Nicolas Joachim, CEO of Joachim Electrical LLC, is a Professional Electrical Engineer licensed in the state of Florida with over 18 years of combined experience in field services and the design of electrical instrumentation, controls, and power systems.
Currently, Nicolas Joachim is employed as a Principal Electrical Engineer within Nextera Energy’s Wind Fleet Electrical System team. As such, he is responsible for supporting operations in the troubleshooting of the power systems within the wind turbine, executing Root Cause Analysis and forensic investigations relating to catastrophic failures, and supporting initiatives to improve existing equipment reliability.
He also as avmember of the Electrical Safe Work Practices Team within his company. Within this role, he capitalizes on his previous electrical safety training experience to provide guidance to personnel per NFPA70E & OSHA standards. As such, he is responsible for leading Job Safety Analysis, Arc Flash Analysis, Coordination Studies, Short Circuit Analysis, and other electrical system studies.
As you look through our project portfolio, I am sure you will find more credentials highlighting our expertise for your specific project.
Specialties: Field Services, Power Systems, Troubleshooting, Electrical and Instrumentation Design, Arc Flash Analysis, NFPA70E Electrical Safety Training
Prior to his current position, Nicolas Joachim worked as a Principal Engineer at Bayer Healthcare’s Central Utilities department and Process Control Systems team. Within those roles, he served as the Berkeley product supply center’s lead electrical SME. As such, he was responsible for ensuring a continuous reliable electrical supply to all plants within this manufacturing facility including the central utilities (steam / ammonia plant / refrigeration / purified water / compressed dry air). This involved managing all aspects of the low/medium voltage electrical distribution system which includes: 12.47KV & 4.16KV Switchgear, Medium Voltage Transformers, Medium Voltage Motor Starters, Photo-Voltaic System, 480V Unit Substations, Motor Control Centers, Automatic Transfer Switches, Flywheel & Battery Uninterruptible Power Supplies, Diesel Generators, amongst other equipment. Duties include developing maintenance standards, establishing/coordinating preventive and predictive maintenance plans, developing ECPs, troubleshooting equipment failures, executing projects to replace/upgrade EOL components, and operating electrical equipment as needed.
Most importantly, his background in field services (including residential/commercial kitchen and laundry appliance repair) has allowed him to develop the skills to effectively troubleshoot complex circuitry and find the root cause of issues in order to resolve problems in design and functionality.
A major part of his current/past duties also involves project management and providing design support for CapEX projects with respect to the electrical scope. This requires, amongst other tasks, scope of work development and technical review of project deliverables (i.e. specifications, proposals, engineering drawings, submittals, RFIs, etc.). This also included supervising electrical contractors in their installation of such systems in conformance to company engineering standards, NEC, NETA, and other applicable industry standards. These roles have involved collaborating with various multi-disciplinary teams to guarantee the most robust and cost effective design for each project. His excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask efficiently allow him to manage a plethora of complex projects simultaneously so that they meet their expected budgets and timeline. Coupled with his attention to detail, he is often recognized for his high quality of work even in fast paced environments.
Arc Flash & Electrical Safety Management
Led arc flash studies for new wind projects, ensuring compliance with NEER specifications and turbine technology as-builts.
Developed and maintained a comprehensive electrical documentation repository, including photos and spreadsheets for all wind technologies.
Updated SKM models and Arc Flash Study Tables, ensuring data accuracy and incorporating system modifications.
Generated arc flash labels for all low-voltage electrical equipment across the NEER Wind Fleet.
Conducted coordination studies to support end-of-life breaker replacements, optimizing system reliability.
Spearheaded updates to Arc Flash Hazard Analysis Specifications, aligning them with evolving user requirements across Wind, Solar, BESS, and Power Delivery sectors.
Electrical Safety & Standards Compliance
Led updates to SMS 301.4.00 Renewable Electrical Safety Standard to better conform with the latest release of NFPA70E Electrical Safety Standard (i.e., Attachment 3 Tooling Table update & developing attachment 5/6 Capacitor Safety guidance) and communication such changes to operations.
Executed several retrofit projects to address risk following manufacturers safety technical information letters for Siemens 2.3 Fleet, Vestas V80 Fleet, and GE ESS/Non-ESS Fleet
Provided electrical safety support, including responding to team inquiries and ensuring ongoing operational compliance.
Catastrophic Failure Investigations & Restoration Support
Led root cause analysis (RCA) investigations for catastrophic failures, identifying systemic issues and driving effective countermeasures.
Collaborated with OEMs to address design gaps contributing to equipment failures.
Supported restoration efforts, including developing user requirements, testing protocols, and reviewing vendor submittals.
Power Quality & System-Level Technical Support
Delivered technical support for Horse Hollow Transmission’s RCA in response to ERCOT PRC-19 violations.
Played a key role in returning the Casa Mesa/New Mexico Cap Bank to operation, developing automation parameters for the Controls team.
Investigated and supported RCAs for padmount transformer failures across multiple wind sites.
Supported temporary power backup solutions following GSU failures and troubleshot substation feeder issues.
Operations & Maintenance Support
Responded to over 500 service requests, troubleshooting and resolving electrical issues for wind sites.
Led Management of Change (MOC) projects to address fleet-wide electrical issues and optimize operational efficiency.
Developed and updated maintenance procedures for power distribution tasks (i.e., (i.e., transformer megger, winding resistance, TTR Testing, UPS maintenance, arc flash validation inspections, medium voltage switchgear replacements, breaker maintenance), ensuring safety and system reliability.
Piloted UPS life extension strategies, including testing ultra-capacitor-based solutions.
NERC Compliance & Regulatory Support
Developed PRC-25 Option 5B Documentation to confirm the lower toleration of overcurrent element tripping characteristic are not infringed upon for all wind Generating resource technologies
Supported updates to MFR3000 relay settings in response to ERCOT PRC-25 violation notices
Bowman Sodium Hypochlorite Conversion Project, Placer County Water Agency, Auburn, CA.
Served as Staff Electrical Engineer for the conversion of a chlorine gas system to liquid sodium hypochlorite at a 7 MGD filtration plant.
Existing gas storage and feed rooms will be converted to house the new liquid feed system which will consist of two storage tanks, concrete containment wall around the tanks, peristaltic metering pumps to independently feed multiple feed points, and tie-ins to the plant’s existing controls and SCADA system.
Construction scheduling is being tightly specified to minimize disruption to plant operations during switch over.
Developed & CADD controls schematics, site plan and floor plan design, RFI/ Submittal Review.
On-Call Electrical Services for Stormwater Pump Station Improvements, Sacramento County.
Supported this project which includes improving the reliability, safety, and operational convenience of the pump station. At the same time, the project team was tasked with developing and equipment replacement design that accommodates immediate and future capacity improvements.
Generated equipment placement plans, power and lighting plans, load calculations, single line design, Electrical Specifications, and photographic reporting.
Blower Reliability Project, Coachella Valley Water District.
Supported the electrical design for new air process switchgear with Automatic transfer switch, and 1500 KW standby generator to address power reliability concerns at the Water Reclamation Plant.
The scope of work included complete design and development of bid documents as well as engineering support services during construction.
Evaluated site plan, developed power plan, and AutoCAD support during the design process.
WLAN-LAN Upgrade Engineering Services, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Served as lead network engineer for this IT upgrade project dedicated to providing high speed wireless connectivity to all students and teachers on campus in order to replace hard copy text books with electronic notepads.
The scope of the project included review of existing documents, conducting site investigations, providing new Wireless Access Points (WAPs), upgrading distribution frame cabinets, and the design of optical fiber backbone and Cat6 cable pathways throughout the campuses.
Conducted site walks, generated detailed network riser diagrams and equipment schedules, as well as the design of floor plans, conduit/raceway pathways and cabinet elevations for all networks.
In Home Service Technician 2
Performed installation, troubleshooting, preventative/corrective maintenance of electro-mechanical systems.
Efficient and organized management of truck stock inventory to guarantee quick recovery of parts as needed.
Recognized as having the highest productivity rating in the entire region due to effective troubleshooting skills.
Interacted with clients in a manner to guarantee customer satisfaction/fully meet user requirements.
Berkeley Site Arc Flash Analysis & Electrical Documentation
Created an electrical documentation repository containing photos and spreadsheets data of all electrical equipment on site (panelboards and breakers, MCC, Switchgear, UPS, etc.)
Redlined and CADD all electrical singlelines and panelboard schedules to reflect as built conditions.
Updated the SKM model for the entire Berkeley Site electrical distribution system to capture any modifications to the system and confirm the accuracy of the data.
Generated arc flash labels for all electrical equipment.
Performed coordination study for all Protective Devices and execution modifications as needed.
Reviewed all equipment ratings against available short circuit fault contributions to verify adequacy.
Cell Culture Technology Center (CCTC)
Served as Electrical SME/Owners Rep for the construction of single-use pharmaceutical facility.
The facility will enable the company to bring innovative medicines to the market more quickly, as well as support Bayer’s plans to venture into cardiology, oncology and other therapeutic areas.
A ground-breaking ceremony for the $150m facility was held in May 2019, with construction scheduled to be completed by 2021.
Reviewed Contractor design, submittals to verify conformity to Bayer Engineering Standards.
Modified design to reduce overall cost by millions through the elimination of inefficiencies.
Responded to RFIs, and participated in First In Place walk downs.
Coordinated electrical tie-ins between personnel and project team.
Boiler House Control and Power Modifications
Served as Electrical Design Engineer/project manager for the modification of the Central Utilities Boiler House electric distribution system to provide better redundancy during power disruptions.
Developed the execution/switching plans for several ATS Installations.
Designed, created execution plan, and supervised the installation of Local Alarm Horn Control Panel to allow Boiler personnel to better respond to central utilities emergency.
Site Wide Medium Voltage Protective Device Upgrade
Served as project manager for a project involving the upgrade of all Siemens & Bosler protective devices to SEL microprocessor based protective devices (SEL751, 351, 700G, 787).
Developed the execution/switching plan to allow isolation of medium voltage breakers for the purpose of performing protective device upgrades.
Updated coordination study (TCC Curves) to reflect changes of protective devices and meet PG&E utility requirements from TS-1 Form.
Central Generator Controls System upgrade
Served as project manager for a project involving the upgrade of all end of life I/O Modules and system PLC relating to the Site 6MW Central Generator Control System.
Developed the execution/switching plan to allow isolation of medium voltage switchgear for the purpose of performing control system upgrades.
Provide direction in the field during execution to electrical contractor with respect to DC & AC Control Schematics and wiring.
Updated coordination study (TCC Curves) to reflect changes of protective devices and meet PG&E utility requirements from Supplementary Review & Interconnection Agreement.
Additional Bayer Projects:
Photovoltaic System Retirement, & EV Charging station Installations
12KV/480V Switchgear Preventative/Corrective Maintenance
Replacement/Decommissioning of End of Life UPS & Diesel Generators
Medium Voltage Trane Chiller Soft Starter Troubleshooting/Retrofill
Miscellaneous Facilities Projections (i.e. demolition, new construction, and renovations)
Performed upgrades, site acceptance testing (SAT), start up commissioning, troubleshooting and preventative/corrective maintenance of Power Delivery, Drives and Control equipment.
Generated detailed field service reports to capture findings/recommendations from service visit.
Client List:
Genentech - Switchgear repair & breaker acceptance testing/upgrades
Matson Warehouse - Breaker Refurbishment
California State University - Berkeley - Switchgear preventative/corrective maintenance
NV Energy - Tracy Generation Station - Potential Transformer acceptance testing
Rinco Water Treatment Plant - Breaker Upgrade/Key Interlock Installation
San Jose Regional MC - Busway Upgrade & Breaker Installation
Walmart - Horizontal Metallic Raceway Repair
NETA High Voltage Test Technician I
Performed site acceptance testing, and preventative maintenance of electrical systems for commercial clients.
Completed wiring checks, Contact Resistance, Insulation Resistance, Transformer Turns Ratio (TTR), ground test, high potential, current injection testing of low/mid/high voltage equipments
Client List:
Thompson Power Testing/FedEx EL- Acceptance Testing
Farmer Rice - Switchgear and transformer maintenance
Google CL4 - Switchgear acceptance testing
Horizons Milling - Switchgear and transformer maintenance
Facebook SNC4 - Data Center UPS Acceptance testing & Arc Flash Analysis
ESC Refining - Switchgear and Transformer maintenance
Sr. Field Service Technician / Fuel Cell Technology
Performed site acceptance testing (SAT), start up commissioning, troubleshooting and preventative/ corrective maintenance of 5KW natural gas fuel cell systems for residential and commercial clients.
Performed power quality, root cause failure analysis to improve overall fleet performance.
Received the highest score during system design and operational training and subsequently tasked with delivering additional troubleshooting sessions to fellow cohorts at completion of the program.
Known as the go-to person with respect to Xantrex Power Inverter troubleshooting activities.
If you are looking for a team that values people over profit, and committed to doing the right thing no matter what the cost, then please give us a call.