How do you evaluate your cost or provide your estimate in order to get Arcflash study projects? We currently use two different ways to do the estimate. One is based on the quantity of the total bus node $100/bus, the other one is based on total kVA capacity which is $3.00/kVA. Anyone can share your experience here? Thanks in advance!

We estimate the effort involved in each case and cost it accordingly.

Hi Noah, if you take a look on the EasyPower web site you will be able to download an extremely helpful document called Practical Solution Guide to Arc Flash Hazards. In there you will find in section 2.6 an estimation guide to determine the number of hours of work to undertake a full assessment. Good Luck, Mike

http://www.easypower.com

Noah,
In my experiance a quote consist of several components based on the customers wants and needs. Each are different and you'll take a licking if your not careful. Easypower's pdf will help you with the time but I found in some cases you have a factor of 2x depending on ability to access devices.

A lot of factors to consider or you will get burned in more way then one. A great communication plan between you and the customer is the most important. Know your scope of work, complete your job as the customer and you clearly have written up in a contract and met or beat the deadlines for what the customer expects. It all depends on the area your working in and the work your preforming including equipment rental. (lifts etc.)

e.g. $$$$$.00 for Aquiring Data or Collection
$$$$$.00 for Drawings
$$$$$.00 Analysis - Coordination, Duty, SC etc.
$$$$$.00 Finial Report

Good luck,
Martin

Very interesting discussion for there are so many interpretations as to what constitutes an arc flash study. If the work is combined with a selective coordination study, that reduces the simple analysis work quite a bit, but doesn't help in achieving workable solutions.

I have been asked to propose 'finishing' arc flash work after larger engineering firms left behind an tabulation of arc flash values that could not be understood by the plant operators. At one customer, these lists included multiple values for each set of switchgear with no interpretation provided. At another customer, most of the substations were deemed "not workable" and that was the end of the report.