Oct 11, 2012 the national electric code nec is published by the national fire protection association nfpa. Many areas of article 690 were clarified, some were not, and some added requirements. Free online access to the nec and other electrical standards. Solar photovoltaic pv systems mike holt enterprises. Article menu access options download pdf pdf full article content list abstract introduction aim article menu access options download pdf pdf full article content list abstract introduction aim article 690 nec article 35 article 450 article 5 nec article 336 nec article 551 article 5 nec article 90. The example here is dc combiners and dctodc converters.
Revisions for the 2011 national electrical code part 1. Pv system circuits installed on or in buildings shall include a rapid shutdown function to reduce shock hazard for emergency responders in accordance with 690. Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a. The concern is that you cant have a situation where the utility current 100amp plus the solar array 30 amp is more than 120% of the rated capacity. This requirement has been in thecodesince the late 1980s when pv article 690 first appeared. Changes related to 2008 nec requirements are noted in brackets. Page 2 of 6 2014 nec requirements the following is taken from the bill brooks article listed at the end2, and gives the exact wording of the rapid shutdown requirement in the 2014 code, as follows. Nfpa 70, national electrical code nfpa 70b, recommended practice for electrical equipment maintenance. The nec690 building inspectors guide is a set of reference materials developed for building inspectors and ahj officials as it relates to article 690, of the national electrical code nec 2014 for photovoltaic warning labels.
The ampacity of branchcircuit conductors and overcurrent devices for pool or outdoor spa and hot tub water heaters must not be less than 125. The ac circuit breaker in the distribution panel serves as an additional ac disconnecting means per 690. In general, only those terms that are used in two or more articles are defined in article. Solar photovoltaic systems covered by this article may be interactive. Article 690 applies to photovoltaic pv electrical energy systems. Nec national electrical code 2011 edition unless otherwise noted. Those articles provided, respectively, the requirements for surge arrestors over 1,000v. When editing current code, the panel typically documents the changes as shown in the bullets you see below. Photovoltaic systems shall be permitted to supply a building or other structure in addition to any other electricity supply systems. Nec 2017 code changes chapter 6 special equipment changes from the 2014 code are highlighted in yellow. It is vastly different in 2020 from what it was in 2011. It was issued by the standards council on july 26, 2007, with an effective date of august.
The wiring methods shall comply with the additional installation requirements in 1 through 4 nec article 250. The nfpa recovers part of its code development costs by selling code books. Unfortunately, the nfpa intentionally makes this free online version difficult to find and use. In addition to national experts, california has over 45,000. Nfpa 70e, standard for electrical safety in the workplace. The 2011 code requires that wherever the requirements of other articles of this code and article 690 differ, the requirements of article 690 shall apply and, if the system is operated in parallel with a primary sources of electricity, the requirements. This article applies to solar pv systems, other than those covered by article 691, including the array circuits, inverters, and controllers for such systems. Design examples and problems national electrical code 2011 handbook national fire protection associationnational electrical code handbook email this blogthis. Photovoltaic modules are energized while exposed to light. Full article content list abstract introduction aim article 690 nec article 35 article 450 article 5 nec article 336 nec article 551 article 5 nec article 90. Nec chapter 1 article 100 definitions electrician central. Batteries currently addressed several nec articles including articles 480 and 690. A critical look at load side utilityinteractive pv inverter. Manual operation of the main pv dc disconnect shall not activate the ground fault protection device or result in.
That is the section of the national electrial code. Mike holts illustrated guide to understanding 2011 nec requirements for solar. The 2017 national electric code nec dramatically changes the requirements for rapid shutdown of pv systems on buildings. Article menu access options download pdf pdf full article content list abstract introduction aim article menu access options download pdf pdf full article content list abstract introduction aim article 690 nec article 300 article 35 article 450 article 5 article 5 nec article 551 article 555 nec article 590 nec article 682 nec nec article. Building inspectors guide nec 690 pv labeling requirements. Full article content list abstract introduction aim article 690 nec article 300 article 35 article 450 article 5 article 5 nec article 551 article 555 nec article 590 nec article 682 nec nec article 90. The 2011 nec moved several sections from article 690 to article 705. For a pv power source, systems shall comply with 690. It has since been updated for the 2005 national electrical code. Rapid shutdown increased from 3 words to over 1100 words.
Photovoltaic power systems and the national electrical code. The looseleaf 2020 edition has been enhanced and revised to provide stateoftheart requirements and information for safe and effective electrical work. It is not intended to include commonly defined general terms or commonly defined technical terms from related codes and standards. Open cir cuiting, short circuiting, or opaque covering shall be used to disable an array or portions of an array for installation and service. Part i begins with an extensive list of definitions and includes four diagrams. Dec 26, 20 solar pv grounding electrode system 690. The layout and the method of presentation will enable new code users to navigate through the. Photovoltaic power systems and the national electrical. As can be seen in the table below there are many subtle yet impactful changes sure to be coming in the newest edition of the nec. The national electric code nec is published by the national fire protection association nfpa. The course covers only major code changes, but provides depth of coverage. Pv source and output conductors must be routed along building structural members beams, rafters, trusses, and columns where the location of those structural members can be deter.
Nfpa delivers free online access to all nfpa standards to enhance public safety and to serve the publics increasing interest in technical information. Inverters, motor generators, photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic panels, ac photoyoltaic modules, sourcecircuit combiners, and charge controllers intended for use in photovoltaic power systems shall be identified and listed for the application. Originally based on the 2002 nec, article 690, and various guidelines from a few jurisdictions and using input from several experienced professionals including installers and inspectors throughout the u. A critical look at load side utilityinteractive pv.
Nec 2011 and nec 2014, article 690, part iii disconnecting means california electrical code cec 2016, which is. Dc loads, standalone systems ac loads, and battery storage systems have historically been considered part of article 690. However, they do make available a limiteduse online copy of the 2011 nec. Half of the states already adopted nec 2017 and several more will in the next few months such as nj and ct, so you cant wait any longer to understand what these changes mean to your rooftop projects capex and opex pay close attention to part 2 below. Nec national electrical code 2011 edition unless otherwise.
Where article 690 differs from other articles of the nec, article 690 takes precedence. Manual operation of the main pv dc disconnect shall. How to get a free copy of the 2011 national electric code. Pd 690 is established on property located north of stevens forest drive and west of mary cliff road. Disconnecting means required by article 690, part iii, are not shown. There are several changes in article 690 that are simple relocations. Only about 15% to 20% of the work of installing a solar photovoltaic pv system is electrical. References in brackets are to the 2005 and 2008 nec and other relevant documents. Thus, article 690 provides requirements for that portion. If it does supply loads, it really doesnt play into your question as long as it is placed on the bus between the utility supply and the pv supply. Bipolar arrays have not been in evidence since the mid 1990s.
Together these changes promise to clarify both the design and permitting process. Those articles provided, respectively, the requirements for surge arrestors over 1,000v and surgeprotective devices spds 1,000v or less. Written by a master electrician, 2011 national electrical code chapterbychapter offers an indepth analysis of the nec with particular attention to the order in which various elements appear. Except for a slight change in 2008, the requirement has been largely unchanged. The 2011 code requires that wherever the requirements of other articles of this code and article 690 differ, the requirements of article 690 shall apply and, if the system is operated in parallel with a primary sources of electricity, the requirements in 705. Buy nfpa 70, national electrical code nec looseleaf. This article is new with the 2020 nec, and it replaces art. The national electrical code nec style manual is prepared under the guidance of the nec technical correlating committee and is used to advise members of the codemaking panels on the required editorial style and arrangement of the nec. Article 680 swimming pools, spas, hot tubs, fountains, and.
The requirements outlined in this article are based on the 2011 edition of the nec. When not in the field, she teaches classes in code calculations, code update, and article 690 solar. It is intended to be used as a practical working tool to assist in making the nec as clear. Photovoltaic power systems and the national electrical code suggested practices ix applicable articles from the national electrical code although most portions of the national electrical code apply to all electrical power systems, including photovoltaic power systems, those listed below are of particular significance. Part ii of article 690 provides the circuit requirements for pv systems. You are correct that the rating of this panelboardif the bus rating is 400 amperesdoes not meet the requirements found in 690. Figure 4 as of the first draft revision of nec 2017, 690. A stepbystep guide to the 2011 national electrical code. With the return of bipolar arrays, definitions to distinguish subarray and monopole subarray were added. It has since been updated for the 2005 national electrical. Part 1 of this 4part series covers codewide changes through article 240. Nec 2011 and nec 2014, article 690, part iii disconnecting means california electrical code cec 2016, which is based on nec 2014. These are not the same thing as the wiring methods and materials covered in part iv with the 2020 nec, much of 600. This article contains only those definitions essential to the proper application of this code.
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