Sustainable energy and power generation have been integral parts of Salas O’Brien since the company’s inception in the 1970s. Today, our merger with Varo has expanded our impact on the energy and power industry with the addition of power transmission and distribution clients and expertise.

Power Transmission and Distribution

Varo’s mastery of power-related design flows from thorough experience in the utility sector. Generation plant and municipal distribution systems, high-voltage substations, paralleling systems, micro grids, and duct banks are just some of the power T&D designs that fill their portfolio.

With Varo’s expertise, we can now design power T&D facilities from the ground up or create engineering solutions for existing facilities. We offer project feasibility evaluation, preliminary and final engineering, procurement, project management, and construction administration—every step in the process from ideation to completion.

Power T&D in Action

Our focused expertise recently helped a major state university solve a complex design challenge within its main substation. Having acquired the distribution side of the substation from the local utility a few years earlier, the university had made multiple changes to the switchgear to accommodate the growing power needs of the campus. When ongoing growth necessitated even more changes, they called on our team at Varo.

To expand the substation’s capacity, the design solution added a new transformer and upgraded the two older transformers’ protection and controls to unify the whole system. In order to accomplish this, they also needed to bring the facility's drawings and specifications up-to-date.

Our Varo team took existing elementary diagrams and consolidated them into new, living documentation that accurately recorded past upgrades and could be used for the current upgrades and future maintenance. They also developed and integrated new drawings for the Varo-designed control panels, transformer, motor operated disconnects, circuit switcher, main secondary breakers, and physical installation, with elementary diagrams for all system components and the detail wiring diagrams to support them.

In addition, we provided continuous construction and commissioning support via design reviews, meetings, and on-site consultation. The finished project met all of the client’s power needs and left them better prepared for future maintenance and growth.

New Expertise, New Opportunities

At Salas O’Brien, we’re especially thrilled to design for power T&D because it will enable us to deepen our relationships with existing clients. Empowered by Varo’s expertise, our team can now deliver more power solutions than ever to our robust networks in healthcare, education, and retail. With their busy shopping centers, community hubs, and complex service provisions, our clients can benefit greatly from Salas O’Brien’s expanding power T&D expertise, and they can rely on us to bring our passion for environmental responsibility, client cost savings, and overall sustainability to this new service.