2008 NEC ARTICLE 708
and SPD Commissioning |
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| Appearing for the first time in the 2008 NEC, Article 708 defines CRITICAL OPERATIONS POWER SYSTEMS, commonly referred to as COPS. These systems are defined in the NEC as"power systems for facilities or parts of facilities that require continuous operation for the reasons of public safety, emergency management, national security, or business continuity." These systems may involve complete facilities or specific areas defined as DESIGNATED CRITICAL OPERATIONS AREAS or DCOA. These areas are specific to designated locations within a facility that requires critical operations power.
The immediate question becomes, what is a critical operations power system. The Fine Print Note No. 1 in Article 708 states that "Critical operations power systems are generally installed in vital infrastructure facilities that, if destroyed or incapacitated, would disrupt national security, the economy, public health, or safety, and where enhanced electrical infrastructure for continuity of operation has been deemed necessary by governmental authority." Given this definition, facilities that may fall into this realm may include air traffic control centers, HAZMAT facilities, hospitals, water/sewage treatment facilities and 911 centers, to name a few.
The Scope of Article 708 is considerably broader than in standard NEC articles. For example, 708.3 includes Application of Other Articles; 708.4 addresses Risk Assessment and .5 addresses Physical Security.
Under these sections, some of the specific requirements include the following:
- Comprehensive facility engineering documentation
- Telecommunications and controls protection
- More security, redundancy and fire protection
- Automatic operation
- Minimum 72-hour run time
- Full-load witness testing
- Ongoing testing, maintenance and service.
While there are many state issues and questions as to how this article is to be implemented, and by whom, one factor is certain: Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices will be a critical component within these systems.
Surge Suppression Incorporated® has, throughout its history, been very "hands-on" in assisting consultants, owners and contractors to ensure three very specific, critical things are accomplished:
- Each specific SPD model that was specified is installed and properly connected to the correct piece of equipment or panel/switchboard as intended by the designer.
- Each SPD is installed to help ensure maximum performance by the SPD, (i.e.: as close as possible to the load to be protected for phase, neutral and ground wires.)
- Each SPD is installed correctly with each wire as short and straight as possible, no sharp bends, 90-degree angles, extended leads, etc. Each SPD is installed in strict accordance with the provided installation instructions from the manufacturer, the written specification and the NEC.
This type of attention to detail is an element of the commissioning that will be even more critical in the COPS environment. In the hardening of existing facilities as well as new facilities that have COPS system requirements, surge protective devices are absolutely essential.
As part of this effort, Surge Suppression Incorporated® has provided consultants throughout the world with a guide-form specification in which we have included specific language to cover inspection requirements to verify the three critical elements described above. Perhaps most importantly, it also helps to protect the consultant and the owner by placing the compliance responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the installer and/or contractor, as it should be. It contains specific language stating the consultant will not sign off on the project until receipt of written notification from the SPD manufacturer certifying that all pertinent criteria in the specification are satisfied.
For more information on this subject, please contact Mike Barton
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NEMA LS-1 Discussion |
| Since 1992, NEMA LS-1 has been utilized by the TVSS industry to help specifying engineers and customers create specifications for TVSS devices. The document itself was not a test document ; but rather, was designed and developed for the purpose of being a guide for specification formatting by the industry. Unfortunately, the document fell into ill repute as some manufacturers attempted to use it and make it more than it was intended to be. Specifically, tests were called out as required per NEMA LS-1 when in fact, no test parameters or reference to test parameters were in existence for these "tests". Additionally, with the introduction of ANSI/UL 1449-2006 (Third Edition), some of the definitions and specification requirements in NEMA LS-1 became outdated.
As a result of the above, the NEMA 5VS section for Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices determined that the best course of action was to rescind the NEMA LS-1 standard. This was accomplished and approved by NEMA Codes and Standards in August of this year.
As of this moment, there is no succeeding NEMA standard. IEEE C62.72 and IEEE C62.62 as well as UL 1449 (Third Edition) are the primary standards of reference for surge protective devices.
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CONGRATULATIONS TO... |
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Bruce Carpenter
Bruce Carpenter Consulting, Dayton, MD
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Thought for the day:
"If we are to have peace on earth ... our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. No individual can live alone, no nation can live alone, and as long as we try, the more we are going to have war in this world. We must either learn to live together as brothers or we are all going to perish together as fools." Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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