The City of Cuyahoga Falls Electric System began working with GPD in the 1980s, and our relationship spans to this day. Most recently, our team worked to upgrade the City’s oldest remaining substation, Substation #5, which had become inefficient and unreliable. 

The project involved replacing old and outdated equipment with a new dual-ended substation to meet the needs of future electrical distribution planning, bolster capacity to increase power delivery and accommodate future upgrades. The project needed to be completed while keeping the existing substation operational during construction under site-challenged, space-limited conditions. GPD met with the City’s Electric System leadership to listen, assist with planning and provide solution options. The end result was GPD’s design of a 23 kV, dual–ended 10/14 MVA substation complete with 23 kV breakers, 12 kV voltage regulators and a new metal walk-in control enclosure. GPD utilized state–of–the–art modeling equipment to establish existing conditions and create accurate drawings. From the model, GPD structural engineers developed demolition drawings to disassemble a steel structure bay without damage to the other two remaining, live bays. 

Along with a small substation yard expansion, the project provided enough room for the new substation to be constructed while keeping the existing substation in service, negating the need for expensive and time-consuming temporary distribution lines. Substation #5 is now reliable and equipped to handle future city needs.