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Moral Inquiry
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Moral Inquiry
Freely Available ICT Standards
United States Technical Advisory Group Administrator: INCITS
“Le Lac LĂŠman ou Près d’Evian au lac de Genève” 1883 François BocionISO and IEC Joint Technical Committee 1 is the work center for international information and communications technology (ICT) standards that are relevant to education communities. In accordance with ISO/IEC JTC 1 and the ISO and IEC Councils, some International Standards and other deliverables are made freely available for standardization purposes.
Freely Available International Standards
We at least follow action, and sometimes contribute data and user-interest perspective, to the development of standards produced by several ANSI-accredited ICT standard developing organizations — ATIS, BICSI, IEEE, INCITS, TIA among them.  US-based organizations may communicate directly with Lisa Rajchel, ANSI’s ISO/IEC JTC 1 Senior Director for this project: lrajchel@ansi.org. Our colleagues at other educational organizations should contact their national standards body.
We scan the status of Infotech and Cloud standards periodically and collaborate with a number of IEEE Societies. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
More
The ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee for Information Technology (JTC 1)
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 36 Information technology for learning, education and training
Metering and Billing
Although electrical power delivered with both active and reactive components our interest lies primarily in the useable power component — watts (power) and watt-hour(energy). A secondary concern is whether or not energy useage meters are over-specified; particularly on points in building power chains downstream from the utility service meters.
Electrical meters, used for measuring electricity consumption, must comply with various codes and standards to ensure accuracy, safety, and reliability. Today at the usual hour â from the user point of view â we will review the status of key codes and standards relevant to electrical meter manufacturing, primarily focusing on North American standards. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ANSI C12.1 – Code for Electricity Metering
- Specifies performance criteria for AC watt-hour meters, demand meters, pulse devices, and auxiliary devices.
- Covers testing, installation, accuracy classes, voltage/frequency ratings, and environmental tests (e.g., RF interference).
- Current edition: ANSI C12.1-2024.
ANSI C12.10 – Physical Aspects of Watt-hour Meters
- Defines physical and dimensional requirements for watt-hour meters, including socket and bottom-connected meters.
- Ensures compatibility with metering installations.
ANSI C12.20 – Electricity Meters â 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5 Accuracy Classes
- Establishes accuracy requirements for revenue-grade meters (0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.5% accuracy classes).
- Note: Content merged into ANSI C12.1 in recent updates, with C12.20 withdrawn.
ANSI C12.31 – Standard Definitions of AC Electrical Power
- Defines terms for active, reactive, and apparent power/energy, ensuring consistent measurement methodologies.
- Under revision as ANSI C12.31-202x.
- Published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).
- Aligns with ANSI C12 standards, focusing on metering equipment specifications and safety.
UL 2735 – Standard for Electric Utility Meters
- Safety standard for electric meters, addressing electrical shock, fire hazards, and mechanical risks.
- Ensures meters meet safety requirements for installation and operation.
NFPA 70 – National Electrical Code (NEC)
- While not specific to manufacturing, NEC governs meter installation requirements (e.g., meter base mounting, grounding).
- Relevant for ensuring meters comply with installation safety standards. We cover this topic of a safety point of view in the sessions linked below:
Related:
Comparative Feedback on Consumersâ Energy-Saving Behavior: A College Dormitory Example
“Faith of our Fathers”
“Faith of Our Fathers” is a hymn written in 1849 by Frederick William Faber, a Catholic priest, to honor the steadfast faith of Catholic martyrs, particularly in England during times of persecution. Set to the tune “St. Catherine,” it celebrates the enduring legacy of faith passed down through generations, emphasizing resilience against adversity. The lyrics reflect themes of sacrifice, courage, and devotion, urging believers to uphold their faith despite challenges.
Originally Catholic, the hymn has been adapted by various Christian denominations, symbolizing a universal call to remain steadfast in spiritual conviction, inspired by ancestral faithfulness.
Electric Service Metering & Billing
Today at 16:00 UTC we review best practice for engineering and installing the point of common coupling between an electrical service provider its and an purchasing — under the purview of NEC CMP-10.
Committee topical purviews change cycle-to-cycle. Here’s the transcript for today’s session: CMP-10 Second Draft Report (368 pages)
Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
The relevant passages of the National Electrical Code are found in Article 230 and Article 495.  We calibrate our attention with the documents linked below. These are only representative guidelines:
University of Michigan Medium Voltage Electrical Distribution
Texas A&M University Medium Voltage Power Systems
University of Florida Medium Voltage Electrical Distribution
Representative standards for regulated utilities for purchased power:
Detroit Edison Primary Service Standards (Green Book)
American Electric Power: Requirements for Electrical Services
Pacific Gas & Electric Primary Service Requirements
The IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee curates a library of documents similar to those linked above.
Design of Electrical Services for Buildings
We are in the process of preparing new (original, and sometimes recycled) proposals for the 2026 National Electrical Code, with the work of Code Panel 10 of particular relevance to today’s topic:
First Draft Meetings: January 15-26, 2024 in Charleston, South Carolina
Electrical meter billing standards are generally regulated at the state or local level, with guidelines provided by public utility commissions or similar regulatory bodies. These tariff sheets are among the oldest in the world. There are some common standards for billing and metering practices, including:
- Meter Types: There are various types of meters used to measure electricity consumption, including analog (mechanical) meters, digital meters, and smart meters. Smart meters are becoming more common and allow for more accurate and real-time billing.
- Billing Methodology:
- Residential Rates: Most residential customers are billed based on kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity used, which is the standard unit of energy.
- Demand Charges: Some commercial and industrial customers are also subject to demand charges, which are based on the peak demand (the highest amount of power drawn at any one point during the billing period).
- Time-of-Use Rates: Some utilities offer time-of-use (TOU) pricing, where electricity costs vary depending on the time of day or season. For example, electricity may be cheaper during off-peak hours and more expensive during peak hours.
- Meter Reading and Billing Cycle:
- Monthly Billing: Typically, customers receive a bill once a month, based on the reading of the electricity meter.
- Estimation: If a meter reading is not available, some utilities may estimate usage based on historical patterns or average usage.
- Smart Meter Readings: With smart meters, some utilities can provide daily or even hourly usage data, leading to more precise billing.
- Meter Standards: The standards for electrical meters, including their accuracy and certification, are set by national organizations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Meters must meet these standards to ensure they are accurate and reliable.
- Utility Commission Regulations: Each state has a utility commission (such as the California Public Utilities Commission, the Texas Public Utility Commission, etc.) that regulates the rates and billing practices of electricity providers. These commissions ensure that rates are fair and that utilities follow proper procedures for meter readings, billing cycles, and customer service
- Large University “Utilities”.  Large colleges and universities that generate and distribute some or all of their electric power consumption have developed practices to distribute the cost of electricity supply to buildings. We will cover comparative utility billing practices in a dedicated colloquium sometime in 2025.
Michigan Public Service Commission | Consumer’s Energy Customer Billing Rules
Electrical Meter Center Manufacturing
* See Footnote below
Underwriters Laboratories Standard for Safety for Panelboards (UL 67) articulates product specifications for a central feature of all building power chains.  Panelboards are first entry of electrical energy in a residence, for example; and are found everywhere in education and healthcare facilities classified as commercial, industrial and institutional occupancies. Panelboards divide the power chain into subsidiary circuits, while providing a protective fuse or circuit breaker for each circuit in a common enclosure. Some panelboards — such as those classified as service entrances for residences — have main breakers positioned ahead of all downstream branch circuit breakers that must meet rigorous current interruption requirements.
Panelboards are continually improving and therefore the matrix of safety standards are revised continually; notably there installation safety requirements in the National Electrical Code. The redline is available at two places on the internet; linked below:
ANSI Standards Action | Pages 42-43
Comments are due November 3rd.  You may send comments (with optional copy to psa@ansi.org).  It is best to set up your own (free) account at the link below:
UL’s Collaborative Standards Development System (You will need to set up an account)
You may also find the correlating section of the most recent update of the National Electrical Code — Section 230.71(B) — at the link below:
The most significant change to the NEC that now appears in its 2020 revision requires that each service disconnecting means and its associated overcurrent devices be located within a separate compartment; to wit:
“…Each compartment shall be constructed to prevent inadvertent contact with live parts such that with the service disconnect in that compartment in the off position, no ungrounded uninsulated live part is exposed to inadvertent contact by persons while servicing any field connected load terminal, including a neutral load terminal, a branch circuit equipment grounding terminal, or the neutral disconnect link. Exposure to inadvertent contact is determined by use of the probe illustrated in Figure 6.1. lf restriction to the compartment is dependent on the installation of field installed service conductors, conductors sized in accordance with 12.1.10 shall be installed in the terminals when determining exposure to inadvertent contact. All live parts including the connector bodies and pressure screws shall be evaluated…”
Proposals of this nature, in this section and elsewhere in related sections, have appeared in proposed changes to the NEC for many revision cycles. You can sample the specifics in the links below:
Article 230 of the NEC has always been a lively “promontory” in leading practice discovery because service panels — where meters are located — are usually the locus of the maximum amount of energy entering a building. In most new installations, this change will not be visible because its effect will be in product specification for buildings that require meter banks; most likely stand-alone student residence facilities.  In legacy residential installations, however, this change may expand the scope of electrical rehabilitation projects.
We generally place product standards action in the lower tier of our priority list but because this is likely to raise the cost of the product — and to inform insurance underwriting criteria — we take special note of it. There will legions of NEC trainers that will sweep through the land for the next 3 years to explain in more detail. Advocacy activity we may contemplate for the 2023 NEC, if any, will be coordinated with the experts in the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in the Americas and Europe. Our electrical power teleconferences are hosted on the same day.  See our CALENDAR for the next meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [19-143]
Category: Electrical, Energy
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Glenn Keates, Jose Meijer
*The change to UL 67 deals specifically with the manufacture (and ultimately, specification) of meter centers.  There are no images to show what product classes are effected so we keep things light with another historical image tracking the evolution of the electrical power industry.  For more information you may use the search term “meter center” to find various manufacturer product offerings.
Early Childhood Development Centers
The University of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s plan construction next year on a new on-site facility to provide child care for faculty, staff and students with children between the ages of 6 weeks and 3 years old. Growing out of the recommendations of a faculty and staff committee charged with looking at child care assistance opportunities, the new facility will open in summer 2025 and be operated by KinderCare, the nationâs largest child care and early education provider.
The center will be located on the north edge of campus near White Field, adjacent to Beichner Hall and The Landings at Notre Dame apartments.
The Early Childhood Development Centers at Notre Dame and Saint Maryâs College will continue to offer early childhood programs for children age 2 through kindergarten and will work in collaboration with KinderCare.
âWe welcome KinderCare to the Notre Dame campus. Infant care is greatly needed in our community, and we are pleased that the University continues to support familiesâ needs for quality early childhood care and education. We look forward to continuing our mission to provide the community with high-quality accredited preschool and kindergarten programs at our two ECDC campus sites,â
— Kari Alford, Executive Director.
Brickwork
“American Bricklayer” 1904 | Alice Ruggles
Life Safety Code
The Life Safety Code addresses those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from the effects of fire, including smoke, heat, and toxic gases created during a fire.  It is widely incorporated by reference into public safety statutes; typically coupled with the consensus products of the International Code Council.  It is a mighty document — one of the NFPA’s leading titles — so we deal with it in pieces; consulting it for decisions to be made for the following:
(1) Determination of the occupancy classification in Chapters 12 through 42.
(2) Determination of whether a building or structure is new or existing.
(3) Determination of the occupant load.
(4) Determination of the hazard of contents.
There are emergent issues — such as active shooter response, integration of life and fire safety systems on the internet of small things — and recurrent issues such as excessive rehabilitation and conformity criteria and the ever-expanding requirements for sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers with which to reckon. It is never easy telling a safety professional paid to make a market for his product or service that it is impossible to be alive and safe. It is even harder telling the dean of a department how much it will cost to bring the square-footage under his stewardship up to the current code.
The 2021 edition is the current edition and is accessible below:
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Free Public Access
Public input on the 2027 Revision will be received until June 4, 2024. Public comment on the First Draft of the 2027 Revision will be received until June 3, 2025.
Since the Life Safety Code is one of the most “living” of living documents — the International Building Code and the National Electric Code also move continuously — we can start anywhere and anytime and still make meaningful contributions to it.  We have been advocating in this document since the 2003 edition in which we submitted proposals for changes such as:
⢠A student residence facility life safety crosswalk between NFPA 101 and the International Building Code
⢠Refinements to Chapters 14 and 15 covering education facilities (with particular attention to door technologies)
⢠Identification of an ingress path for rescue and recovery personnel toward electric service equipment installations.
⢠Risk-informed requirement for installation of grab bars in bathing areas
⢠Modification of the 90-minute emergency lighting requirements rule for small buildings and for fixed interval testing
⢠Modification of emergency illumination fixed interval testing
⢠Table 7.3.1 Occupant Load revisions
⢠Harmonization of egress path width with European building codes
There are others. It is typically difficult to make changes to stabilized standard though some of the concepts were integrated by the committee into other parts of the NFPA 101 in unexpected, though productive, ways. Example transcripts of proposed 2023 revisions to the education facility chapter is linked below:
Chapter 14 Public Input Report: New Educational Occupancies
Educational and Day Care Occupancies: Second Draft Public Comments with Responses Report
Since NFPA 101 is so vast in its implications we list a few of the sections we track, and can drill into further, according to client interest:
Chapter 3: Definitions
Chapter 7: Means of Egress
Chapter 12: New Assembly Occupancies
Chapter 13: Existing Assembly Occupancies
Chapter 16 Public Input Report: New Day-Care Facilities
Chapter 17 Public Input Report: Existing Day Care Facilities
Chapter 18 Public Input Report: New Health Care Facilities
Chapter 19 Public Input Report: Existing Health Care Facilities
Chapter 28: Public Input Report: New Hotels and Dormitories
Chapter 29: Public Input Report: Existing Hotels and Dormitories
Chapter 43: Building Rehabilitation
Annex A: Explanatory Material
As always we encourage front-line staff, facility managers, subject matter experts and trade associations to participate directly in the NFPA code development process (CLICK HERE to get started)
NFPA 101 is a cross-cutting title so we maintain it on the agenda of our several colloquia —Housing, Prometheus, Security and Pathways colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Issue: [18-90]
Category: Fire Safety, Public Safety
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier, Marcelo Hirschler
More
When lives are at stake, alternative approaches are welcome. #LifeSafety #AlternativeApproaches #Code #NFPA101 @NFPA
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New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
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