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Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems

Technical Committee 82 of the International Electrotechnical Commission is charged with preparing international standards for the full length of the solar energy power chain  The span of the power chain includes the light input, the cell itself, and the fittings and accessories to the end use (utilization) equipment.

Strategic Business Plan of IEC Technical Committee 82

The United States is the Global Secretariat for TC 82 through the US National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (USNA/IEC) administered by the American National Standards Institute(ANSI).  Standards Michigan is a long-standing member of ANSI since our “standards journey” began at the University of Michigan in 1993.

The USNA/IEC and participates in its standards development processes; typically collaborating with global research and application engineers in the IEEE Industrial Applications Society and the IEEE Power and Energy Society.   To advance its agenda for lower #TotalCostofOwnership for US real asset executives and facility managers Standards Michigan also collaborates closely with subject matter experts who contribute to, and draw from, the knowledge base in the IEEE Education and Healthcare Facilities Committee (E&H).

The IEC permits public commenting on its draft standards; though you will need to establish login credentials:

IEC Public Commenting

Your comments will be reviewed by the IEC National Committee of the country you live in, which can decide to propose them as national input for the final draft of the IEC International Standard.  This approach makes it easier for individual nations to participate in IEC standards development processes because the resources that national standards bodies need to administer participation resides in Geneva and is managed there.  

“The Eclipse of the Sun in Venice, July 6, 1842” | Ippolito Caffi

We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which has its own platform to tracking commenting opportunities:

IEEE E&H/USNC/IEC Workspace

As of this posting, no interoperability redlines have been released for public consultation.   In large measure, IEC titles contribute to a level playing field among multi-national electrical equipment manufacturers so we should not be surprised that there are no redlines to review.   When they are released we place them on the agenda of the IEEE E&H Committee which meets 4 times monthly in European and American time zones.

Log in to the E&H Committee meeting

Issue: [18-240]

Category: Electrical Power, Energy Conservation

Contact: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Peter Sutherland

LEARN MORE:

[1] US Commenters must route their comments through the USNA/IEC.

[2] Many product and installation standards are developed by the Association of Electrical Equipment and Medical Imaging Manufacturers (NEMA): CLICK HERE

[3]  NEMA comparison of NEC and IEC electrical safety standards

Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

2028 National Electrical Safety Code

IEEE Standards Association Public Review

Related Issues and Recent Research | Federal Legislation

“Rain in Charleston” 1951 Thomas Fransioli

This title sets the standard of care for construction, operation and maintenance of power and telecommunication infrastructure on the supply side of the point of common coupling. It is the first title to contemplate when weather disasters happen; with most public utilities bound to its best practice assertions by statute. Pre-print of Change Proposals for changes to appear in 2028 Edition will be available by 1 July 2025; with 24 March 2026 as the close date for comments on proposed changes.

Project Introduction for the 2028 Edition (2:39 minutes)

NESC 2028 Revision Schedule

Changes proposals for the Edition will be received until 15 May 2024

Proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code

Project Workspace: Update Data Tables in IEEE Recommended Practice for the Design of Reliable Industrial and Commercial Power Systems

Painting by Linda Kortesoja Klenczar

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Electrical Resource Adequacy

Relevant Research

NARUC Position on NFPA (NEC) and IEEE (NESC) Harmonization

The standard of care for electrical safety at high and low voltage is set by both the NEC and the NESC. There are gaps, however (or, at best “gray areas”) — the result of two technical cultures: utility power culture and building fire safety culture. There is also tradition. Local system conditions and local adaptation of regulations vary. Where there is a gap; the more rigorous requirement should govern safety of the public and workers.

The 2023 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)– an IEEE title often mistaken for NFPA’s National Electrical Code (NEC) — was released for public use about six months ago; its normal 5-year revision cycle interrupted by the circumstances of the pandemic.   Compared with the copy cost of the NEC, the NESC is pricey, though appropriate for its target market — the electric utility industry.  Because the 2023 revision has not been effectively “field tested” almost all of the available support literature is, effectively, “sell sheets” for pay-for seminars and written by authors presenting themselves as experts for the battalions of litigators supporting the US utility industry.  Without the ability to sell the NESC to prospective “insiders” the NESC would not likely be commercial prospect for IEEE.   As the lawsuits and violations and conformance interests make their mark in the fullness of time; we shall see the 2023 NESC “at work”.

IEEE Standards Association: Additional Information, Articles, Tools, and Resources Related to the NESC

Office of the President: Economic Benefits of Increasing Electric Grid Resilience to Weather Outages

Research Tracks:

NARUC Resolution Urging Collaboration Between the National Electrical Safety Code and the National Electrical Code

Reliability of Communication Systems needed for the autonomous vehicle transformation

  1. Smart Grid Technologies:
    • Investigating advanced technologies to enhance the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of power grids.
  2. Energy Storage Systems:
    • Researching and developing new energy storage technologies to improve grid stability and accommodate intermittent renewable energy sources.
  3. Distributed Generation Integration:
    • Studying methods to seamlessly integrate distributed energy resources such as solar panels and wind turbines into the existing power grid.
  4. Grid Resilience and Security:
    • Exploring technologies and strategies to enhance the resilience of power grids against cyber-attacks, natural disasters, and other threats.
  5. Demand Response Systems:
  6. Advanced Sensors and Monitoring:
    • Developing new sensor technologies and monitoring systems to enhance grid visibility, detect faults, and enable predictive maintenance.
  7. Power Quality and Reliability:
    • Studying methods to improve power quality, reduce voltage fluctuations, and enhance overall grid reliability.
  8. Integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs):
    • Researching the impact of widespread electric vehicle adoption on the grid and developing smart charging infrastructure.
  9. Grid Automation and Control:
    • Exploring advanced automation and control strategies to optimize grid operations, manage congestion, and improve overall system efficiency.
  10. Campus Distribution Grid Selling and Buying 

 

Relevant Technical Literature

IEC 60050 International Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) – Part 601: Generation, transmission and distribution of electricity | April 16

Recommended Practice for Battery Management Systems in Energy Storage Applications | Comments Due March 26

Medical electrical equipment: basic safety and essential performance of medical beds for children | April 26

Medical electrical equipment: basic safety and essential performance of medical beds for children | April 26

 

Standards:

Presentation | FERC-NERC-Regional Entity Joint Inquiry Into Winter Storm Elliott

IEEE Guide for Joint Use of Utility Poles with Wireline and/or Wireless Facilities

NESC Rule 250B and Reliability Based Design

NESC Requirements (Strength and Loading)

Engineering Analysis of Possible Effects of 2017 NESC Change Proposal to Remove 60′ Exemption

National Electrical Safety Code Workspace

Joint Use of Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Facilities and Equipment

A Framework to Quantify the Value of Operational Resilience for Electric Power Distribution Systems

August 14, 2003 Power Outage at the University of Michigan

Technologies for Interoperability in Microgrids for Energy Access

National Electrical Safety Code: Revision Cycles 1993 through 2023

 

February 24, 2023

The new code goes into effect 1 February 2023, but is now available for access on IEEE Xplore! Produced exclusively by IEEE, the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) specifies best practices for the safety of electric supply and communication utility systems at both public and private utilities.  The bibliography is expanding rapidly:

NESC 2023: Introduction to the National Electrical Safety Code

NESC 2023: Rule Changes

2023 National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC®) – Redline

2023 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC®) Handbook

NESC 2023: Safety Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply

NESC 2023: Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines

NESC 2023: Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply Stations

IEEE Digital Library

Grid Edge Visibility: Gaps and a road map

October 31, 2022

The IEEE NESC technical committee has released a “fast track” review of proposed changes to fault-managed power system best practice:

CP5605 Provides a definition of new Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for the powering of
communications equipment clearly defines what constitutes a FMPS circuit for the purposes of application of the NESC
Rules of 224 and 344
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXtAAAAADhMnPs

CP5606 Provides new definitions of Communication Lines to help ensure that Fault Managed Power Systems (FMPS)
circuits used for the exclusive powering of communications equipment are clearly identified as communications lines
and makes an explicit connection to Rule 224B where the applicable rules for such powering circuits are found.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXpAAAAAFfvWIs

CP5607 The addition of this exception permits cables containing Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for
the exclusive powering of communications equipment to be installed without a shield.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXuAAAAAEEt3p4

CP5608 The addition of this exception permits cables containing Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for
the exclusive powering of communications equipment to be installed without a shield.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXvAAAAAGrzyeI

We refer them to the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee for further action, if any.

 

August 5, 2022

We collaborate closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee (IEEE E&H) to negotiate the standard of care for power security on the #SmartCampus  since many campus power systems are larger than publicly regulated utilities.  Even when they are smaller, the guidance in building the premise wiring system — whether the premise is within a building, outside the building (in which the entire geography of the campus footprint is the premise), is inspired by IEEE Standards Association administrated technical committees.

Northeast Community College | Norfolk, Nebraska

Today we begin a list of noteworthy changes to be understood in the next few Power colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

  1. New rules 190 through 195 cover photovoltaic generating stations.  Rule 116c adds an exception for short lengths of insulated power cables and short-circuit protection if the situation involves fewer than 1,000 volts.
  2. Rule 320B has been revised to clarify separations that apply to communications and supply in different conduit systems.
  3. Table 410-4 is based on the latest arc flash testing on live-front transformers.
  4. Rule 092A adds an exception allowing protection, control, and safety battery systems to not be grounded.
  5. Rules 234 B1, C1, D1 were revised to better present vertical and horizontal wind clearances, and to coordinate requirements with the new Table 234-7.
  6. Rule 120A was revised to provide correction factors for clearances on higher elevations.
  7. Table 253-1 has been revised to reduce the load factor for fiber-reinforced polymer components under wire tension—including dead ends—for Grade C construction.
  8. Rule 410A now requires a specific radio-frequency safety program for employees who might be exposed.
  9. In the Clearances section, as well as in the specification of the Grade of Construction in Table 242-1, the Code further clarifies the use of non-hazardous fiber optic cables as telecom providers continue to expand their networks.
  10. Revisions in the Strength & Loading sections include modified Rule 250C, which addresses extreme wind loading for overhead lines. Two wind maps are now provided instead of the previous single one. A map for Grade B, the highest grade of construction, with a Mean Recurrence Interval (MRI) of 100 years (corresponding to a one percent annual probability of occurrence) is provided in place of the previous 50–90-year MRI map. For Grade C construction, a separate 50-year MRI (two percent annual probability of occurrence) map is now provided. In the previous Code, a factor was applied to the 50–90-year MRI map for application to Grade C.
  11. Changes were also made to the method of determining the corresponding wind loads, consistent with the latest engineering practices as an example of a Code revision focused on public safety, the ground end of all anchor guys adjacent to regularly traveled pedestrian thoroughfares, such as sidewalks, and similar places where people can be found must include a substantial and conspicuous marker to help prevent accidents. The previous Code did not require the marking of every such anchor guy.
  12. Significant revisions were made in Section 14 covering batteries. Previous editions of the code were based on lead-acid technology and batteries only used for backup power. The 2023 Code incorporates the new battery technologies and addresses energy storage and backup power.
  13. A new Section 19 of the code covers photovoltaic generating stations, with sections addressing general codes, location, grounding configurations, vegetation management, DC overcurrent protection, and DC conductors. These new rules accommodate large-scale solar power projects.
  14. In the Clearances section, all rules for wireless antenna structures have been consolidated in the equipment section (Rule 238 and 239), which makes the Code more user-friendly.
  15. A new subcommittee was created focusing on generating stations, with the original subcommittee continuing to address substations.
  16. A working group is investigating Fault Managed Power Systems (FMPS) cables as the technology may be used for 5G networks. The team is looking at possible impacts, including clearances and work rules.

 

February 18, 2021

 

Several proposals recommending improvements to the 2017 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) were submitted to the IEEE subcommittees drafting the 2022 revision of the NESC.   Some of the proposals deal with coordination with the National Electrical Code — which is now in its 2023 revision cycle.  Keep in mind that that NESC is revised every 5 years at the moment; the NEC is revised every 3 years.

The original University of Michigan standards advocacy enterprise has been active in writing the NESC since the 2012 edition and set up a workspace for use by electrical professionals in the education industry.   We will be using this workspace as the 2022 NESC continues along its developmental path:

IEEE 2022 NESC Workspace

The revision schedule — also revised in response to the circumstances of the pandemic — is linked below::

NESC 2023 Edition Revision Schedule*

 

The NESC is a standing item on the 4-times monthly teleconferences of the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities committee.  The next online meeting is shown on the top menu of the IEEE E&H website:

IEEE E&H Committee

We have a copy of the first draft of the 2023 NESC and welcome anyone to join us for an online examination during any of Power & ICT teleconferences.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Business unit leaders, facility managers and electrical engineers working in the education facilities industry may be interested in the campus power system reliability database.   Forced outages on large research campuses, for example, can have enterprise interruption cost of $100,000 to $1,000,000 per minute.    The campus power system forced outage database discriminates between forced outages attributed to public utility interruptions and forced outages attributed to the university-owned power system.   The E&H committee will convey some of the discipline applied by the IEEE 1366 technical committee into its study of campus power systems and, ultimately, setting a benchmark for the standard of care for large university power systems.

 

 

* The IEEE changed the nominal date of the next edition; likely owed to pandemic-related slowdown typical for most standards developing organizations.

Issue: [16-67]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Lorne Clark, Nehad El-Sharif, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Joe Weber, Guiseppe Parise, Jim Murphy

Category: Electrical, Energy Conservation & Management, Occupational Safety

ARCHIVE: University of Michigan Advocacy in the NESC 2007 – 2017

LEARN MORE:

P1366 – Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices 

University Design Guidelines that reference the National Electrical Safety Code

 

Solar Panel Recycling

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers:

The value of diversity in the renewable energy industry and research community

Comparing the carbon footprint of monocrystalline silicon solar modules manufactured in China and the United States

Material Requirement and Resource Availability for Silicon Photovoltaic Laminate Manufacturing in the Next 10 Years

Life cycle assessment of transparent organic photovoltaic for window applications

Evaluating the Electricity Production and Energy Saving from Transparent Photovoltaics for Windows in Commercial Buildings

Designing Lighting for People and Buildings

IES Standards Open for Public Review

Standard Practice on Lighting for Educational Facilities

Recommended Practice: Lighting Retail Spaces

IES Method for Determining Correlated Color Temperature

 

Sport Lighting

“Electrical Building World’s Columbian Exposition Chicago 1892

Today we feature the catalog of the Illumination Engineering Society — one of the first names in standards-setting in illumination technology, globally* with particular interest in its leading title IES LP-1 | LIGHT + DESIGN Lighting Practice: Designing Quality Lighting for People and Buildings.

From its prospectus:

“…LIGHT + DESIGN was developed to introduce architects, lighting designers, design engineers, interior designers, and other lighting professionals to the principles of quality lighting design. These principles; related to visual performance, energy, and economics; and aesthetics; can be applied to a wide range of interior and exterior spaces to aid designers in providing high-quality lighting to their projects.

Stakeholders: Architects, interior designers, lighting practitioners, building owners/operators, engineers, the general public, luminaire manufacturers.  This standard focuses on design principles and defines key technical terms and includes technical background to aid understanding for the designer as well as the client about the quality of the lighted environment. Quality lighting enhances our ability to see and interpret the world around us, supporting our sense of well-being, and improving our capability to communicate with each other….”

The entire catalog is linked below:

IES Lighting Library

Illumination technologies run about 30 percent of the energy load in a building and require significant human resources at the workpoint — facility managers, shop foremen, front-line operations and maintenance personnel, design engineers and sustainability specialists.  The IES has one of the easier platforms for user-interest participation:

IES Standards Open for Public Review

Because the number of electrotechnology standards run in the thousands and are in continual motion* we need an estimate of user-interest in any title before we formally request a redline because the cost of obtaining one in time to make meaningful contributions will run into hundreds of US dollars; apart from the cost of obtaining a current copy.

We maintain the IES catalog on the standing agendas of our Electrical, Illumination and Energy colloquia.   Additionally, we collaborate with experts active in the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in European and American time zones; all colloquia online and open to everyone.   Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page to join us.

Issue: [Various}

Category: Electrical, Energy, Illumination, Facility Asset Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Gary Fox, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Glenn Keates, Daleep Mohla, Giuseppe Parise, Georges Zissis

*  “Brownian Motion” comes to mind because of the speed and interdependencies.

“Season of Light Illumination”

 

LEARN MORE:

Energy Standard for Sites & Buildings: Lighting

University of Michigan

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is an ANSI-accredited continuous-maintenance standards developer (a major contributor to what we call a regulatory product development “stream”).   Continuous maintenance means that changes to titles in its catalog can change in as little as 30-45 days.  This is meaningful to jurisdictions that require conformance to the “latest” version of ASHRAE 90.1

Among the leading titles in its catalog is ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.  Standard 90.1 has been a benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the United States and a key basis for codes and standards around the world for more than 35 years.  Free access to ASHRAE 90.1 version is available at the link below:

READ ONLY Version of 2022 ASHRAE 90.1

If you cannot access it with the link above, try the link below and select 90.1 from the title list:

Current Popular ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines

Chapter 9: Lighting, begins on Page 148, and therein lie the tables that are the most widely used metrics (lighting power densities) by electrical and illumination engineers for specifying luminaires and getting them wired and controlled “per code”.   Many jurisdictions provide access to this Chapter without charge.  Respecting ASHRAE’s copyright, we will not do so here but will use them during today’s Illumination Colloquium, 16:00 UTC.

Keep in mind that recently ASHRAE expanded the scope of 90.1 to include energy usage in the spaces between buildings:

25 January 2023: Newly Released ASHRAE 90.1-2022 Includes Expanded Scope For Building Sites

At this time, there are no redlines open for public comment

Online Standards Actions & Public Review Drafts

Education industry facility managers, energy conservation workgroups, sustainability officers, electric shop foreman, electricians and front-line maintenance professionals who change lighting fixtures, maintain environmental air systems are encouraged to participate directly in the ASHRAE consensus standard development process.

Univerzita Karlova

We also maintain ASHRAE best practice titles as standing items on our Mechanical, Water, Energy and Illumination colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [Various]

Category: Mechanical, Electrical, Energy Conservation, Facility Asset Management, US Department of Energy, #SmartCampus

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Larry Spielvogel, Richard Robben

Under Construction:  ASHRAE WORKSPACE

More:

Consulting-Specifying Engineer (March 4, 2025): Why and how to adopt the IECC for energy-efficient designs

US Department of Energy Codes Program: Power and Lighting

Rightsizing Electrical Power Systems

N.B. We are knocking on ASHRAE’s door to accept proposals for reducing building interior power chain energy and material waste that we cannot persuade National Electrical Code committee to include in the 2026 revision of the National Electrical Code.

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

IBC Electrical (Outdoor Lighting)

2025 Committee Action Hearings – Group B #1

Proposal for Performance-Based Building Premise Wiring | Chapter 27): Monograph Page 754

Electrical building — World Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois 1892

The International Code Council bibliography of electrical safety practice incorporates titles published by the National Fire Protection Association which reference electrical safety science titles published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.  The relevant section of the International Building Code is therefore relatively short:

2021 International Building Code: Chapter 27 Electrical

Note that Chapter 27 provides more guidance on managing the hazards created when electricity is absent*.  Since the National Electrical Code is informed by a fire safety building premise wiring culture; absence of electricity is not as great a hazard as when building wiring systems are energized.  (“So they say” — Mike Anthony, who thinks quite otherwise.)

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

2025 GROUP B PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE I-CODES | Complete Monograph (2630 pages)

Although we collaborate most closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee (four times monthly in Europe and the Americas) we e encourage our colleagues in education communities everywhere to participate directly in the ICC Code Development process.   CLICK HERE to set up an account.

It is enlightening — and a time saver — to unpack the transcripts of previous revisions of codes and standards to see what concepts were presented, what got discussed; what passed and what failed.  We provide links to a few previous posts that track recent action in the ICC suite relevant to electrotechnologies:

Electric Vehicle Charging

Entertainment Occupancies

K-TAG Matrix for Healthcare Facilities

International Energy Conservation Code

The ICC suite of consensus products are relevant to almost all of our work; everyday.   See our CALENDAR that reflects our Syllabus.  Today we deal with electrical safety concepts because technical committees are meeting from November to January to write the 2023 National Electrical Code.  CLICK HERE to follow the action in more detail.

* The original University of Michigan advocacy enterprise began pounding on National Electrical Code committees to install more power reliability concepts in the 2002 Edition with only modest success.  Standards Michigan has since collaborated with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee to drive “absence-of-power-as-a-hazard” into the National Electrical Code; the 2023 now open for public consultation.

N.B.

Assuming building interior fire safety issues can be managed, one way of getting more electric vehicle charging stations built around campus is to install requirements into the building code — thereby putting the construction cost, operation, maintenance and risk upon real-asset Developers and Owners. Code change submittals for the Group A tranche of titles will be received until January 8, 2024.

 

National Rules for Electrical Installations


Underground Electrotechnology

Best practice literature to be covered in our 11 AM session today are listed below.  These codes and standards ensure safety, reliability, and compliance for underground electrical and telecommunications installations:

2028 National Electrical Safety Code

  • National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70
    • Relevance: The NEC, published by the National Fire Protection Association, is the primary standard for safe electrical installations in the U.S. Articles 300 (Wiring Methods), 310 (Conductors for General Wiring), and 230 (Services) cover underground wiring, including burial depths, conduit requirements, and direct-burial cables like Type UF and USE-2. For example, NEC 300.5 specifies minimum cover depths (e.g., 24 inches for direct-burial cables, 18 inches for PVC conduit).
    • Key Aspects: Rules for conductor protection, grounding, GFCI requirements, and conduit types (e.g., Schedule 80 PVC). Adopted by most U.S. jurisdictions with local amendments.

ANSI/TIA-568 Series (Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standards)

  • Relevance: Governs low-voltage telecommunications cabling, including underground installations. TIA-568.2-D (Balanced Twisted-Pair) and TIA-568.3-D (Optical Fiber) specify performance requirements for cables like Cat6 and fiber optics, including maximum distances (e.g., 100 meters for twisted-pair).
  • Key Aspects: Ensures signal integrity, proper separation from high-voltage lines, and compliance for plenum or direct-burial-rated cables. Voluntary unless mandated by local codes.

IEEE 835 (Standard Power Cable Ampacity Tables)

  • Relevance: Provides ampacity ratings for underground power cables, critical for sizing conductors to prevent overheating.
  • Key Aspects: Includes data for direct-burial and ducted installations, considering soil thermal resistivity and ambient conditions. Often referenced alongside NEC for high-current applications.

UL 83 (Standard for Thermoplastic-Insulated Wires and Cables)

  • Relevance: Underwriters Laboratories standard for wires like THWN-2, commonly used in underground conduits. Ensures cables meet safety and performance criteria for wet locations.
  • Key Aspects: Specifies insulation durability, temperature ratings, and suitability for direct burial or conduit use. NEC requires UL-listed cables for compliance.

OSHA 1910.305 (Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment)

  • Relevance: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard for workplace electrical safety, including underground installations in industrial settings.
  • Key Aspects: Specifies approved wiring methods (e.g., armored cable, conduit) and enclosure requirements for underground cable trays or boxes. Focuses on worker safety during installation and maintenance.

CSA C22.1 (Canadian Electrical Code)

  • Relevance: Canada’s equivalent to the NEC, governing underground electrical installations. Similar to NEC but tailored to Canadian conditions and regulations.
  • Key Aspects: Defines burial depths, conduit types, and grounding requirements. For example, low-voltage cables (<30V) require 6-inch burial depth, like NEC.

Notes:

  • Regional Variations: Always consult local building authorities, as codes like the NEC or AS/NZS 3000 may have amendments. For example, some U.S. states reduce burial depths for GFCI-protected circuits (NEC 300.5).
  • Low-Voltage vs. High-Voltage: Standards like TIA-568 and ISO/IEC 11801 focus on low-voltage (e.g., <50V) telecommunications, while NEC and IEC 60364 cover both power and telecom.
  • Practical Compliance: Before installation, call 811 (U.S.) or equivalent to locate underground utilities, and obtain permits/inspections as required by local codes.
  • Critical Examination: While these standards are authoritative, they can lag behind technological advancements (e.g., new cable types like GameChanger exceeding TIA-568 limits). Over-reliance on minimum requirements may limit performance for cutting-edge applications.

Underground Electrotechnology General Conditions and Standard Details

Related:

1793-2012 – IEEE Guide for Planning and Designing Transition Facilities between Overhead and Underground Transmission Lines

The effect of an underground to overhead transition point on the specification of sheath voltage limiters in underground networks

Channel Characteristics Analysis of Medium Voltage Overhead and Mixed Overhead/Underground Cable Power Network

P81/D4, Jan 2025 – IEEE Draft Guide for Measuring Earth Resistivity, Ground Impedance, and Earth Surface Potentials of a Grounding System

 

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