“The world is changed by examples, not by opinions.”
– Marc Andreesen (Founder of Netscape, the first dominant web browser)
“The world is changed by examples, not by opinions.”
– Marc Andreesen (Founder of Netscape, the first dominant web browser)
Statement from NARUC During its Summer 2018 Committee Meetings
IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee
Draft Proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code
Representative State Level Service Quality Standards
The National Electrical Safety Code® sets the ground rules and guidelines for practical safeguarding of utility workers and the public.
Submit your changes and review proposals by 15 May 2024: https://t.co/kpf4JyhJSY pic.twitter.com/926L1g8Vxj
— IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA (@IEEESA) April 21, 2024
PROCESS, PROCEDURES & SCHEDULE
2025-2026 NESC Revision Schedule
Mike Anthony is ID Number 469 | Proposal period closes 11:59 PM US Pacific Time | May 15
Meeting Notes in red
Loss of electric power and internet service happens more frequently and poses at least an equal — if not greater threat — to public safety. So why does neither the National Electrical Code or the National Electrical Safety Code integrate reliability into their core requirements? Reliability requirements appear in a network of related documents, either referenced, or incorporated by reference; sometimes automatically, sometimes not.
NESC Main Committee Membership: Page xii
Apart from the IEEE as the accredited standards developer, there are no “pure non-government user-interests” on this committee; although ANSI’s Essential Requirements for balance of interests provides highly nuanced interpretation. The Classifications on Page xiii represents due diligence on meeting balance of interest requirements.
In our case, we are one of many large universities that usually own district energy plants that both generate and purchase generate electric power (as sometimes provide var support to utilities when necessary; as during the August 2003 North American outage). For University of Michigan, for example, has about 20 service points at 4.8 – 120 kV. Its Central Power Plant is the largest cogeneration plant on the DTE system.
Contents: Page xxviii | PDF Page 29
Absence of internet service is at least as much a hazard, and more frequent, than downed wires. Is there a standards solution? Consideration of interoperability of internet service power supported on utility poles should track in the next revision.
No mention of any reliability related IEEE reliability standards in the present edition. Why is this?
Section 2: Definitions of Special Terms | PDF Page 46
In the 2023 Handbook, the term “reliability” shows up 34 times.
availability (from Bob Arno’s IEEE 3006-series and IEEE 493 Gold Book revision)
reliability (Bob Arno)
utility (PDF Page 57)
communication | PDF Page 47
list of terms defined in the 2023 National Electrical Code that are new and relevant to this revision: (Article 100 NEC)
Bonding jumper, system and supply
Survivability of communication network signaling
municipal broadband network, digital subscriber line, surveillance cameras
wireless communication system
010. Purpose | PDF Page 40
Looks like improvement since last edition. Suggest explicit Informational Note, as in the NEC, using “reliability” and referring to other agencies. “Abnormal events” could be tighter and refer to other standards for abnormal, steady-state events. The clarification of purpose is welcomed although a great deal remains uncovered by other best practice literature; though that can be repaired in this edition.
Legacy of shared circuit path standards. Should provisions be made for municipal surveillance, traffic and vehicle control infrastructure. What would that look like?
011. Scope | Covered PDF Page 40
3. Utility facilities and functions of utilities that either (a) generate energy by conversion from
some other form of energy such as, but not limited to, fossil fuel, chemical, electrochemical,
nuclear, solar, mechanical, wind or hydraulic or communication signals, or accept energy or
communication signals from another entity, or (b) provide that energy or communication
signals through a delivery point to another entity.
5. Utility facilities and functions on the line side of the service point supplied by underground or
overhead conductors maintained and/or installed under exclusive control of utilities located on
public or private property in accordance with legally established easements or rights-of-way,
contracts, other agreements (written or by conditions of service), or as authorized by a
regulating or controlling body.
NOTE: Agreements to locate utility facilities on property may be required where easements are either
(a) not obtainable (such as locating utility facilities on existing rights-of-way of railroads or other entities,
military bases, federal lands, Native American reservations, lands controlled by a port authority, or other
governmental agency), or (b) not necessary (such as locating facilities necessary for requested service to a
site).
012. General Rules | Covered PDF Page 42
For all particulars not specified, but within the scope of these rules, as stated in Rule 011A, design,
construction, operation, and maintenance should be done in accordance with accepted good practice
for the given local conditions known at the time by those responsible for the communication or
supply lines and equipment
General purpose clause could use some work since no definition of “accepted good practice”. Refer to IEEE bibliography.
Section 2: Definition of special terms | PDF Page 46
Recommendations elsewhere should track here.
The word “installation” appears 256 times and is generally understood in context by experts. Suggest borrow from NEC to clarify our concern for including co-linear/communication circuits.
conduit. exclusive control, lines, photovoltaic, NEC interactive. qualified
Section 3: Reference
NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®). [Rules 011B4 NOTE, 099C NOTE 1, and 127
IEEE Std 4™-1995, IEEE Standard Techniques for High-Voltage Testing. [Table 410-2 and Table 410-3]
IEEE Std 516™-2009, IEEE Guide for Maintenance Methods on Energized Power-Lines. [Rules 441A4
NOTE 2, 446B1, and 446D3 NOTE, and Table 441-5, Footnote 4]
IEEE Std 1427™-2006, IEEE Guide for Recommended Electrical Clearances and Insulation Levels in
Air-Insulated Electrical Power Substations. [Rule 124A1 NOTE, Table 124-1, 176 NOTE, and 177 NOTE]
IEEE Std 1584™-2002, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations. [Table 410-1,
Footnotes 1, 3, 6, and 14]
IEEE Std C62.82.1™-2010, IEEE Standard for Insulation Coordination—Definitions, Principles, and Rules.
[Table 124-1 Footnote 5]
Add references to Gold Book, 1386, etc. IEC since multinationals conform.
Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111
Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately? If it helps: there were no meaningful changes in the 2023 NEC in Article 495, the high voltage article
Section 11. Protective arrangements in electric supply stations | PDF Page 77
A safety sign shall be displayed on or beside the door or gate at each entrance. For fenced or
walled electric supply stations without roofs, a safety sign shall be displayed on each exterior
side of the fenced or wall enclosure. Where the station is entirely enclosed by walls and roof, a
safety sign is required only at ground level entrances. Where entrance is gained through
sequential doors, the safety sign should be located at the inner door position. (A clarification but no change. See Standards Michigan 2017 proposals)
Recommend that all oil-filled cans be removed and services upgraded through energy regulations with new kVA ratings
Section 12: Installation and maintenance of equipment
093. Grounding conductor and means of connection
Fences
The grounding conductor for fences required to be effectively grounded by other parts of this
Code shall meet the requirements of Rule 093C5 or shall be steel wire not smaller than Stl WG
No. 5.
D. Guarding and protection | PDF Page 67
124. Guarding live parts| PDF Page 85
Propose roofs required for exterior installations
Part 2. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | Page 72
Section 22. Relations between various classes of lines and equipment | Page 80
222. Joint use of structures | Page 82
Where the practice of joint use is mutually agreed upon by the affected utilities, facilities shall be subject to the appropriate grade of construction specified in Section 24. Joint use of structures should be
considered for circuits along highways, roads, streets, and alleys. The choice between joint use of structures and separate lines shall be determined through cooperative consideration with other joint
users of all the factors involved, including the character of circuits, worker safety, the total number and weight of conductors, tree conditions, number and location of branches and service drops, structure
conflicts, availability of right-of-way, etc.
Reliability considerations for sustaining internet service when power supply is absent.
Par2 Section 20 Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111
Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately?
Part 3. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines | Page 220
Renewable energy for internet access
311. Installation and maintenance
A. Persons responsible for underground facilities shall be able to indicate the location of their facilities.
B. Reasonable advance notice should be given to owners or operators of other proximate facilities that
may be adversely affected by new construction or changes in existing facilities.
C. For emergency installations, supply and communication cables may be laid directly on grade if the
cables do not unreasonably obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic and either:
1. The cables are covered, enclosed, or otherwise protected, or
2. The locations of the cables are conspicuous.
Supply cables operating above 600 V shall meet either Rule 230C or 350B.
NOTE: See Rules 014B2 and 230A2d.
Part 4. Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communications Lines and Equipment | PDF Page 289
When and why was the term “Work” added to the title of this section?
Core text for the definition of wireless communication system reliability
Appendix E Bibliography| PDF Page 355
Index | PDF Page 398
The word “reliability” appears only three times. Should it track in the NESC or should it track in individual state requirements. So neither the NEC nor the NESC couples closely with power and communication reliability; despite the enormity and speed of research.
August 3, 2026 Update
Key Highlights of the 2025 Edition
This marks a clear evolution toward decarbonization and resource efficiency, especially important for AI-driven hyperscale data centers.
Recent Developments (2025–2026)
Data centers are among the fastest-growing energy consumers globally due to AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. ASHRAE 90.4 was created because traditional building codes do not adequately address their unique high-density, mission-critical nature.
The 2025 edition’s inclusion of emissions and water use reflects increasing industry and regulatory pressure on data center environmental footprints.
This title establishes minimum energy efficiency requirements for data centers; a permanent fixture in all education communities now undergoing a virtual +∞ asymptotic spike in generative intelligence transformation in ℝ³. At the moment this title is stable but can be revised in 30-90 day consultation cycles which will make it the dominant standard compared with IEEE and NFPA titles which move on a 3 to 5 year revision cadence.
2024 Update to ASHRAE Position Statements
List of Titles, Scopes and Purposes of the ASHRAE Catalog
The parent title of this standard is ASHRAE Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings and is continually under revision; frequently appearing in electrical engineering design guidelines, construction specifications, commissioning and O&M titles in our industry and others.
ASHRAE 90.4 defines an alternate compliance path, specific to data centers, while the compliance requirements for “non-data center” components are contained in ASHRAE 90.1 . The 90.4 structure also streamlines the ongoing maintenance process as well ensures that Standards 90.1 and 90.4 stay in their respective lanes to avoid any overlap and redundancies relating to the technical and administrative boundaries. Updates to ASHRAE 90.1 will still include the alternate compliance path defined in ASHRAE 90.4. Conversely the 2022 Edition of 90.4-2022 refers to ASHRAE 90.1-2022; cross-referencing one another synchronously
Links to noteworthy coverage from expert agencies on the 2022 revisions:
HPC Data Center Cooling Design Considerations
ASHRAE standard 90.4 updates emphasize green energy
ASHRAE updated its standard for data centers
How to Design a Data Center Cooling System for ASHRAE 90.4
Designing a Data Center with Computer Software Modeling
This title resides on the standing agenda of our Infotech 400 colloquium; hosted several times per year and as close coupled with the annual meetings of ASHRAE International as possible. Technical committees generally meet during these meetings make decisions about the ASHRAE catalog. The next all committee conference will be hosted January 20-24, 2024 in Chicago. As always we encourage education industry facility managers, energy conservation workgroups and sustainability professionals to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process. It is one of the better facilities out there.
Start at ASHRAE’s public commenting facility:
Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts
Update: May 30, 2023
Proposed Addendum g makes changes to definitions were modified in section 3 and mandatory language in Section 6 to support the regulation of process heat and process ventilation was moved in the section for clarity. Other changes are added based on comments from the first public review including changes to informative notes.
Consultation closes June 4th
Update: February 10, 2023
The most actively managed consensus standard for data center energy supply operating in education communities (and most others) is not published by the IEEE but rather by ASHRAE International — ASHRAE 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers (2019). It is not required to be a free access title although anyone may participate in its development. It is copyrighted and ready for purchase but, for our purpose here, we need only examine its scope and purpose. A superceded version of 90.4 is available in the link below:
Third ISC Public Review Draft (January 2016)
Noteworthy: The heavy dependence on IEEE power chain standards as seen in the Appendix and Chapter 8. Recent errata are linked below:
We provide the foregoing links for a deeper dive “into the weeds”. Another addendum has been released for consultation; largely administrative:
ASHRAE 90.4 | Pages 60-61 | Consultation closes January 15, 2023.
It is likely that the technical committee charged with updating this standard are already at work preparing an updated version that will supercede the 2019 Edition. CLICK HERE for a listing of Project Committee Interim Meetings.
We maintain many titles from the ASHRAE catalog on the standing agenda of our Mechanical, Energy 200/400, Data and Cloud teleconferences. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
Originally posted Summer 2020.
ASHRAE International has released four new addenda to its energy conservation consensus document ASHRAE 90.4-2016 Energy Standard for Data Centers. This document establishes the minimum energy efficiency requirements of data centers for design and construction, for the creation of a plan for operation and maintenance and for utilization of on-site or off-site renewable energy resources.
It is a relatively new document more fully explained in an article published by ASHRAE in 2016 (Click here). The addenda described briefly:
Addendum a – clarifies existing requirements in Section 6.5 as well as introduce new provisions to encourage heat recovery within data centers.
Addendum b – clarifies existing requirements in Sections 6 and 11 and to provide guidance for taking credit for renewable energy systems.
Addendum d – a response to a Request for Interpretation on the 90.4 consideration of DieselRotary UPS Systems (DRUPS) and the corresponding accounting of these systems in the Electrical Loss Component (ELC). In crafting the IC, the committee also identified several marginal changes to 90.4 definitions and passages in Section 8 that would add further clarity to the issue. This addendum contains the proposed changes for that aim as well as other minor changes to correct spelling or text errors, incorporate the latest ELC values into Section 11, and to refresh information in the Normative Reference.
Addendum e adds language to Section 11 intended to clarify how compliance with Standard 90.4 can be achieved through the use of shared systems.
Comments are due September 6th. Until this deadline you may review the changes and comment upon them by by CLICKING HERE
Education facility managers, energy conservation workgroups and sustainability professionals are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE standard development process. Start at ASHRAE’s public commenting facility:
Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts
The ASHRAE catalog is a priority title in our practice. This title appears on the standing agenda of our Infotech sessions. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.







Issue: [12-54]
Category: Telecommunications, Infotech, Energy
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Neal Dowling, Jim Harvey, Mike Hiler, Robert Schuerger, Larry Spielvogel
Supporting swimming pools with electricity involves various essential functions such as filtration, heating, lighting, and sanitation. Ensuring safety and energy efficiency is crucial, and pool owners can take steps to minimize electricity costs and environmental impact. Key points:
Filtration and Circulation: Swimming pools rely on electric pumps to circulate water through filters, removing debris and maintaining water quality.
Heating: Electric heaters or heat pumps are used to regulate water temperature for comfort, especially in colder seasons.
Lighting: Underwater and pool area lighting enhance safety and aesthetics, typically powered by electricity.
Chlorination and Sanitation: Electric chlorinators or ozone generators help maintain water cleanliness and hygiene.
Automation: Electric control systems enable pool owners to manage filtration, heating, and lighting remotely for convenience and energy efficiency.
Energy Efficiency: Pool owners can invest in energy-efficient equipment, like variable-speed pumps and LED lighting, to reduce electricity consumption and operating costs.
Operations and Maintenance: Regular electrical maintenance ensures safe and reliable pool operation, preventing electrical faults and hazards. The electricity cost for pool operation can be significant, so pool owners should consider energy-efficient practices and equipment to reduce expenses.
Education communities present one of the largest installed bases of artificially created bodies of water; the most abundance resource on earth. These bodies vary in size, purpose, and design but are all created by human intervention to serve specific needs, whether practical, recreational, or aesthetic. Safe and sustainable management of them in the Unite States are informed by best practice found in Article 680 of the National Electrical Code with scope statement below:
Construction and installation of electrical wiring for, and equipment in or adjacent to, all swimming, wading, therapeutic, and decorative pools; fountains; hot tubs; spas; and hydromassage bathtubs, whether permanently installed or storable, and to metallic auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, filters, and similar equipment.
Consultation on the First Draft of the 2026 revision closes August 24, 2024.
Related:
Pool, Fountain, Agriculture & Water Infrastructure Electrical Safety
https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016/08/15/michael-phelps-poses-bottom-university-michigan-pool-2005
Thunderstorm | Shelter (Building: 30/30 Rule)
The standards for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning are typically set by governing bodies such as sports leagues, associations, or organizations, as well as local weather authorities. These standards may vary depending on the specific sport, location, and level of play. However, some common guidelines for delaying outdoor sports due to lightning include:
It’s important to note that safety should always be the top priority when it comes to lightning and outdoor sports. Following established guidelines and seeking shelter when lightning is detected or severe weather warnings are issued can help protect participants from the dangers of lightning strikes.
There are various lightning detection and monitoring devices available on the market that can help you stay safe during thunderstorms. Some of these devices can track the distance of lightning strikes and alert you when lightning is detected within a certain radius of your location. Some devices can also provide real-time updates on lightning strikes in your area, allowing you to make informed decisions about when to seek shelter.
Examples of such devices include personal lightning detectors, lightning alert systems, and weather stations that have lightning detection capabilities. It is important to note that these devices should not be solely relied upon for lightning safety and should be used in conjunction with other safety measures, such as seeking shelter indoors and avoiding open areas during thunderstorms.
Electrical power engineers know that it is unwise to imagine a totally electric mobility system in the mind’s eye of vertical incumbents, policy makers and trendsniffers. That does not mean that, as licensed professionals, we cannot positively respond to the demand for more electric mobility on campuses and within school districts.
Today we run through current codes, standards and guides to make that power supply chain safe and sustainable. Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
In addition to the “NEC canonicals” — listing, coupler heights, disconnect, grounding, voltage, ampacity and overcurrent protection that would likely be applied in a fleet enclosure, more specific passages are relevant when the charging stations are widely dispersed in exterior locations:
Article 225 Outside branch circuits and feeders
Article 625 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System
We will deal with cable management, IEC 61851 titles, Level 1 & 2 equipment, load management, placement of charging stations at motor fuel dispensing installations and wireless charging systems in a separate session.
NECA 413 Standard For Installing And Maintaining Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements
Much like designing and building campus outdoor lighting systems, there are more site-related issues to be reckoned with. For example:
Addressing these space usage problems will require a combination of policy interventions, technological innovations, and public awareness campaigns to promote the benefits and potential of EVs while minimizing their environmental impact and spatial footprint.
Drivers and Barriers to Implementation of Connected, Automated, Shared, and Electric Vehicles
From Case Studies to Standards
The Japanese Standards Association is the Global Secretariat for a standardization project devoted to the discovery and promulgation of common methods and guidelines for coordinated lifetime management of network assets in power systems to support good asset management. In addition, this may include the development of new methods and guidelines required to keep pace with development of electrotechnologies excluding generation assets; covered by other IEC standards.
There has, and will continue to be significant investment in electricity assets which will require ongoing management to realise value for the organizations. In the last 5 years, there has been USD 718 billion investment for electricity, spending on electricity networks and storage continued, reaching an all-time high of USD 277 billion in 2016. In the United States (17% of the total) and Europe (13%), a growing share is going to the replacement of ageing transmission and distribution assets. A more fully dimensioned backgrounder on the business environment that drives the market for this title is available in the link below:
IEC/TC 123 Strategic Business Plan
Begun in 2018, this is a relatively new project with three stabilized titles:
IEC 60050-693 ED1: Management of network assets in power systems – Terminology
IEC 63223-2 ED1: Management of network assets in power systems – Requirements
IEC TS 63224 ED1: Management of network assets in power systems – Practices and case studies
Electropedia: The World’s Online Electrotechnical Vocabulary
It is early in this project’s lifecycle; far too early to find it referenced in public safety and energy laws in the United States where it would affect #TotalCostofOwnership. Where we should, we follow the lead of the USNC/IEC for the United States, while still mindful that many of our IEEE colleagues follow the lead of their own national standards body.
Because this project fills an obvious gap in good practice literature we maintain this project on our 4 times monthly electrotechnology colloquium that we co-host with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.
World Standards Day 2023 webinars on latest information technologies
The importance of functional safety | 2023-10-11 IEC Editorial Team
Open consultations:
US TAG is transferred to Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation from InGenesis. Administrative details in process. Stay tuned.
ISO FDIS 16473 Healthcare organization pandemic response information management standard | Comments due September 4th
VF_40_2025_-_Re-allocation_of_ISO_TC_304_ | Comments due July 17th
ISO_DIS 20364 Pandemic Response Standard Draft Open for Public Consultation Comments due July 1
ISO Healthcare Management Comments on Smart Hospital Standard due January 15
Send Mike a message to coordinate comments (maanthon@umich.edu)
ISO Technical Committees | ANSI (U.S. Participation in ISO Activities)
Many large research universities have significant medical research and healthcare delivery enterprises. The leadership of those enterprises discount the effect of standards like this at their peril. It is easy to visualize that this document will have as transformative effect upon the healthcare industry as the ISO 9000 series of management standards in the globalization of manufacturing.
Standardization in the field of healthcare organization management comprising, terminology, nomenclature, recommendations and requirements for healthcare-specific management practices and metrics (e.g. patient-centered staffing, quality, facility-level infection control, pandemic management, hand hygiene) that comprise the non-clinical operations in healthcare entities.
Excluded are horizontal organizational standards within the scope of:
Also excluded are standards relating to clinical equipment and practices, enclosing those within the scope of TC 198 Sterilization of health care products.
This committee is led by the US Technical Advisory Group Administrator —Ingenesis. The committee is very active at the moment, with new titles drafted, reviewed and published on a near-monthly basis,
DPAS ballot for ISO PAS 23617- Healthcare organization management: Pandemic response (respiratory) —Guidelines for medical support of socially vulnerable groups – Comments due 16 October
[Issue 14-99]
Contact: Lee Webster (lswebste@utmb.edu, lwebster@ingenesis.com), Mike Anthony (mike@standardsmichigan.com), Jack Janveja (jjanveja@umich.edu), Richard Robben (rrobben1952@gmail.com), James Harvey (jharvey@umich.edu), Christine Fischer (chrisfis@umich.edu), Dr Veronica Muzquiz Edwards (vedwards@ingenesis.com)
Category: Health, Global
More
ISO Focus Special Issue on Healthcare
ISO/TC 48 Laboratory equipment
ISO/TC 212 Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems
ISO/TC 198 Sterilization of health care products
Four years ago Mom made a surprise visit to the ‘Hyacinth Chen School of Nursing’. Was always her dream that young women, especially from poor families, fulfil theirs to become nurses. The students were ecstatic to actually see a lady they only knew as a painting on the wall. pic.twitter.com/LBHHCLVhKy
— Wayne Chen (@wcchen) June 1, 2022
2026 Public Input Report | 2026 Public Comment Report
FEMA National Risk Index: Lightning
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
To paraphrase the NFPA 780 prospectus:
(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.)
“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.
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.
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
Didn't really plan for all possibilities, did they. 🤓
NC State's brand-new scoreboard shorts out due to lightning storms https://t.co/KWm78nrRau
— DJ (@DJ87112331) September 10, 2023
The "Top engineering school in the state" just built a $15 million scoreboard without a lightning rod.
Wasn't it just last year that their game got delayed because they couldn't turn the lights on? https://t.co/wWt9gSMYIv
— Steele (@0Gstank) September 9, 2023
More
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.
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
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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