Specifications

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The Busway Advantage A major advantage of busway is the ease in which busway
sections are connected together. Electrical power can be
supplied to any area of a building by connecting standard
lengths of busway. It typically takes less labor to install or
change a busway system than cable and conduit assemblies.
Savings of 25 to 30% of the total installation cost are common
when busway is used.
Busway risers (vertical busway) can be installed economically in
a high-rise building, such as the one illustrated below, where it
can be used to distribute power to lighting and air-conditioning
loads.
Power Distribution in The power control and circuit protection needs of a small
Commercial Applications commercial facility can often be met with a single lighting
and appliance panelboard. For larger applications, however,
the incoming service typically connects to a switchboard or
power panelboard. Additional switchboard sections or power
panelboards may be required to control feeder circuits which
provide power to downstream panels.
While panelboards and switchboards both perform power
control and circuit protection functions, there are key differences
between these systems. For example, a panelboard must be
mounted in or against a wall; whereas, some switchboards must
be installed away from a wall to allow access to the rear of the
unit for installation and maintenance purposes.
Perhaps the key difference, however, is the amount of power
controlled by each type of system. In general, switchboards
can be configured to include larger circuit breakers or switches
so that they can handle greater amounts of current. This also
means that switchboards may be more complex and can
incorporate a broader range of devices.