FAQs about ime & full service electrical engineering

Electrical engineering is the branch of engineering involving the technology of electricity, specifically the design and utilization of circuitry and equipment for power generation and distribution, machine control, and communications. The advent of the modern age is marked by the introduction of electricity to homes, businesses, and industry, all of which were made possible by electrical engineers. 

Since latter half of the 19^th century, the field of electrical engineering has expanded and branched out into numerous subcategories. At Intermountain Electric, our electrical engineers specialize in renewable energy, communications, and transmission and distribution line work.

Transmission & Distribution (T&D) refers to the different stages of transporting electricity over poles and wires from generators to a home or a business. The main difference between the two is the voltage level at which electricity moves in each stage. 

Transmission lines serve to connect power plants to substations, which can run electricity over vast distances at a high voltage, ranging from 69 kV to 765 kV. A unique feature of transmission lines is that they are bi-directional, allowing for a balanced power grid.

Distribution lines have lower voltages, ranging from 4kV to 69kV, and are used to bring electricity from substations to your home or business. The lines are smaller and cover shorter distances. Compared to transmission lines, distribution lines are passive systems, as they are not actively managed by operators or computer programs. Also, since they are traditionally uni-directional in power flow (from high voltage to low voltage), they do not require much maintenance.

Substations are the interface between parts of the transmission and distribution system. Substations take high voltage in the transmission lines and transform it to a lower voltage suitable for the distribution grid. They are also equipped with circuit breakers to protect the distribution system and can be used to control the flow of current in various directions.

Substations are generally unattended, relying on SCADA for remote supervision, control, and data processing. At IME, our technicians and electrical engineers specialize in substation design and construction, making our team an ideal choice for any substation project.

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a control system that allows industrial organizations to remotely oversee processes, gather and analyze real-time data, directly interact with devices, and program automatic control responses triggered by certain events or system parameters.

SCADA systems are vital for industrial organizations because they help maintain efficiency, process data for smarter decisions, and communicate system issues to reduce downtime. With our comprehensive knowledge of SCADA systems, Intermountain Electric can help you choose and implement a system that best suits the needs of your project.

Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along a fiber. Fiber optics is used for long-distance and high-performance data networking.

An optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Compared to traditional copper cables, fiber optic cables can support higher bandwidth capacities, transmit light faster, and be submerged in water. They’re also less susceptible to interference, and do not need to me maintained or replaced as frequently as copper cables.

Telephony refers to the technology that allows people to interact and communicate across long distances through the electronic transmission of voice, fax, or other information.

Intermountain Electric designs and oversees the installation of telecommunications equipment, such as electronic switching systems, traditional telephone service facilities, optical fiber cabling, IP networks, and microwave transmission systems.