South Gym Electrical Plan

Overview

A new electrical panel will be installed in the South Gym to serve the AV rack, lighting dimmers, LED wall (long-term), and other room loads. This document tracks the panel’s load requirements to determine the service size needed.

Wiring Diagram

Power distribution overview

                                    Main Building Service
                                    (capacity TBD)
                                            │
                                            │  Feeder: wire size TBD
                                            │  Conduit: type & run TBD
                                            │  Distance: TBD (voltage drop calc needed)
                                            │
                    ┌───────────────────────┴───────────────────────┐
                    │              NEW SOUTH GYM PANEL               │
                    │              100A–200A, 42-space               │
                    │              (bus rating & main bkr TBD)       │
                    │              Location: TBD                     │
                    └──┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──────┬──┘
                       │      │      │      │      │      │      │      │
     ┌─────────────────┘      │      │      │      │      │      └─────────────────────┐
     │           ┌────────────┘      │      │      │      └──────────┐                 │
     │           │           ┌───────┘      │      └──────┐          │                 │
     │           │           │         ┌────┘             │          │                 │
     │           │           │         │                  │          │                 │
     ▼           ▼           ▼         ▼                  ▼          ▼                 ▼
    UPS        Amp #1      Amp #2    Amp #3         SmartPack #1  SmartPack #2    Room circuits
   (TBD)       20A/        20A/      20A/           60A/240V      60A/240V       (LED wall,
               120V        120V      120V                                         ventilation,
                                                                                  convenience)

Rack closet power distribution

Four panel circuits feed the rack closet (1x UPS, 3x amp). SmartPack feeds are also in the closet but serve the lighting system.

PANEL                                              RACK CLOSET
─────                                              ───────────

UPS circuit ────► [L5-20R] ────► Online UPS (double-conversion)
(20A / 120V)                                         │
                                       ┌───────────┼───────────┐
                                       │           │           │
                                  Always-on   Always-on   RLNK-915R (PDU)
                                  (infra)     (infra)     (see RLNK detail below)
                                       │           │
                                  M4250 PoE+  IT switch
                                  (also feeds
                                   PoE devices
                                   below)


Amp #1 circuit ────► [L5-20R] ────► Peavey Pro-LITE 5.0 #1 (ceiling speakers)
(20A / 120V)                        (up to 1,880 VA @ 4Ω 1/3 pwr)


Amp #2 circuit ────► [L5-20R] ────► Peavey Pro-LITE 5.0 #2 (subwoofers, TBD if keeping)
(20A / 120V)                        (up to 1,880 VA @ 4Ω 1/3 pwr)


Amp #3 circuit ────► [L5-20R] ────► Peavey Pro-LITE 5.0 #3 (floor monitors, TBD if keeping)
(20A / 120V)                        (up to 1,880 VA @ 4Ω 1/3 pwr)

Amps are on dedicated circuits, not through the RLNK or UPS, due to high peak draw.

RLNK-915R outlet allocation

The RLNK is downstream of the UPS. AMX controls individual outlets for power sequencing.

Online UPS ────► RLNK-915R
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 1:  AMX SVSi frame
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 2:  MIPRO ACT-727a #1 + #2 (dual-head IEC cable)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 3:  NovaStar VX4S #1 + #2 (dual-head IEC cable, long-term)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 4:  (spare)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 5:  BSS BLU-100 #1 + #2 (dual-head IEC cable)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 6:  Midas DL16 (rack)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 7:  Rack PC (Mac mini)
                        │
                        ├──── Outlet 8:  Barco ClickShare
                        │
                        └──── Outlet 9:  Arylic LP10

SmartPack power and output distribution

Both SmartPacks are wall-mounted in the rack closet. Each is hardwired directly off the panel (not plug-and-cord) with a 60A / 240V single-phase feed using 6/4 SO or SJO cable and a 2-pole breaker. Two SmartPacks = 120A of panel capacity for dimmers. Three-phase (120/208V at 40A per unit) is an option but not required. See the ETC SmartPack FAQ for detailed input specifications. The ampacity rating of the SmartPack input terminals and maximum wire size they accept should be verified by the electrician from the unit during installation.

The SmartPack’s single feeder cable (6/4 SO or SJO) carries two hots, one shared neutral, and ground. Forward-phase dimmers produce third-harmonic current that adds on the shared neutral rather than canceling. ETC’s recommended 6/4 cable has a full-size neutral (same gauge as the hots), which likely accounts for this. The electrician should verify neutral adequacy during installation.

PANEL                                        RACK CLOSET (wall-mounted)
─────                                        ──────────────────────────

SmartPack #1 feed ────►  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
(60A / 240V, 2-pole)     │   ETC SmartPack #1                               │
                         │   12ch x 1200W  (14,400W capacity)               │
                         │                                                   │
                         │   DMX In ◄── ETC Paradigm ACP DMX port (Ch 1–12) │
                         │                                                   │
                         │   Outputs (individual home runs to fixtures):     │
                         │       Ch 1  ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       Ch 2  ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       Ch 3  ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       ...                                        │
                         │       Ch 12 ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         └───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘


SmartPack #2 feed ────►  ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
(60A / 240V, 2-pole)     │   ETC SmartPack #2                               │
                         │   12ch x 1200W  (14,400W capacity)               │
                         │                                                   │
                         │   DMX In ◄── ETC Paradigm ACP DMX port (Ch 13–24)│
                         │                                                   │
                         │   Outputs (individual home runs to fixtures):     │
                         │       Ch 13 ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       Ch 14 ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       Ch 15 ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         │       ...                                        │
                         │       Ch 24 ──────► Fixture zone                 │
                         └───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Note: Existing daisy-chain wiring from the old switching box is NOT reusable --
      the old switching box and the new rack closet are on opposite sides of the
      facility. New conduit runs and individual home runs are required from each
      SmartPack channel to its fixture group. Each output channel has a 10A/120V
      internal breaker; the electrician determines wire size based on run lengths
      to fixture locations and the number of conductors sharing conduit (standard
      installation calculations). Panel-level demand calculation per CEC Rule 8-200
      is part of the electrician's permit process.

DMX control path

AMX (facility)                                    RACK CLOSET
──────────────                                    ───────────

AMX processor ────RS-232────► ETC Paradigm ACP ────DMX512────┬────► SmartPack #1 (Ch 1–12)
(remote, via                  (PSAP, presets                │
 network)                      stored locally)              └────► SmartPack #2 (Ch 13–24)

DMX cable must be routed in its own dedicated conduit, separate from SmartPack power feeds. Standard DMX cable (120Ω characteristic impedance per ANSI E1.11).

Room circuits (outside rack closet)

PANEL                                    ROOM LOCATIONS
─────                                    ──────────────

LED wall circuit ────────────────────►   [conduit stub-out at mounting wall]
(TBD, long-term)                         Conductors TBD -- pull now or leave empty.
                                         Power at display, not in rack.
                                         VX4S processors are in the rack (separate power).


Ventilation fan ─────────────────────►   [fan location in/near rack closet]
(TBD, if needed)                         May share a circuit.


Convenience outlets ─────────────────►   [room outlets at event-accessible locations]
(15A / 120V)                             Qty and locations TBD.

Conduit for LED wall power and data will be run during initial renovation to avoid retrofitting later, even though the wall itself is a long-term addition.

PoE-powered devices (no panel circuit – powered from M4250 switch)

M4250 PoE+ switch                                ROOM LOCATIONS
(always-on, UPS)                               ──────────────
        │
        │
        ├──── PoE (802.3at) ────── Cat 6A ──────► NMX-DEC-N1222A decoder
        │                                         (ceiling, at projector)
        │                                         ~25W, Class 4
        │
        ├──── PoE (802.3af) ────── Cat 6A ──────► NMX-ENC-N1115-WP encoder
        │                                         (back wall)
        │                                         ~8W, Class 3
        │
        └──── PoE (TBD) ────────── Cat 6A ──────► AMX touch panel(s)
                                                  (wall-mounted)
                                                  TBD

These devices draw power from the network switch via PoE and do not require dedicated electrical circuits.

Panel Load Summary

All loads fed from the new panel. This table will be updated as equipment is selected and loads are confirmed.

AV rack detail

Four circuits feed the rack closet (1x UPS, 3x amp). See Rack Plan – Electrical for the full circuit-by-circuit breakdown, outlet allocation, and amp breaker sizing notes.

The UPS is an online double-conversion unit (AC-DC-DC-AC topology), producing a clean sine wave – better for AV equipment than line-interactive or standby designs. It takes 120V input via a NEMA L5-20 receptacle (single-pole breaker, standard conductor sizing). Three amp circuits across two panel legs – the electrician distributes them to balance the load (two on one leg, one on the other). Amp receptacles are co-located with the UPS outlet (ceiling or low wall, depending on whether the rack closet ceiling is kept or removed). The distance from the panel to the rack closet receptacles is almost certainly within 20’, making voltage drop negligible.

The IT switch does not require an isolated ground or dedicated neutral – it is powered from a rack PDU on the always-on infrastructure circuit (same as the M4250). Additional RLNKs, if added, do not require additional panel circuits because they are downstream of the UPS.

Lighting dimmers detail

Both SmartPacks are wall-mounted in the rack closet. Each ETC SmartPack 12x1200W has a total dimming capacity of 14,400W (12 channels x 1200W). Two SmartPacks = 28,800W total capacity. However:

• With LED fixtures, actual draw per channel will be well under 1200W (likely 100-300W depending on fixtures). The SmartPacks’ full capacity will not be used.
• Panel wiring must support each SmartPack’s 60A / 240V single-phase hardwired feed (2-pole breaker per unit, 120A total for both).
• Actual fixture load will determine the true demand on the panel. The dimmer capacity is the ceiling, not the expected operating load.

See Lighting Plan for dimmer, fixture, and zoning details.

Kitchen SmartPack decommissioning

The existing kitchen SmartPack is being relocated to the South Gym. The electrician handles the disconnect as part of the relocation scope and permit – no separate permit or inspection is required for the removal itself. Orphaned kitchen circuits get capped off in junction boxes or pulled at the electrician’s discretion. A pre-relocation condition assessment is not needed: SmartPacks are built for heavy theatrical use, and a kitchen lighting circuit is light duty. If a channel has issues, it will show up during commissioning, and individual triacs are replaceable.

LED wall detail

Long-term, one or two LED walls will replace the projector (see Video Plan). LED wall power draw depends on panel area, pixel pitch, and brightness. Typical indoor LED panels draw ~200-500 W/m² at full brightness. The NovaStar VX4S processors are in the AV rack and already counted in the rack power budget. The LED panels themselves will need power at their mounting location, fed from this panel. A junction box is needed at each mounting location to transition from building wiring to Neutrik powerCON connectors (the standard power interface for LED panels). If two panels are installed at separate locations (Option B), two separate conduit runs are required – the panels would be at least 20’ apart.

Conduit for LED wall power and data will be run during the initial renovation to avoid retrofitting later, even though the wall itself is a long-term addition.

Panel Sizing

The panel size (bus rating and number of breaker spaces) depends on total connected load. Key unknowns that affect sizing:

• SmartPack input configuration (resolved: 60A / 240V single-phase per unit, 2-pole breaker)
• UPS input requirements (model TBD)
• LED wall size and power (long-term)
• Actual lighting fixture selection (determines real dimmer load vs. 1200W/channel capacity)

Working estimate

For planning purposes, this estimates the likely operating load (not the theoretical maximum of every dimmer channel at full capacity):

At 120V single-phase: 7,000W = ~58A, 15,500W = ~129A At 120/208V: proportionally lower current per leg

A 100A to 200A panel is a reasonable planning range, with the final size dependent on resolving the TBDs above. A 42-space panel would accommodate all foreseeable circuits with room for growth. Approximately 10-12 spaces are used (1x UPS, 3x amp, 2x two-pole SmartPack, 1-2x LED wall, 1-2x convenience), leaving ~70% spare – well beyond any 20-25% requirement.

Grounding & Bonding

The new panel uses the building’s existing grounding electrode system via the equipment grounding conductor in the feeder from the main panel. No separate grounding electrode is needed.

UPS ground isolation

The online double-conversion UPS creates a ground isolation boundary between the panel’s equipment grounding conductor and the regenerated ground reference downstream. This eliminates the need for:

• Dedicated rack grounding bus bar – the UPS isolates rack equipment from building mains ground, so a separate bus bar with chassis bonding is not required.
• Isolated ground (IG) wiring – the UPS provides equivalent isolation to IG circuits; no IG bus bar or IG-type receptacles are needed.

Dimmer-to-AV noise isolation

SmartPack dimmer circuits and the UPS are on separate branch circuits with no shared neutral, so forward-phase harmonic noise cannot travel to AV equipment via the neutral conductor. The only shared point is the panel bus, and the online double-conversion UPS rectifies and regenerates AC, stripping any upstream noise before it reaches rack equipment. No additional filtering or isolation is required between SmartPack circuits and UPS input circuits.

Ground boundary crossings

The UPS ground isolation boundary is crossed by three signal paths. Each uses differential signaling that rejects common-mode ground noise:

DMX cable shield grounding: Grounded at one end only (Paradigm ACP / transmitter end) per ANSI E1.11. The Paradigm ACP’s ground reference depends on its enclosure power source (TBD – ERn or DIN rail PSU) and the SmartPacks are on building ground – grounding the shield at both ends would create a ground loop. DMX is differential (RS-485), so the signal is unaffected as long as the shield is grounded at one end only.

M32R console ground loop: The M32R plugs into a convenience outlet (building ground) while the rack DL16 is on UPS ground. The AES50 cable shield bridges the two ground references. AES50 is differential digital signaling, so data integrity is not affected. Shield current could cause EMI in theory but is unlikely to be an issue in practice at the distances involved.

Wireless mic antenna grounding: Not applicable for the initial install – antennas ship attached to the receiver, so the antenna ground is the receiver chassis (UPS ground via RLNK, no boundary crossing). If remote-mounted antennas are added later, the coax shield would bridge UPS ground to the antenna mounting point’s ground reference, and CEC/NEC 810 antenna grounding requirements would apply. Revisit if remote antennas are needed.

Safety & Code Compliance

Emergency and exit lighting is on a completely separate system, unrelated to this panel or the SmartPacks. No SmartPack fault or AMX preset can disable it.

AFCI protection is not required. AFCI is a residential requirement under the Canadian Electrical Code and does not apply to commercial/institutional buildings. It would also be impractical here – Class D amplifier inrush current and SmartPack dimmer waveforms would cause nuisance trips.

Arc flash labeling is required on the new panel. Simplified labeling is sufficient for a sub-panel of this size – the electrician applies a standard arc flash warning label. A full arc flash hazard analysis is not needed.

Emergency disconnect is not required for the AV/lighting system. Emergency disconnects are for commercial kitchen equipment, HVAC, and industrial machinery. The panel breakers serve as the disconnect for this equipment. No separate panic switch accessible outside the locked rack closet is needed.

Conduit & Future-Proofing

Rack closet interior runs use EMT (metal conduit) affixed to the wall. Fiber runs are armored and wall-affixed (see Networking Plan).

All wire runs should be in conduit wherever possible, including low-voltage runs such as speaker wiring. The gymnasium ceiling will remain open (exposed structure) after construction, so conduit is visible and should be routed cleanly. Conduit should be stubbed from the rack closet to speaker rough-in locations while walls and ceilings are open during construction.

A dedicated conduit stub-out to a scorer’s table location at floor level is not needed – a scoreboard cart would be self-contained with its own power and data, using a convenience outlet and network drop.

Motorized blackout shades are not needed for the gymnasium – there are no windows.

Ventilation fan conduit and breaker space are out of scope for this plan – ventilation is part of HVAC.

Permits & Inspection

An Alberta-licensed electrical contractor handles the permit and coordinates with the Safety Codes Officer as part of standard practice. The electrician pulls the permit.

The relocated kitchen SmartPack requires a fresh inspection as a new installation – it is being relocated to a new panel with all new wiring downstream, so the entire installation will be inspected as new work.

Stamped electrical drawings from a Professional Engineer registered in Alberta are unlikely to be required. In Alberta, a licensed electrical contractor can design and install a sub-panel and branch circuits without P.Eng involvement – stamped drawings are typically only required for larger commercial projects. If the Safety Codes Officer flags it during the permit process, the electrician would engage a P.Eng at that point.

Open Questions

Panel & Service Entry

• Panel location in the room
• Is this a main breaker panel or a sub-panel with main lug only? What is the upstream feeder breaker size at the main distribution panel?
• Feed from main building service to this panel (wire size, conduit run, distance). Has a voltage drop calculation been performed for the feeder at full panel load?
• What is the main building service capacity, and does it have headroom for this new panel? The working estimate of 6,500-14,500W needs to be added to the building’s connected load calculation.
• What is the available fault current (AFC) at the main building panel, and does the new panel’s short-circuit current rating (SCCR) meet it?
• What size main breaker and bus rating? A 100A main in a 200A bus panel is different from a 200A main – the choice affects upstream feeder sizing.
• Is the upstream feeder breaker large enough to carry the full load including the future LED wall without being replaced?
• Does the panel location comply with CEC Rule 2-308 minimum working clearances (36“ depth, 30“ width, 6.5’ headroom)? Given SmartPacks are also wall-mounted in the same closet, do all three pieces of equipment simultaneously meet clearance requirements?

UPS & Rack Circuits

• What is the total VA load the UPS must carry? Most rack device wattages are still TBD – UPS cannot be specified until these are known.
• Where are the rack closet receptacles located? TBD – depends on whether the rack closet ceiling is kept or removed. If ceiling remains, L5-20 on the ceiling. If removed (open to gym structure above), L5-20 on the wall behind the rack.

LED Wall (Long-Term)

• LED wall power requirements (panel area, pixel pitch, brightness)
• What conduit size and quantity is needed for LED wall power and data? Routing path from rack closet to each candidate wall location?
• Should conductors be pulled into the LED wall conduit now, or left empty? If pulled now, what size accommodates the 1,000-5,000W range at that distance?
• How will open conduit stub-outs be sealed during the interim period to prevent water intrusion, pests, or combustion gas entry?
• Does the panel bus rating accommodate adding the LED wall load without upgrading the feeder from the main service?

Surge Protection

• Is a Type 2 surge protection device (SPD) warranted at the new panel? The online UPS already protects rack equipment downstream of it, but the amps and SmartPacks are on dedicated circuits without surge protection. Whether a panel-level SPD is needed depends on the building’s exposure to surges (lightning, utility switching, large motors) and whether a Type 1 SPD already exists at the main service entrance. Need to check with electrican.

Safety & Code Compliance

• Do lighting control scenes comply with minimum illuminance requirements for paths of egress under the Alberta Building Code? Is there a floor level enforced in AMX/DMX so a preset cannot go below code-required minimums?
• GFCI: the rack closet has an exterior wall – if insufficiently insulated, condensation could lead the Safety Codes Officer to classify it as a damp location, requiring GFCI on 15A/20A 125V receptacles. GFCI on a Class D amp circuit will nuisance-trip on inrush. Ask the electrician to confirm the classification during the permit process.
• Do the SmartPacks’ internal magnetic breakers (10A per channel) have adequate interrupting ratings for the available fault current at this panel? The electrician needs to calculate the AFC at the panel location and confirm the SmartPack’s SCCR meets it. Likely not an issue for a sub-panel on a moderate feeder run, but should be verified during the permit process. ETC does not publish the SCCR in their public documentation.

Permits & Inspection

• What inspection stages are required (rough-in before walls close, final after fixtures)? The gymnasium ceiling is open (exposed structure) so ceiling conduit is accessible post-construction. Wall rough-in still needs inspection before closing. Confirm stages with the electrician.

Conduit & Future-Proofing

• What are the conduit paths from the panel/closet to: projector (ceiling), N1115-WP wall plate (back wall), LED wall stub-out, speaker locations, lighting fixture zones?
• How many convenience outlet locations are needed for events? No prescriptive commercial code requirement (unlike residential outlet spacing rules) – this is driven by use cases. Consider caterer/vendor setup areas (along walls, near kitchen), portable production table location, and avoiding extension cords across the gym floor during events.