Santa’s Village Polar Dome

Project overview

LH Block Electric completed electrical infrastructure improvements at Santa’s Village Polar Dome in East Dundee, Illinois, supporting new ice-making equipment and related facility operations.

The project required adapting an older electrical distribution system to supply the new chiller’s variable frequency drives, modifying the existing 800-amp distribution system, and providing additional facility power. Our work also included relocating overhead electrical feeders to improve clearance in the Zamboni garage.

Connecting new equipment to an older electrical system

The facility’s existing electrical service used a B-phase corner-grounded delta configuration. The new ice-making compressor chiller required a compatible electrical supply for its variable frequency drives.

Connecting the new equipment required an understanding of both the existing service configuration and the chiller’s electrical requirements. The challenge went beyond providing sufficient power—it required adapting the supply to suit the new equipment.

Electrical scope

• Distribution modifications: Removing outdated equipment and reconfiguring the existing 800-amp electrical distribution system.
• Chiller power: Installing a dedicated 400-amp, 480-volt supply, electrical feeders, and fused disconnects.
• Transformer installation: Installing a 330 kVA transformer to provide a 277/480-volt, three-phase, four-wire wye supply for the new equipment.
• Facility power: Installing a new 120/208-volt panel and branch circuits.
• Existing area reconnections: Reconfiguring feeders and reconnecting power serving other facility areas.
• Zamboni garage modifications: Relocating overhead conduit and feeders to accommodate equipment clearance requirements.

Zamboni garage clearance

Existing overhead electrical conduit interfered with the space needed for Zamboni operation. The feeder route needed to change while preserving the electrical distribution connections serving the facility.

LH Block Electric rerouted the feeders approximately 10 feet higher, installing new conduit, copper conductors, and an exterior junction box. The revised route moved the electrical infrastructure out of the required operating space.

The result

Completed in 2025, the project provided electrical infrastructure suited to the new ice-making equipment, updated facility power distribution, and improved clearance in the Zamboni garage.

The Polar Dome project demonstrates LH Block Electric’s experience adapting older electrical systems for modern equipment while addressing the practical requirements of an existing facility.