Category Archives: @NFPA

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Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System

Updated July 15, 2025

 

2026 National Electrical Code Table of Contents

2026 NEC First Draft: How Did We Get Here?

2026 National Electrical Code

Public Input Transcript: First Draft | Public Comment Transcript: Second Draft

 

2023 National Electrical CodeCurrent Issues and Recent Research

 

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace


August 5, 2021

The 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) contains significant revisions to Article 625 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer Systems.  Free access to this information is linked below:

2023 National Electrical Code

2020 National Electrical Code

You will need to set up a (free) account to view Article 625 or you may join our colloquium today.

Public input for the 2023 Edition of the NEC has already been received.  The work of the assigned committee — Code Making Panel 12 — is linked below:

NFPA 70_A2022_NEC_P12_FD_PIReport_rev

Mighty spirited debate.   Wireless charging from in-ground facilities employing magnetic resonance are noteworthy.  Other Relevant Articles:

  • Article 240: Overcurrent Protection: This article includes requirements for overcurrent protection devices that could be relevant for EV charging systems.
  • Article 210: Branch Circuits: General requirements for branch circuits, which can include circuits dedicated to EVSE.
  • Article 220: Load Calculations: Guidelines for calculating the electrical load for EVSE installations.
  • Article 230: Services: General requirements for electrical service installations, which can be relevant for EVSE.
  • Article 250: Grounding and Bonding: Requirements for grounding and bonding, which are critical for safety in EVSE installations.

 

Technical committees meet November – January to respond.   In the intervening time it is helpful  break down the ideas that were in play last cycle.  The links below provide the access point:

Public Input Report Panel 12

Public Comment Report Panel 12

Panel 12 Final Ballot

We find a fair amount of administrative and harmonization action; fairly common in any revision cycle.   We have taken an interest in a few specific concepts that track in academic research construction industry literature:

  • Correlation with Underwriters Laboratory product standards
  • Bi-Directional Charging & Demand Response
  • Connection to interactive power sources

As a wiring safety installation code — with a large installer and inspection constituency — the NEC is usually the starting point for designing the power chain to electric vehicles.   There is close coupling between the NEC and product conformance organizations identified by NIST as Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories; the subject of a separate post.

Edison electric vehicle | National Park Service, US Department of the Interior

After the First Draft is released June 28th public comment is receivable until August 19th.

We typically do not duplicate the work of the 10’s of thousands of National Electrical Code instructors who will be fanning out across the nation to host training sessions for electrical professionals whose license requires mandatory continuing education.  That space has been a crowded space for decades.   Instead we co-host “transcript reading” sessions with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee to sort through specifics of the 2020 NEC and to develop some of the ideas that ran through 2020 proposals but did not make it to final ballot and which we are likely to see on the docket of the 2023 NEC revision.   That committee meets online 4 times monthly.  We also include Article 625 on the standing agenda of our Mobility colloquium; open to everyone.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting

Issue: [16-102]

Category: Electrical, Transportation & Parking, Energy

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey

Workspace / NFPA


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U.S. NATIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS SUMMIT | DETROIT, MICHIGAN 2010

Gallery: Electric Vehicle Fire Risk

 

Lightning Protection Systems

2026 Public Input Report | 2026 Public Comment Report

FEMA National Risk Index: Lightning

“Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky” 1816 Benjamin West

 

Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous experiment with lightning on June 10, 1752.

He used a kite and a key to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electricity.

This experiment marked an important milestone in understanding the nature of electricity

and laid the foundation for the development of lightning rods and other lightning protection systems.

 

Seasonal extreme weather patterns in the United States, resulting in damages to education facilities and delays in outdoor athletic events — track meets; lacrosse games, swimming pool closures and the like — inspire a revisit of the relevant standards for the systems that contribute to safety from injury and physical damage to buildings: NFPA 780 Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems

FREE ACCESS

To paraphrase the NFPA 780 prospectus:

  • This document shall cover traditional lightning protection system installation requirements for the following:
       (1) Ordinary structures

       (2) Miscellaneous structures and special occupancies
       (3) Heavy-duty stacks
       (4) Structures containing flammable vapors, flammable gases, or liquids with flammable vapors
       (5) Structures housing explosive materials
       (6) Wind turbines
       (7) Watercraft
       (8) Airfield lighting circuits
       (9) Solar arrays
  • This document shall address lightning protection of the structure but not the equipment or installation requirements for electric generating, transmission, and distribution systems except as given in Chapter 9 and Chapter 12.

(Electric generating facilities whose primary purpose is to generate electric power are excluded from this standard with regard to generation, transmission, and distribution of power.  Most electrical utilities have standards covering the protection of their facilities and equipment. Installations not directly related to those areas and structures housing such installations can be protected against lightning by the provisions of this standard.)

  • This document shall not cover lightning protection system installation requirements for early streamer emission systems or charge dissipation systems.

“Down conductors” must be at least #2 AWG copper (0 AWG aluminum) for Class I materials in structures less than 75-ft in height

“Down conductors: must be at least 00 AWG copper (0000 AWG aluminum) for Class II Materials in structures greater than 75-ft in height.

Related grounding and bonding  requirements appears in Chapters 2 and Chapter 3 of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code.  This standard does not establish evacuation criteria.  

University of Michigan | Washtenaw County (Photo by Kai Petainen)

The current edition is dated 2023 and, from the transcripts, you can observe concern about solar power and early emission streamer technologies tracking through the committee decision making.  Education communities have significant activity in wide-open spaces; hence our attention to technical specifics.

2023 Public Input Report

2023 Public Comment Report

Public input on the 2026 revision is receivable until 1 June 2023.

We always encourage our colleagues to key in their own ideas into the NFPA public input facility (CLICK HERE).   We maintain NFPA 780 on our Power colloquia which collaborates with IEEE four times monthly in European and American time zones.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Lightning flash density – 12 hourly averages over the year (NASA OTD/LIS) This shows that lightning is much more frequent in summer than in winter, and from noon to midnight compared to midnight to noon.

Issue: [14-105]

Category: Electrical, Telecommunication, Public Safety, Risk Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard


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Installing lightning protection system for your facility in 3 Steps (Surge Protection)

IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology

Readings: The “30-30” Rule for Outdoor Athletic Events Lightning Hazard

Churches and chapels are more susceptible to lightning damage due to their height and design. Consider:

Height: Taller structures are more likely to be struck by lightning because they are closer to the cloud base where lightning originates.

Location: If a church or chapel is situated in an area with frequent thunderstorms, it will have a higher likelihood of being struck by lightning.

Construction Materials: The materials used in the construction of the building can affect its vulnerability. Metal structures, for instance, can conduct lightning strikes more readily than non-metallic materials.

Proximity to Other Structures: If the church or chapel is located near other taller structures like trees, utility poles, or buildings, it could increase the chances of lightning seeking a path through these objects before reaching the building.

Lightning Protection Systems: Installing lightning rods and other lightning protection systems can help to divert lightning strikes away from the structure, reducing the risk of damage.

Maintenance: Regular maintenance of lightning protection systems is essential to ensure their effectiveness. Neglecting maintenance could result in increased susceptibility to lightning damage.

Historical Significance: Older buildings might lack modern lightning protection systems, making them more vulnerable to lightning strikes.

The risk can be mitigated by proper design, installation of lightning protection systems, and regular maintenance. 

Virginia Tech

Solarvoltaic PV Systems

“Icarus” Joos de Momper

National Electrical Code Articles 690 and 691 provide electrical installation requirements for Owner solarvoltaic PV systems that fall under local electrical safety regulations.  Access to the 2023 Edition is linked below;

2023 National Electrical Code

2026 National Electrical Code Second Draft Transcript | CMP-4

Insight into the technical problems managed in the 2023 edition can be seen in the developmental transcripts linked below:

Panel 4  Public Input Report (869 pages)

Panel 4  Second Draft Comment Report (199 pages)

The IEEE Joint IAS/PES (Industrial Applications Society & Power and Energy Society) has one vote on this 21-member committee; the only pure “User-Interest” we describe in our ABOUT.  All other voting representatives on this committee represent market incumbents or are proxies for market incumbents; also described in our ABOUT.

The 2026 National Electrical Code has entered its revision cycle.  Public input is due September 7th.

We maintain these articles, and all other articles related to “renewable” energy, on the standing agenda of our Power and Solar colloquia which anyone may join with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.   We work close coupled with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets 4 times monthly in American and European time zones; also open to everyone.

 

 

 

 

Code for Fireworks Display

“Fireworks over Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome” | Jacob Philipp Hackert (1775)

At least twice a year, and during performances with flame effects, public safety departments in colleges and universities have an elevated concern about campus citizen safety, and the safety of the host community, when fireworks are used for celebration.  We find very rigorous prohibitions against the use of fireworks, weapons and explosives on campus.  Education and enforcement usually falls on facility and operation campus safety units.

That much said, we follow development, but do not advocate in NFPA 1123 Code for Fireworks Display, because it lies among a grouping of titles that set the standard of care for many college and university public safety departments that sometimes need to craft prohibitions with consideration for the business purposes of entertainment and celebration in education facilities.   NFPA 1123 is not a long document — only 22 pages of core text — but it contains a few basic considerations for display site selection, clearances and permitting that campus public safety departments will coordinate with the host community.  It references NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience and NFPA 160 Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience.

Something to keep an eye on.  The home page for this code is linked below:

NFPA 1123 Code for Fireworks Display

For a sense of the technical discussions, transcripts of two developmental stages are linked below:

Public Input Report

Public Comment Report

Public comment on 2026 Edition proposed revisions is receivable until May 30, 2024.

We maintain this title on our periodic Prometheus colloquium.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Issue: [16-134]

Category: Public Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

 


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Readings / PYROTECHNIC ARTS & SCIENCES IN EUROPEAN HISTORY

The Chemistry of Fireworks

 

Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps

Best wiring safety practice for the illumination of educational settlement occupancies is scattered throughout the National Electrical Code with primary consideration for wiring fire safety:

  • Article 410 – Covers the installation of luminaires (fixtures), lampholders, and lamps, including requirements for wiring, grounding, and support.
  • Article 210 – Covers branch circuit requirements, including those for lighting circuits in dwellings and commercial buildings.
  • Article 220 – Provides guidelines for calculating lighting loads.
  • Article 225 – Addresses outside lighting installations.
  • Article 240 – Covers overcurrent protection for lighting circuits.
  • Article 250 – Deals with grounding and bonding, which is essential for lighting circuits.
  • Article 300 – Covers general wiring methods that apply to lighting circuits.

We have done a fair amount of work on this topic over the years, including writing the chapter on campus outdoor lighting for the soon-to-be-released IEEE 3001.9 Recommended Practice for the Design of Power Systems Supplying Lighting Systems in Commercial and Industrial Facilities.   

For our meeting please refer to the workspace we have set up for the 2026 Revision of the NEC:

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

We will pick through specifics in the transcripts of Code Making Panels 10 and 18.

 

International Building Code: Chapter 12 Section 1204 Lighting

Data Center Wiring

The bookwheel, also known as a revolving bookcase, was invented by an Italian scholar and polymath named Agostino Ramelli. Ramelli was born in 1531 in Ponte Tresa, a town in present-day Italy, and he lived during the Renaissance period.

Ramelli’s invention, described in his work titled “Le diverse et artificiose machine del capitano Agostino Ramelli” (The Various and Ingenious Machines of Captain Agostino Ramelli), was published in 1588. This book showcased a collection of 195 mechanical devices.  

Ramelli’s work contributed to the growing interest in mechanical inventions during the Renaissance period. His bookwheel design remains a fascinating example of early engineering and ingenuity, highlighting the desire for knowledge and practical solutions in the pursuit of learning and scholarly endeavors.

2026 NEC Articles 645-646-647 Information Technology Equipment, et. al First Draft Report

2026 NEC Articles 645-646-647 Information Technology Equipment, et. al Second Draft Report

“Bookwheel” Early Data Center

The standard of care for wiring safety for data centers —  a continually expanding presence in education communities even before the pandemic  — is established in National Electrical Code Articles 645 (Information Technology Equipment), Article 646 (Modular Data Centers) and Article 647 (Sensitive Electronic Equipment).   You will notice that these articles cover the topic comprehensively and bear the imprint of competing Producer-Interest groups.  There are no User-Interest representatives on Code-Making Panel 12 that represent the final fiduciary in education communities even though education communities are one of the largest markets for information and communication technology systems.

The current version of NFPA 70 is linked below:

2023 National Electrical Code

Transcripts  of technical committee action during the 2026 revision (CMP-16) are linked below because they will inform our recommendations for the 2026 National Electrical Code.  Keep in mind that the Technical Correlating Committee is moving content around the Code in order to make the NEC easier to use by experts.

CMP-16 First Draft Report | Public Input with Committee Response 

CMP-16 Second Draft Report

The transcripts of technical committee action during the 2023 revision are linked below because they will inform our recommendations for the 2026 National Electrical Code.

Code‐Making Panel 12 Public Input Report

Code-Making Panel 12 Public Comment Report

National Electrical Code CMP-12

We will use these in our exploration of what we might propose for improvements in the 2026 revision.  Public comment on the First Draft of the 2026 Edition will be received until August 28th.

The issues that have been in play in these articles of the NEC are familiar to veterans of the “food fight” – occupancy classification, cable specifications, fire protection, ventilation, energy consumption, surge protection, licensing of engineers. etc.  We look for market-making excesses by opposing stakeholders that seek to limit their risk while raising the (financial) risk to education communities.

We encourage our colleagues to participate in the NFPA code development process directly.  We also encourage stakeholders in education communities — students, faculty and staff  to join us during any of the teleconferences we co-host with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee 4 times monthly in both European and American time zones.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

"One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, "My little computer said such a funny thing this morning" - Alan Turing

 

Related standards:

NFPA 75: Standard for the Fire Protection of Information Technology Equipment

2024 International Building Code: Special Detailed Requirements Based on Occupancy and Use

2024 International Building Code: Section 304.1 Business Group B

Voice Communications Devices for Use by Emergency Services

The frequency differences between public safety radio and public broadcasting radio are mainly due to their distinct purposes and requirements.

  • Public safety radio operates on VHF and UHF bands for emergency services communication These radio systems are designed for robustness, reliability, and coverage over a specific geographic area. They prioritize clarity and reliability of communication over long distances and in challenging environments. Encryption may also be employed for secure communication.
  • Public broadcasting radio operates on FM and AM bands for disseminating news, entertainment, and cultural content to the general public.  These radio stations focus on providing a wide range of content, including news, talk shows, music, and cultural programming. They often cover broad geographic areas and aim for high-quality audio transmission for listener enjoyment. Unlike public safety radio, public broadcasting radio stations typically do not require encryption and prioritize accessibility to the general public.

Standard on Fire and Emergency Service Use of Thermal Imagers, Two-Way Portable RF Voice Communication Devices, Ground Ladders, and Fire Hose, and Fire Hose Appliances

NFPA 1930 is in a custom cycle due to the Emergency Response and Responder Safety Document Consolidation Plan (consolidation plan) as approved by the NFPA Standards Council.  As part of the consolidation plan, NFPA 1930 is combining Standards NFPA 1801, NFPA 1802, NFPA 1932, NFPA 1937, and NFPA 1962.

Firefighter radio communication faces several special technical challenges due to the nature of the environment they operate in and the criticality of their tasks. Here are some of the key challenges:

  1. Interference and Signal Degradation: Buildings, debris, and firefighting equipment can obstruct radio signals, leading to interference and degradation of communication quality.
  2. Multipath Propagation: Radio signals can bounce off surfaces within buildings, causing multipath propagation, which results in signal fading and distortion.
  3. Limited Bandwidth: Firefighter radio systems often operate on limited bandwidths, which can restrict the amount of data that can be transmitted simultaneously, impacting the clarity and reliability of communication.
  4. Noise: The high noise levels present in firefighting environments, including sirens, machinery, and fire itself, can interfere with radio communication, making it difficult for firefighters to hear and understand each other.
  5. Line-of-Sight Limitations: Radio signals typically require a clear line of sight between the transmitter and receiver. However, in complex urban environments or within buildings, obstructions such as walls and floors can obstruct the line of sight, affecting signal strength and reliability.
  6. Equipment Durability: Firefighter radio equipment needs to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including high temperatures, smoke, water, and physical impacts. Ensuring the durability and reliability of equipment in such conditions is a significant challenge.
  7. Battery Life: Prolonged operations in emergency situations can drain radio batteries quickly. Firefighters need reliable battery life to ensure continuous communication throughout their mission.
  8. Interoperability: Different emergency response agencies may use different radio systems and frequencies, leading to interoperability issues. Ensuring seamless communication between various agencies involved in firefighting operations is crucial for effective coordination and response.
  9. Priority Access: During large-scale emergencies, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks, communication networks may become congested, limiting access for emergency responders. Firefighters need priority access to communication networks to ensure they can effectively coordinate their efforts.
  10. Training and Familiarity: Operating radio equipment effectively under stress requires training and familiarity. Firefighters must be trained to use radio equipment efficiently and effectively, even in challenging conditions, to ensure clear and concise communication during emergencies.

National Institute of Standards & Technology

Testing of Portable Radios in a Fire Fighting Environment

Information & Communication Technology Cabling

Balloting on the first stage of development of the 2023 National Electrical Code is underway now and will be completed by March 26th.  We collaborate with several experts in the IEEE who are the leading voices in standards setting for ICT infrastructure present in education communities.  The issues are  many and complex and fast-moving.   We provide transcripts and a sample of the issues that will determine the substance of the 2023 Edition.

Code Making Panel No. 3 Public Input Report

A sample of concepts in play:

Temperature limitations of Class 2 and Class 3 Cables

Fire resistive cabling systems

Multi-voltage (single junction, entry, pathway or connection) signaling control relay equipment

Listing of audio/video power-limited circuits

Code Making Panel No. 16 Public Input Report

A sample of concepts in play:

Definition of “Communication Utility”

Mechanical execution of work

Listed/Unlisted cables entering buildings

Underground communication cabling coordination with the National Electrical Safety Code

Public comment on the First Draft of the 2026 revision will be received until August 24, 2024.  We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which hosts open colloquia 4 times monthly in European and American time zones.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

"One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, "My little computer said such a funny thing this morning" - Alan Turing

Art, Design & Fashion Studios

Art presents a different way of looking at things than science; 

one which preserves the mystery of things without undoing the mystery.

Sir Roger Scruton

 

 

NFPA 1 Second Draft Meeting (A2026) June 2 – 3, 2025

“Interior de Ateliê” 1898 Rafael Frederico

We are guided by four interdependent titles that set the standard of care for safety and sustainability of occupancies supporting the fine arts in education communities.

(1)  Chapter 43: Spraying, Dipping and Coating Using Flammable or Combustible Material of NFPA 1: Fire Code.   As a “code” the public has free access to the current 2021 Edition , and Chapter 43 at the link below:

NFPA 1 Fire Code / Chapter 43 Spraying, Dipping and Coating Using Flammable or Combustible Materials

You get a sense of the back-and-forth among the technical committee members from the transcripts of committee activity linked below:

First Revisions Report (282 pages)

Our interest lies in fire safety provisions for educational occupancies with activity involving paint, chemicals used with paint (art studios) and Class III combustible materials (garment design & prototyping).

(2) NFPA also has another title — NFPA 33 Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials — provides more detail for instructional and facility maintenance operations activity.

(3) NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, much of which is derived from NFPA 1 (See: “How the Fire Code and Life Safety Code Work Together“)

(4) Finally, the International Code Council develops a competitor title — 2021 International Fire Code — which also provides fire safety standards for art, design and fashion studio safety.  The IFC is developed in the Group A tranche of titles:

2021/2022 Code Development Group A

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

We encourage direct participation by education industry user-interests in the ICC and the NFPA code development process.  A user interest in education community would have a job title similar to the following: Principal, Dean, President, Chief of Business Operations, Facility Manager, Trade Shop Foreman.

Harvard University

We maintain all four titles identified in this post on the standing agenda of our Prometheus (fire safety) and Fine Arts colloquia.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [10-31] [16-64]

Category: Fire Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Evolve, Marcelo Hirschler


More

Northeastern University: Safety Guide for Art Studios

Princeton University: Art Safety

University of Chicago Art Studio Safety Policy

 

Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources “Microgrids”

“Landscape with a Farm House and Windmill” (1680) / Jacob Isaaksz van Ruisdael

We have always taken a forward-looking approach to the National Electrical Code (NEC) because there is sufficient supply of NEC instructors and inspectors and not enough subject matter experts driving user-interest ideas into it.  Today we approach the parts of the 2023 NEC that cover wiring safety for microgrid systems; a relatively new term of art that appropriates safety and sustainability concepts that have existed in electrotechnology energy systems for decades.

Turn to Part II of Article 705 Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources:

Free Access 2023 National Electrical Code

You will notice that microgrid wiring safety is a relatively small part of the much larger Article 705 Content.   There were relatively minor changes to the 2017 NEC in Section 705.50  — but a great deal of new content regarding Microgrid Interconnection Devices, load side connections, backfeeding practice and disconnecting means — as can be seen in the transcripts of Code-Making Panel 4 action last cycle:

Code‐Making Panel 4 Public Input Report (692 Pages)

Code-Making Panel 4 Public Comment Report (352 Pages)

Keep in mind that the NEC says nothing (or nearly very little, in its purpose stated in Section 90.2) about microgrid economics or the life cycle cost of any other electrical installation.  It is the claim about economic advantages of microgrids that drive education facility asset management and energy conservation units to conceive, finance, install, operate and — most of all — tell the world about them.

In previous posts we have done our level best to reduce the expectations of business and finance leaders of dramatic net energy savings with microgrids — especially on campuses with district energy systems.  Microgrids do, however, provide a power security advantage during major regional contingencies — but that advantage involves a different set of numbers.

Note also that there is no user-interest from the education facility industry — the largest non-residential building construction market in the the United States — on Panel 4.   This is not the fault of the NFPA, as we explain in our ABOUT.

The 2023 NEC was released late last year.

 

The 2026 revision cycle is in full swing with public comment on the First Draft receivable until August 24, 2024.  Let’s start formulating our ideas using the 2023 CMP-4 transcripts.   The link below contains a record of work on the 2023 NEC:

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace

We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facility Committee which meets online 4 times per month in European and American time zones.  Since a great deal of the technical basis for the NEC originates with the IEEE we will also collaborate with other IEEE professional societies.

Mike Anthony’s father-in-law and son maintaining the electrical interactive system installed in the windmill that provides electricity to drive a pump that keeps the canal water at an appropriate level on the family farm near Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Issue: [19-151]

Category: Electrical, Energy

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Jose Meijer

Archive / Microgrids


 

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