BNO Upgrade South Cliff

We were pleased to undertake the design for the Building Network Operator (BNO) system upgrade for a residential property located in Eastbourne. This project involved upgrading the building’s electrical infrastructure to meet the latest BS 7671 standards and improve its electrical distribution system, providing a safe and reliable service for its residents.

Project Overview

The project in South Cliff was a multi-occupancy building comprising 12 flats across 5 storeys. The existing electrical infrastructure required an upgrade to ensure compliance with modern safety standards and to future-proof the building for evolving electrical needs. Our role was to design the upgrade to the BNO system, ensuring minimal disruption to the tenants while ensuring that all services were efficiently and safely reconfigured.

Scope of Works

A new Distribution Network Operator (DNO) service head and isolator were installed in an external kiosk located at the front of the property. This upgrade was crucial for ensuring that the building’s electrical supply was robust and future ready. The underground cable from this new kiosk was routed under the landscaping and connected to the building’s electrical systems with minimal disruption.

An unused cupboard, located on the ground floor, was refurbished to house the new BNO isolator and a Ryefield Panel. The cupboard now serves as the central hub for the electrical systems, housing essential isolators and meters for the flats. These upgrades were carried out while maintaining continuity of service to the building’s residents.

New isolators, sub-main cables, and meters were installed for the flats. The Landlord’s services were also upgraded, with new distribution boards and the latest equipment to ensure smooth operation and regulatory compliance.

One of the key challenges of this upgrade was ensuring minimal disruption to the tenants. We planned the sequence of operations to ensure that the building remained live and operational throughout the project, with downtime only as necessary to connect new submains into the consumer units. New equipment was installed in stages, with all tenants experiencing minimal downtime, ensuring that their electrical services remained uninterrupted as far as possible.

A key part of this upgrade was ensuring the system was future-proof. We accounted for potential future changes, including the possibility of switching to a fully electric system for the building, and designed the new system to accommodate this transition.

This upgrade has significantly improved the electrical infrastructure and maintainability at the property in South Cliff, ensuring that the building is compliant with current safety standards and equipped for future demands.

This project highlights our expertise in designing upgrades for complex and/or historic building systems while ensuring minimal impact on residents.

For more details or to discuss how we can help with your building’s electrical upgrades, please contact us.

Building’s Electrical Cupboard BEFORE Upgrade

Building’s Electrical Cupboard AFTER Upgrade