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Jaime Castaneda, P.E. is a family man, an electrical engineer, and enthusiast of "current" events.
At HFA, Jaime leads the electrical engineering team through their day to day duties which include producing efficient, high quality designs and coordinating with the multiple disciplines on a variety of projects. His primary role, however, is to make sure the core of electrical engineering stays true. Each discipline at HFA has an important role in the lifecycle of a building design... electricals' is to light it up and breathe life into it - to flip the switch.
He says, "Electrical engineers must maintain a balance between providing a facility with the power it needs , where it needs it, while also containing and safeguarding that power and the people who interact with it. Electricity makes everything around us work, but it can also be a dangerous hazard. Our job is to harness its power safely."
A key factor in HFA's electrical program is integrating sustainable design. LED lighting and advanced lighting control systems makes it easy to give building owners huge energy savings while improving lighting quality, overall user experience and interaction in the spaces they occupy.
LED light fixtures equipped with individually addressable wireless smart sensors allowed HFA to produce a dramatically improved lighting experience for one of their top clients. HFA remodeled several of Walmart's Home Offices replacing thousands of basic fluorescent lights with individually addressable LED light fixtures. Walmart later reported a 70% energy reduction due to the efficiency of the LED fixtures and the effectiveness of the advanced control system.
His favorite project to date though? A Frito-Lay production plan addition for their 'Scoops' line. Jaime wrote the specs, designed a substation, and gained experience in engineering with medium voltage verses the standard low voltage which is common in most buildings. "It wasn't a flashy cover page project, it was just pure electrical engineering at its best. I just got to tear into it!" he laughs.
At the end of the day Jaime will tell you he's a blessed and lucky man who made it here by the grace of God and the help of many great people in his life. A Honduras native turned Walton Scholarship recipient turned husband of Jennifer and father of six who works a mile down the road from the little five and dime owned by the family who helped change his life.
Jaime Castaneda, P.E., can be contacted at 479.273.7780 ext. 336.
