to enhance reliability and efficiency of power supply to consumers. Almost all the towns/cities in Nigeria are unplanned and this has resulted in haphazard approach to Electricity Network Planning and implementation. A detailed theory, methodology and technical considerations, in compliance with both National and International standards are discussed in this paper. A proposed University campus was used to demonstrate the procedures involved in electricity network planning in order to achieve an efficient power supply. This involves the electric power supply, design concepts, load estimates and analysis, network distribution/equipment and sizing of cables and electrical panels taking into account the various modes of distribution. This paper also drew a simple analogy between Benin City and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to illustrate the objective of the paper while highlighting the merits associated with planned electrical engineering infrastructure and suggested the ways to remedy the unplanned networks in Nigeria.