Electrical Systems Design for the Non-Electrical Engineer

Basic Concepts

• Voltage, current
• Resistance
• Ohm’s law
• Power, watts
• RMS, average values
• Inductance
• Capacitance
• Three-phase systems
• Power factor

Grounding Concepts

• Grounding for safety
• Grounding for equipment operation

Basics of Low Voltage Power Distribution

• Power factor
• Transformer operations and system voltages
• Neutral currents and harmonics on neutrals
• Faults, fuses and circuit breakers

 System Design Philosophy

• Voltage levels: transformers, theory, types, connections
• Overcurrent protection: fault calculations, interrupting ratings, coordination
• Load study/possible loads: load characteristics, load locations

Standards, Recommended Practices, Guides, and Codes

• Introduction to National Electrical Code® (NEC)

Electrical Construction Materials

• Basic electrical construction materials: wire, raceways, devices, boxes, panelboards, motor control equipment, switchboards
• One-line and riser diagrams

Design Procedures for Lighting, Motor, and Non-Motor Branch Circuits

• Lighting and non-motor branch circuit design: harmonics consideration, NEC requirements, circuit protection
• Motor branch circuit design: NEC requirements, motor protection, circuit protection, calculations
• Feeder circuit design: NEC requirements, circuit protection, calculations
• Problem Assignment

Design Procedures (Continued)

• Service design: commercial/industrial examples, NEC constraints, utility constraints, equipment, switchboards, metering: CTs, PTs
• Fault current calculations
• Discussion of class problem solution
• Lighting design

Advanced Concepts

• Power quality and harmonics: types of disturbances, harmonics, uninterruptible power supplies, distribution techniques
• Arc flash basics

Registration Date/Time:
9/15/2025 7:30am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 9/15/2025  8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 9/16/2025  8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 9/17/2025  8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 9/18/2025  8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 9/19/2025  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time

This is a HyFlex (in-person and online) taught course. Your registration is for ONE teaching platform only: in-person or online. Please be prepared to attend all days either in-person or online. Contact us if you have any questions or if you need to make a change. 

This course uses the Canvas course management and Zoom platforms. A UW NetID is required to access Canvas and supplemental course materials and resources. Your registration confirmation email will walk you through the NetID process and how to access the Canvas course website.  

For in-person students: physical course materials will be available on the first day of class.

For online students: course materials are shipped to you. Please look for an email two weeks before the course regarding the address you would like your course materials shipped to. The email will include a link to an online address verification form.                                        

Enrollments are allowed up to the first day of the course. However, the course materials may not arrive before the start of the course for enrollment within 5 business days of the course start date.

Course information will be available in Canvas. Watch the email you provide during registration for notifications. 

• Instructors

  James Krier

  Lead Engineer

  Jim Krier PE, is a Principal Engineer at Alliant Energy in Madison, Wisconsin. He has held numerous engineering and managerial positions and has specialized in providing power quality engineering services to industrial and commercial customers for more than 26 years. His experience includes harmonic studies, power factor correction, wiring and grounding studies, power quality monitoring, arc flash hazards, surge suppression, substation project management, medium voltage electrical system design, distributed generation, and electrical troubleshooting.

  Ryan Kallies

  Electrical Engineer

  Mr. Kallies PE, LEED AP is a Project Manager and Electrical Engineer at Affiliated Engineers, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin. His specialty includes knowledge of the special electrical requirements for large scale, technically diverse facilities, such as medical, manufacturing, research, high containment research, data centers and multi-building campus environments. His expertise is in power system design with an emphasis in distribution systems from 15kV to 120V.

  Kevin Rogers

  Program Director

  Kevin Rogers is an electrical engineer with a background in electrical power systems. He is a registered professional engineer, and his 18 years of industry experience spans across electric utility, government, commercial, and industrial applications. His technical responsibilities have included design and commissioning of mission-critical facilities, underground medium voltage distribution planning, design, and operations, high-voltage substation design, and relaying protection and control for complex interconnections.

• Program Director

  Kevin Rogers

This course has two attendance options, face-to-face or online.

Face-to-face attendance fee includes morning and afternoon breaks, scheduled lunches, the 2023 NEC codebook, and course materials.

Online attendance fee includes online instruction, an NEC codebook, and course materials.  Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

Receive a $300 per person discount when two or more sign up from same employer.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.