What’s the difference between commercial and residential services?

Commercial and residential electrical work are completely different in terms of energy needs, load demands, and equipment setup. They also require different classes of materials and procedures. One of the first differences between commercial and residential electricians has to do with the type of wiring used for each type of building. In residential homes, the main type of wiring used has a plastic sheathing around the thin, narrow wires. In commercial buildings, the electrical wiring is run in open spaces to allow access, but the wiring is contained in a tube-like conduits for protection.

Commercial buildings draw much more power than residential buildings. To help ensure that all types of buildings get the power they need without overloading a property, the utility companies categorize the electrical load by phase: residential properties use single-phase power and commercial buildings use three-phase power.