In order to improve electric flow and response time, UF’s Physical Plant Division is upgrading medium-voltage cables and switches.
Mike Gentry, the All Florida Electric Co. Inc. project manager contractor, said that the current oil fuse cutouts, designed to give protection to all classes of circuits, are extinct in the industry and will be replaced with gas-operated switches.
The existing switches, some of which have been in place for as long as 40 years, have limited capabilities.
The upgrading project, which was originally started during the beginning of summer, is scheduled to be completed by the end of December.
According to Gene Platt, a medium-voltage technician who has been with All Florida Electric Co Inc. for 12 years, each electrical box feeds electricity to supply a 100-yard radius.
In every metal box there are 15 cables, and each cable has 7,200 volts.
Platt said that while there will be an outage in the buildings to swap out the switches, it will not have any effect on classes as it will be conducted on the weekends.
