When planning a commercial tenant finish, it's important to keep in mind several key electrical considerations. Our skilled design-build electrical professionals will help you understand all these factors and how they impact your commercial tenant addition.
Power Requirements
Different types of businesses obviously have diverse power needs. Take a restaurant setting, for instance: aside from the lighting needs for their dining patrons, the kitchen likely features a wide range of cooking equipment, from fryers and ovens to dishwashers and more. These essential kitchen items consume a great deal of energy while in operation (often simultaneously), so your commercial tenant finishes will need to accommodate those higher power demands.
On the flip side, office spaces typically do not have significant power demands as most offices only need electricity for lighting, phones, computers, Wi-Fi, and any kitchenette appliances. A retail space for shopping will likely have similar power requirements, but integrating more cutting-edge displays and Internet of Things (IoT) technology can increase power demand. Whatever the case may be for you, it's important to assess the power requirements of the business when planning any improvements or additions to a tenant's space.
Lighting Design
From offices to warehouse settings, lighting is essential, and the lighting logistics will vary from one commercial space to the next.
For instance, most office spaces mainly use LED lighting in their ceilings, which is sufficient for most businesses and very energy-efficient. However, the lighting requirements at a restaurant are likely very different because lighting influences the overall atmosphere and mood of the eatery. Restaurants tend to have more complex lighting systems that cover four main areas:
- Ambient lighting for the entire space
- Task lighting to perform functions like reading a menu or cooking
- Accent lighting to add character to the space and construct focal points
- Table lighting to create the ideal dining experience for customers
In addition, restaurants may want to have the ability to adjust the lighting levels by the time of day and may even need to account for things like outdoor lights for patios and more. With all this in mind, it's important to work with a professional electrical contractor to ensure the lighting designs of your commercial tenant finishes are carried out with the utmost care and attention.
New codes and energy standards are beginning to require additional controls as well. Most lighting now requires automatic control as well as daylight harvesting to adjust lighting levels based on ambient light levels. All these new controls and requirements must now be planned ahead of time and integrated into the construction phase of a build-out.
Technology Infrastructure
In today's digital age, technology infrastructure is paramount for the success of many businesses and that term encompasses a wide range of essential pieces of tech. Think of things like security systems, audio-visual equipment, and heavy pieces of machinery. Without those key tech systems, many businesses can grind to a halt. As such, it's important to think through all the necessary components of your business' technology systems.
For instance, let's assume safety is a concern for your retail space and you need to install a new security system during your tenant finishes. This system will be running at all hours of the day and night, so it's a good idea to get a sense of the electrical demands of that system and account for those needs when mapping out your upgrades. Or, if you're not upgrading your security today but will down the line, you still need to make sure your electrical panel and your facility's wiring can handle the electrical demands of your security system.
How can you ensure your technology systems will work flawlessly when your tenant finishes are complete? By working with an experienced electrical contractor who can design and install the necessary infrastructure to support your business's technology requirements.
Get Started on Your Commercial Electrical Tenant Finishes
Has the time come to finally make upgrades to your commercial space? Our talented team of master electricians at P&L Electric can accommodate your needs at every step of the process.
We follow a detailed process to deliver high-quality workmanship on all kinds of commercial electrical projects, including tenant finishes and additions. No upgrades, changes, or finishes are too big or too small for our team. We can handle all the electrical needs for tenant-finish projects in all types of occupancies, use cases, and property layouts. From office remodeling projects to lighting retrofits, our commercial electrical experts have extensive experience in both designing and installing custom electrical improvements for tenants.
Contact P&L Electric today to get started with your commercial tenant finishes and additions today.