PROJECT TYPES
No matter your project type, we have the experience to design it.
Residential: Single-Family Homes
New subdivisions, multi-phased development projects, and single lots.
Residential: Multi-Family
Duplexes, townhomes, and apartment buildings.
Commercial & Retail
Large and small commercial developments and single commercial/retail buildings.
Rule 20 Overhead to Underground Conversion
Converting existing overhead facilities to underground facilities.
WRO Relocation
Relocating existing overhead or underground facilities. Work must be related to new developments.
Agricultural Service
All forms of agricultural service and primary extensions. Single- or three-phase service.
Temp Power
Temporary power facilities to provide construction power.
Street Lighting
Provide power for new street lights.
Why Applicant Design?
Applicant Design was created by the California Public Utilities Commission in 1995, allowing developers to choose independent designers to design their projects.
Applicant Design provides developers and PG&E customers with the option to hire a consultant like Lopes Utility Design Services to design the electric facilities for your development project instead of having PG&E provide the design work.
Lopes Utility Design can complete your design accurately and efficiently. Our timelines are normally shorter than PG&E.
Lopes Utility Design is staffed with several engineers who are PG&E Qualified Applicant Designers.
ABOUT US
We are a PG&E Electric Qualified Applicant Design firm providing electric utility design services in California.
QAD Certified
Lopes Utility Design has 4 designers with PG&E's Qualified Applicant Designer (QAD) certification
Experienced Staff
Lopes Utility Design has 5 electric designers & drafters with over 6 decades of cumulative Applicant Design experience
Industry Leader
Lopes Utility Design has designed more than 4,000 projects since 2008 and is one of the leading Applicant Design firms in California
Cliff Lopes, Principal
Cliff Lopes worked for PG&E for 34 years. Upon retiring from PG&E as an Electric Associate Distribution Engineer (ADE) in 2008, he founded Lopes Utility Design Services to provide Applicant Design services to the industry.
SERVICES
We provide full electric utility design services for all types of projects. These are typical services we offer:
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Construction Drawings
The construction plan for your project
We provide both construction drawings and PG&E-required circuit sketches.
Our drawings:
• Show where to install equipment, conduits, and cables, as well as what and how much to install
• Are Easy-to-follow for construction crews to install your project correctly
• Comply with all PG&E standards and guidelines
• Include all PG&E-mandated calculations and equipment installation notes
• Provide the basis for a Joint Trench contractor's Composite Drawing, showing all dry utilities' installation facilities
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Calculations
PG&E-mandated calculations to meet their standards
We provide all the technical calculations necessary to comply with PG&E standards. Typical calculations include:
• Tranformer sizing
• Conductor sizing
• Conductor tail lengths
• Secondary & Service voltage drop
• Voltage rise from solar-generation facilities
• Conductor pulling tension
• Pole sizing for overhead facilities
• Guying requirements for overhead facilities
• Adding additional load to existing facilities
• Panel loading demand conversions
• Total project current demand
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Material List
Job Instructions and material quantities for all equipment, conduits & cable
Our job instructions divide your project into small components and provide specific details on what equipment, conduit, and cable to install for each component.
This easy-to-follow list helps contractors do the installation work accurately and efficiently.
Our material list summary provides the total quantity of each material item that must be ordered for the installation of your project. This makes bulk orders much simpler.
Our job instructions & material list are completed to PG&E standards.
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OCalc Analysis
Analysis for pole loading calculations
PG&E requires overhead facilities to be modeled and load-analyzed using industry-leading OCalc software.
We provide expertise in modeling poles, risers, transformers, fusing, switches, reclosers, and capacitor banks.
We determine guying requirements for poles based on loading analysis.
We ensure all overhead facilities are according to PG&E standards and in compliance with General Order 95.
We provide information on Joint Pole Association requirements to coordinate with other dry utility providers.
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Field Survey
We can provide on-site information gathering services
We can gather on-site information for your project to ensure our design is accurate to your in-the-field conditions.
We can provide measurements & sizing determination for existing facilities, as well as mapping existing facilities.
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Revisions
As changes occur, we will adjust our design
Should changes happen on your project during construction or pre-construction, we will work with you to adjust our design and ensure your project is completed to PG&E standards.
We are with you until you power on!
Partnership
Many partners working together to complete your project
We will work with all your partner contractors to bring your project to completion.
Typical partner contractors include:
• Joint Trench Consultant
• Gas Design Contractor
• Composite Drawing Designer
• Civil Engineer
• Electrical Utility Equipment Buyer
Projects
Lopes Utility Design has designed more than 4,000 Applicant Design projects for PG&E since 2008.
Some recent featured projects include:
Contact
Please contact us today to discuss your project needs.
We'll provide you exceptional service to bring your project to completion.
Serving all PG&E areas of California