• • • TEST & MEASUREMENT • • •
BEYOND THE READING:
WHY TEST DATA IS BECOMING CRITICAL ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The more connected the installation, the more BY KEVIN BIRD,
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, SHOCKING ENERGY
F
or electrical engineers, accurate measurement has always mattered. What is changing is the environment in which that
measurement is being taken. Electrical infrastructure is becoming more
complex and interconnected. Solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, heat pumps, smart metres and intelligent controls increasingly sit alongside traditional electrical systems, sometimes behind the same supply and interacting with both the building and wider network. That changes the role of testing, commissioning
and diagnostics. It is no longer enough simply to demonstrate that an individual component works when installed. Engineers increasingly need to prove that systems have been installed correctly, commissioned safely and operate as intended within a wider electrical ecosystem.
From individual assets to
connected systems The fundamentals of electrical testing remain essential, but the number of interfaces engineers need to consider is growing. An EV charger, for example, does not operate in
isolation. Its installation needs to be considered alongside the incoming supply, protective devices, earthing arrangements, metering equipment and existing electrical demand. Add solar generation or battery storage and
power may no longer travel in one direction. Introduce smart tariffs and automated controls and the relationship between assets becomes more dynamic again.
important accurate commissioning becomes. A problem at one point can affect the performance of the wider system, while a discrepancy can provide an early indication of incorrect configuration, deteriorating equipment or an installation that is not behaving as expected. Testing therefore becomes part of understanding
the system, rather than simply completing the installation.
A measurement is only
as useful as its context There is another challenge: what happens to test information after it has been captured? A technically accurate reading can quickly lose operational value if it becomes separated from the job, asset or engineer responsible for it. If results are handwritten, transferred between
documents or entered into different systems after the event, organisations introduce opportunities for transcription errors, missing information and uncertainty over which record represents the final position. For contractors managing large field teams, the
question is increasingly not simply whether the correct measurement was taken. It is whether the business can demonstrate where and when it was taken, what equipment it related to, who recorded it and what happened next. That makes traceability an increasingly important part of test and measurement.
Creating a digital evidence trail Commissioning information should, therefore, become part of the operational record of the job. Test results can be captured at source alongside photographs, signatures, engineer notes, certificates and other evidence, connecting information directly to the relevant site and work being undertaken.
32 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2026 Digital workflows can also require engineers to
complete defined checks before progressing or flag information for review. Rather than discovering that evidence is missing after an engineer has left site, the process can identify gaps while the work is still taking place. This does not replace engineering judgement. It
gives engineers and managers better-quality information on which to apply it. The same principle applies before testing
begins. Risk assessments and method statements (RAMS) need to reflect the actual site, task and hazards involved, particularly as installations become less standardised. Shocking Energy’s JobWay platform, for
example, connects field activity with operational records, while its RAMS workflows allow site information, evidence, approvals and documentation to remain part of a controlled process. The aim is to create continuity between how work is planned, how it is undertaken and how its completion is evidenced.
Evidence and safe isolation The importance of this connected evidence trail can also be seen in Safe Isolation Provider (SIP) operations. SIP-accredited organisations can undertake
de-energisation and re-energisation as part of relevant installation work, giving contractors greater control over how work is scheduled and delivered. But accreditation is only the starting point. To make that capability work effectively day to day, businesses also need consistent procedures, accurate field evidence and reliable operational records. More than 60 per cent of the UK’s Safe Isolation
Providers are now supported by Shocking Energy, which works with electrical and renewable businesses both through the accreditation process and once SIP operations are live. Its JobWay
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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