C. Martin Nowland
PE, CEM (“Marty”)
PE License NH 13331
PE License CT PEN.0029041
PE License NJ 24GE04987200
PE License LA PE.0047454
AEE Certified Energy Manager (CEM) 53793
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Member 40206939
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Member
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Member
Renewable Hydrogen Association (RHA) Member
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Member
Strictly a Client Advocate
The nature of consulting is to determine the best solution for clients. We are not limited by vendor alliances or solving problems using standard solutions just because it was done that way in the past. Innovative solutions are evaluated to determine the optimum way to meet client expectations and solve problems effectively.
A consulting engineer plans and designs infrastructure, both public and private. They are professionals in the design and construction of infrastructures and play an important role in the everyday operation of highways, bridges, buildings, city streets, and so on. Through their expertise in engineering, science, industries, and law, construction companies seek out their expert knowledge. Infrastructures are carefully planned and carefully constructed for a purpose. This purpose could be to make a heating system efficient and effective or design support beams to carry vehicles over a bridge. Many consulting engineers have civil, mechanical, structural & electrical backgrounds. Their high level of expertise in these areas is ideal for the application of safe and effective construction. Your project should have a clear goal in mind, and with the professional aid of a consulting engineer, your development will succeed.
Why You Need a Consulting Engineer
Consulting engineers are licensed professionals. They have a lot of qualifications that make them a go-to in any industry. Their expertise in agriculture, electrical engineering, the environment, chemistry, mechanical and industrial disciplines are an important part of everyday construction. An architect and a construction company may face an obstacle and need to seek out advice. That is where our consulting services come in.
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Nowland Services are experts that can assist throughout your entire project. We analyze the design and blue prints. We examine the systems design and/or facility design and think out-of-the-box about how to resolve a problem or simplify design while meeting client needs and code requirements. This is all to assist you in overcoming your obstacle, or any future obstacles.
PE Licensed in New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Orleans and Connecticut
Nationwide consulting and travel
IEEE Member Engineer
Electrical Consulting Services
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Electrical Design
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Controls and Automation Design
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Prototype Systems Design, Build, and Program
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Evaluations Regarding Safety and Code Requirements
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Document Existing Installed Systems
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Generate Process Piping and Instrument Diagrams
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Evaluate Suitability of Equipment for the Application
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Electrical Systems Code and Safety Evaluations
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Energy Consulting Services
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Energy Management Including Energy Audits and Benchmarking
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Feasibility Studies
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Prioritize Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) based on:
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Existing and Renewable Energy Technology
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Capital Costs
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Leverage Rebates, Grants and Subsidies
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Return on Investment (ROI)
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Examine existing systems or processes:
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Understand processes and systems inadequacies
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Evaluate improvements
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Technical support implementing changes
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Professional Engineer
Safety Evaluations and Documentation
Production, Infrastructure and Safety
Expert Witness
An expert witness is a person who is a specialist in a subject, often technical, who may present his/her expert opinion without having been a witness to any occurrence relating to the lawsuit or criminal case. An expert witness is a witness who has knowledge beyond that of the ordinary lay person enabling him/her to give testimony regarding an issue that requires expertise to understand. It is an exception to the rule against giving an opinion in trial, provided that the expert is qualified by evidence of his/her expertise, training and special knowledge. If the expertise is challenged, the attorney for the party calling the “expert” must make a showing of the necessary background through questions in court, and the trial judge has discretion to qualify the witness or rule he/she is not an expert; or is an expert on limited subjects.
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Experts are qualified according to a number of factors, including but not limited to, the number of years they have practiced in their respective field, work experience related to the case, published works, certifications, licensing, training, education, awards, and peer recognition. They may be called as upon as consultants to a case and also used to give testimony at trial. Once listed as a witness for trial, the materials they rely upon in forming an opinion in the case is subject to discovery by the opposing parties. Expert testimony is subject to attack on cross-examination in the form of questioning designed to bring out any limitations in the witness’s qualifications and experience, lack of witness’s confidence in his opinions, lack of the preparation done, or unreliability of the expert’s sources, tests, and methods, among other issues. (Refer to the Electrical Consulting and Engineering Design pages.)
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Experts in a wide variety of backgrounds may testify, such as construction, forensics, gemstones, and many more areas. Experts are allowed to be compensated for their time and expenses in preparing for and giving testimony, as long as they are not being paid to perjure themselves.
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Electrical engineering specialists can advise, prepare reports, and give expert witness testimony on cases involving electrical safety and the profession’s standards regarding electrical codes, standards and installation practices. Representative litigation can involve code violations, safety problems, incorrect installations, design mistakes or omissions, irresponsible or uninformed actions or inactions that may result in accidents, injury, fires, non-functional equipment, systems, and associated downtime, losses, or death. What happens when equipment functions properly can be as important as what happens when failures occur when considering occurrences caused by malfunctions in electrical machinery, high voltage lines, electrically hazardous areas, switching equipment, voltage and current regulating devices, plant or process control systems, and circuits.
Services for Hazardous Locations
Hazardous locations services are provided to help clients know that their facility is safe. Understanding hazards, documenting hazards, and ensuring the plant is safe reduces risk, can reduce insurance costs, and helps owners, investors, and employees work effectively in a safe environment and sleep better at night. Hazardous areas are where flammable gas, combustible dust, or various material shavings or particles could ignite. These hazardous areas, are typically evaluated, documented and the installation verified, to mitigate the known risk to ensure the facility is safe for operators, employees, vendors, and any other folks that need access.
Flammable liquids, gases, and vapors that create hazardous areas include:
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propane, methane (natural gas), butane, hydrogen, acetylene, ethylene, fuel oils, and others
Combustible dust hazards exist near shavings, flyings, or build-up of materials, such as:
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aluminum, magnesium, other commercial alloys
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carbonaceous dusts including coal, charcoal, carbon black, and coke
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flour, grain, wood, plastics, or chemicals
Hazardous Location Site Analysis
Hazardous area services for existing facilities or plants start with a site inspection or evaluation. Initial goals are to meet the client and gather a sense of the potential hazard(s), electrical equipment installed, condition of the facilities, available documentation, determine the client desired protection method(s) if there is/are any, take measurements, and snap pictures. The protection methods are numerous strategies to address electrical equipment installation in hazardous areas. Understanding what direction the client wants to proceed on protection methods is very important, and in many cases is already clear by electrical equipment installation in a plant.
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Engineering analysis and documentation tasks occur once the potential hazards are identified and located. Specific codes apply to specific processes or facilities. Design drawings are drawn up to clearly document electrical area classifications. These drawings are utilized to evaluate specific installed equipment and whether the equipment and wiring are suitable for the installation and are safe. The electrical area classification drawings are very helpful and relied upon when operating plants and/or considering any plant modifications.
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An evaluation report summarizes findings, identifies discrepancies, and suggests remedies if any modifications are necessary. Risky areas, some of which may be code violations, are addressed. Simple and cost-effective solutions are provided. Some situations require coordination with electricians to answer questions or resolve problems during installation work. A final inspection is needed in some cases to verify all work is completed correctly.
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New Facilities or Plants
Electrical classifications of hazardous areas are a critical part of new facilities or plants design process. General contractors require knowledge of hazardous areas so that installation by different trades is coordinated to avoid accidents and injuries. All hazardous areas must be identified so that electrical installation contractors can install equipment that meets the specific electrical area classification. A strategy is required early in the project to ensure equipment is installed using specific and consistent hazardous area protection techniques throughout plant construction, operation, and maintenance.
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Design reviews of hazardous area installation specifications and drawings provide engineering oversight by which plant owners and insurance companies manage risk. Whether a new facility or modification of an existing plant, design reviews are important to maintain a high level of safety.
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Our engineers can assist you with:
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Determining Electrical Area Classification
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Selecting the applicable protection methods
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Setting the optimal implementation strategy
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Documenting Electrical Area Classification
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Improved safety procedures
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Safety matrices for plant interlocks and/or programmable controls
Training
Operator or employee training makes a big difference in a plant safety record. Training is typically tailored to the specific hazards experienced at the facility. Training provides guidelines for addressing hazardous areas operations and maintenance work. Forget about continuously keeping up with the latest standards and requirements and allow Nowland Services to keep you updated on changes in regulations that impact your facility.
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Plant guidelines, such as, the protection method is Intrinsic Safety only, make a big difference. Otherwise, protection techniques are mixed up. One control valve may be wired for flammable gas explosion proof and a second valve next to it is wired intrinsically safe. How technicians service these valves is different, because a gas detector is needed before opening the explosion-proof valve junction box. If protection methods or strategies are mixed, then safety is easily compromised inadvertently.
Areas of expertise include:
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Electrical and hydrogen codes
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Modular infrastructure design
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Electrical area classifications
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Systems design and specification
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Safety evaluations, procedures, and documentation
One of our passions to facilitate the advancement of The Hydrogen Economy! Clean power means cleaner air and less CO2 in the air which can only result in less global warming and less dependence on foreign energy.
Utilization of Hydrogen (H) is the energy path forward that will allow humans to eliminate carbon emissions and completely rely on renewable energy to achieve net-zero emissions. A secondary benefit is to minimize fossil fuel consumption, remove vast fossil fuel acquisition infrastructures, avoid geopolitical conflicts with those fuel acquisition infrastructures, and avoid supply chain associated costs.
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Hydrogen gas contains no carbon. Therefore, there are no carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO2) molecules that other fossil fuels emit when combusted, so using hydrogen, as a combustible fuel results in near zero carbon emissions. Hydrogen used in a chemical reaction in fuel cells is even better. Generating power with fuel cells creates zero carbon and toxic emissions. Transitioning from combusted fossil fuel plants with hazardous and unwanted emissions and moving directly to hydrogen-fueled fuel cell plants stops carbon emissions, which will manage climate change and reduce the US dependence on foreign fossil fuels.
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Hydrogen has the potential to resolve the issue of intermittency of renewable energy power generation. Wind is green and great when the wind is blowing. Solar is green and great when the sun is shining. The power output from these renewable power plants is not steady because they are highly dependent on wind and daylight, respectively. However, if these technologies, along with hydroelectric, are used to simultaneously generate power and create hydrogen, which is stored for when the wind slows or the sun is not shining, these renewable energy plants will exhibit steady output power 24/7. Then these renewable energy power plants will become much more valuable than standard power plants, by being highly reliable and green.
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There are multiple ways to manufacture hydrogen. Gray hydrogen is produced via steam methane (natural gas) reformation (SMR). CO2 is a by-product and is typically vented to atmosphere. Blue hydrogen is produced via SMR but with carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Green hydrogen is created by the electrolysis of water with electricity produced from photovoltaic arrays (PV), wind turbines, hydropower, or other alternative forms of electricity generation. Clearly, green hydrogen is the most desirable. Renewable, green hydrogen provides a near zero carbon, emission-free alternative to conventional fuels, which include gasoline and diesel for transportation, natural gas and propane for heating and cooling, and all fossil fuels for power production.
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Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen from the air in a chemical reaction that produces power, warm water, and no emissions. Commercially available fuel cells are currently the most efficient and realistic way to generate electricity from hydrogen.
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For transportation, cars, trucks, trains, buses, forklifts, ships, aircraft, and other vehicles are now commercially available and operating. These vehicles use fuel cell technologies. Hydrogen fueling infrastructure is needed to facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen vehicles.
For centralized or distributed power systems, fuel cells are commercially available to provide electric power. Currently, fuel cells can provide power to buildings, campuses, or centralized power plants. Most existing US power plants are based on combustion of fossil fuels, and these plants would need to transition over to some combination of solar, wind, hydroelectric, or other renewable energy source that could be used to create hydrogen, and stored hydrogen utilized by fuel cells to generate green power.
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The most efficient and clean way to generate and distribute power is to generate electricity on or near the site where it is needed. Typically, renewable solar and wind installations are distributed in different areas than traditional centralized power plants. Centralized power plants have vast electrical distribution systems. Fossil fuel for the traditional, centralized power plants is typically brought in via underground pipeline. A great deal of infrastructure that has been built, and this infrastructure can be used to transition to a decentralized renewable power system that is far cleaner and more efficient.
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Most technical challenges to moving to a renewable hydrogen-fueled economy are already resolved, however, a few challenges remain. One technical challenge is finding ways to store hydrogen safely and in large quantities necessary for various applications. Storage is a challenge because hydrogen molecules are very small and can escape. Another technical challenge is hydrogen must be very cold and/or under immense pressure for the gas to liquefy. When the gas does liquefy, it occupies 850 times less volume. Another storage possibility is to combine hydrogen with other materials, creating a safer storage medium where hydrogen is easily extracted as needed. Much private-funded research is under way to find solutions to these problems.
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On-site hydrogen generation would provide fuel supply at the point of use with the least infrastructure, increased safety, and lowest supply chain costs. This would minimize or eliminate transportation vehicles to distribute fuel (supply chains), gas and oil pipelines, man-made CO2 emissions from power plants, vehicles, heating systems, chiller systems, and our dependence on foreign oil and gas.